3 ms·

I spent two years at a Catholic high school. The most important lesson from that experience was the maxim that "you have to believe something" -- that class (se

I spent two years at a Catholic high school. The most important lesson from that experience was the maxim that "you have to believe something" -- that class (senior religion) encouraged us to examine our beliefs. Many people adopt their parents' explanation for the world we live in. Others prefer the scientific explanation du jour ("of the day"). The old religions have become stale, but the hunger for spirituality persists. Science has "true believers" too. These prostelytizers proclaim that that there is no need for spiritual hocus-pocus anymore, that Science has explanations for everything now, or at least they'll have it all figured out soon. This has been the Physicalist's sermon for ... maybe 170 years. Spiritualism maintains that the life force is separate from the physical world we inhabit: the life force is what "animates" the bodies we take on for a while. YODA: Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you. Here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere. Yes, even between this land and that ship. People have experiences that cannot be explained by 'physicalism' all the time: out of body experiences, 'intuition', memory, telepathy, imagination, etc... My comment on this subject from 12 days ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17238552 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17238552

verylittlemeat 8y ago
I've been thinking about this a lot lately and I'm pretty down on strong belief in general. I find it depressingly common that believers of any stripe come from a foundation of reaction and not introspection. Their ideologies need an "other" to be the anti of rather than standing alone. I see this in everything from politics to religion to clothing to food. Everyone is defining their ego against the perceived arrogance of some other group. edit: After I made this comment in good faith I saw you were being downvoted. I just want to make it clear that I do not think your comment is downvote worthy and that I find both the pious and atheist guilty of what I describe.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
mgamache 8y ago
It may be comforting to believe in something. That doesn't make it true. There is no evidence that any of the experiences people have that can't be explained are a result of supernatural causes.
- taxicabjesus 8y ago
  When I was taxi driving, I found it useful to believe that I had an itinerary, and that my job was to be in the right place at the right time to meet the people who I was supposed to meet that day. Mr. "Who are your lifelines" [0] was a case in point. I was parked at a Quik Trip gas station, he asked if I was available, I took him somewhere, he saved my number. I later bailed him out of jail, and am going to be using his story to push for change in our criminal justice system. [0] http://www.taxiwars.org/who-are-your-lifelines/ http://www.taxiwars.org/who-are-your-lifelines/ > There is no evidence that any of the experiences people have that can't be explained are a result of supernatural causes. This is slander for phenomenon which are not very well understood by the present state of knowledge. Radon/radiation poisoning would have been classified as "supernatural" by pre-1896 scientists ("science advances one funeral at a time"; I don't know how long it took for the possibility of 'radiation' to permeate the scientific culture).
  - mgamache 8y ago
    > Radon/radiation poisoning would have been classified as "supernatural" by pre-1896 scientists That is exactly my point. A lot of phenomena that were once the purview of religion are now explained by science. The reverse is never true (nothing explained by science has subsequently found a better explanation in religion)
    - taxicabjesus 8y ago
      > The reverse is never true (nothing explained by science has subsequently found a better explanation in religion) 1. Scientific explanations are often found to be incorrect. 2. Scientific explanations are often found to be incomplete. 3. Scientific explanations are often found to build on assumptions. My posts in this thread are not so much about Religion, but about what do you believe. Everyone believes something. Why do you believe what you do?
oldcynic 8y ago
> that Science has explanations for everything now, or at least they'll have it all figured out soon You don't need to care if they ever figure it all out to "believe in" science. Quoting Yoda? Hollywood puts a white Anglo-Saxon, Christian, family message in almost every movie. It's also standard movie ending #1.

verylittlemeat 8y ago

I've been thinking about this a lot lately and I'm pretty down on strong belief in general. I find it depressingly common that believers of any stripe come from a foundation of reaction and not introspection. Their ideologies need an "other" to be the anti of rather than standing alone. I see this in everything from politics to religion to clothing to food. Everyone is defining their ego against the perceived arrogance of some other group. edit: After I made this comment in good faith I saw you were being downvoted. I just want to make it clear that I do not think your comment is downvote worthy and that I find both the pious and atheist guilty of what I describe.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

mgamache 8y ago

It may be comforting to believe in something. That doesn't make it true. There is no evidence that any of the experiences people have that can't be explained are a result of supernatural causes.

taxicabjesus 8y ago
When I was taxi driving, I found it useful to believe that I had an itinerary, and that my job was to be in the right place at the right time to meet the people who I was supposed to meet that day. Mr. "Who are your lifelines" [0] was a case in point. I was parked at a Quik Trip gas station, he asked if I was available, I took him somewhere, he saved my number. I later bailed him out of jail, and am going to be using his story to push for change in our criminal justice system. [0] http://www.taxiwars.org/who-are-your-lifelines/ http://www.taxiwars.org/who-are-your-lifelines/ > There is no evidence that any of the experiences people have that can't be explained are a result of supernatural causes. This is slander for phenomenon which are not very well understood by the present state of knowledge. Radon/radiation poisoning would have been classified as "supernatural" by pre-1896 scientists ("science advances one funeral at a time"; I don't know how long it took for the possibility of 'radiation' to permeate the scientific culture).
- mgamache 8y ago
  > Radon/radiation poisoning would have been classified as "supernatural" by pre-1896 scientists That is exactly my point. A lot of phenomena that were once the purview of religion are now explained by science. The reverse is never true (nothing explained by science has subsequently found a better explanation in religion)
  - taxicabjesus 8y ago
    > The reverse is never true (nothing explained by science has subsequently found a better explanation in religion) 1. Scientific explanations are often found to be incorrect. 2. Scientific explanations are often found to be incomplete. 3. Scientific explanations are often found to build on assumptions. My posts in this thread are not so much about Religion, but about what do you believe. Everyone believes something. Why do you believe what you do?

oldcynic 8y ago

> that Science has explanations for everything now, or at least they'll have it all figured out soon You don't need to care if they ever figure it all out to "believe in" science. Quoting Yoda? Hollywood puts a white Anglo-Saxon, Christian, family message in almost every movie. It's also standard movie ending #1.