Deconversion has made me appreciate more about life and the world I live in than when I used to live under a rock as a Christian. One of the things I have observed since my new found freedom is how the believer might think that their particular god is actually working through them and their peers.
Let's imagine the typical office of, say, engineers. This office might have some 20 engineers from slightly differing academic backgrounds and slightly differing areas of expertise, but together as one, they can achieve things that are reflective of their "desires" i.e. collectively they can build a skyscraper or extract minerals and metals from the ground. Clearly, we have an environment of people who think similarly and therefore achieve siimilar goals relative to their thinking.
Let's imagine the typical church of, say, Pentecostal Christians. This church might be a church with 200-300 members who all have slightly differing backgrounds, but together as one, they can experience things that are reflective of their desires i.e. collectively they can start sobbing during worship because of "God's presence" and they can confirm they have received healing during emotionally drenched prayers. Clearly, we have an environment of people who think similarly and therefore achieve similar goals relative to their thinking.
Of course God seems to be real in such an environment when you're surrounded by people wishing to experience the same thing as you. By default, you'll make that happen because they, like yourself, desire to live in that reality. This is why every religion will always tell you their god works in the way described in their holy book, because in reality, they act in a manner that conforms to what the damn book says!
I remember being amazed once (back when I was a Christian) when we had an open mic night during worship where anyone could go to the mic and pray whatever they wanted. A friend wanted to pray about this particular thing but didn't have the courage to go up to the mic but they said another person went up and actually prayed for what they wanted to pray about. The thing is, that's to be expected in the room full of Similar Thinkers, because if we go back to our Similar Thinkers in the engineering office and think of the reverse (i.e. let's chuck an engineer, a janitor and a clown together) then the desires of the group won't be achieved as they don't gel together. Well, if some of our Similar Thinkers at the church were replaced by Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists, then surely you wouldn't expect the prayer of the Hindu to have coincided with my Christian friend's prayer.
All of this leads me to believe the principle that similar people will produce similar results relative to the people. "Goddidit" is an illusion that results from sharing the same bias as the person next to you during that Sunday morning service.
Let's imagine the typical office of, say, engineers. This office might have some 20 engineers from slightly differing academic backgrounds and slightly differing areas of expertise, but together as one, they can achieve things that are reflective of their "desires" i.e. collectively they can build a skyscraper or extract minerals and metals from the ground. Clearly, we have an environment of people who think similarly and therefore achieve siimilar goals relative to their thinking.
Let's imagine the typical church of, say, Pentecostal Christians. This church might be a church with 200-300 members who all have slightly differing backgrounds, but together as one, they can experience things that are reflective of their desires i.e. collectively they can start sobbing during worship because of "God's presence" and they can confirm they have received healing during emotionally drenched prayers. Clearly, we have an environment of people who think similarly and therefore achieve similar goals relative to their thinking.
Of course God seems to be real in such an environment when you're surrounded by people wishing to experience the same thing as you. By default, you'll make that happen because they, like yourself, desire to live in that reality. This is why every religion will always tell you their god works in the way described in their holy book, because in reality, they act in a manner that conforms to what the damn book says!
I remember being amazed once (back when I was a Christian) when we had an open mic night during worship where anyone could go to the mic and pray whatever they wanted. A friend wanted to pray about this particular thing but didn't have the courage to go up to the mic but they said another person went up and actually prayed for what they wanted to pray about. The thing is, that's to be expected in the room full of Similar Thinkers, because if we go back to our Similar Thinkers in the engineering office and think of the reverse (i.e. let's chuck an engineer, a janitor and a clown together) then the desires of the group won't be achieved as they don't gel together. Well, if some of our Similar Thinkers at the church were replaced by Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists, then surely you wouldn't expect the prayer of the Hindu to have coincided with my Christian friend's prayer.
All of this leads me to believe the principle that similar people will produce similar results relative to the people. "Goddidit" is an illusion that results from sharing the same bias as the person next to you during that Sunday morning service.
"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it" ~ Aristotle
