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Goodbye Jesus

Social Science And Religion


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This article has interesting implications-- the highly religious in a diverse society are scared! They don't trust other people, so they turn to religion.

 

https://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2016/06/29/the-most-trustful-societies-are-weakly-religious-and-diverse/

 

 

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It begs the question, though...  Do they become religious because they are mistrusting, or does being religious make them mistrusting?  It's kind of like the chicken and the egg.

I can only speak for myself, but I was most definitely a LOT less trusting when I was in the church!!  Religion teaches you to mistrust and be suspicious of the lives/motives/beliefs of anyone who doesn't believe exactly like you.  When you aren't that invested in religion, I think you are more open to being accepting of a wider scope of people and viewpoints, and you begin to see that most people really aren't that scary, regardless of their differing beliefs.

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It begs the question, though...  Do they become religious because they are mistrusting, or does being religious make them mistrusting?  It's kind of like the chicken and the egg.

 

I can only speak for myself, but I was most definitely a LOT less trusting when I was in the church!!  Religion teaches you to mistrust and be suspicious of the lives/motives/beliefs of anyone who doesn't believe exactly like you.  When you aren't that invested in religion, I think you are more open to being accepting of a wider scope of people and viewpoints, and you begin to see that most people really aren't that scary, regardless of their differing beliefs.

The study doesn't state any causation, that was just my hypothesis.

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It begs the question, though...  Do they become religious because they are mistrusting, or does being religious make them mistrusting?  It's kind of like the chicken and the egg.

 

I can only speak for myself, but I was most definitely a LOT less trusting when I was in the church!!  Religion teaches you to mistrust and be suspicious of the lives/motives/beliefs of anyone who doesn't believe exactly like you.  When you aren't that invested in religion, I think you are more open to being accepting of a wider scope of people and viewpoints, and you begin to see that most people really aren't that scary, regardless of their differing beliefs.

 

Good point. Some Religions, and certain denominations in particular, have a tendency to turn it's practitioners into paranoid assholes. How can you be sure that nice person you met yesterday isn't really in league with the devil, trying to lead you astray? Rather than uniting people, it drives a wedge between them. So much for divine love... 

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