Thread: Why People Believe Weird Things

Its because a lot of them cant be proven false.

Most people that believe in that stuff were also raised to believe in it. They were taught as the answer to the worlds questions... people need answers to things, because they feel lost without them. The thing is though, if these were introduced early on in their lives, they become that person's foundation of truths. Any beliefs afterwards would merely be added on top of that one - extensions of this foundation. It provides not only answers to one thing, creation, but answers to everything. Why is that tree there? "Oh well, god put it there". Why did my friend die? "Because God decided that it was his time to die". It provides answers to almost every question, which is comforting... the feeling of surity, security.

I find it hard to argue with these people, because their arguments are all based on that core belief. However, Alric is right, they can't be proven wrong. And in a sense, contrary beliefs could be just as baseless. They're all beliefs. They're all relative, even though some seem more plausible to you does not mean they are more true than something else. Beliefs are all based on experiences you have had. It's all about the individual. That's why there are so many disagreements, obviously. Who's to say which person's belief is more valid? Of course, you are, and that's where debates arise.

However, what frustrates me though, is when people affect other people in negative ways just because of these beliefs.

Cheers,
Dylan

Haha, remember that in the future, though, people might criticise us for our petty or farfetched beliefs.

Beliefs such as those that you mentioned only seem silly in light of other more advanced knowledge. In the absence of this knowledge, it doesnt seem so silly.

How many times does a topic like this have to be brought up?

Pissed off person #1: GOD DOESN'T EXIST!!
Pissed off person #2: GOD DOES EXIST!
Pissed off person #1: GOD DOESN'T EXIST!!
Pissed off person #2: GOD DOES EXIST!
Pissed off person #1: GOD DOESN'T EXIST!!
Pissed off person #2: GOD DOES EXIST!
Pissed off person #1: GOD DOESN'T EXIST!!
Pissed off person #2: GOD DOES EXIST!

Just let it go! You can't disprove any of it so quit acting like YOU are the enlightened one.

There are too many posts like this and I wouldn't want to waste time actually making a sectipon of religion... I haven't gone to church in a long time because I always fell asleep and snored really loud since it was at midnight...

Originally posted by Alric
Its because a lot of them cant be proven false.

Believing something (especially if there's little or no evidence backing it) because it can't be proven false is absurd beyond words. There are infinite possible things that don't exist and still can't be disproven. For example, what if I said right now, "I can jump 500 feet high, hold my breath forever, and turn people into various types of insects". Go ahead, prove me wrong. You can't, so thus I must be telling the truth!

Anyway, I agree with bradybaker's post. Humans are naturally curious and want to know all the answers, but we don't know all of them, and so people eventually decided to start making up fake answers and speading them to others to get some quick satisfaction. These ideas were so enticing with their promises of eternal afterlife paradises and punishments for evil people that countless people adopted them, and it was more because they wanted them to be true than because they thought they were true. Unfortunately, because only one religion can really be true (almost definately, none of them are), religion has caused countless pointless wars and deaths throughout history. 9/11 is one of the more recent pointless tragidies that can be blamed on religion (along with Bush's re-election ).

Originally posted by Awaken
How many times does a topic like this have to be brought up?

Pissed off person #1: GOD DOESN'T EXIST!!
Pissed off person #2: GOD DOES EXIST!
Pissed off person #1: GOD DOESN'T EXIST!!
Pissed off person #2: GOD DOES EXIST!
Pissed off person #1: GOD DOESN'T EXIST!!
Pissed off person #2: GOD DOES EXIST!
Pissed off person #1: GOD DOESN'T EXIST!!
Pissed off person #2: GOD DOES EXIST!

Just let it go! You can't disprove any of it so quit acting like YOU are the enlightened one.

I don't know about you Awaken, but I've never gotten "pissed off". Besides, this threads purpose isn't to find out if God does or does not exist. But to discuss why such beliefs are held, not only pertaining to God but a variety of other things that I'm sure even you can admit are kind of "out there".

Okay, yes, the nature of religion is awkward, I agree completely. Since they explain it so literally in a human figurative sense, people, for some reason take it exactly as it was written, like a TV show, and apply it to their lives without seeing what's really being said. It's not supposed to be taken literally, it's metaphorical for just being true to others, helpful when others are in need, and having a balance of power rather than one 'ruler'. To achieve that is to achieve "heaven" (true democracy). To live in fear and deceit is the metaphor for "hell" (fascism). Of course there will always be "good" and "evil", but the "evil" can be kept to a far greater minimum if people would understand what books like the bible are trying to teach them. If you take it exactly as it's written, you miss any meaning behind what's being said.

As for the spirituality "nonsense", it is interesting to think how the subconscious is so unexplainable as of yet. People have had repeated, documented cases of believable OOBE's and AP's. When there are a few coincidences it's easy to ignore, but if you actually listen to what people are saying, it's often quite odd that the "probability" is greater than what would seem "normal". I don't feel I have a right to make judgments about what I cannot explain.

Yeah I know, like the belief that their memory and senses all acurately portray the external universe.

