We freethinkers wonder what separates us from the superstitious; my conclusion has long been it's due to an evolutionary genetic difference.
Hopefully the superstitious, anti-vaxer, anti-science crowd will limit their breeding to each other. That would concentrate the genetic flaws in their population, and maybe they will go the way of the Neanderthals.
Some things previously thought by some to be superstitions have turned out to be real. Ball lightning comes to mind. I would think that a free thinker would have an open mind to reported phenomena and not make premature judgments, and not be quick to label things as superstitions.
I do not equate religion with superstition if that is your drift. Isaac Newton was a very bold independent thinker, and he was extremely religious. Many of the worlds foremost physicists have delved into metaphysical ideas deemed superstitious by some.
There is not a clear line with free thinkers on one side and superstitious people on the other. A lot depends on semantics. I consider materialism to be a superstition.
Hi, William. That was just my choice of words. I find religious belief hard to understand; how do you describe it? I welcome your ideas.
@rmgibsonusa There are so many brands of religion that I ought not generalize. Some religions do have superstitious beliefs. For me religion is not about belief, but about deep awareness and appreciation for the overwhelming implications of existence as a consciously aware being. When religious groups formulate creeds and require belief in those creeds, the are off course IMO
Fantastic. Send us a link to your final research paper so we can all have a look. Sounds enlightening!
Hi, Geoff. It's only a thought, generated by my brain, in response to a nagging question. I'd love to hear your own ideas or reflections on the subject.
I don't think so. A lot of us, including myself, went from being religious in one form or another before becoming freethinkers or agnostics or atheists. My wife used to say I had the "god gene" back when I was--not religious in any formal sense, but had ideas about god--and I dropped all that fairly quickly.
Hello, Tom. Of course it's undetermined, but I'm happy you posses the intrinsic freethought factor - whatever it may be!
Maybe. I've always been a Freethinker and am active in one in Albany, NY that meets every 2 weeks. We have an offshoot group I enjoy as well - Edutainment for the Curious which uses visual and reading material with speakers to stimulate discussion.
Hi, Sassy! I agree with "maybe", but, after thinking this way for years, I was delighted by the revelation of the "Blink Test", which I think somewhat supports my conclusion.
[sciencedaily.com]
@rmgibsonusa interesting article. I don't know I react to stmuli but I'm extremely liberal.
@sassygirl3869 I'm definitely glad to hear that! Been listening to any of the Senate trial?