God: No magic required

[lweisenthal]

Hi Simon:

You say:

>>By what method did you determine plausibility?

>>I mean, plausibility is a far step beyond possibility, and should (unless one is gullible) take into consideration evidence for a mechanism that could explain how dark energy could organize itself into sentience.

>>Got any?<<

See my prior post, #50.

- Larry Weisenthal/Huntington Beach CA

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Simon (#53) quotes me:

>>Again, my motivation for so doing was that (1) I was impressed by the robust medical literature supporting the hypothesis that there are both mental and physical health benefits (including impressively increased longevity) associated with religiosity and (2) I had some personal behavioral issues which were refractory to secular management strategies.<<

He objects:

>>As far as I can see, all those studies do, is point to the fact that people with a strong social structure do better then those without. Nothing in the studies offers a shred of evidence that a god is involved.<<

Simon, you won't accept benefits (proven by a preponderance of evidence, if not beyond a shadow of doubt), in the absence of a proven mechanism. I'm happy to accept the benefits without fully understanding the mechanism.

I've already written that I personally don't believe that God cures cancer or otherwise intervenes to alter physical reality. Maybe he does; but, as stated, I don't personally have faith that God does this sort of thing. On the other hand, it's unambiguously clear that religion offers many benefits, quite apart from "social structure," including the impact of prayer relating to solace, courage, resolve, endurance, focus, discipline, humility, morality, and (as explained before) a sense of companionship with a deity which very definitely can attenuate loneliness.

All of the above can offer a wide array of healthful benefits, from stress reduction to avoidance of STDs.

All the "proof" a theist requires is his/her own personal experience with theism. If it works, keep doing it. If it doesn't work, stop doing it. It's just like anything else in life, of a voluntary nature. People do it because they like it, not because they are stupid or delusional.

- Larry Weisenthal/Huntington Beach CA