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This is not about "is there a God or not". It's about the question of why rational beliefs are so easily overridden by 'common sense' or religion. As a counter
by polemic 14y ago
This is not about "is there a God or not". It's about the question of why rational beliefs are so easily overridden by 'common sense' or religion.
As a counter-point: why does America, a liberal western democracy, still believe in God so fervently?
Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Europe have all experience a significant decline in religion over the last 100 years. Why not in the US?
- tedunangst 14y agoBecause England and Europe kicked out all the fervent believers unwilling to convert to the state religion du jour and sent them to America. Ironically, the separation of church and state means people can lose faith in the state but not the church.
- cschwarm 14y ago> Why not in the US? There are many reasons but the most important one, IIRC, is existential insecurity. The more one fears for one's wealth, health, and life, the stronger and widespread religious beliefs. The thesis goes back to Gregory S. Paul [1] and has been confirmed by others; for instance, by Inglehart and Norris (2004) [2]. See also the summery by Thomas Rees. [3] [1] http://www.gspaulscienceofreligion.com/ http://www.gspaulscienceofreligion.com/ [2] http://www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/pnorris/Books/Sacred_and_secular.htm http://www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/pnorris/Books/Sacred_and_secul... [3] http://epiphenom.fieldofscience.com/2009/07/why-some-countries-are-more-religious.html http://epiphenom.fieldofscience.com/2009/07/why-some-countri...