"Secularism is a religion...Atheism is a religion"

[Ed209]

[Kyelo]

All 'isms' refer to a school of thought based upon a core assumption. All religions refer to the strict accordance of an assumption or belief. Therefore, both secularism and atheism are religions when followed in strict accordance to their core assumptions.

[feral chile]

I'm guessing the author of this is an atheist.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-human-beast/201208/the-god-spot-revisited

So it makes sense that the brain might be specialized for religious experiences. Indeed, an evolutionary perspective on religion implies that humans are inherently susceptible to religious views.

This view is bolstered by evidence that spiritual experiences (including religious experiences) have a neural basis. Although there is no single “God spot” in the brain, feelings of self-transcendence are associated with reduced electrical activity in the right parietal lobe, a structure located above the right ear (2).

Self- transcendence, or a sense of the otherworldly, is the opposite of being self-focused and is a convenient definition of spirituality and/or religious sensibility used by researchers. This perception is generated by many experiences in addition to religion, including brain trauma, drug states, and epileptic seizures.

So what is the God spot used for?

In an earlier post, I argued that a primary function of religious beliefs and rituals is as a form of emotion-focused coping with the difficulties of life. It functions rather like the security blanket that a small child employs to soothe itself when distressed.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I'm guessing the author of this is an atheist.

http://www.psycholog...-spot-revisited

[worm]

I suppose if we continue with this school of thought racism, nationalism and capitalism are also religions? No.

[worm]

I'm guessing the author of this is an atheist.

[feral chile]

No matter what scientific answer you find for either inner or outer space, there will always be the argument that God put it there for that very purpose. Science is how. Religion is why.

[worm]

And as you say, humans have already decided whether humans made God or God made humans before they start to look for evidence confirming their belief.

Edited August 14, 2012 by worm

[eFestivals]

Thereby proving our penchant for this religious belief thing.

or our fear.

[worm]

or our fear.

[eFestivals]

Did you read the article feral posted? It was saying that we have a part of our brain that facilitates transcendental thinking. So we are drawn to it. I'm not referring to external forces, such as doctrine and social pressure, I'm talking about our brain's reasoning.

PMSL

The sort of "brain's reasoning" that has some people defining something unknown as "a part of our brain that facilitates transcendental thinking" when we don't have the first feckin' clue if it's that or not, you mean?

I said "or our fear", because that's no less true. The sort of made-up bollocks that feral linked to is the sort of stuff that psychobabblists love only because us humans always like to swerve the unexplained for something we believe we can deal with.

We know that something happens in the brain when someone is having what they then call a spiritual experience. That's all and everything we know.

As ever tho, the lack of hard facts won't stop the psychobabblists from making something up out of nothing.

[worm]

We know that something happens in the brain when someone is having what they then call a spiritual experience. That's all and everything we know.

Edited August 15, 2012 by worm

[eFestivals]

Maybe we should just be using it with better understanding.

when you and the psychobabblists get to take up that idea then we might start to get somewhere.

[worm]

when you and the psychobabblists get to take up that idea then we might start to get somewhere.

[eFestivals]

And the psychobabblists are, as far as I'm aware.

they - including you - keep proving the opposite, by making stuff up out of nothing and then repeating it as a fact beyond dispute.

If you've never realised that's all they do I feel sad for you.

Spirituality (and transcendental thinking) is the most effective source in overcoming addiction and coping with grief. Them's facts.

yep, delusions is where its at.

[worm]

they - including you - keep proving the opposite, by making stuff up out of nothing and then repeating it as a fact beyond dispute.

Edited August 15, 2012 by worm

[eFestivals]

People who go to AA meetings have a greater control over their addictions. When they don't, they don't. These are facts.

and people with a mental grip on dealing with their addictions but who don't go to AA meetings also have a greater control over their addictions.

So prove to me that it's the AA meetings that make the difference rather than the mental want to get to grips with an addiction (which can be displayed via AA attendance). You can't.

Well, no, it's about gaining a better understanding.

you cannot get that understanding by making something up and then trying to force people to accept it as true.

Call the will to live delusion if you like.

I've done nothing of the sort.

As soon as you start putting some fixed external meaning to it you could call it delusion.

has that as a definition of psychology never occurred to you?

[worm]

and people with a mental grip on dealing with their addictions but who don't go to AA meetings also have a greater control over their addictions.

[worm]

you cannot get that understanding by making something up and then trying to force people to accept it as true.

Edited August 15, 2012 by worm

[eFestivals]

Who classifies having a 'mental grip'? What is that Neil? Indulging your addiction? Abstaining? What is having and not having a 'mental grip'?

Check mate dude. You're now spouting psychobabble.

Nope. I'm merely stating a truth. No idea of psychobabble is required.

I won't bother addressing your stupidity with your questions.

[worm]

At least psychology tries to pin-down some blue-prints through verification, instead of just saying 'mental grip' like some ignoranus. They observe how people get a 'mental grip' from start to finish and examine it inside out. That's what it's all about.

[worm]

Nope. I'm merely stating a truth. No idea of psychobabble is required.

Edited August 15, 2012 by worm

[AcademicPistol]

People who go to AA meetings have a greater control over their addictions. When they don't, they don't. These are facts.

[eFestivals]

At least psychology tries to pin-down some blue-prints through verification, instead of just saying 'mental grip' like some ignoranus. They observe how people get a 'mental grip' from start to finish and examine it inside out. That's what it's all about.

... and then once they've finished observing, they invent some bollocks out of nothing and claim what's happened is that bollocks - and all without a single shred of evidence for that invented-out-of-nothing bollocks.

Me saying "mental grip" is not ignoramus. It's a clearly understandable idea to everyone, bar those lacking the grey matter. And funnily enough, psychology has no different an idea, tho it might be given a different name, and will come with a made-up theory around it all without a shred of evidence for that theory - that's where the ignoramus lives.

You know, like when you say that attraction is nothing to do with instinct (yet the *real* evidence shows differently), and where you have not a jot of evidence to back up the idea that attraction is nothing to do with instinct. It's made up out of nothing, zilch. Empty heads.

But from that empty head comes a whole laughable 'academic discipline', which is neither of those things in reality. It won't accept evidence that goes against its made-up ideas (as you proved with your rejection of instinct being a proven part of attraction), and so there is no discipline.

[worm]

Yeah, you know why that is though don't you?