Science operates in the natural, not the supernatural. In fact, I go so far as to state that there is no such thing as the supernatural or the paranormal.
Michael ShermerRead
Religious faith depends on a host of social, psychological and emotional factors that have little or nothing to do with probabilities, evidence and logic.
Interpretation
Religious faith is influenced by various social and emotional elements rather than rational thought.
This quote by Michael Shermer highlights that the foundations of religious belief are often rooted in personal experiences, social contexts, and emotional states, which may not align with logical reasoning or empirical evidence. It suggests that faith is a complex interplay of factors beyond mere rationality, emphasizing the subjective nature of belief systems.
In practice
This quote could be used in a debate on the nature of faith and reason in a philosophy class.
Science operates in the natural, not the supernatural. In fact, I go so far as to state that there is no such thing as the supernatural or the paranormal.
Smart people believe weird things because they are skilled at defending beliefs they arrived at for non-smart reasons.
Being deeply knowledgeable on one subject narrows one's focus and increases confidence, but it also blurs dissenting views until they are no longer visible, thereby transforming data collection into bias confirmation and morphing self-deception into self-assurance.
How can we find spiritual meaning in a scientific worldview? Spirituality is a way of being in the world, a sense of oneβs place in the cosmos, a relationship to that which extends beyond oneself. . . . Does scientific explanation of the world diminish its spiritual beauty? I think not. Science and spirituality are complementary, not conflicting; additive, not detractive. Anything that generates a sense of awe may be a source of spirituality. Science does this in spades. (158-159)
But because we live in an age of science, we have a preoccupation with corroborating our myths.
Iβm a skeptic not because I do not want to believe, but because I want to know.
Men might as well be imprisoned, as excluded from the means of earning their bread.
To establish oneself in the world, one does all one can to seem established there already.
Dreaming is a philogenetically older mode of thought.
I know, my dear Watson, that you share my love of all that is bizarre and outside the conventions and humdrum routine of daily life.
We have to keep asking ourselves: 'What does it all mean? What is God trying to tell us? How are we called to live in the midst of all this?' Without such questions our lives become numb and flat.
Your idol is shattered in the dust to prove that God's dust is greater than your idol.
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