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They save the best for last: people's own beliefs cannot (with statistical certainty) be distinguished from people's beliefs about what God believes. EDIT Just

They save the best for last: people's own beliefs cannot (with statistical certainty) be distinguished from people's beliefs about what God believes. EDIT Just to specify the distinction cannot be made based on fMRI data during verbal responses to such questions. This isn't the best or only measure of brain activity but it's still scary result.

k__ 11y ago
So true. I can't count how often I was in a situation, where someone told me something religious/spiritual and I just thought he was joking.
westoncb 11y ago
This is probably just because people who a believe a god exists have beforehand adopted beliefs that they were told are the god's. If one maintains, "I am a believer of religion X," it's tantamount to, "my opinions are those of X-god." Easier than doing some sort of modeling of the mind of god and filling in the details with one's own mind, is to start with the premise, "as a (e.g.) Christian, my beliefs are God's beliefs" and just say what you believe.
- marmaduke 11y ago
  This is the benign interpretation, i.e. causality flows from God to me, but the opposite direction, or both, is I think equally likely interpretation.
  - sunra 11y ago
    That's why the most ironic passage in the bible is the bit about how "God created man in his own image."
    - Asbostos 11y ago
      "... and man returned the favor."
- Dylan16807 11y ago
  >beforehand adopted beliefs that they were told are the god's That explanation is contradicted by the paragraph after. The rest of your post seems right.
dragonwriter 11y ago
Seems obvious; if you believe in God (in the monotheistic, infallible sense), then, ipso facto, you must believe that everything that is true is believed by God and vice versa, so if you believe X is true, you must also believe that God believes X is true, and vice versa.
- cmurf 11y ago
  It would be interesting to meet someone who sincerely believes in god, does not despise god, and yet consistently acts contrary to (his idea of) god's morality.
  - balfirevic 11y ago
    I'm sure there are many people like that, if only because many people consistently act contrary to their own idea of their own morality. Somebody in this thread already mentioned revealed vs. stated beliefs and preferences.
  - vacri 11y ago
    The stereotypical Mafioso is a simple example, but folks like that are everywhere. Humans are complex creatures and frequently do things voluntarily that they don't morally agree with.
  - PakG1 11y ago
    This would be an example of cognitive dissonance, which is very common.

k__ 11y ago

So true. I can't count how often I was in a situation, where someone told me something religious/spiritual and I just thought he was joking.

westoncb 11y ago

This is probably just because people who a believe a god exists have beforehand adopted beliefs that they were told are the god's. If one maintains, "I am a believer of religion X," it's tantamount to, "my opinions are those of X-god." Easier than doing some sort of modeling of the mind of god and filling in the details with one's own mind, is to start with the premise, "as a (e.g.) Christian, my beliefs are God's beliefs" and just say what you believe.

marmaduke 11y ago
This is the benign interpretation, i.e. causality flows from God to me, but the opposite direction, or both, is I think equally likely interpretation.
- sunra 11y ago
  That's why the most ironic passage in the bible is the bit about how "God created man in his own image."
  - Asbostos 11y ago
    "... and man returned the favor."
Dylan16807 11y ago
>beforehand adopted beliefs that they were told are the god's That explanation is contradicted by the paragraph after. The rest of your post seems right.

dragonwriter 11y ago

Seems obvious; if you believe in God (in the monotheistic, infallible sense), then, ipso facto, you must believe that everything that is true is believed by God and vice versa, so if you believe X is true, you must also believe that God believes X is true, and vice versa.

cmurf 11y ago
It would be interesting to meet someone who sincerely believes in god, does not despise god, and yet consistently acts contrary to (his idea of) god's morality.
- balfirevic 11y ago
  I'm sure there are many people like that, if only because many people consistently act contrary to their own idea of their own morality. Somebody in this thread already mentioned revealed vs. stated beliefs and preferences.
- vacri 11y ago
  The stereotypical Mafioso is a simple example, but folks like that are everywhere. Humans are complex creatures and frequently do things voluntarily that they don't morally agree with.
- PakG1 11y ago
  This would be an example of cognitive dissonance, which is very common.