GameOver22 said:
Yes, but that doesn't mean people can't change their beliefs. Furthermore, I don't undestand what you mean by guts. Its like your hypothesizing some mediator between gaining information and opinion change. For example, I believed that Iraq had WMDs back before the Iraq War. Later information came out that showed they didn't, which altered my beliefs. What your arguing is that I gained information, which changed my gut opinion, which changed my belief. Truthfully, the whole "gut opinion" step is unecessary because, in this formulation, changing a gut belief is the same as changing a belief. Regardless, I still changed my belief. Personally, I think your being to negative about the ability of people to analyze arguments and alter their beliefs. Religious beliefs are a poor example because they are so central to people lives, but, even then, there are plenty of examples of people changing their religious beliefs. In other words, people don't just follow their gut reactions in all instances....they also analyze and assess arguments, which can in turn alter their beliefs. |
Well, to be honest it was unnecessary by me to mention the word "opinion" as the thread is supposed to be about beliefs.
If we go back to the example in the OP where a person did all he could but still failed to alter his beliefs, would you say that God is just if he says he should have believed in him despite his guts telling him not to believe in God? As you said, we are able to analyze and assess arguments, but if that didn't alter his beliefs then would God be fair if he said, "You should have ignored those feelings and believed in me anyway."? Even if we really are capable of selecting what to believe to some degree, I say God is cruel in that scenario.
Also, I used the expression 'guts' as it expresses a persons' true feelings without having to say "true feelings". It makes it easier to get the OP's message across, as I see it.
