Quote:
Originally Posted by Sliver
Fair enough, but is it possible people are "setting aside" or "turning down" their intelligent self to believe some of the more absurd things in their religion? Is there any way for somebody like me to understand talking to demons or having two-way conversations with god as perfectly reasonable? It honestly seems so incredibly stupid. Maybe I have blinders on or something.  |
I may have been a little rude in this conversation, and for that I'm sorry, but I totally agree with you on this statement.
Blinders are common for people to have. They influence what people think and what they believe to a greater extent than most people realize. Blinders are one of the biggest reasons that there are partisan issues in the world today.
Admitting you have some is not a weakness. It's a first step. There is nothing that says you need to agree with a different position than yours in order to understand that position. You do not need to agree that these people are talking to God, or that demons exist, in order to understand their world, and their experiences. Obviously I don't consider the easy opinion that they have a mental deficiency as "understanding". Understanding another person's point of view is important to interacting with other people. You'll get farther in arguments if you at least try to see the other point of view.