This is where the mistakes begin. The God I am discussing here is the God of the Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Not the hidden away, absent, and abstract First Cause of the twentieth century, but the God in the holy books. Yahweh. Jesus. Allah. The Lord God Almighty. This is the God who does miracles, […]
We have come a long way now, visiting some of the history of religion and the many reasons why mankind has a propensity for the Holy. For the unconvinced and the skeptic, as well as those of us who require proof, this chapter will attempt to address some of the more important fundamental beliefs of […]
So far, we have been discussion reasons why we have a propensity to believe. Besides group dynamics, these have all been internal motivations—things within us that religion can trigger. These internal motives give us a willingness to accept ideas that we may not have otherwise let in. But there is one very notable external reason […]
Psychologists don’t have a unified theory on how men and women behave when placed in a group setting, but all will note that in such circumstances, people can and do behave in surprising ways. When acting within a group, they loose their individuality and along with this, their individual qualities. Common sense gets set aside. […]
That which empowered a tribal shaman to cast out an evil spirit is in many ways the same force that Benny Hinn, Jimmy Swaggart, Pat Robertson, Oral Roberts, Jose Luis de Jesús Miranda and others wield over their audiences. The shaman was the tribal healer; with ritual magic to intercede with the spirit world. These […]
Feeling good about oneself is probably one of the most compelling reasons people hold onto their beliefs. In their search for a suitable religion, the religion that feels right is the one that people stick with. So many believers tell how their faith in God makes them happy. It makes them feel good about themselves. […]
When the facts don’t support the faith, and all arguments have been dispelled, when a person in 99% sure there is no God, there is still one last reason people want to believe. The 1% chance that hell is real. A hell where people suffer for eternity is too much of a terror, even if […]
We humans have certain psychological needs. The desire to fulfill these needs is deep within us all, and much of our motivation comes from our quest to satisfy them. Some needs we may be aware of, but others are subconscious. These needs and desires spawn the feelings we have. When we feel something is right […]
