Why are most religious followers irrational?

[Ethos88]

You say you believe in science, yet you believe in a god which has yet to influence your life. I see arguments like "God did this for me or God did that", that Is a terrible argument to proving any gods existence. I could say that a unicorn gave me my great job and helped me through tough times. Obviously you would not believe it since you cant see, hear, touch, or examine this unicorn. So why do god believing religious groups so aggressively peruse validation for something they cannot validate? Trust me if you were to show me even a tiny shred of the existence for a supernatural all knowing being, I would change my mind.

 

[Badran]

Most people are irrational, they let their own desires affect their judgments.

And since most people are religious, then surely there would be a great number of religious people who are irrational.

Faith is the believe in what you can't prove, or validate. So don't expect any evidence for God, because i don't think there is. However, there are "interesting leads" or reasons that would be enough for some to believe in a creator.

Also don't forget that there are scriptures that are assumed to be the word of God. So one could revise that scripture and decide for himself.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

? Trust me if you were to show me even a tiny shred of the existence for a supernatural all knowing being, I would change my mind. Untill then I will not delude myself with such nonsense.

Yes. Obviously your mind is currently pure.

 

[tarasan]

You say you believe in science, yet you believe in a god which has yet to influence your life. I see arguments like "God did this for me or God did that", that Is a terrible argument to proving any gods existence. I could say that a unicorn gave me my great job and helped me through tough times. Obviously you would not believe it since you cant see, hear, touch, or examine this unicorn. So why do god believing religious groups so aggressively peruse validation for something they cannot validate? Trust me if you were to show me even a tiny shred of the existence for a supernatural all knowing being, I would change my mind. Untill then I will not delude myself with such nonsense.

yes i think refering to personel experience to conclusively prove that a God exists is a little wierd, but then again it is an expereince and unless you can prove them that their experience was false I think a little more than you talking about a unicorn.

also for the record something that you cannot see taste or touch is not material and therefore is not a unicorn, logical impossibilities cannot exist.

we validate it because it is something that has consistantly been proven in our lives, at when we look at it further we find it can be rationally supported through logic,

so we see no reason why it cant exist.

ohhh btw athiests and agnostics can have illogical and irrational beliefs as well, i have met quite a few of them.

 

[ChristineES]

I don't think anyone ever seems to notice that most of us (theists, that is) never even try to prove the existence of God.

 

[ChristineES]

Another thing I would like to say:

Just because a person's beliefs/faiths/etc. may be irrational to you, doesn't mean that the person him or herself is irrational.

 

[lunamoth]

I could say that a unicorn gave me my great job and helped me through tough times.

You could say this, but it was really God that helped you.

A rose by any other name...

 

[Gentoo]

I don't think anyone ever seems to notice that most of us (theists, that is) never even try to prove the existence of God.

I've noticed that too...

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I don't think anyone ever seems to notice that most of us (theists, that is) never even try to prove the existence of God.

Okay, but where's your proof that god exists? Huh? Huh?

 

[Badran]

Another thing I would like to say:

Just because a person's beliefs/faiths/etc. may be irrational to you, doesn't mean that the person him or herself is irrational.

Especially when they acknowledge that their faith is not based on evidence or proof.

 

[Smoke]

It depends on the religion and the follower, but in general I'd say that most religious followers are irrational because most people of any kind are irrational.

Granted, there are religions that encourage the habits of irrational thinking and behavior.

 

[dust1n]

also for the record something that you cannot see taste or touch is not material and therefore is not a unicorn, logical impossibilities cannot exist.

You do realize that the omnimax God is a logical impossibility, correct? It's pretty understood that a leap of faith is concerned as far as the belief in an omnimax God.

 

[dogsgod]

People sometimes believe a falsehood or reject a truth by mistake, but the whole purpose of religion is to have people believe absurdities. By being rational and avoiding religious faith beliefs altogether one can eliminate a lot of erroneous beliefs.

 

[Riverwolf]

Most people are irrational. It's so much easier than rationality, and in the USA, especially, the easy way is what's encouraged.

