Evolved and Rational is a friend of mine.
She is an amazing hero in our movement. She is a young woman who puts her money where her mouth is every day. Can her critics say that?
Who are her critics? Her fellow atheists who complain about how she is communicating her desire for a smarter world. In particular they do this by bitching about her tagline:
“Religion exploits unpatched vulnerabilities in the human mind.”
Well in December I am scheduled to complete a degree in neuroscience, and I have also worked intensely in psychology research. I have dedicated my scientific career to the study of the mind.
Evolved and rational is right.
As harsh as it may seem to say that religious people are taking a short-cut about things they are uncomfortable with, it does happen to be true.
At least if one compiles the evidence for things like cognitive dissonance theory, and one suggests that it has descriptive power with how people deal with the fear of death. Cognitive dissonance theory states that when a person holds to opposing cognitions, they tweak their thinking to reconcile the cognitions. Like “I love my life,” and “I am going to die.” Religion is what Leon Festinger, the father of cognitive dissonance theory, described as a dissonance reducer.
Neuroscience is also beginning to show that religious experience is centralized in the parietal lobe, and is a predictable physical phenomena. Ignorance of this fact alone gives supernaturalism legitimacy in the minds of the public.
Either way you slice it, religion is a way that people deal with “unpatched vulnerabilities in their minds.”
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I’m not sure the point of this article.
I think E&R can stand up for herself, and I do appreciate the sarcastic bite once in a while. But if I were to disagree, it wouldn’t be over a phrase like “Religion exploits unpatched vulnerabilities in the human mind,” but like “thetarded.” And I would disagree because there’s arguments for your side in a debate, and then there’s ad hominen attacks. Now sometimes it’s fun to make fun, and often we’re frustrated during a debate, but we don’t want to sink to “their” level right?
Wow your comment was harsh Ian.
It can kind of be paraphrased, as “your writing sucks, and you are an ego maniacal piece of crap.”
Was it really that horrible?
Anyways to fill you on what I was going for, and evidently failed at, was that E&R was telling me about all the hate-mail she gets from atheists, and she said that her tagline was the main cause of contention.
When I read her tagline I found it to be a pretty plausible description of what is likely going on from what I know about behavioral sciences.
So what is the difference between an undegrad horn, and just tooting my neuroscience horn. My statements would have been acceptable to you if I were more advanced in my academic career?
Rodrigo, why don’t you add in the part about E and R getting hate mail over her tagline. It would clarify things. Other than that, I find it to be a good article.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to come off offensive. I think you cleared it all up for me and I likely came off more arrogant and asshole-ish than I wished. Sorry, keep writing (your writing was good).
I don’t get it, what’s wrong with her tagline?? And why would an atheist object??
Maybe I’m just dense…. anyone?
I think you are right Tyler. I will fix that as soon as I get home. I’m in between classes right now.