Thinking critically, this should be obvious.

Religious faith is likely a complex phenomenon, shaped by multiple aspects of psychology and culture, say the authors of a new study. But the researchers, Ara Norenzayan and Will Gervais of the University of British Columbia in Canada, showed in a series of clever studies that at least one factor consistently appears to decrease the strength of people’s religious belief: analytic thinking.
[…]
There are surely many factors at play here, but the researchers say their results suggest that one’s style of thought may be a crucial contributor to religious belief. Intuitive thinkers are more likely to be religious; analytical types, less so.



  1. bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist says:

    I protest. It defames the concept of “thinking” to lump religiosity in with it.

    Lets keep faith and reason separate the way the Good Lord intended!

    Same as it always is………………………………………………………………
    bobbo

    • dusanmal says:

      You are actually closer to the truth than this “research”/Left Propaganda is.
      Religion by definition is NOT rational. It does not address rational issues or subscribe to a rational methodology. However, where the “research” fails miserably and bobo somewhat is the purpose. If you accept World view that everything can be specified, that there is nothing transcending description and tabulation – only rational thinking is needed. However as soon as one accepts human limitations one must accept that those limitations imply that we, with our capabilities can’t rationally explain everything. As soon as everything can’t be described – there is space for approaching transcendental from the only other possible path: irrational, based on beliefs not on facts.
      So, if anything “rational only” thinkers are the limited ones, not able to even contemplate anything beyond current reason. Giants of Science like Newton, Einstein,… would never been able to jump over the existing rational limits to push borders further (in other words – we are able to push rational/transcendental border over time but only if we dare to go beyond the reason for a while).

      • bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist says:

        Oh dusanmal==you don’t mind if I call you dusanmal do you?>>>hope not.

        I try to be as rational as possible. I have even changed a few of my “emotionally based opinions” based on what reason provided me. Always a stretch goal.

        But I am wide open and greatly enjoy the “mysteries” of self awareness and consciousness. I don’t think being rational explains the pleasures of a glass of wine, pleasant music, the sun going down, and …… as your pleasure allows. I certainly accept what can’t be rationally explained beyond “its biology” or “genetics” or “just the way it is.”

        The difference is: I don’t make a religion out of it.

        Its all to be studied though. Freud was an excellent first stab. Genetis/darwin coming on strong. What is not understood today will/may be in the future, some of it, most of it, all of it depending on the subject.

        What will never be understood is that which does not exist.

        F*ck me Sideways>>>>>>>>>>Its obvious………….
        bobbo

      • GregAllen says:

        >> Religion by definition is NOT rational.

        Well, if you arbitrarily define it that way, I suppose you are correct.

        • bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist says:

          Hey Greg Allen==that depends on how you define arbitrary.

          Bless me Sideways>>>>>>>>Its obvious……….
          bobbo

  2. jasontheodd says:

    Name the religion that the god figure of doesn’t have some excuse for not being able to communicate directly. But perhaps god isn’t nonexistent, he might just be lazy.

    • GregAllen says:

      In many religions, God communicates directly with people.

      • Jasontheodd says:

        In many religions the holy book is full of stories about god communication with people, or the great and divine grand poo-bah of the religion has His home phone number. But I challenge you to convert to the religion you still didn’t name and have a healthy chat with the creator…without hallucinogenic drugs that is.

      • orchidcup says:

        What religion is that? I have never heard of it.

  3. bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist says:

    Lazy isn’t it.

    God thinks about “Should I make myself known?” and the answer yea or nay takes the same amount of effort one way or the other.

    Not lazy.

    Something else.

    F*ck me sideways>>>>>>>>>>It’s Obvious…………………………..
    bobbo

  4. What? says:

    What I want to understand is: God has us walking around in the dark for 10^999999 years, and I presume He has all the time in the world to talk with us.

    I don’t understand why…

  5. What? says:

    Well, that didn’t come out correctly.

    • bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist says:

      Well, that was god talking to you but you were too self involved to listen. So it came out garbled. Hope it wasn’t your last chance.

      Ha, ha………………………..It’s good to get sideways.
      bobbo

  6. Glenn E. says:

    Here’s a joke. How many analytical thinkers does it take to F**kup the economy? All of them, apparently. Do they really pretend that a-hole thinkers running the banks and stock market, weren’t so amoral and unprincipled that they had little or no conscience about robbing the economy blind. Yeah, three cheers for the F-ing analytical thinkers, who run things in this world, for believing in nothing but themselves and their own creature comforts. What small, tiny minds they have, for not seeing how what they do, effects to whole world, very badly.

