in reply to Re^2: Who is your favorite scientist and why?
in thread Who is your favorite scientist and why?

Just as high-IQ persons are known to be susceptible to a variety of other mental disorders, from antisocial personality disorder to social anxiety disorder, Asperger syndrome to rumination syndrome, bipolar disorder to depression, they are also susceptible to the god delusion. Lord knows why!

RD: "Fundamentalist religion is hell-bent on ruining the scientific education of countless thousands of innocent, well-meaning, eager young minds. Non-fundamentalist, "sensible" religion may not be doing that. But it is making the world safe for fundamentalism by teaching children, from their earliest years, that unquestioning faith is a virtue."

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Re^4: Who is your favorite scientist and why?
by Athanasius (Archbishop) on Aug 02, 2017 at 16:16 UTC

    I don’t know that a person with a high IQ is any more (or less) likely to suffer the mental disorders listed above than a person of average or low IQ (and, BTW, rumination syndrome is a physical disorder, not a mental one). But that’s beside the point. Classifying “the god delusion” as “[an]other mental disorder” is a classic example of petitio principii (begging the question). So, as regards the first paragraph above: kudos for the rhetoric, but no prizes for the logic (since there isn’t any).

    The second paragraph is more interesting, because the quote from Dawkins reveals a characteristic flaw in his argumentation: the failure to distinguish religious faith from fideism. The consequence of this failure is that the “unquestioning faith” he attacks is largely a straw man of his own imagining (at least as far as mainstream Christianity is concerned).

    On the role faith plays in Christianity, a good place to start would be the essay “On Obstinacy in Belief” by C. S. Lewis.

    Athanasius <°(((>< contra mundum Iustus alius egestas vitae, eros Piratica,

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Re^4: Who is your favorite scientist and why?
by tdlewis77 (Sexton) on Aug 06, 2017 at 17:06 UTC
    Not all "sensible" religions teach that unquestioning faith is a virtue.
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      What would be some examples of such religions?
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        Some denominations of Xianity teach finding your own answers. Whereas Catholicism is a take-it-or-leave-it (and go to Hell) religion, Protestantism focuses more on finding your own answers. But there are so many sub-denominations, each with their own tweaks. Isn't there one that even sends their kids out for year when they hit 17?

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