Agnostic.com

7 3

Is religious education based on "gullibility"?

In his book "The God Delusion" Dawkins is offering a scaled-down version of what is perhaps today’s most sophisticated theory of gene-culture co-evolution. Peter Richerson and Robert Boyd ("Not by genes alone" ) argue that biology informs and directs culture with two innate rules:

  • follow the norms and practices of your society (When in Rome, do what the Romans do) and,
  • if in doubt, do what the leaders and the influential do: “Determining who is a success is much easier than to determine how to be a success. By imitating the successful, you have a chance of acquiring the behaviors that cause success, even if you do not know anything about which characteristics of the successful are responsible for their success” (Richerson and Boyd, 2005)

But... Dawkins has biased the discussion by slipping in the weasel word "gullible". Yet, although we are all gullible sometimes, learning from others is not necessarily being gullible.

Dennett (in "Breaking the Spell" ) is playing the same trick as Dawkins, sliding in negative connotations under the cover of supposed objective discussion. Talking of parasites and viruses is using what could be called “persuasive
definitions.”
We have some evocative analogies, but they do not replace scientific research.

Matias 8 Aug 20
Share

Enjoy being online again!

Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.

Create your free account

7 comments

Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.

0

To a degree, religious education is based on gullibility. But, to a greater degree, it is based on indoctrination and enculturation of thoughts where no prior thoughts exist, and in the coercive pressure of the cohesive group or body of true believers.

0

If you believe in talking snakes and winged horses that can fly you to heaven you are very gullible.

0

They are simply being real. That is all. No tricks to it. You have not offered a better, testable explanation. Until you can your comments are just blabber. Sorry my friend, to be so blunt.

@Matias Actually my input IS taken seriously. I am sorry I just don't think I can help you friend. The analogy of the virus is actually perfect to convey the idea; in fact there is none better. I do hope you are not infected my friend.

0

Warren Buffet, Donald Trump, Mark Zucherberg, Bill Gates, and Jimmy Kimmel all eat at McDonalds. Therefore, eating at McDonalds will make you rich and famous.

@Matias I suppose you didn't laugh.

No, the thing that made all these people successful is that they figured out how to do everything on their own through critical thought and deliberate learning. Imitating them does you little or no good unless your circumstances are exactly the same. What they do and how they do it isn't nearly as important as why they did what they did.

Put an impostor and the original in a unique situation, and the real person will probably know what to do whereas the impostor will be nothing more than a caricature of the real.

1

Combative atheists resort to name-calling and demonization out of weakness.

Open-minded atheists engage in civil discourse and search for understanding and common ground.

Yes! Just like open-minded theists.

0

As such there is a built in gullibility in all humans, as this is part of the way we learn. Then around the age of 9, we begin the journey of discovery and can form our own view of the world around us.
There are many studies into conformity to look at which can give researchers a direction of study into why we follow religion.
I find it very interesting when looking at local Christian groups the differences in how they practice. I was at an Evangelical church on Sunday, where they have a simple fun message put through using many of propaganda styles of the NAZIs. Very effective unless you can stop and think. None of it stands up to scientific or historical scrutiny. Oddly I see lecturers from college there as active members. I go because of work duties (plus they have some of the best coffee in town). Then there is hell-fire and damnation crowd that bother people on a Saturday morning in the town centre where they sing slightly out of tune boring hymns interspaced with a preacher telling everyone that they are filthy sinners who are going to hell. After all, their parents had sex and sex is a sin. All rather mad if you think about it.
One group using inclusion and generates an enemy (that's me!) and has fun. The other employs fear and subjugation. Both produce human 'sheep' who should not think or question, but must follow the rules of 'god' which is administered by the priestly classes.
I questioned this Christian God from as far as I can remember from about 8, then became an atheist just before turning 14. Attending church only reinforces my scientific views.

1

Religion may be an evolutionary advantage for interaction of the group similar to Richerson & Boyd. (Swaab, D. 2014)

Write Comment
You can include a link to this post in your posts and comments by including the text q:391295
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.