ever had a smart friend seem to become stupid when they talk about religion?

Question

I have some friends that are REALLY religious, theyve told me sometimes that I need to accept god and all that stuff, but when I talk about that seriously with any of them, they say the same arguments and the same stuff, like their brain is clogged, what makes a smart person accept something without reasoning it?

Answer 1

I had a friend lock me in a room with her alone, which was rather exciting at that point, I thought I was going to score.

Instead she kept me in there until 4 in the morning trying to convert me. Wasn't nearly as fun as scoring would have been.

Answer 2

This extends far beyond religion. I've found that people behave this way under all kinds of circumstances. Politics, food, sports, education....Any situation where you can establish an "us" and a "them"--a lot of those "us" people are going to behave irrationally.

You can find little clues in scientific journals. Look into mirror neurons. I can't think of anything else specific (that you could actually punch into a search engine and find) off the top of my head right now, but you'll find things that relate to this if you just follow the Yahoo or Google News science section for a few months.

Also, read The Games People Play. It's written by a psycho-analyst, and it's about conversations, so it may not satisfy the demands of formal neuroscientists, but it was an eye-opening book for me. It explains those "pointless" conversations that people start where nothing they say makes any sense, and to some extent neurotic behaviors like alcoholism or some types of religious expression--certainly the church gossip types. When an old woman henpecks you about Jesus, for example, she may just be lonely. Other people who express a cult-like obsession with Jesus may be using religion as a crutch in the same way alcoholics use alcohol.

I wish I could explain the exact cause to you, but all I can really say is that it appears to be human nature to believe things that aren't true. We're meaning-making animals, and we're social animals, so we are vulnerable to socially-manufactured meaning.

I'd also suggest that, if you do appear to be immune to this effect and can't understand--literally can't empathize with--people who do, then it could be that there's something abnormal about your brain. You could be psychotic or autistic--or you could just be REALLY smart, but you are definitely not normal. Normal people believe crazy **** for no good reason.

I hope this is the answer you were looking for, because I see this all the time: Some leftwing extremist posts on a forum complaining about how Christians are irrational. Like PETA and Greenpeace aren't irrational. Like voting Democrat for no good reason is somehow different from believing in Jesus for no good reason. This is what I mean when I say it extends far beyond religion and in fact points to something inherent in human nature itself. Crazy/stupid people are everywhere. Crazy/stupid people are normal.

Answer 3

Having faith in a God is not having proof. By definition faith is trust without proof. But, (and this is a big but) those that insist that they know for sure because of some book written by people they don't know in a language they can't speak are very brave. To depend on absolutes and to anchor all that defines your understanding of yourself and the world around you in certainties that you can in no way be certain of, is a risky endeavor.

All of the brightest minds of the 13th century were positive that the earth was flat and that a person would be in danger of falling off the edge if they sailed too far west. And it was once a crime to suggest that the Earth was not the center of the universe with the sun, stars, and planets revolving around us. And all along the eastern seaboard the very people who started, what would become the United States of America, began killing men, women and children (mostly women) in the name of God. The very people they sat in church with on Sunday, or traded goods with on a daily basis. They were just as sure about there right to kill these “witches” (and that there were witches) as some people are that God loves us so much that he gave his only son in payment of our sins. And left us the choice to burn in a fire pit of eternal suffering or walk with him. (That’s love right there, I don’t care who you are}
For those of you that are certin about Jesus and God, I would love to have the following few passages from the bible explained. There are many more passages like these in the old and new testament. Remember kids if you are going to use the bible to justify your position, you can't just pick and choose what you want to use. And please don't try and tell me what it was suppose to mean or give me any bull about hidden meaning of some kind unless for some reason my bible was missing the decoder ring. It says what it says and we all must deal with it on those terms. Thank you

Genesis 6:6-7 God was sorry he ever made us?
Did he not see this coming? How can he regret something he did on purpose? Or did he make a mistake?

Exodus 21 all of it with focus on v2, 7-10 *sells his daughter as a slave? v20 you can beat a slave as long as they don't die?
Exodus 21 is the continuation of a conversation Moses has with God on mt Sinai right after he gives him the 10 commandment (Exodus 20)

Before using the Jesus came to change these things reasoning on these passages read
Matthew 5:17-20 he didn't come to destroy the Law of Moses.

Answer 4

When you are taught to believe in something without question and someone brings up things that require independent thought the brain will go into a free-fall as it tries to regain its balance and composure. Often times the inability to get back into balance leads to unreasonable responses and actions

It is a problem with most if not all fundamentalist no matter what the religion or belief.

Answer 5

Imagine yourself attempting to explain childbirth to someone. They have never been through it, and even though they feel that they understand what you are saying, until they experience it themselves, they will never really know what it is like. This is the way of the Spirit. They are describing something to you that they have experienced and you haven't. They have come to accept it because it is a very real part of their lives and they have experienced it firsthand. To you, it may seem like nonsense, because you haven't "been there, done that". If they are truly your friends, and you believe that they are actually intelligent, why not trust them to know what they are talking about? Just because you haven't experienced it, doesn't mean it's not real.

Answer 6

It's because they're all brainwashed with the same nonsense and can't- or won't- think for themselves.

As for the reason, maybe it's what they honestly and truly believe. If that is the case, be happy for them, as they've found what they're looking for in life. Then they don't need to apply reason. Maybe they're afraid that if they do reason for themselves, they'll be forever separated from the people and places they love and are familiar with. Maybe they're scared of death, and feel the need to grasp at something that's comforting and safe, and will provide for their eternal life. Who knows? It varies, I guess.

Answer 7

They may not have all the answers, but they obviously got sense enough to know and believe that there's something greater in control above themselves. If someone says they believe based on faith, let them be. You don't want anyone trying to change you, so don't try to change them. No one has all the answers regarding God and how He does things. Some things we just accept accept by faith and for God, that's enough and that's all that matters, pleasing Him, not man!

Answer 8

Language as metaphors of reality. To describe the spiritual realm we revert to cliches that create images that are tangible, even though we speak of intangibles. Sort of like mathematics. You have to be born again to even be passively aware.

Answer 9

It is called religious brainwashing. Since they were little children they were instilled with the fear of God's wrath if they did not adhere to the strict principles of their religion. To question is to disbelieve and therefore, sinning.

Answer 10

sure i have seen that type of person
but i also have friends who were stupid and became more sensible and intelligent when they found religion
it can work both ways