Why do people here resist examining their OWN beliefs?

Question

I've noticed this morning that the deeper a question gets, the less likely that someone will answer it.

It seems like everyone wants to tell everyone ELSE what they should believe, but if you ask people to really think deeply about the basis of their own beliefs, ... well... you get few answers (more specifically, a lot of NON-answers)


And don't complain that it has anything to do with biased questions or I've been unfair to one side or the other. I think I've been remarkably neutral in my questions.


I credit those of you who (theists, atheists, AND agnostics) provided some well-thought out responses.

to the rest:
Why are you here, if you're not interested in questions and answers about religion and spirituality?


(this will be my last question for a while due to the intrusions of real life!)

johnbntexas:
please should never STOP thinking.

'-' wins the "pot, meet kettle" award.

Answer 1

Very well said!
I try to respect other points of view as much as I like my own points of view to be respected, but it seems that some can´t stand to be put in doubt, but you can´t blame them for that, those are usually the closed minded
type, what still remains a mystery is why they keep answering questions they feel somehow threatened about. They seem to me like the kid that puts the finger in the fire, gets burned, an then once again, puts another finger in the fire to prove to himself that he was right, an over and over again.

Answer 2

It is through one's own FEAR of being wrong that one will impose their will and beliefs upon others. Since religion is a matter of faith, and as such, lacks what we normally might perceive as possessing concrete evidence, opposing religious beliefs have little or no other recourse beyond the simple and crude method of denouncing anything that contradicts said belief.

Think of how many wars have been fought on behalf of religious differences, when in fact, most religions "believe" in peace and are against killing. Different religions and moral belief systems tend to have more in common than what one might be led to believe. Some how and some where, the true moral lessons inherent in nearly every religion or moral belief system have been twisted into a competition where there are no winners.

Neutrality is also my path in life when it comes to such matters. I rely on common sense and the belief that when my time comes, I will be judged on my actions rather than my words, prayers, or how many times I begged for forgiveness.

Answer 3

People are basically lazy (and since they have better things to do, they pass on any answer that requires a lot of time to figure out how to best articulate it.).

Besides, if you asked a truly deep question, it takes people awhile to think about it. Maybe they are just taking their time (and then they get busy and forget about it.).

Have you ever noticed that many people who describe themselves as "critical thinkers" or "independent thinkers" never seem to criticize their OWN assumptions? Why is that? They just mock the beliefs of OTHER people. I thought that a true deep thinker would spend at least as much time examining his own beliefs as he spent questioning the beliefs of others.

Answer 4

oh, trust me, I examine my own beliefs quite frequently! Probably too much! :) I think that sometimes people don't answer because the answer would be too long and involved. I don't answer questions I deem stupid or so involved that I could write a book. Neither do I answer questions where I feel someone is just trying to get a rise out of a certain group of people as opposed to genuinely wanting to know, or is just trying to validate their own beliefs.

This may be totally wrong, but your questions come across to me personally as arrogant. You don't really want to know the answer, you are just trying to either make yourself feel better about yourself by deciding someone else's answer is crap, or are trying to make yourself sound smarter than you really are. No offense.

Answer 5

I am not sure what kind of answer you're looking for?

I agree there is a good % of people posting things that are just affirmations of their religious beliefs, not really asking anything. Some people use it as a way to state their belief as fact.

There's no easy answer to it. Part of it is true human nature - we are reluctant to change. Part of it is that Americans tend to be very secular -- wrapped up in lots of different (often conflicting) belief systems. Part of the problem is our education system which discourages thinking, won't present contraverisal issues, and only teaches one point of view.

Answer 6

You claim that people resist examining their own beliefs but why are you trying to change the way they think. Your questions are questions not to change peoples way of thinking but provoke them to thought. People are entitled to their own opinion. Like this is my opinion and clearly you will possible disagree and I will get a thumbs down. But that's the good thing about not agreeing. It means that I am an individual and unique in my thoughts and opinions. People will post thoughts that you agree with and you will say that they where good arguments. But I dare to disagree with you. But because you believe that way you are drawn to support that thought.

Answer 7

by age 6 we basically stop examining anything, there just isnt enough time, so we accept other's words for truth
(a belief is taking someone else's word for truth)
there are good reasons to believe others, jumping off a cliff to test the truth of gravity is unwise, so we sort of have built in belief genes, we are able to believe almost anything!
but past 6, we no longer test the world, by then we know that fire is hot, ice is cold, water is wet, etc etc, so what we are told becomes the truth, tested or not
and we CLING to our beliefs because we don't have time to examine them, or so we think
(we actually do)

Answer 8

I only answer quistions in which I can completley explain. The ones I dont feel as if my answer would make a difference in I wont answer, if I feel it will totally be disregarded and thats how a lot of my answers wind up being. Disregarded. People gripe all the time on here that they dont feel that people respect them or there answers or there beliefs and they way things are on here im inclined to believe it.

Answer 9

Dang real life!
I think I am here because I love the questions and I love the answers, I love exercising my humor on one question and then taxing my brain on the next. I also hope that maybe one Christian might say "Hey that Katy was right, these Atheists aren't so bad- in fact they are delicious"

Answer 10

So the doctor said to himself, maybe I need a brain transplant...and the doctor looked in the mirror and decided to go ahead with his OWN belief, that he be capable of examining himself...but not before he could reply on your exclamation of having posted your last question.....Get A REAL Life !!!