tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935045.post5842216496321967929..comments2024-01-19T02:23:51.665-06:00Comments on Journal Wunelle: One Quorum. Two Quora?wstachourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12447198404608861357noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935045.post-72426885336725559902014-05-27T19:06:03.157-05:002014-05-27T19:06:03.157-05:00In my most cynical moments I think the "emoti...In my most cynical moments I think the "emotional itch" is the whole point of the exercise. It's why the institutions take such interest in children ("Give me the child and I'll show you the man," or whatever St. Paul or whomever said). The emotional hooks set much more deeply in childhood. I always imagine religion being first introduced to people at, say, age 18; you can bet your fortune that the ranks of believers would be substantially smaller in that case. And the Powers That Be know this.<br /><br />I think we all build up some cognitive dissonance because it's in our nature (a survival mechanism?) to kind of "gestalt" our observations into a coherent whole, even though our perceptions are probably not actually coherent. We just happen to live in a time when, as you say, the vast amount of information available makes hanging onto this kind of mythology especially untenable.wstachourhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12447198404608861357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935045.post-76938197114707247692014-05-27T17:36:45.857-05:002014-05-27T17:36:45.857-05:00Take heart in that "none of the above" i...Take heart in that "none of the above" is the fastest growing segment of the population. Also religion has historically relied on a closed network where the flow of information travels only through approved ecclesiastical channels. The internet completely circumvents this, and doubters are free to explore their doubts anonymously without fear of negative repercussions. I think it's going to be much rougher going for religion in the immediate future. I think some reinvention is in order for them to survive long term. Who knows exactly what that might look like.<br /><br />I think people mostly hang on to religion because it scratches some emotional itch. That's something I don't claim to be completely free of myself. One could say my religious skepticism also scratches an emotional itch. I know it's a happier place for me. I had built up considerable cognitive dissonance from my years of indoctrination.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06882783628765318355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935045.post-68431606000558711572014-05-27T16:56:09.959-05:002014-05-27T16:56:09.959-05:00I'll look it up.
I think whatever mechanisms ...I'll look it up.<br /><br />I think whatever mechanisms are involved, they MUST affect both sides. I want to think that my processes are different, that I'm reaching conclusions by a different, and more legitimate and functional, path; but I'm skeptical that this is entirely the case.<br /><br />I've been reading Clan of the Cave Bear (and sequels) for the last several weeks, and we're reminded that first on the agenda is reproduction. All the rest of this, stuff in which I invest a lot of thought and energy and some angst, is mostly chaff until it hampers reproduction. (And studies seem to show that the religionists have the edge there; they make more babies!).<br /><br />Sigh.wstachourhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12447198404608861357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935045.post-52644282696283694552014-05-27T16:18:51.005-05:002014-05-27T16:18:51.005-05:00I have often puzzled over the polemics of politics...I have often puzzled over the polemics of politics and religion in which both extremes are so convinced they are right. How do we explain this? Jonathan Haidt's book "The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion" http://www.amazon.com/The-Righteous-Mind-Politics-Religion/dp/0307455777 is probably the best explanation I've encountered to date. He studies the psychology of morality. One salient point he makes in his book is that religion has a tendency to "bind and blind", or in other words, once a religion declares something sacred, it becomes blind to any rational criticism of it. Worth a read if you get a chance.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06882783628765318355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935045.post-6932192394239297452014-05-02T00:41:01.484-05:002014-05-02T00:41:01.484-05:00Oh, jesus. I'm by far the worst about posting...Oh, jesus. I'm by far the worst about posting or reading posts lately.<br /><br />I had seen your Quora status updates on FB and had been meaning to wander over there. It'd be nice to get in those discussions again without the annoying internet troll, discussion board losers you see in a lot of places. That's what I always liked about our family of blogs when we were all active. <br /><br />CK, as always, has stayed active through thick and thin. Keep it up buddy. Fight the power. :-)dbackdadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10700991588554336491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935045.post-64349631728122573422014-04-30T12:35:32.840-05:002014-04-30T12:35:32.840-05:00I'm grateful anyone stops by anymore! It's...I'm grateful anyone stops by anymore! It's funny to look back on the history of this blog and see how my internet usage has changed. I went through a period of writing and reading a select number of blogs, the actual list of which kind of morphed over the years. Then with the rise of Facebook, and a different community on that site, I found I wrote less and less and spent more time over there.<br /><br />Not to any real positive effect, methinks. But the rise of that platform kind of coincided with my having largely spoken my mind on these pages.<br /><br />But it's all good. I write when the spirit moves me, and I suspect things will ebb and flow. Which is fine.<br /><br />I hope you both are well! I'll try to check in more frequently. :-)<br />wstachourhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12447198404608861357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935045.post-82848377226838119002014-04-29T15:47:47.530-05:002014-04-29T15:47:47.530-05:00WS said: Funny how we're on the same wavelengt...WS said: Funny how we're on the same wavelength at just this moment! It MUST be the goddess Oogla guiding us! ;-)<br /><br />Or just an example of the Theory of Large Numbers which many people consider Coincidence [grin]<br /><br />V V said: So glad you posted again, been missing your posts...<br /><br />Ditto.<br /><br />V V said: People tend to get so touchy when you challenge their belief systems.<br /><br />Most definitely. When you touch truly core beliefs people tend to take things *very* personally!<br /><br />V V said: I'm glad you've found a spot for most civil discourse.<br /><br />They do seem to be rather rare beasts on the Web these days. I'll be checking it out too!CyberKittenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394155516712665665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935045.post-9144200598783793252014-04-29T14:22:36.089-05:002014-04-29T14:22:36.089-05:00I was just going to say CK just posted something a...I was just going to say CK just posted something about this. So glad you posted again, been missing your posts, not that I've really had time to read or write lately. <br /><br />I would so love to have reasonable discussions where one could dissect a topic, fully understand it and other people's views on it, without it turning into an assault. <br /><br />People tend to get so touchy when you challenge their belief systems. I think shaking the bedrock every so often is a good thing, even if it's uncomfortable. I'll probably go check out the site once the semester is over, but I'm glad you've found a spot for most civil discourse.VVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08751403913379728345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935045.post-16371466450674625572014-04-29T09:46:11.051-05:002014-04-29T09:46:11.051-05:00Just read. Funny how we're on the same wavelen...Just read. Funny how we're on the same wavelength at just this moment!<br /><br />It MUST be the goddess Oogla guiding us! ;-)wstachourhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12447198404608861357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15935045.post-53675086321904580492014-04-29T06:06:40.650-05:002014-04-29T06:06:40.650-05:00I posted something very similar to this on Saturda...I posted something very similar to this on Saturday over @ my place.CyberKittenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06394155516712665665noreply@blogger.com