MSS - Dublin, 5 June - Part 8 - the psychology of religion and prayer

[SinnFein4ever]

9:30-9:50

That's actually a very good hypothesis.

It would explain children's suseptability to peer-pressure about making even the most trival of choices (what kind of clothing to wear, what kind of music to listen to...ect).

As well as why even as adults, most people never question the religous/political beliefs which they were raised with.

[bogdan78pop]

J. Anderson Thomson Jr., M.D. Why We Believe In God(s): A Concise Guide to the Science of Faith

[rictusgate]

This tendency to worship or honor everything that a certain person we respect does or says is the foundation of religion. As a musician I've had people tell me that the band I was in could record a fart and he'd still love it - I was insulted, and I told them they should be ashamed and fell stupid for insulting their own and my intelligence. This tendency needs tempering - in a great and drastic way, I might add. It is no better than handing your brain off to a pastor on Sunday morning.

[Domzdream]

-psychology there. When I read Dawkin's 'The Selfish Gene', it really opened my mind to all these questions.

Anyone who hasn't read this book should read it! It answers a ridiculous amount of questions in all sorts of aspects.

[Domzdream]

Speaking of the pack mentality and hero worship- there is certainly the advantage of that. Firstly. Generally people lazy. None of us want the responsibility of having to lead. Because when something goes wrong, the leader is usually responsible for the blunder and is blamed for bad leader ship. The advantage of that is an easier life style, with money and women (or men). A better assurance of survival and spreading of the gene in a better environment.

There is definitely an interesting psy-

[luccaskunk]

what did Laurie Brown say her YouTube channel was?

[TAz69x]

When you were recording with those cameras, did you also write to their HD's, dpr?

Either of their memories would suffice for a Part 9 if you did.

[evensgrey]

I ran across a suggestion that part of the origin of religion is a side effect of an over-active agency detection system. We evolved an over-active agency detection system because mistaking the wind rustling the grass for a cheetah meant you got a drink 10 minutes later, but mistaking a cheetah for the wind rustling the grass meant you got dead.

[warriorchristian1994]

"WarriorChristian's silence was his most persuasive argument so far'

How dare you! Your not speaking is your less posh, smug and elitist tone compared to when you do speak.

You write that you were unable to get me on the show. That is an outright lie! Are you trying to cover your tracks for the bullying you unleashed on me?

Check my video response for my memory of what went down. I was effectively laughed off the show, thanks to DPRJones manipulating the audience.

[Numinous123]

@warriorchristian1994

Nope. You were laughed off because you were being ridiculous.

[emancoy]

@warriorchristian1994 you walked into the MSS thinking your prepared, what you should have done is examined what the Kalam argument was closer, that you might actually realize that it was a flawed argument and if you knew that you would have not use it at all.

But why do you have to say TELEPATHIC? that part is shockingly funny

[warriorchristian1994]

@emancoy

Yes, I'm getting a lot of this sort of response on the term telepathic. But would you find it as outrageous if I talked about feeling the presence of God and Jesus in your heart? Somehow just phrasing it with that word is taken as being more ridiculous, even by other Christians! So, I will stick by my guns on this.

[qtzlctl2012]

i bet you warriorchristian later claims that he mopped the floor with you guys and that you "lost" that recording

[warriorchristian1994]

@qtzlctl2012

I shan't make such a claim as that would be deluded. But I can attest to being brought in as a joke and thus subsequently treated like one.

[8NCLI8]

@warriorchristian1994: Your arguments were laughable, and thus, you were laughed at.

[qtzlctl2012]

@warriorchristian1994 you make plenty of deluded claims

[jumjalalabash]

No more recording? FFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU­UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

[InSane103]

Pretty much after this point the feed became an utter mess. There wasn't much to be seen after this.

[JoesephKatana]

AntiCitizenX does good psychology of religion stuff, if anyones interested

[toppledgod]

What was that burst of laughter after my question? Can someone explain?

[sasirut]

@toppledgod After which question? Give us a minute/second to work with.

[0ptikz]

@toppledgod

Dunno what the laughter was about mate, but that was a brilliant question.

[thisisaguy]

@toppledgod The laughter happened because of your choice of words at the end of your question. You said religion uses techniques to "trap and control it's followers." The people who laughed did not do so to mock or make fun of your question. Your question, I'm sure, was taken quite seriously but your choice of words struck some members as an attempt at a comical jab at religion.

[toppledgod]

@thisisaguy oh, I thought I'd done goofed!

[thisisaguy]

@toppledgod Nope, it's a great question.

[dprjones]

@toppledgod

If it was laughter then I cannot explain it.

I think that it is a very valid question.

If you have not seen it already, I would recommend a lecture by Andy Thonson, posted on the richard dawkins youtube channel. I think the title is "Why are we religious?".

I'd also recommend his book "Why do we believe in god(s)", available on the richard dawkins website.

I think his comments and observations give a compelling reason to think that we have a propensity to religiosity.