RE: Faith-based memes

From: Virginia Bowen (vbowen@bowenconsulting.net)
Date: Thu 05 Dec 2002 - 01:06:29 GMT

  • Next message: Grant Callaghan: "Re: Faith-based memes"

    I have thought about this for some time actually. My (very casual and quickly though out) theory has been that our "selves" is, in reality, just the sum of our memesets - and the more closely we identify with any one particular memeset, the more others' disagreement with same is taken personally. For obvious reasons.

    On another list regarding evolution, someone asked why everyone in the world doesn't see the obviousness(?) of evolution and the lack of a god. I replied - stating that getting someone to deny their "God" is akin to yanking a child's baby blanket from him and setting fire to it in front of the child. Traumatic, at least. Actually I now think it's more like yanking the baby from his mother and setting fire to HER. Extremely traumatic because of the extreme tie of person and their "faith" or "god" - whatever that might be.

    Virginia

    Murrieta, CA

    -----Original Message-----
    > In numerous posts many of us have pointed out the fact that you
    > can't argue
    > with memes of faith. People on both sides of the argument will refuse to
    > see what they don't want to see in opposing arguments. So to continue
    > arguing about it is a complete waste of time. It's not a matter
    > of who is
    > right and who is wrong. It's a matter of meme dominance and we
    > on this list
    > should know that better than anyone. When someone posts endless
    > arguments
    > in support of a faith-based concept, it is equivalent to spam.

    Can you say more about WHY faith memes are hard to argue? I am thinking that we call it faith _because_ it is hard to argue, and so am asking what you and others might suggest is the technical basis for the hardness.

    I will also say that I agree that it is hard, but would not agree that it is impossible. You may recall from posts of long ago, I have suggested that having a belief is akin to an action: we hold beliefs based upon the
    (subjective perceived) advantage they offer us in doing so.

    Hope this question makes sense! Cheers, Lawry

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