>From: Scott Badger <w_scott_badger@yahoo.com>
>Reply-To: extropians@extropy.com
>To: extropians@extropy.com
>Subject: Why we believe (was: fishing with the seventh seal)
>Date: Wed, 5 Jul 2000 10:08:12 -0700 (PDT)
>
>
>I've been making a list of the reasons why I suspect
>people are prone to believe in deities. This has
>probably been covered before but I missed it.
>
...
>What have I left out? or how might I clarify these?
>
14. A wish that people who have more then us, or get away with more then us,
will eventually be punished. It's comforting for many people to believe
"sure, that guy who killed my dad got away without getting caught, but we'll
see who has regrets when he's burning in hell", or replace "that guy who
killed my dad" with "Bill Gates".. and add the fact that you can claim that
your poverty, lack of motivation, and inability to defend yourself as
strenghts ("the meek shall inherit the earth", "turn the other cheek", and
the already talked about camel verse).
15. The reason people *keep* believing, even when all evidence suggests
otherwise, is that they have invested so much of their selves. They've gone
to church every sunday, based important life decisions on their belief, and
in some cases given quite a bit of money in tithings. I think it's analogous
to when you hold a stock which is just tanking, and you've put so much money
in it, and lost so much, and you just want so bad for it to turn around, and
you're sure it's hit bottom.. as long as you hold it, there's a possibility
for a turn around, but once you sell it, you've lost.
---------------------------------------------------
Zeb Haradon (zebharadon@hotmail.com)
My personal webpage:
http://www.inconnect.com/~zharadon/ubunix
A movie I'm directing:
http://www.elevatormovie.com
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