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.
To be a woman is a great adventure; To drive men mad is a heroic thing.
In cases of major discrepancy its always reality thats got it wrong ... reality is frequently inaccurate.
Time has no meaning in itself unless we choose to give it significance
In Africa, when an old man dies, it's a library burning.
In this life struggle, here I am among you fully cognizant that a true believer has no fear of what God has ordained for him. Those who are visited by fear live only for their present, under the illusion that the world began with them and will end with their departure.
And silence. She liked the silence most of all. The silence in which the body, senses, the instincts, are more alert, more powerful, more sensitized, live a more richly perfumed and intoxication life, instead of transmuting into thoughts, words, into exquisite abstractions, mathematics of emotion in place of violent impact, the volcanic eruptions of fever, lust and delight.
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