    And while I wouldn’t say most royal monarchs, who assume as an facade religion, are not capable of causing death, destruction, and plunder. I tend to believe the more average religious thinkers aren’t prone to instituting such extreme measures. After all, most religious people think of their fellow man. While the non-religious tend more to screw them.

  7. plarsen says:

    Intuitive thinkers?

    This must be the mother of all oxymora.

  8. bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist says:

    Men are taller than women.

    NOT TRUE!!! I saw a woman once who was taller than me.

    Ergo, there is no difference between critical and non critical thinking.

  9. Cursor_ says:

    And what does it mean if you don’t know if there is a god and you don’t really care?

    Intuitive or analytical?

    Cursor_

    • Jasontheodd says:

      not sure, but it seems to put you in the majority judging by how people actually behave.

  10. Mr Anderson says:

    For those that religiously believe in critical thinking.
    wth?)

  11. orchidcup says:

    Believe everything and don’t be skeptical.

    Bernie Madoff loves you.

    The government loves you.

    The priest and the preacher love you.

    Don’t worry. Be happy. Hare Krishna.

  12. Dallas says:

    I believe nature doesn’t owe me an explanation. Not even one god damn explanation.

  13. Airsick says:

    Critical thinking also weakens my belief in useless studies, poor statistics and the news.

    • Airsick says:

      …unfortunately, despite my disbelief both still seem to exist!

  14. Marc Perkel says:

    Yep – that’s why I started the Church of Reality. A religion based on believing in everything that’s real. Critical thinking is required. When people think – we win.

  15. bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist says:

    Anyone up for some hot lava on lava action?

    Amusing, its a dentist that has gone all creationists because atheists believe something came from nothing. That is so obviously defective compared to “He” has always existed.

    Critical Thinking/Liberal Thinking: willing to not know “everything.”

    Its Colbert taking Texas School Book Authority apart:
    http://huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/24/don-mcleroy-former-texas-_n_1450194.html?ir=Comedy

  16. JimD, Boston, MA says:

    Thinking and Asking Questions does tend to DEMOLISH PRE-SCIENTIFIC POPPYCOCK !!!

  17. smartalix says:

    The biggest intellectual dichotomy in our Protestant-dominated society is how the Right-wing leadership only seems to know how to quote the Old Testament to justify their policies, not the New Testament. I have yet to hear a GOP politician quote Jesus to support one of their bills, ever. I would love to see some examples. Jesus would never condone the current GOP fiscal policy or most of their current social re-engineering legislation against women.

  18. Anonymous says:

    Holly crap!

    It’s absolutely hilarious how someone considers him/her self as “enlightened” when they are so religious and always “believe” things to be true without actually looking – like using scientific methodology. If we all thought like these broken religious types then we’d probably all still be living in caves and paying homage to some great spirit – or worse like some PERSON. There is no room for expansion in an all exclusive belief structure like that simply because there is no tolerance! And don’t fool yourself if you think there is. Want an example?

    There is no God you damn fool! That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t abandon god-like principles such as empathy or compassion. Just accept it and move on.

    Now, how many of you religious types want to shout me down? You’ll only prove my point.

    Critical thinking and religion do not go well together. Almost any non-religious idiot can see that.

    • deegee says:

      You might want to look up the word religion* before you rant.
      Religion should never be confused with a person who has faith. Faith =/= Religion.
      Apparently you need to work on those critical thinking skills… ?

      And who gave us your stated “god-like” principles? One only has to look at mankind in the world today to see that it never came from within us.

      Original and urban dictionaries are the best source for the proper meaning: “An organized group of people with a common belief.”. More of the modern dictionaries are now skewing the meaning of the word to b.s., typically in order to remove the word’s application to the wider secular groups to which it does apply.

  19. Somebody is just trying to fuck up the church business.

  20. orchidcup says:

    Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about his religion. Respect others in their views and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and of service to your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, or even a stranger, if in a lonely place. Show respect to all people, but grovel to none. When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light, for your life, for your strength. Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.

    — Tecumseh — (1768-1813) Shawnee Chief


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