by TerryWalstrom 35 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
Of course when a person is confronted with information that is going to avail them into saving your their lives, is going to protect them from evil or harmful occurrences, is going to explain how they came to be and how the world came to be, is going to offer complete redemption from any prevailing sins they may be wanting to commit.
One can understand why some people rather just adhere and subject themselves into that offered information
My take on this is as follows.
A Bible believing (accepting literally) person with a good education develops 'blind spots' which
fences-off, obstructs, or otherwise nullifies evidence which does NOT fit their religious schema. Otherwise, that educated person is able to take in facts and use them to form opinions.
(Note: my former brother-in-law, an Orthodox Jew, told me Orthodox students in college must use special Science Text Books made just for them which DO NOT broach certain topics which might weaken their faith.)
Contrariwise, the non-Bible believing person has no built-in boundary (Here there be dragons!) against
acceptance of evidence.
I call this pre-judging or prejudice.
It is dangerous at worst and inhibiting at best.
Remember the Republican debate where the candidates were asked if they believed Evolution were fact?
It was embarrassing to watch the gleeful response which placed 3 of them in Pre-Enlightenment darkness.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4Cc8t3Zd5E)
It's like asking, "Who believes we should burn witches?" and having all hands shoot up into the air and big smiles popping into view.
"Who believes dinosaurs drowned in the flood of Noah?"
I'd say it depends on the degree (and nature) of the "belief".
If it's full-on unquestioning literalness, then yup, intellectual capacity is severely undermined.
I've seen it.
The WTS wants and encourages poor education and weak critical thinking skills ,because having people ignorant makes them supplely absorbent to their own teachings. If your making pretentious lies to send out to attract people, the worst thing you want is have knowledgeable well educated people to come into your social arrangement and start critiquing your teachings. The end result is you have unquestioning subservient mental slaves who are as such because of that instilled mental indoctrination.
The "Bible-Believers Effect" article explains my JW mother.
She has a master's degree but rejects evolution completely because the WTS does.
DJS
Terry's OP doesn't mention the influence of religious leaders - good or bad .The study cited is concerned with religious belief and intelligence ( or lack of it ) . You stated this at the start of your first post . Then you threw in the remark about the influence of religious leaders . That is why I asked where this came from .
It appears that the study is mainly about American Fundamentalists , is that correct ?
Caleb can I point out that Christians believe in making the world a better place as well ( as do lots of atheists )
Jan .
lol, possibly, I sure feel a lot less intelligent...
and I don't believe any of it now.
never too old to learn? of course not, but it matters little.
I feel Im too old to gain any truly useful knowledge
to largely improve the years left of energy I have.
knowledge is simply a hobby in my life.
whats knowledge of anything going to do for me now? [except maybe the stock market,lol]
it wont add years to my life, nor make my life any easier.
maybe this is why some simply get by on what little they know. its too emotionally taxing.
