Thinking Can Undermine Religious Faith, Study Finds

LATimes ^ | April 26, 2012 | Amina Khan

[Steelfish]

Thinking Can Undermine Religious Faith, Study Finds Those who think more analytically are less inclined to be religious believers than are those who tend to follow a gut instinct, researchers conclude.

Those who think more analytically are less inclined to be religious believers than are those who tend to follow a gut instinct, researchers conclude. By Amina Khan, Los Angeles Times April 26, 2012

Scientists have revealed one of the reasons why some folks are less religious than others: They think more analytically, rather than going with their gut. And thinking analytically can cause religious belief to wane — for skeptics and true believers alike.

The study, published in Friday's edition of the journal Science, indicates that belief may be a more malleable feature of the human psyche than those of strong faith may think.

The cognitive origins of belief — and disbelief — traditionally haven't been explored with academic rigor, said lead author Will Gervais, a social psychologist at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

"There's been a long-standing intellectual tradition of treating science as one thing and religion as separate, and never the twain shall meet," he said. But in recent years, he added, there has been a push "to understand religion and why our species has the capacity for religion."

According to one theory of human thinking, the brain processes information using two systems. The first relies on mental shortcuts by using intuitive responses — a gut instinct, if you will — to quickly arrive at a conclusion. The other employs deliberative analysis, which uses reason to arrive at a conclusion.

[TalBlack]

The prime way most people define ‘analytical thinking’ is that the conclusions match their own.

[AndyTheBear]

Thinking undermines Atheism.

But the best of all is to let him read no science but to give him a grand general idea that he knows it all and that everything he happens to have picked up in casual talk and reading is "the results of modern investigation'. Do remember you are there to fuddle him. From the way some of you young fiends talk, anyone would suppose it was our job to teach!

--from the Screwtape Letters, intercepted from the infernal postal service by CS Lewis

[AndyTheBear]

Imagine how many brilliant geniuses will eventually “think” themselves right into eternal damnation.

Rationalize themselves there yes...but honest thought has a tendency to validate the existence of a transcendent self existent moral God if carried all the way through to the logical end.

[AndyTheBear]

Of course, analytical thinking gets people to quit reading the LA Times, too.

LOL! Well said!

[Cronos]

Not true. I can count for it personally. I'm of an analytical bent of mind and logically to me religion makes sense. You cannot prove there is no God (I don't buy the Jainist view). And extending that, since there is a God or a creative force, is it an impersonal 'force' or is He a being? Logically it holds to the latter in terms of interactions.

Extending it further, the only religions I see that do not have inherent contradictions are Christianity and Zoroastrianism. Out of this Catholicism is the most logical to my mind.

there are also simple believing Catholics and to them, Catholicism is the most emotionally bringing them closer to God -- God is God of emotion, logic etc. etc.

[mitch5501]

"...honest thought has a tendency to validate the existence of a transcendent self existent moral God if carried all the way through to the logical end"

Well said.

I sometimes think,or rather feel,that I was tricked and now that carnal mind and it's thinking seem to wander endlessly about looking for a way out.To be carnally minded is indeed death.

He must increase and I must decrease.

[Salamander]

Most of the ones I know will not make it through the brick wall they’ve carefully erected.

I guess I’m a simpleton.

I can sit and watch a colony of ants carrying on their daily business and see God’s hand at work.

I just don’t have enough faith to be an atheist.

:)

[bereanway]

LOL

Tell it to Sir Issac Newton. Probably the greatest scientist who ever lived who in fact spent more time studying and commenting on the Bible (over a million words of commentary) than on scientific research.

[Safrguns]

Faith is EVIDENCE of things unseen.

Analytical thinking provides that evidence.

[SamuraiScot]

FLAWED Thinking Can Undermine Religious Faith, Study Finds

[xzins]

From the article: than are those who tend to follow a gut instinct, researchers

Yep, the scientific terms are killin' me.

Can't wait to see the definition of "gut instinct" and how it is: (1) equated with "faith" and "belief", and (2) how it is separated out and 100% isolated so it only can be studied.