Me VS God, Part V: Why We Believe

This video explains the origins of many religious beliefs, and why those origins are not trustworthy avenues to truth.

Human cognitive bias is well-documented for its power to push men into belief, even when those beliefs have been entirely fabricated out of nothing. An example case from the peer-reviewed literature (Festinger & Carlsmith, 1957) is discussed to show how this happens, and under what conditions. Then a talk from the LDS church is presented as a textbook example of how psychological conditioning can exploit this exact effect to create belief in a religious faith.

Cognitive bias is a great way of generating belief, but a lousy way of generating knowledge. Unfortunately, religion gives higher priority to belief, so it does not matter how manipulative the "proof" for God may be. Anything that generates converts is happily exploited, while skepticism is always shunned.

This is where religious converts come from. The only way to stop it is to educate people on their own psychological fallibility.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• atheism
• LDS
• church
• mormons
• religion
• insufficient
• justification
• why
• we
• believe
• psychology

[kittyloaf]

Do the preachers and such actually know they are manipulating people? Or has their own biases blinded them, and therefore they really think what they are saying makes sense

[AntiCitizenX]

@kittyloaf

They have to know. In any other context, such tactics would be condemned as fraud. But I also believe that double-think is very powerful in the religious, such that they honestly don't consciously realize what they are doing. At the end of the day, converts and regular attendance are all that matter to a church. So whatever the leaders do to achieve that goal is considered to be divinely sanctioned.

[Shadizar666]

what is that movie you used?

[AntiCitizenX]

@Shadizar666

Inherit the Wind.

[busterpiggle]

Love the clip at the end. What movie was it from?

[AntiCitizenX]

@busterpiggle

Inherit the Wind.

[LagMasterSam]

AntiCitizenX, you sir, are a fucking genius.

[josephrl82]

You'r right everyone should be allowed to believe whatever crap they want, BUT should their beliefs force laws and injustices on other's rights? How many laws have been passed to accomidate to religious beliefs? Stem cell research, gay marriage, prohibition of marijuana, and not teaching the most incredible discovery in the history of mankind evolution.. These are just a few of the injustices the intolerance of religion has bestowed on our nation.

[GiveCourage]

Thanks! I love how you use Dallin Oaks as the quintessential example of an asshole. Dallin Oaks IS a complete asshole.

[kittyloaf]

If you guys want to see something really funny, and completely in tune with the videos you have made about biases and such, go to the mythbusters episode about the moon landing hoax on youtube

The mythbusters take a scientific-ish approach, with evidence and logic. Once they conclude there was no hoax, the comment section blew up with curse words and yelling, something about the illumanti and jews. Really funny stuff that proves your points.

[tjtheplay]

I also saw that movie in the end.

The religious guy gets fucking owned by the guy who's trying to teach evolution.

[tjtheplay]

I like how I use these exact arguments against theists and all they do is say that I'm going to hell.

If I end up getting far enough in a debate where a theist actually PRESENTS AN ARGUMENT and I end up refuting it, they get mad at me. Several times I was threatened with violence.

[LordHines420]

6:06 i said holy fuck aloud

[lazyteen123]

@GreenAndGreezy By how my crime there is in an area.

[lazyteen123]

@GreenAndGreezy So you'd rather have false beliefs, but change the world?

[GreenAndGreezy]

@lazyteen123 how do you mesaure violence.