GoFuckYourself.com - Adult Webmaster Forum - View Single Post

latinasojourn · 06-29-2007, 12:15 AM

[QUOTE=Sands;12670214]Why people believe in the bible, and religion in general is a complex question with a multitude of answers.

Some individuals are given religious teachings at young and tender ages by their parents and other authority figures. When we're young, we're psychologically inclined (moreso than other ages) to believe everything authority figures tell us. It's an evolved psychological mechanism. At that age a child cannot afford, for the sake of their safety and well-being, to disobey or question the wisdom of their guardians. Since a child is prone to the dangers of a cruel world (or rather an ancestral world generations ago that was much more cruel) the commands and warnings of a parent had to be obeyed, had to be followed in order to ensure their survival. Hundreds of years ago these commands may have been, "don't wander too far away from me or you'll be eaten by a predator", but today it's more akin to, "don't wander too far away from me or you might fall down a flight of stairs." As a child's intellect develops, then they can begin to question the wisdom of their parents, but certainly not during this sensitive time period.

The upshot of this is that along with the transmission of wisdom regarding safety and well-being, parents also teach their children the "wisdom" of religion. Since what we learn during this crucial time period becomes so deeply ingrained in our psyche, it stays with some of us throughout adulthood, even when history and logic can effectively smash religious belief.

There is also the dynamic of in-groups an out-groups. Everyone needs to feel a sense of "us", and "we", and to belong to a social/cultural body of people that will A) give us a sense of identity, and B) separate us from everyone else. Some people may feel an overwhelming desire to belong to a group, especially one that is, on the surface, as charitable and accepting as Judeo-Christian faiths.

We can also take into account the powerful influence of self-deception. From a sociobiological standpoint, self-deception is an evolved psychological mechanism that actually aids in our survival by promoting positive moods, which in turn promotes health, well-being, and overall longevity. Studies have shown that depression lowers immune system response, and has an overall deleterious effect on the body. Therefore, health favors the happy, and if being happy and healthy requires you to fool yourself, on one level or another, about life, death, and everything in between, then deceiving oneself about the historical, philosophical, and practical facets of personal faith can be a boon.

hmmm.
that pretty well gets it.

gotta admit the GFY is an interesting motley bunch; amongst the misfits, sociopaths, dull normals and fools you find some really SMART people.

nice goin'.

06-29-2007, 12:15 AM
latinasojourn Confirmed User Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 3,191	[QUOTE=Sands;12670214]Why people believe in the bible, and religion in general is a complex question with a multitude of answers. Some individuals are given religious teachings at young and tender ages by their parents and other authority figures. When we're young, we're psychologically inclined (moreso than other ages) to believe everything authority figures tell us. It's an evolved psychological mechanism. At that age a child cannot afford, for the sake of their safety and well-being, to disobey or question the wisdom of their guardians. Since a child is prone to the dangers of a cruel world (or rather an ancestral world generations ago that was much more cruel) the commands and warnings of a parent had to be obeyed, had to be followed in order to ensure their survival. Hundreds of years ago these commands may have been, "don't wander too far away from me or you'll be eaten by a predator", but today it's more akin to, "don't wander too far away from me or you might fall down a flight of stairs." As a child's intellect develops, then they can begin to question the wisdom of their parents, but certainly not during this sensitive time period. The upshot of this is that along with the transmission of wisdom regarding safety and well-being, parents also teach their children the "wisdom" of religion. Since what we learn during this crucial time period becomes so deeply ingrained in our psyche, it stays with some of us throughout adulthood, even when history and logic can effectively smash religious belief. There is also the dynamic of in-groups an out-groups. Everyone needs to feel a sense of "us", and "we", and to belong to a social/cultural body of people that will A) give us a sense of identity, and B) separate us from everyone else. Some people may feel an overwhelming desire to belong to a group, especially one that is, on the surface, as charitable and accepting as Judeo-Christian faiths. We can also take into account the powerful influence of self-deception. From a sociobiological standpoint, self-deception is an evolved psychological mechanism that actually aids in our survival by promoting positive moods, which in turn promotes health, well-being, and overall longevity. Studies have shown that depression lowers immune system response, and has an overall deleterious effect on the body. Therefore, health favors the happy, and if being happy and healthy requires you to fool yourself, on one level or another, about life, death, and everything in between, then deceiving oneself about the historical, philosophical, and practical facets of personal faith can be a boon. hmmm. that pretty well gets it. gotta admit the GFY is an interesting motley bunch; amongst the misfits, sociopaths, dull normals and fools you find some really SMART people. nice goin'.