What if you were told it was your brain that makes you 'believe'?

Question

At work, theres this one lady who is very gullible and goes to church every Sunday. Also old people also tend to believe, maybe harking back to older days when people weren't encouraged to think for themselves? Or is it because as we get older we want to believe there is something else?

I seem to remember reading an article that states there is a spirutal part of the brain which makes us believe, or indeed be gullible. Will anyone who is religious believe this? Its like telling someone that something they are passionate about is all because of a section of their brain wants them too? How easy is it to be subjective. Just interested.

On a personal note yes I am an atheist, but I am interested in those of you who are religious.

Jesus Freak - You dont know Jesus, he lived many years ago. Oh wait sorry, my mistake, youve obviously let him onto your heart.

And the relgious nuts are out again. I wanted a topical debate not a lecture about why I should love God etc, aint never gonna happen.

Anyhoo 'Dashes' I think it was in New Scientist and yes they did have an explanation as to why we 'normal' (lol) people have no or diff beliefs. I think it was something to do with a little section or inactive area of a 'belief' section of the brain.

I have never met a sane religious person.

Answer 1

Well I can accept that, although I am not 'religious' in a conventional way. The brain filters and selects all of our sensations and memories so it makes sense that it can affect us in other ways.

Quite how we react to activity in this part of the brain I would imagine then depends upon our experiences and upbringing. Some will turn to conventional religion. Others presumably will find something else.

As to why it has this capacity is a different matter. I suspect you have decided there's no obvious advantage! Others may disagree.

Here's a link which I found when I searched for 'brain wired belief'. Before anyone gets huffy, I should stress that there was no suggestion that this is a brain dysfunction. Just that some people are affected more strongly than others when this area of the brain is stimulated.

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Answer 2

If someone believes in God and goes to worship regularly, how can you be certain that they are at fault in their brains? Is it not just as likely that you are at fault for not having the right connections to believe. The brain is such a mysterious organ, we only use a small percentage of it. It's possible that on the borderline of what our brain can do is communicate with God. some have that capacity, some don't. A question we might ask is "who or what put that capacity to communicate with God there in the first place?" Until we come up with concrete evidence to answer that specific question (which may not come until we learn more about the brain), the arguments for and against belief in God in this specific context must be put on an equal footing.

Also, young people are just as likely as older people to believe in God and just as likely to not believe. It was a good question, though, well done.

Answer 3

Sorry I don't have a link, but I remember seeing an article on an experiment done at a college. In the cafeteria, they had an honor system of paying. They just had a box out. So after a few weeks, they glued a picture of eyes over the box, just "watching". They found that the amount of money given doubled. Just the illusion that they were being watched made them be more honest. So there must be something in our brain that causes us to want to believe, if that makes sense?

I am also an atheist, but I thought this would be interesting.

Answer 4

well I'm agnostic, and therefore not religious but ur gonna get my response anyway :-)

if there is a part of our brains that makes us 'believe', then why do so many of us 'not'? are we genetic mutations? so what would mean evolution? in that regard alone a deeply religious person would want to disagree lol

even still, if there is such a section, it can be defeated to let logical reasoning take over. It may be that it is just too hard to do such a thing for some people. does that mean that the unwaveringly religious crowd are chemically addicted to faith?

holey damn you've peaked my interest lol. to google i go!

Answer 5

I have beliefs but not in any organised religion. I have attended many different religious services and I won't disparage any people, who have strong religious beliefs and who have found strength in their faith, which helps them surmount problems within their lives and assists them as a guideline to how to live their lives.
What is there if you do not have your faith?..... Even an atheist has to believe in something, even if it's only the cold technical explanation of science and chemicals in the brain to explain spirituality which is cold comfort when there is a crisis in your life and that rest assured does not make me gullible.

Answer 6

it extremely is like this: The ideas is a digital camera that seems out upon the comprehensive international/universe/actuality. Now turn that digital camera around and look into your self. possibly you spot your self, your physique, your previous or ideas, however the factor is, learn sufficient meditation, examine some philosophy and spirituality, and you start to verify your self now as a easy. an wonderful, sparkling easy. As in "howdy, i've got seen the sunshine!" sort of sunshine. Now enable me ask you something, Mr. Empirical. is this info that something previous your wildest mind's eye is plausible? That we at the instant are not actually human beings in our authentic sort, yet a made of intelligence, employing our bodies, rationally thinking, working on an rather human and corporeal point, yet like a video activity, our bodies are in the activity, we are those controlling our characters. And in case you journey this 2d of perception, then ask your self, what correlation does this easy have with the belief or mythology of God? have been historical human beings seeing this easy, and mistaking this easy, which replace into them, as God? So we've something exciting on our palms.

Answer 7

I think that most people have a need to know where they came from and why they are here as well as wanting the comfort that death is not the end. They can either choose to believe in evolution, God or other religions to answer these questions. What they believe in will be based upon their intelligence, upbringing and life experiences.
I do not believe in God and think that we are just an intelligent animal that has come about through evolution.

Answer 8

I'm sorry for whatever happened to you to cause such bitterness toward God. I wish I could explain how I know God is real. The problem is I feel Him more than anything else. How can I prove a feeling? I only wish you could know the joy I feel everyday. Whether I am sad, angry, happy, or erotically excited, I know that it's better cause I experience a spiritual companion on a very personal level.

Imagine the peace this gullible woman has . . . if you knew you could have that kind of eternal joy, would you be willing to be gullible?

Answer 9

What we believe is the result of our upbringing; our education; and the information fed from the media. We do not have a choice in the fundamentals of what we believe. It is not gullibility, it is about the result of a process. However we can choose how to express them.

To a person who is a Cristian, church and God and the whole thing is probably part of it.

Answer 10

The same part of your body that allows you to disbelieve.
What's your point?
I have investigated and studied religion for many years.
I have looked into every mainline religion there is and the only logical one, the one that makes the most sense, the one that says that you don't have to dress a certain way, talk a certain way, requires nothing more than faith - is Christianity.
What is it about Jesus that has so many here uptight.
Was it that He lived a perfect life?
Was it that He wanted us to try to be like Him?
Was it that He wanted us to love one another?
Was it that He wanted us to forgive one another?
Was it that He was God and as such you need to acknowledge Him as God and goes totally against your need for self-gratification?
Testy, testy.......your true colors are showing.