I've met as many irrational atheists as I have (ratio-wise, anyway) theists.

 

[Comicaze247]

You say you believe in science, yet you believe in a god which has yet to influence your life. I see arguments like "God did this for me or God did that", that Is a terrible argument to proving any gods existence. I could say that a unicorn gave me my great job and helped me through tough times. Obviously you would not believe it since you cant see, hear, touch, or examine this unicorn. So why do god believing religious groups so aggressively peruse validation for something they cannot validate? Trust me if you were to show me even a tiny shred of the existence for a supernatural all knowing being, I would change my mind. Untill then I will not delude myself with such nonsense.

Most of humanity is irrational, not just religious people. It's because we are still very young as a species. We are still growing as a species and have not yet reached our full potential.

What are the majority of children more attracted to when they're around 5 or 6 years old?
Homework and learning? Or colorful shiny stuff?

Many advertisements targeting children have bright colors, and that is all that is usually needed to get their attention.

Now I ask, what do the majority of people (at the very least, us Americans) focus on more?
International news, politics, and critical thinking? Or celebrities?

Well, considering that the average person probably knows more about the biography of Britney Spears than their own mayor, I believe it's the latter.

But as children grow up, they start to mature, and realize that there are more important things than the shiny stuff. And even then, it still takes a while to fully grow up.

We, as a species, have yet to go through "puberty." We still have a lot of growing to do. I won't get too deep into this, as it would be the topic of another thread, but I believe that's what the whole 2012 thing is about. It's the end of something, just not the end of the world. It's the end of our species' childhood. Our species will be starting its "puberty." I'm sure that those of us who have gone through it remember how uncomfortable it was, but I'm also sure that we all realize that we're much better off after it, as if we had remained children, retaining our innocence, we wouldn't have survived as long as we have.

Just my two cents.

P.S.: Don't say "religious people" and only refer to Abrahamic and/or monotheistic beliefs. There are plenty of other religions out there that don't share that belief.

 

[Evandr]

Trust me if you were to show me even a tiny shred of the existence for a supernatural all knowing being, I would change my mind. Untill then I will not delude myself with such nonsense.

Trust you to bend to proof? Not a chance. The Israelites who were led out of Egypt by Moses saw some of the greatest miracles known to man and still ended up worshiping a golden calf; signs do not now or will they ever engender the faith and devotion needed to aspire to the heights of God.

You have already decided the whole concept of God is nonsense. My inability to prove anything spiritual to you is by design, it is not my place or privilege to do so because I have not the wisdom or calling to decide when your trial is over or to what extent your personal spiritual progression should be denied the need of faith.

We are all interacting in mortality but we must all make our own way back to the presence of God by our own actions and interaction with what God has given us to work with, which is understood to be a great deal to those who do not fear to meet the challenge. It is a virtually useless stag that will not move without something more than the master’s voice.

It is my opinion that nay sayers know that something is terribly amiss in their philosophies, that they get some sort of psychological "fix" in dwelling on the reality that someone cannot quantifiably prove the reasoning behind their belief or demonstrate the foundations of their knowledge. I truly believe that such find many contradictions in the quiet corners of their own thoughts which they drown out the same way a child will drown out the sound of another by putting their fingers in their ears and chanting a loud chant.

When one sees another in the attitude of worship the best way to run from the gut feeling that they should also be so engaged is to make a loud noise declaring that there is no God because there is no proof that meets their parameters as such.

 

[AxisMundi]

yes i think refering to personel experience to conclusively prove that a God exists is a little wierd, but then again it is an expereince and unless you can prove them that their experience was false I think a little more than you talking about a unicorn.

also for the record something that you cannot see taste or touch is not material and therefore is not a unicorn, logical impossibilities cannot exist.

we validate it because it is something that has consistantly been proven in our lives, at when we look at it further we find it can be rationally supported through logic,

so we see no reason why it cant exist.

ohhh btw athiests and agnostics can have illogical and irrational beliefs as well, i have met quite a few of them.

