Are religious people the way they are because they CANNOT understand or WILL not understand?

Answer 1

Can you tell me your definition of a religious person? Are you speaking of a human being living on planet earth that quite possibly is willing to admit that something bigger and greater than himself might exist on this grain of sand in a universe that cannot be measured by man's limited capacity?
What is your point?

Answer 2

I would like to note that "understand" is a transitive verb... and you've left out its object. Understand what? You've also established a false dichotomy: that religious people must be the way they are because they either can't or won't understand. There are other factors: education, experience.

If you're wondering why religious people don't seem to understand you, or your perception of reality - well the answer to that will clearly be different for different religious people. They're not just an amorphous mass of consciousness.

Some of them likely can't understand you; others probably just won't. Finally many of them DO understand your perceptions. That may be why they think you're wrong.

Answer 3

For being a philosophy question, it really is a little closed off. You've grouped all "religious" people into a category where you have them not understanding. Most people who are religiously extreme often believe what their faith teaches them. Others hide behind religion for various reasons....security, fear, acceptance. Or because they don't want to be responsible for coming up with their own thoughtstheories. Do people who judge religious people do it because they CANNOT understand, or WILL not understand??

Answer 4

Faith is wilful belief. Some wilful people are intellectually deficient and cannot understand, some are very highly intelligent and will not.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that religious people are necessarily stupid. Many might be, but many are not - I know this from personal experience.

And, as has been said above, will and intelligence are not the only factors. From memory, I think it was St. Ignatius Loyola who said, "Give me a child until he is seven and he is mine for life", admitting that religion is partly brain-washing - the passing on of the mental virus of religion.

Answer 5

I think it is blindly not wanting to understand, if you believe something so purely, then you do not need to regard other opnions, i hate to be pessimistic, but i find some religious people to be extremely ignorant of other people, and their feelings and believes.
I also don't think they live as much as people who are not restrained by religion, i am not a particulary religious person, but i love learning about other cultures religions and opinions.
My Nan is religious, she prays, beliueves in God, and Heaven/Hell, but she also knows that Science has prooved many things wrong, and is tolerant, and listens to otehr relgions.
Some People use their relgion to give themself some superiority, like 'i don't need to listedn' ' your wrong, i'm right' and the best 'You are ignorant' because you want to believe other things to them

Answer 6

i think that jay and tony c have the most intelligent answers here.
this question is just a huge generalization. first this question implies that all religious people are the same way (if you think this you clearly have no clue). Secondly, this question completely denies the possablility that these "religious people" are correct.
And finally (banking off of what tony c said) this question is perfect proof that non-religious people can, in fact, be just as "religious" as their counterparts. imagine if someone posted the question tony c made reference to. i'm not sure, but i think it would be labled as arrogant and closed minded. this one is exactly the same only looking from the opposite opinion

Answer 7

Science has many holes in it just like religion. For example, a college astromony professor says that 90% of astronomy would be tossed into the dust if no gigantic red stars existed ( and none have yet to be found). Theories are not facts. They are more like generalizations derived from observations. And just like science, religions have observations of their own. Why bother to understand anything that might be proven untrue years from now.

Just go live a happy life.

Answer 8

We could turn the question on it's head, and ask are non-religious people the way they are(pig-headed and convinced they are right) because they will not and cannot understand?There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

Answer 9

Don't be too hasty in dismissing the existence of God, you may regret it someday. We are not here by accident, the big bang theory is the most ridiculous of all deceptions in my opinion, and you'd be a fool to believe that over believing in God. We were created without a doubt. I think athiests are the real fools, but then again they aren't even fools they just have such weak faith. Its sad to see so many thinking they are intelligent when they have absolutely no idea why we are here.

Answer 10

Both. You have some folks who are so out of the loop on what goes on on the 'sinning" side of the world that they have no desire to try and understand why ppl do what they do and will just say "You're going to hell!". The you have those who follow the bible by law. If it isn't in the bible, then... They will not understand.