I find it somewhat interesting that as soon as I call out for help (check my last thread), that immediately this thread appears above it. This has everything to do with my sense of belief and meaning. Through experience I think we are not meant to understand and comprehend these things during the phase of life. Only when someone finds no purpose left to live, their transition to understanding their self morals drifts them apart from life into death. Now this is only my assumption, but from the things I've seen, I rest assured in my visions.

I only briefed this topic and don't have much time, but later on I will give my own clause for these situations. Feel free to check out my last thread in the mean time. 8)

See what you just said can be proven wrong though. All they have to do is ask you to show them, and since you cant your lieing its proven. Or if you really could do it, you do it and prove yourself right.

The others it could go either way. Its in no way strange though. I dont see how jumping to conclusion that their all stupid ideas and cant possibly be real is anyway enlightened though.

Two words: Free Choice

Originally posted by pyrhho+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pyrhho)</div>

Two words: Free Choice[/b]

Freedom of choice to do what? Think irrationally?

<!--QuoteBegin-Awaken
People have had repeated, documented cases of believable OOBE's and AP's. When there are a few coincidences it's easy to ignore, but if you actually listen to what people are saying, it's often quite odd that the \"probability\" is greater than what would seem \"normal\". I don't feel I have a right to make judgments about what I cannot explain.

It's called the Law of Large Numbers and Confirmation Bias. As well as, of course, some good old fashioned wishful thinking, lieing and exaggeration. Personal accounts are NO substitution for the numerous scientific studies concluding that these phenomena do not exist.

Originally posted by Alric
See what you just said can be proven wrong though. All they have to do is ask you to show them, and since you cant your lieing its proven. Or if you really could do it, you do it and prove yourself right. *

The others it could go either way. Its in no way strange though. I dont see how jumping to conclusion that their all stupid ideas and cant possibly be real is anyway enlightened though.

I'm not exactly sure what you're trying to say there...maybe try clarifying?

i used to believe in those things too and concentrate on them. but after a while i came to a realization doesn't matter how much you contemplate, reflect, theorize, or philosophise on these things its still not going to have a change, who you are or how you act and react.

Well, I'll be blunt -- and you can believe it or dismiss it, I don't care what you think, really -- I've had visions: serious visions. Faces, text, poems, phrases, words, voices, all those sorts of things. I've been casually talking and suddenly spout stuff that I would never normally say, or think of.

I was raised Roman Catholic, but I never truly believed in Jesus -- perhaps god at some point, but never Jesus. And not most of anything else that Catholicism or Christianity taught. So I became [an] atheist. I didn't believe in anything beyond what science and logic could prove. Then, the above started happening -- and it changed me. I didn't think it was so much a matter of "then and now" anymore.

So I know there is something more than the mundane, something more than the absolutely scientific. That's why I believe -- and I don't doubt that there are at least a handful of others who have experienced the same things.

I don't mean any disrespect to you, but have you considered the possibility that you might be mentally ill?

Well, technically, I am mentally ill. It's called Asperger's Syndrome. Tony Atwood wrote a great book on it. Or look it up sometime.

As far as what I described, I know that isn't it, because for instance, a lot of the things that I've seen and heard have come true, and otherwise, I've seen tangible or otherwise verifiable proof of them.

So, to answer your question, yes.

I had two points, one there is no good evidence that really goes for or against it. You could argue there must be an afterlife because you seen ghosts, or you could argue there can't be ufo's because there is no life in our solar system and its impossible to travel to another, but theres really no soild evidence for either.

My other point was, you can't consider yourself enlightened if you jump to conclusions. Which you did when you said belief in an afterlife is silly, when clearly you never been dead and so know nothing about it.

Rakkantekimusouka you oughtta go to James Randi and claim your million bucks!

Originally posted by Alric+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Alric)</div>

You could argue there must be an afterlife because you seen ghosts, or you could argue there can't be ufo's because there is no life in our solar system and its impossible to travel to another, but theres really no soild evidence for either.[/b]

Right, so if there is no evidence for or against it, why do people choose to beleive it? That's the question I asked.

<!--QuoteBegin-Alric
My other point was, you can't consider yourself enlightened if you jump to conclusions. Which you did when you said belief in an afterlife is silly, when clearly you never been dead and so know nothing about it.

I never claimed to be enlightened. I stated stated the fact that most people consider this to an \"enlightened era\". But as you have asserted, people today believe in things which have absolutely no evidence for or against them. That doesn't seem like a very \"enlightened\" thing to do if you ask me.

Originally posted by FaatFaat
Rakkantekimusouka you oughtta go to James Randi and claim your million bucks!

Yes! I can't believe that people on here know about this guy. Here's the link Rakkantekimusouka:
http://www.randi.org/research/index.html

Well the thing is there is evidence for all the things you stated. So there are reason why people might believe in them. Its just not very solid evidence and none of it even comes close to proving anything.

James Randi competition is a load of crap. one guy went to him and said that he can go without water and food for over a month. james randi refused to accept the challange saying he would not be responsible for his death. but this guy has already have done this many times. and said that he would sign contract stating that jame randi would not be held responsible for his death if it occured. and james randi still refused.

Well, first I want to hone my skills so my senses aren't so sporadic -- I put a post in the Beyond Dreaming forum asking for help with that. If I can do that, and I get a little sharper, then maybe...