Jehovah, or any Deity, cannot be proven by logic.

BTW, I have much personal experience with MY Deities, yet most Christians would say they do not exist.

Bit of a double standard, I think.

 

[AxisMundi]

Trust you to bend to proof? Not a chance. The Israelites who were led out of Egypt by Moses saw some of the greatest miracles known to man and still ended up worshiping a golden calf; signs do not now or will they ever engender the faith and devotion needed to aspire to the heights of God.

You have already decided the whole concept of God is nonsense. My inability to prove anything spiritual to you is by design, it is not my place or privilege to do so because I have not the wisdom or calling to decide when your trial is over or to what extent your personal spiritual progression should be denied the need of faith.

We are all interacting in mortality but we must all make our own way back to the presence of God by our own actions and interaction with what God has given us to work with, which is understood to be a great deal to those who do not fear to meet the challenge. It is a virtually useless stag that will not move without something more than the master’s voice.

It is my opinion that nay sayers know that something is terribly amiss in their philosophies, that they get some sort of psychological "fix" in dwelling on the reality that someone cannot quantifiably prove the reasoning behind their belief or demonstrate the foundations of their knowledge. I truly believe that such find many contradictions in the quiet corners of their own thoughts which they drown out the same way a child will drown out the sound of another by putting their fingers in their ears and chanting a loud chant.

When one sees another in the attitude of worship the best way to run from the gut feeling that they should also be so engaged is to make a loud noise declaring that there is no God because there is no proof that meets their parameters as such.

There is no conlcusive proof of an Exodus, there is also no proof of these "miracles" you speak of.

And there is simply no proof, beyond personal experience which doesn't stand up in the scientific method, for ANY deity, mine or yours.

And there is certainly nothing offering anything close to proof for your "we must get back to god" statements.

 

[Peacewise]

You say you believe in science, yet you believe in a god which has yet to influence your life. I see arguments like "God did this for me or God did that", that Is a terrible argument to proving any gods existence. I could say that a unicorn gave me my great job and helped me through tough times. Obviously you would not believe it since you cant see, hear, touch, or examine this unicorn. So why do god believing religious groups so aggressively peruse validation for something they cannot validate? Trust me if you were to show me even a tiny shred of the existence for a supernatural all knowing being, I would change my mind. Untill then I will not delude myself with such nonsense.

It's funny that you would mention this concept, irrationality and then display it.

Who is 'you'? - It's not a useful generalisation, implying lack of rationality.

'yet to influence your life' - incorrect, if the person says that God has influenced their life then He has, this matter is subjective.

'aggressively peruse validation...' I presume you mean pursue, however I haven't met a god believing group that aggressively pursues validation, though I presume they do exist. Some people who discuss this matter do get aggressive, yet I've found that mostly it is the deniers are the most aggressive; "don't believe or you are deluded" is a standard aggressive tactic of some atheists.

'trust me... show me tiny shred of...' people have shown you before obviously and you have denied it, they revealed that God influenced their life and you deny that as a shown tiny shred of the existence for supernatural.

'Untill then I will not delude myself with such nonsense.' that's your call mate, but it is not a balanced view, it is a view that has already rejected information and come to a conclusion as such it is just as much a belief, though of a different nature, as the belief of those believers you discuss.

Blind faith, or in this case irrational faith, that's a good one. Why is it that atheists always think our faith is blind?

Here is what my faith does, it opens my eyes, it is very much rational, sure I still get stuff wrong like everyone else, but I have the balls to change, grow and respect others view points and not call them derogatory's.

 

[Riverwolf]

Blind faith, or in this case irrational faith, that's a good one. Why is it that atheists always think our faith is blind?

Guess he's not aware of a little viewpoint that Joseph Campbell put best:

"I don't need faith; I have experience."

I don't blindly believe things until I've experienced them. I've experienced the Oneness of things on occasion, and therefore I believe it. However, I have not experienced omnipresent consciousness, so I don't believe in it, even though Hindu Sages teach it.