Why are most religious followers irrational?

[Arkholt]

I'm highly interested in people that get upset about other people's irrational beliefs when those beliefs do not harm or otherwise have any bearing on their lives whatsoever. I find they are in such a hurry to prove that my beliefs are irrational and illogical, when I freely admit that. It's a given. Devoting my life to something that I can't see or empirically prove is the most irrational and illogical thing I've ever heard of. However, how does it affect someone who doesn't believe in it if I simply make that choice?

 

[Ethos88]

I'm highly interested in people that get upset about other people's irrational beliefs when those beliefs do not harm or otherwise have any bearing on their lives whatsoever. I find they are in such a hurry to prove that my beliefs are irrational and illogical, when I freely admit that. It's a given. Devoting my life to something that I can't see or empirically prove is the most irrational and illogical thing I've ever heard of. However, how does it affect someone who doesn't believe in it if I simply make that choice?

It may not affect my life, but what about radical Muslims that murder people for "allah". That affects people.

 

[Evandr]

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.

You just vindicated my point, you will not believe because you have not the will to believe that which can have no other sustainable answer so you demand what you know cannot be produced by the actions of any mortal individual.

Belief changes nothing save for that person who recognizes a reason to believe and then builds his or her life around it because they have the faculties to make use of the power of faith and you have yet to refine that ability.

 

[dogsgod]

Religious beliefs are irrational. That could go far to explain why religious followers are irrational.

 

[Jollybear]

Ethos

I have a question for you.

When you ask the question “why are MOST religious followers irrational?” does that word “most” mean that SOME religious people ARE RATIONAL? If yes, which beliefes among's the religious followers are RATIONAL ones TO you? Or does that word “most” mean “ALL” religious people are irrational?

What do you mean personally by the word “most” ?

 

[Wotan]

I take it as a given that the belief in supernatural religion is unreasonable on its face, unhealthy mentally, and most importantly – dangerous. That simply believing these myths is corrosive of human reason limits knowledge and bids fair to destroy the civilization we have spent the past 6K years building.

As evidence for that I point to the ID Creationism nonsense, the religiously inspired laws we see imposed in many countries, the violence done in the name of “god” and the fierce determination of the believers to force others to at least act as if they believed also. I would my children and G/C lived in a safe and protected environment free from limits on their intellect and free from fear of hate-filled bomb throwers. Or nuke throwers. Or single flight pilots.

 

[Riverwolf]

It may not affect my life, but what about radical Muslims that murder people for "allah". That affects people.

So did the mafia. So does the IRA. So do gangs in general.

What's your point?

 

[Wotan]

So did the mafia. So does the IRA. So do gangs in general.

What's your point?

That the belief in supernatural religion most especially the absolutist ones fosters a "What I believe is the One and Only and Complete Truth. As such what I believe YOU should believe also and if you don't you are at best in error perhaps Evil as well."

 

[Riverwolf]

That the belief in supernatural religion most especially the absolutist ones fosters a "What I believe is the One and Only and Complete Truth. As such what I believe YOU should believe also and if you don't you are at best in error perhaps Evil as well."

That's typical human psychology. "I'm right, and if you disagree with me, there's something wrong with you."

Besides, if all religious people thought like that, we'd have already destroyed ourselves over the ensuing conflicts. I'm religious, but I don't in any way think other religions besides my own are wrong; they're just different ways of looking at what's essentially the same thing IMO.

I still fail to see the point.

 

[AxisMundi]

You just vindicated my point, you will not believe because you have not the will to believe that which can have no other sustainable answer so you demand what you know cannot be produced by the actions of any mortal individual.

Belief changes nothing save for that person who recognizes a reason to believe and then builds his or her life around it because they have the faculties to make use of the power of faith and you have yet to refine that ability.

I've proven nothing, but you HAVE proven my point.

I believe ALL deities exist, even yours, and all created by the concentrated will of countless people over time.

YOU believe in a biblical Jehovah, which catagorically does not exist (ie some demiurge who ahs control over the entire world and population and who everyone msut embrace of face eternal damnation).

Yet here is someone who believes differently from you, who is then subjected to personal derision and insult for not bying into your scripture.

There is belief in the divine, and then there is a blind, irrational belief in a scripture proven wrong so many times as to amount to nothing more than a poorly written fantasy novel.

 

[AxisMundi]

It may not affect my life, but what about radical Muslims that murder people for "allah". That affects people.

Or rabid Christians making religious doctrine into laws.

 

[Smoke]

I'm highly interested in people that get upset about other people's irrational beliefs when those beliefs do not harm or otherwise have any bearing on their lives whatsoever. I find they are in such a hurry to prove that my beliefs are irrational and illogical, when I freely admit that. It's a given. Devoting my life to something that I can't see or empirically prove is the most irrational and illogical thing I've ever heard of. However, how does it affect someone who doesn't believe in it if I simply make that choice?

I'm a gay man in a Christ-infested country, so other people's irrational beliefs affect me on a fundamental, pervasive, and daily basis.

 

[Sunstone]

All humans are irrational to one degree or another. On the whole, I don't see any evidence that religious people are more irrational than non religious people.

 

[Badran]

It may not affect my life, but what about radical Muslims that murder people for "allah". That affects people.

Are you kidding. These are murderers, all they need is an excuse to release their anger or hatred or whatever messed up feelings they have. The point is they just need something to hide behind, a concept. Those leaders of those groups give these guys the perfect reason, they actually found a a way to present an explanation that what they are doing are actually right.

Others are just too dumb for their own Good.

The point is that that doesn't speak for religion itself. There are lots of other good examples for religious people, you just choose to concentrate on the bad, and i can't understand why.

 

[tarasan]

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.

erm, not really..... it depends on how u define such attributes for example in omnipotience the definition that people generally use is incorrect on a christian theology stand point and has been for quite some time.

 

[tarasan]

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.

the first point I think with any theologically study is mute, and my post was directed towrds teh concept of God not specifically Christianity.

 

[Arkholt]

It may not affect my life, but what about radical Muslims that murder people for "allah". That affects people.

My post did not address the fact that certain people do things to harm others in the name of their irrational belief. My point was that the fact that someone believes in something irrational affects no one. Also, irrational belief does not necessarily lead to harmful actions against others in the name of it.

 

[Willamena]

Most religious follwers are irrational for the same reasons everyone else is.

 

[Kathryn]

How does one PROVE love? I'm sure we've all known people (perhaps intimately) who are so blinded by their own issues and baggage that they can't accept or even recognize the gift of love. Nothing anyone could do could prove unselfish love to them.

As a Christian, to me the proof of God and His love is all around me. My gosh, I can't imagine not being able to see it and draw life and strength from it.

I think about Corrie ten Boom and her sister, imprisoned in a German concentration camp. They were able to see, live, and share God's love even in those awful circumstances.

You could say that they were delusional, but if that's the case, I'd rather have shared their POV, and the strength that it gave them, than the crushing depression and hopelessness that engulfed most of their prison mates. Corrie ten Boom's books on these years are full of accounts of other spiritually strong people who were imprisoned with her as well.

I guess it's all a matter of perspective.

 

[tarasan]

Most religious follwers are irrational for the same reasons everyone else is.

indeed, I would think that is fair.