Does anyone else find it interesting that the more religous a person tends to be, the more irrational fears they tend to have.
Examples: homosexuality, psychics, ouija boards, magic, hell, deamons, ghosts, monsters, witchcraft...
More rational people seem to realize these things pose no threat to them where as some religious people will condemn the very thought of them.
What do you think?
2006-09-07 11:58:33 · 17 answers · asked by ChooseRealityPLEASE 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Bear in mind that intolerence is a reaction to fear.
2006-09-07 12:04:31 · update #1
Not irrational at all. I'm speaking as a non-religious (very non-religious) person. These fears are based on different axioms. ASSUMING one believes in demons, etc., and that they are evil and want to cause harm, then it is absolutely rational to fear them. Whether or not those things actually exist and should be feared is another matter entirely.
A large component of (some? all?) religions is supernatural things, so therefore on average the more religious one is then the more of those things are taken into consideration and possibly feared.
Regards psychics, ouija boards, tarot, etc, if one's AXIOMS are that those are bad, then they are bad.
2006-09-07 12:07:34 · answer #1 · answered by larry n 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Back during the Middle Ages, the time of Charlemagne, and during the Biblical times, fear was the most commonly used method to convince someone to follow that reliigon, specifically Christianity.
Even now, fear seems to be the driving force that convinces people to convert or begin to follow religions. Why do you believe in God? So that you do not go to Hell after you die. Fear and grace are the only things that can bring a serious believer into following this religion.
Finally, the examples you listed mainly apply to "older" people, since the children of the Information Era are far less devoted to religion, in comparison to worldly values. My mother would go crazy if I brang a oujia board into my home, but I honestly couldn't care less.
2006-09-07 12:09:34 · answer #2 · answered by Omar D 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is not true of all religions, just the ones that ask for fear of God. Christians claim to be made perfect in love by fearing God (like the timely example above). I have asked how they reconcile that with this quote:
1Jo 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Then they say fearing God means respecting him. So I suppose Christians respect all the things you mention in your question. Otherwise I would have to assume they rationalize things for their own purposes, which is obviously absurd.
There will always be a clear distinction between rationalization and rational.
2006-09-07 12:10:11 · answer #3 · answered by neil s 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hmmmm.... I'm an Isian Witch. Now most people would consider me very religious and I'm really trying to think of things I'm afraid of.
Homosexuality... Nope
Psychics... Nope... But P.T. Barnum would have loved most of them.
Ouija and Tarot: Nope
Magic: Nope
Hell: Don't believe in it
Deamons: Nope
Ghosts: Nope
Monster: Nope
Witchcraft: Yea right. I'd scream everytime I looked in a mirror.
GWB: Now he and his administration scares me.
Even the Christian Right is pretty harmless.
2006-09-07 12:23:01 · answer #4 · answered by Pablito 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i'm a Norse Heathen (Pagan / Asatru) My best worry is heights. nicely, i'm quite very stable with heights, as long as i do no longer see the floor :p LOL! I quite have a crippling worry that i will fall, that almost have been given me killed as quickly as. i replaced into strolling on the rail tracks with my chum and we got here to a wood bridge that replaced into equipped for the tracks (so which you need to be certain the river between the sleepers), i replaced into strolling for the time of and that i began out to hyperventilate, i ultimately ought to no longer pass in any respect, until eventually the practice got here, then i replaced into waiting to pass off the bridge. Thank goodness the practice wasn't shifting very speedy or i might have been flattened.
2016-12-15 04:23:42 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Faith is the excuse used to believe in the irrational. It's a real conversation stopper, just say "my faith" and then you can make any outrageous claim without need to prove a single thing.
2006-09-07 12:21:14 · answer #6 · answered by Daniel J 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree with you, but I really don't know why they feel that way. I'm a devout Episcopalian, and I don't have any of those fears. Well, in all honesty I don't know how I'd react if I saw a ghost, but I'd be interested in seeing one.
2006-09-07 12:03:18 · answer #7 · answered by Purdey EP 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you have no fear of God,it means you have no fear of sin,and sin is what seperates us from eternal life in heaven.It is not that Christians are afraid those things will harm them,its the fear that those things will become evil temptations which will harm salvation in heaven.And to think of our souls burning up in hell for all eternity is more scarey then anything on this earth.
2006-09-07 12:01:23 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Irrational fears?? Hardly.
2006-09-07 12:05:30 · answer #9 · answered by Red neck 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Of course, how else would they get people to keep praising their imaginary friend and donating money? Religion prevents you from finding real answers, great if they want to follow it but they need to keep it out of mine.
2006-09-07 12:05:34 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