then why is religion and belief in God not taken seriously by the intellectually capable?
2007-07-27 15:16:33 · 13 answers · asked by Pansy 4 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
There are many cites with collected 'evidences' that there exists more persons who do not believe in God and are of higher intellectual capacity. So, that is the basis for this question. Additionally, if something is beneficial, it should be attractive for inquiry to atheists/agnostics for starters, but it isn't the case. The belief is intermingled with negative EMOTIONS that's difficult to shed.
2007-07-27 15:29:58 · update #1
Prayer can be all those things mentioned, Sharon.
The purpose of prayer is to be one with God, isn't it? It is a release of oneself and one's will to God, is it not? You may have presuppositions about meditation and prayer and discount that people assign various meanings individually. You can't tell someone to pray to accomplish this and this. The person has his own goals and methods of prayer.
2007-07-27 15:32:50 · update #2
Apparently, some of your aren't aware of the "effects on mental health" as positive effects indicated by research in psychology that is recognized.
2007-07-27 15:43:50 · update #3
This is not a question about philosophy
Yep - prayer is fine for those who believe in a religion. However if you do not - it is futile and will not bring the psychological rewards. You can meditate to get the same effect.
2007-07-27 16:46:29 · answer #1 · answered by Freethinking Liberal 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
why are you even worring about it? why not just live your life and not take the other stuff so seriously.. there is nothing you can do about what others think about religion or meditation.. come on.. do you think Hindu's give a cow patty about what intellectuals think? If the Hindu's don' t care..then why should you give a cow chip? there are scientist who will tell you that the universe was created by a big bang, but they can't tell you what blew up and where it was when someone lit the fuse.. there are those that will tell you we came from monkeys.. but they can't find the link.. first it was fish, then monkies and apes.. and of course man.. just like the universe.. it does not affect mental health unless you let it drive you crazy..
2007-07-27 15:35:09 · answer #2 · answered by J. W. H 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Firstly, meditation is not the same as prayer. Prayer is more of a thought-ful, controlled endeavor, a petitioning of a power outside of oneself. Meditation is a surrendering, a letting go, an aligning of brain waves leading to an exquisite integration and elevation of one's being where one becomes one with God. God flows through you. Thoughts are deliberately blocked out - the mind is stilled in the process.
Meditation techniques have little to nothing to do with organized religion. The rest of your question is a generalization which I don't think holds. People with a full range of IQs are drawn to religion and "belief in God".
2007-07-27 15:29:07 · answer #3 · answered by apples 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Prayer is a form of mediatation and thire are lots of intellectuals who believe in God or a Higher Power or whatever you like to call it.What gets sticky,i think,is people who believe that thier form of worship is the right way and the only way.TL
2007-07-27 15:27:24 · answer #4 · answered by TL 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Inner peace and attachment to reality are two distinctly different conditions in self. It is possible to kill many people, pray and feel perfectly contented in the self. Inner peace does not validate the conscience, it only pacifies it.
'Peace is more important than all justice; and peace was not made for the sake of
justice, but justice for the sake of peace: Martin Luther (1483-1546) '
The Will is positive, the Judgment is negative. If there is not universality in justice, then there is murder in prayer.
2007-07-27 15:47:46 · answer #5 · answered by Psyengine 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The actual nature of the universe has never been demonstrated. The whole concept of God is an explanation for children that ran away with itself when some people started to get paid for not doing any work.
2007-07-27 15:23:20 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Who says God is not taken seriously by the intellectually capable? Many intellectuals both believe, and study the nature of God and religion.
2007-07-27 15:22:22 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Who said it wasn't? One reason could be because just because someone has faith in something doesn't mean that it's real.
....Anyway...I am a person of proof. However, I believe that there are SO many unexplainable things that happen that there has to be SOMETHING more. You can argue what that something is, but if you can't explain something, then one conclusion is no more wrong than the next until something else is proven.
2007-07-27 15:22:15 · answer #8 · answered by BlackDahlia 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
IMO, there is nothing wrong with prayer. It re-inforces what you want and believe in.
It's when you throw religion in the mix that is contrary to my and many peoples beliefs.
I am a strong advocate for silent prayer. It allows each individual to meditate/pray for what they believe in...regardless of religious beliefs.
2007-07-27 15:22:10 · answer #9 · answered by fade_this_rally 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because...knowing that believing in God has positive effects doesn't actually make us believe, ourselves. So we just---errr---envy those who are more ignorant, ready to believe, and altogether less stressful?
Look, I think it's nice that people really believe in God and such and such. I know that prayer makes you happy. But I just don't believe. Ok? I don't see why knowing that it is beneficial would make me believe in G0d. See?
2007-07-27 15:23:39 · answer #10 · answered by kelsii 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