When I left Mormonism I considered myself still a Christian and attended a local Baptist church for about 18 months, but when I put to use the same critical thinking methodology that caused me to leave Mormonism, I had to leave behind Christianity and ultimately theism as well. Based on my experience, once you switch on critical thinking, at some point you have to switch it back off to some degree in order to remain a 'believer.' That is, after all, what being a believer means -- you set aside reason and just believe.- Jeff Ricks
Monday, February 22, 2010
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I agree overall with his statement. I think I would push back at "once you switch on critical thinking". That makes it sound like it is something someone does, or doesn't do. I don't think it can be that binary. Everyone has varying degrees of bias and baggage, some acknowledged some not. I don't know if he meant it that strongly, but it could sound final. He has arrived so to speak. If one is growing, I think 10 years of retrospective view at any given point in our lives will cause one to realize that he/she didn't understand or know things half as well as they thought they did at the time.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, I don't think he suggests that is that black and white. I would submit as evidence his statement afterward..."you have to switch it back off to some degree in order to remain a believer."
ReplyDeleteJeff usually identifies himself as a humanist. He struggles with the cognitive dissonance required by a belief system that is not based upon evidence.
I personally found it impossible to believe in any deity when the wheels fell off of my belief in Mormonism. The same broad reaches that marked the absurdity in Mormonism also exist in the bible and the claims of Christianity. Both have significant holes in history and require suspensions of disbelief.
I think that is Jeff's point. When you have to suspend disbelief or rely on unprovable claims(faith)...It might be said you are not using critical thinking skills at their fullest capacity.