this post was submitted on 15 Jan 2024
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[–] Aceticon@lemmy.world 16 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

It's not about what an individual could know, it's about what they do know and how structured is a person's thinking.

So just because out there somewhere there are tons of explanations for tons of things doesn't mean people actually know them (lots if not most is quite obscure or requires understanding of a lot of other things first before you can trully understand those things) plus people have to think in very structure ways to spot gaps or flaws in what they thing they know and go look for better info.

And this is just the Logic level problem.

The Emotional level stuff is way more important. Religion:

  • provides easy non-scary explanations for tons of things which can be terrifying to accept as just random (Massive Earthquake, killing hundreds of thousands: "It's the will of Deity" is a calming explanation which implies "someDeity" has control)
  • provides hope for one's and one's loved one's future (Granny died: "She's gone to Heaven!")
  • makes the World seem so much simpler and hence understandeable for anybody by explaining away all complexity (All those lights in the night-sky: "There was a fight between the SunGod and the MoonGod during which his rays pierced the black veil that surrounds us").
  • for those born into it, it's just familiar and "the way people think".

And last but not least, Religion is a ready made tribe, generally mutually supporting, so it satisfies people's lowest tribalist instincts and provides concrete benefits from being part of a social circle from which you can get help.

This also explains why supposedly Religious people are selective in what they believe from their religion (notice how almost none of Christians take to hearth the whole point of Christ casting out the Money Lenders from the Temple), why they don't actually know all that much detail about their own Religion (if they don't think in a way that helps them spot what they do not know, that gets reflected on not looking for more info both outside and inside religion) and why it's so easy to manipulate people with religion (if the complexity of the world is explained as "blady, blady, blah, Deity", those trusted to understand the Deity can make sure pretty much all complex things get reasoned as "Deity wills it so because my bullshit reason" - plus remember, religious types are the non-structured non-skeptic thinkers).

[–] Dkarma@lemmy.world 8 points 10 months ago

Eh..it's easier than that. You know what you're told growing up.
Kids who are abused think that's normal. Kids who are abused with religion also think that's normal.

Kind of like how your dad's fav sports team is your fav too cuz reasons. If your dad was Muslim you probably will be too.

[–] Crikeste@lemm.ee 5 points 10 months ago (1 children)

To believe that god creates atrocities and that they’re not just random is actually malicious and stupid.

If god kills millions of people without warrant, why fucking worship the dumb cunt?

[–] Soggy@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Mysterious ways, test of faith, etc.

[–] Welt@lazysoci.al 1 points 10 months ago

Netanyahu moves in mysterious ways