Quote:
Originally Posted by Starkler
Some excellent posts in this thread, but IMO to have a thread on the "reasons folk need belief systems " could be dangerous ground, and potentially offensive to those who follow a religion.
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I don't believe that this thread in any way denigrates belief systems, just because it notes that folks need them.
It may well be offensive to some, but research is being undertaken on belief systems as a product of brain chemistry. You can't ignore this. Some of the powerful religious and spiritual experiences that I have had may well just be an illusion of my synapses.
Irrespective of this, belief systems are important in giving us moral values and a sense of community. We need to share an ethos. We have chosen a Calvanistic one that encourages economic and scientific progress within a Judeo-Christian tradition. But having let the genie out of the bottle, and knowing what is known about the way the world works - you simply can't go around saying that all beliefs are equally valid, and you can believe whatever you like. Why not you ask? Isn't it your right to believe whatever you like?
Problem with this is you are closing your mind to the scientific progress that has been made to date. You become a medieval mind in the modern world. And possibly, you styme further progress in understanding our material world, if these irrational beliefs influence public policy. Yes, this includes the ban on stem cell research.
Astrology may be daffy and harmless, but it has been shown to be dross.