TMM
Yes, I do have a Patreon account, thank you for asking:
https://www.patreon.com/themessianicmanic
My other channel about other stuff:
https://www.youtube.com/c/ReedWestward
My Twitter:
https://twitter.com/idiolekt
My tumbr:
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/themessianicmanic
My facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/themessianicmanic/
Here’s my society6 store if you’re interested in my pretentious minimalist poster designs:
https://society6.com/themessianicmanic
Source
I like Robert Sapolsky's theory better…
Great vid, you are so criminally under-subscribed!!
My dad is an atheist who believes in belief, as you described. I don't know what's the appropriate reaction for me, now that he's trying to be a Christian like my mom.
It seems that for many people the activity in their head is blurred with the activity of the physical world. It would explain how so many people just don't get why emotions are not evidence for anything but experiencing emotions. I've had countless exchanges with Creationists and Apologists who claim to debunk evolution just to realize that they simply don't get it nor do they seldom show they have the capacity to get it.
I must say, I really enjoyed this video thank you for the new info of the book that I should read.
I have recently been reading about "Cognitive Science of religion". A lot of what TMM says about Dennet fits within what this area of study suggests. Basically it says that its "natural" for humans to assign causes for things, to unseen Gods, spirits etc.So its saying that we invent Gods.
Because some CSR researchers have monitored brain activity during "spiritual" revelation they are claiming that this indicates that God has hardwired the human mind to accept the reality of his existence. They conveniently forget that not all of the people that experience these changes in brain activity say they are having a religious experience.If you play music, read or even masturbate, it will cause a change in brain functioning. I fail to see how anyone can point at a specific change in brain function and say its proof of God at work.
That last statement about an atheist believing that believing in a god would be a good thing seems to describe S. E. Cupp. Her position seems bizarre to me. I can understand that, from a personal point of view, believing in a god might make life easier, because ignorance is bliss. To claim that it's better for society as a whole seems rather odd though. If you think that the rules of religion are man-made, why would it be better for people to follow them than any other man-made rules?
Your suspicion that no one understands the nature of God is openly admitted by several Christians (e.g. Luther, Pascal, Kierkegaard). That's not necessarily a problem for them nor is that particularly heretical. Serving others is the name of the game for Christianity, not theorizing about the nature of God as many philosophers of religion do.
When I was religious, I was told to love God. When I said I wanted to love him but didn't feel anything for God, I was told that wanting to love God is the same as loving God. Somehow that contented me for a while. :/
This was fantastic. It parrots many things I have thought but was never able to describe so succinctly.
Love you vids!
As a lifelong non-believer, I just don't understand the need for "belief in belief." What is to be gained by the supposed fuzzy feeling inside of an obvious delusion? This is not the same as sentimentality. My reminiscing of past times with my parents, now gone, are a great source of comfort and happiness. Inventing a celestial sky daddy is just bullshit, plain and simple.
Yeah, a lot of times when they don't believe something they'll quickly turn to one of the “jinglely keys” like “it's a mystery”, “we'll find out when we're in heaven”, or “fake it till you make it”.
The mind naturally produces religion – Breaking the Spell
The mind is just an illusion – The Intentional Stance
Are we to suppose, as Dennett apparently does, that the cause of religion is nothing more than a useful fiction?
Just wait until it gets more confusing when Laughing Man syndrome starts taking hold.
Daniel Dennett is a brilliant philosopher except for his views on free will.
Oh, I read that book…like 10 years ago. Good read.
One of my favorite videos you've done. I love this book.
I wish people, especially those intellectual people that write books, don't lump all faiths in one category of "religions" and as such fool themselves to treat them all the same. Buddhism is an exception to most of the things you have reported he has written. Have these intellectuals never heard of the Buddhism Kalama Sutta – charter of free inquiry? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalama_Sutta) Sigh! Danny boy is just another intelligent moron.
The natural phenomena that gives rise to religion is simple. It's the very human fear of the unknown (or even unknowable), especially in matters concerning death. It's pretty much all laid out in a diagram (though I admit it may confuse some) located in an artist gallery but youtube blocks direct links to it. So you have to search manually. Go to deviantart.com and find an artist called LBAMagic and in his gallery is a diagram called God is safe (for now). Don't let the title put you off, but I'm sure it will most.
Religion is a mind virus
Reminds me very much of Prof M. Schermer's series "Think like a scientist"
Isn't this the same guy who insisted that Stalin was a theist because he believed himself to be a god?
Genetic Fallacy.
I love Dennett but like most crusty old academics he ascribes unneeded existential value to the trappings of religion ..(ie sacred music, arcane architecture, philosophical masterbation). He ascribes artificial value to such things because they tickle his fancy. In doing so he gives undeserved respect to the concept of religion over other 'merely incorrect' propositions.
cough Jordan Petersen /cough
He literally believes in belief without being a believer himself!
Many species have cognitive errors. Dogs chase their tails, superstition can be induced in pigeons , moths kill themselves following artificial light sources. These instincts are quite necessary, but it's obvious to a detached observer that they can lead to goofy cognitive errors. Humans are by no means immune.