Have Christians read their bible?
[10:51]
MY CONCERNS ABOUT HUMAN NATURE IN 2016…Using religious belief as an example.
I wrote an article a couple of weeks ago about how the majority of religious believers were only believing simply due to an accident. The accident being birth. Nobody chooses what region or nation they are born into and that birthplace majority religious belief system will more than likely be the ‘choice’ of a persons future faith too. My guess, that would be 90% + of the world’s population. This should ring alarm bells. Most of us admire intelligence and rational approach to decision making in life, however, sometimes that approach is brushed under the carpet so observations like I just made are rarely brought up for certain topics, RELIGION CONVENIENTLY ONE OF THOSE, MAYBE NEVER CHALLENGED SO AS NOT TO HURT THE FEELINGS OF THE ‘ACCIDENTAL FOLLOWERS’ (Woops, sorry caps, don’t mean to come across aggressive…My bad :p )
Take away those 90% + of believers because of the automatic process without rational investigation and religion becomes as popular as golf. Golf is a respected sport here and there, never regarded in the top 5 sport in any nation, it hovers around in the background for some men and a few women. Even I may switch on the news to learn who won a major tournament in the summer. Religion without followers will become like golf. In the background with few following AND NOT BE AN INGREDIENT WITHIN GEOPOLITICS AND USED AS PART OF WAR AND TERRORISM KILLING AND OPPRESSING MILLIONS OF PEOPLE OVER TIME. (Woops, sorry caps again…My bad :p )
Another concern is…. Okay, accepted… those 90% + accidental autopilot followers, let them be, and of those anyway, the majority are harmless just going about their daily routines of work, school, food, sleep and mobile phone scrolling. However, how many have actually read their holy books? I suppose the majority will know a parable or two or can quote a few lines here and there, but I think from the 90% + of accidental followers, possibly 90% + of those have actually bothered to read the holy book itself. Christians for example will christen their kids, celebrate name days, enjoy public religious holidays and even fast for 40 days with pride, but…. not read the instruction manual and holy book itself… They again seem to be following the ‘interpretations’ of their immediate culture yet the irony being, all the contradictions that come with that are never observed either, better to avoid reading the bible so as not to be reminded of sins that are all too often enjoyed?… All of this style of accidental belief, like water off a ducks back… No problemmmmm to a believer! 🙂
We have therefore… accidental believers 90% + of the world’s population and then from those accidental believers we then have 90%+ of those who have not gone on to even read their holy book. When presented in this type of context as I am it does make belief sound a little farcical. I’m not saying it is, just pointing out some observations, however it is a little bit like authorities giving you a driving licence, without taking driving lessons or passing a test…. Somewhere along those lines if a comparison can be made. A free for all do what you want without any detailed intelligent investigation… I’m not judging it that way, IT JUST SEEMS THAT WAY TO THOSE WHO DO TAKE TIME TO EVALUATE! (Woops, sorry caps again…My bad, I don’t mean to be rude :p )
To make it clear again as it is an important observation, because religion is a major force in the world. 90% + did not study any other religion or thought process to make a comparison and then choose their faith… That should be shocking in itself but then when the choice of faith is made 90% + of those would not have even gone through the process of reading their holy book. A DOUBLE WAMMY OF COMPLETE IGNORANCE!!?? I’m asking…
By now I should have many atheists drooling and giggling at the thought of how stupid religious people actually are…. THEY ARE NOT STUPID!!!! Nobody is.. Human beings are simply a complex set of brain structures and chemicals working behind the scenes of awareness that heavily guide the majority of religious or non-religious to conform with what’s around them whatever it may be. Having a brain that does that for us, guides us to a better chance of survival. Religion just one of a zillion ways people conform. APPROPRIATENESS IS COOL!!! IRRATIONALITY SPRINKLED AT THE RIGHT TIMES IS IMPORTANT!!!!
WHICH MEANS ATHEISTS, PLEASE CALM DOWN, WE, INCLUDING MYSELF HAVE PLENTY OF IRRATIONAL ‘ACCIDENTAL’ CONVENIENT AND APPROPRIATE PATTERNS AND BELIEFS. NON-RELIGIOUS THEY MAY BE BUT MANY OTHER TO HELP US GET ON IN LIFE DUE TO OUR ACCIDENTAL PLACE OF BIRTH… (Woops, sorry to myself this time, caps again…My bad, sorry Panayiotis do not mean to sound aggressive :p )
That’s my concern for religious people and non-religious people in 2016. Hardly any can truly make rational comparisons, or create an awareness to observe things clearly yet. Instead, governed by appropriateness, create convenient beliefs and criticisms of whatever opposes their ideas. In this regard, we are still very primitive. I highly recommend for anyone to read the books of or watch talks by Daniel Kahneman, Dan Ariely and Steven Pinker (type their names in search on my website) on how we often flow with the appropriate and fail to think rationally as life passes us by being fear riddled human beings.
We get by doing this in general, but my intuition tells me we can become much more fulfilled, get on much better, become happier if we start thinking about thinking rather than just relying on the appropriate automatic and often accidental subconscious survival processes we have priming our thoughts, beliefs and paradoxically our free will choices. Maybe it’s time now for a new paradigm, a new approach. The research is there to help us, we just need to be brave and be happy saying “I don’t know” or “I was wrong” more rather than defending our various levels of ignorance.
[Video source: HighImpactFlix YouTube link]
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