Is belief really a choice?

[Joel]

I don't think so.
It seems anybody that doesn't believe says that belief isn't a choice.
Anybody that does believe seems to tell me that they choose to believe and atheists choose not to believe.

I find this patently absurd. Is it just me that seems to find this correlation?

[KichigaiNeko]

I am thinking you are referring to an observation made famous by Mr Richard Dawkins. Something along the lines of "the religious will inculcate their children so that they WILL believe Where atheists allow their children to discover WHY they don't believe."

[Joel]

I am thinking you are referring to an observation made famous by Mr Richard Dawkins. Something along the lines of "the religious will inculcate their children so that they WILL believe Where atheists allow their children to discover WHY they don't believe."

Though I don't recall, I'm sure I will have heard him say that.
Also, how does it account for the adults that - for some unknown reason - 'convert' to a religion.

[LastPoet]

I think this will all end on a nature vs nurture debate. I tend for nurture in this aspect, as people might be so heavily indoctrinated that they don't see anything else. What choice there is, if you take the beliefs in god as default and all your life swirls around it?

[KichigaiNeko]

Good question and I am bound to leave that one for others.

As an offering I might suggest that the indoctrination may take a very long while to be free of. And even then may still cause distress and harm to the one striving to be free of religion.

Have you seen this?



or perhaps this..



or lastly



All funny in a way but all conveying the message that religion has no answers..only slavery for it's adherents.

[Tonus]

If you are convinced that something is true, you believe it, otherwise you don't. You cannot will yourself to believe, although you might be able to strengthen an existing belief temporarily by shielding yourself from alternative explanations. A child who happens to catch his parents placing presents under the Christmas tree may try to rationalize what he saw, or simply deny it. And if his parents decide to offer up a poor explanation for what he saw, he may readily accept it because giving up the belief in Santa Claus is unappealing.

[thesummerqueen]

Also, how does it account for the adults that - for some unknown reason - 'convert' to a religion.

Cognitive dissonance is a funny thing.

[downbeatplumb]

I don't think so.
It seems anybody that doesn't believe says that belief isn't a choice.
Anybody that does believe seems to tell me that they choose to believe and atheists choose not to believe.

I find this patently absurd. Is it just me that seems to find this correlation?

You're right, either you believe in something or you don't.
If you do believe in god however then you have choice of varieties.

[Angrboda]

It must be morning.

I first read the thread title as "Is beef really a choice?" An interesting topic in its own right, but certainly not this thread.




I don't have a developed view on this other than to suggest that the stereotypical response of "We don't choose what we believe," is likely wrong, lacking considerable nuance, and probably a category error (ontological).

[Mystic]

Depends about what, and what person, and what circumstances.