>
>>From: "\[ Robert-Coyote \]" <coyyote@hotmail.com>
>>Subject: Re: Why we believe (was: fishing with the seventh seal)
>>Date: Wed, 05 Jul 2000 11:01:42 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?
>
Another one I thought of: low self esteem, leading to an inability to own up
to your accomplishments.
If you don't think that you have a lot of power over your own life, then you
would have a need to "explain away" all of your accomplishments. If your
mother is dying of cancer, and you are able to pull through and be there for
her without going insane, then you have to attribute this perseverence to
something besides yourself, so you pin it on God. To a lesser extent,
getting an A on the test might be thanks to God, because you prayed, and not
just because you're capable of learning the material.
It's analogous to blaming your dark thoughts and actions on the devil.
---------------------------------------------------
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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