Religion
Related: About this forumIs religious ignorance rational?
By Ilya Somin
February 6 at 2:30 pm
At the Times of Israel website, Israeli writer Avi Woolf uses my work on rational political ignorance to try to shed light on public ignorance about religion, particularly among Jews:
-snip -
As Woolf recognizes, ignorance about religion is far from an exclusively Jewish phenomenon. Surveys show widespread religious ignorance among adherents of most other faiths as well.
I agree with Woolf that there are important commonalities between religious ignorance and political ignorance. Much ignorance about religion clearly is rational for exactly the reason he indicates: Most people dont have the interest, time, or expertise needed to learn as much about religion as clergy or theologians do. At the same time, ignorance about religion is in some ways less rational than ignorance about politics. For the individual voter, there is only a tiny chance that his political knowledge will make any difference to electoral outcomes. By contrast, individuals seeking salvation have good reason to learn about religion, regardless of whether others choose to do so or not.
If believing in the right faith or following the right religious laws is the road to eternal salvation, then there is a huge potential payoff to learning about religion. Its more than just a matter of life or death. Life after death could be at stake too! There is also good reason to study religion even if you dont care about eternal life, but just want to be a good and moral person. It could turn out that the only way to achieve that is to follow the dictates of a particular faith.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/02/06/is-religious-ignorance-rational/
Brettongarcia
(2,262 posts)ISRAEL is a model for how useful religion is?
Part of the logic of this piece seems to be Pascal's Wager. Pascal suggested that believing in God was a good bet. If there is no God, nothing is lost. And if there is one, you are saved.
But there are problems with Pascal's reasoning. What if your belief is in a false and destructive sense of God? And that belief causes you to behave badly and destructively, all your life? For a god that does not exist.
Leontius
(2,270 posts)Learning is hard. What time is (your reality or talent show here) on?
Brettongarcia
(2,262 posts)Why deliberately walk into an endless bog of delusions and lies, defended by endless sophistries?
Why walk straight into the trap?
Just walk around it. And don't look back.
cbayer
(146,218 posts)To remain ignorant of religion is, well, ignorant.
You can pretend it's not there, but your ability to understand what is happening will be deeply flawed.
rug
(82,333 posts)Brettongarcia
(2,262 posts)Those who have escaped from the trap are calling down warnings to those about to step in. Or those who don't know how to get out.
rug
(82,333 posts)You're a regular Jeremiah.
Save your breath. It's as obnoxious as the door knockers.
cbayer
(146,218 posts)You seem to think you have found a higher place, a superior position. You, of course, have escaped and are in the noble and righteous process of rescuing the poor sheeple who remain trapped and ignorant.
Do you have any idea at all how completely arrogant that is and how unlikely it is to move you anywhere near your stated goal?
Brettongarcia
(2,262 posts)And in effect, all the contributors to DU. All of whom come to offer their perspective, among other things.
cbayer
(146,218 posts)Offering your perspective is one thing. Taking such a superior position is quite another
and very off-putting.
AtheistCrusader
(33,982 posts)people like us feel about the three concepts in your subject line.
Telling me I need to be 'saved' or else, is an arrogant, superior position as well. One religion is FOUNDED on that principle, and I am met with exhortations of that sort from them every damn day in one venue or another.
So we're all just a big festival of off-putting then, right?
cbayer
(146,218 posts)I don't like it any better than you do. And I don't like it if done by a believer or non-believer.
AtheistCrusader
(33,982 posts)It assumes some sort of equality between the two positions. They are intrinsically not equal.
cbayer
(146,218 posts)AtheistCrusader
(33,982 posts)cbayer
(146,218 posts)AtheistCrusader
(33,982 posts)Rug brought up jeremiah. You seemed to agree to the two additions.
(My bad, when I scanned back up the thread, I didn't notice the transition from Rug to you.)
cbayer
(146,218 posts)This happens to me all the time, lol.