Blog post: Is Religion Cognitive-Emotional Cheesecake? (user search)
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  Blog post: Is Religion Cognitive-Emotional Cheesecake? (search mode)
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Author Topic: Blog post: Is Religion Cognitive-Emotional Cheesecake?  (Read 1412 times)
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shua
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« on: May 06, 2012, 11:05:18 PM »

If religion (like music) addresses fundamental human needs in a meaningful way, how does that not involve "real solutions to life's problems"?
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🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸
shua
Atlas Star
*****
Posts: 25,689
Nepal


Political Matrix
E: 1.29, S: -0.70

WWW
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2012, 08:39:12 PM »
« Edited: May 13, 2012, 08:40:48 PM by shua, gm »

If religion (like music) addresses fundamental human needs in a meaningful way, how does that not involve "real solutions to life's problems"?

Addressing the human need for explanations with falsehoods can provide a flawed foundation for addressing other issues. Beliefs inform actions, after all.

For instance if someone believes in the doctrines of Scientology they are (falsely) lead to believe that certain mental conditions are caused by certain mechanics and that medication can't help, or is actually harmful. This might address their need to know and have explanations for things, but if in reality medication might help them they could end up not using it even if they happen to need it.
But if religion acts as an opiate, why the need for an actual opiate?  Religion, if it has a psychological function, isn't just to feed people's curiosity.
The point being made in this blog post is that religion has a psychological function, and that this somehow means it is a delusion.  Scientology is such an explicitly self-help cult that the example you give isn't relevant to the broader point about what religion does.
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