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richardhutnik on 30 August 2010
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sapphi_snake said:
richardhutnik said:

Particularly the situation you are in now, if you come off wrong, you will have problems more from how you come off than what you don't believe.   Prudence is a virtue.

By the way, you may want to look into "neurotheology" which the book I told you about is on.  It is the scientific study into why people believe there is a G od, and the impact of how different beliefs shape the brain.  If you, for example, were raised in a very fundamentalist family, it could impact how you think and see things.  Also (my observation) you could end up dropping God but still be fundamentalist in your approach towards things.

The problem with the book you mentioned is that it (from the chaper and synopsis I read online) doesn't in any way prove that people show why people beleive in deities (the fact that the authors use the word "God" so often shows their bias, another reason why I don't like this book), but only studies the effects of such beliefes on the brain (which is something interesting. Even in my Communication Theory classes I learned that any information one recieves has an effect on him/her. T

his book really only deals with how a belief in deities and the supernatural affects you brain. The book doesn't seem to present any evidentce that a belief in deities/the supernatural in any way something humans are hardwired to have. So that clame of yours is not supported by the book.

And yes, prudence is a virtue.

Where is the "supernatural affects you (sic) brain" anywhere?  It is just an effect.  And the book is on the effects of how different beliefs shape the brain.  His research goes into this, even outside of the book. It is a follow up to the book: "Why God Won't Go Away" by the way: http://www.amazon.com/Why-God-Wont-Go-Away/dp/0345440331

which apparently goes into that question you mention.  I read the later book I mentioned, and not the earlier book, because I didn't read it.

This area goes into it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurotheology

 

If you care, look into it further.  If you don't care, then take the easy way out and not bother to look into it further.  Since you apparently have your mind dogmatically made up, might as well stick into not looking into it further.