New study proves someones "god" is nothing more than one's own image! Religion crumbles..., page 1

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Topic started on 1-12-2009 @ 12:33 AM by reasonable

scienceblogs.com...

Posted on: November 30, 2009 3:30 PM, by Ed Yong

For many religious people, the popular question "What would Jesus do?" is essentially the same as "What would I do?" That's the message from an intriguing and controversial new study by Nicholas Epley from the University of Chicago. Through a combination of surveys, psychological manipulation and brain-scanning, he has found that when religious Americans try to infer the will of God, they mainly draw on their own personal beliefs.

It's so simple, yet so brilliant. Looks like Science and Psychology are truly dismantling religion day by day. Science proves it false and psychology proves it's all in these people's heads.

Psychological studies have found that people are always a tad egocentric when considering other people's mindsets. They use their own beliefs as a starting point, which colours their final conclusions. Epley found that the same process happens, and then some, when people try and divine the mind of God. Their opinions on God's attitudes on important social issues closely mirror their own beliefs. If their own attitudes change, so do their perceptions of what God thinks. They even use the same parts of their brain when considering God's will and their own opinions.

^^^My oh my, that's a doosie..

Of course, correlation doesn't imply causation - rather than people imprinting their beliefs onto God, it could be that people were using God's beliefs as a guide to their own. Epley tried to control for that by asking his recruits to talk about their own beliefs first, and then presenting God and the others in a random order. And as better evidence of causality, Epley showed that he could change people's views on God's will by manipulating their own beliefs.

^^^Oh dear.

Well, I'll stop here because the study is so devastating I don't want to keep twisting the knife. I'm not THAT heartless.

reply posted on 1-12-2009 @ 12:42 AM by Agree2Disagree

reply to post by reasonable

I don't find it devastating at all. I don't even find it intriguing. We were made in His image and hence share similar qualities. Of course when thinking about God we normally reference our own opinions and point of view. What else are we going to do?

This doesn't effectively prove anything...

reply posted on 1-12-2009 @ 12:48 AM by 其中一許多

There is a limit to what science can and cannot explain. Higher consciousness exists beyond that limit. That being the case, it can neither prove nor disprove it's existence. However, one cannot exist without the other.

reply posted on 1-12-2009 @ 12:50 AM by Agree2Disagree

Here, ponder this for awhile see what you get.

sprott.physics.wisc.edu...

Of course, you can say, "well it's just a simulation" or "wellll...it's apophenia" or "wellll...that doesn't mean squat".

Perhaps a brain cell and the universe are linked together in the same manner that religious and/or spiritual thoughts and this psychological study are.

reply posted on 1-12-2009 @ 12:51 AM by reasonable

Didn't see that response coming

-sarcasm-

You lack an understanding of the article but it is to be expected.

reply posted on 1-12-2009 @ 01:04 AM by IceDash

I feel sorry for you because it does nothing to shatter the people's faith.

there more to life than trying to find facts.

reply posted on 1-12-2009 @ 01:04 AM by silver tongue devil

So wait...

they drew conclusive proof that God doesn't exist and that the belief is invalid...simply because when hooked up to a brain scanner the electricity went in a particular direction??

Oh yeah...that's sound philosophical reasoning right there. heh.

Hypothetically lets say there is a "God", and that said person believes this is so, how should this have reflected on the brain scanner in the way that would have shown the opposite conclusion?...

Doesn't it seem as though that was never a possible conclusion for the people monitoring this experiment?

Like what were they expecting?

If God was real then the brain would have illustrated pictures of angels with the brain wave activity??...

reply posted on 1-12-2009 @ 01:05 AM by factbeforefiction

I've never seen someone so intrigued by Jesus. You almost seem to have some kind of man crush on Jesus the way you post these things every day.

reply posted on 1-12-2009 @ 01:10 AM by reasonable

Here comes the god squad to attack.. lash out, etc. I will not stop posting such articles. I'm not scared of you punks whatsoever. crucify me all you like.. I'm sure Jesus would approve of you bickering with me rather than helping down at the homeless shelter

reply posted on 1-12-2009 @ 01:11 AM by reasonable

Originally posted by silver tongue devil
So wait...

they drew conclusive proof that God doesn't exist and that the belief is invalid...simply because when hooked up to a brain scanner the electricity went in a particular direction??

Oh yeah...that's sound philosophical reasoning right there. heh.

Hypothetically lets say there is a "God", and that said person believes this is so, how should this have reflected on the brain scanner in the way that would have shown the opposite conclusion?...

Doesn't it seem as though that was never a possible conclusion for the people monitoring this experiment?

Like what were they expecting?

If God was real then the brain would have illustrated pictures of angels with the brain wave activity??...

Ignorance is bliss. I wouldn't expect someone who thinks the Earth is 4,000yrs old to comprehend a scientific study.

reply posted on 1-12-2009 @ 01:11 AM by IceDash

Originally posted by reasonable
Here comes the god squad to attack.. lash out, etc. I will not stop posting such articles. I'm not scared of you punks whatsoever. crucify me all you like.. I'm sure Jesus would approve of you bickering with me rather than helping down at the homeless shelter

we didn't attack you, we was..umm...does the word "disagree" mean anything to you?

reply posted on 1-12-2009 @ 01:14 AM by reasonable

Originally posted by IceDash

Originally posted by reasonable
Here comes the god squad to attack.. lash out, etc. I will not stop posting such articles. I'm not scared of you punks whatsoever. crucify me all you like.. I'm sure Jesus would approve of you bickering with me rather than helping down at the homeless shelter

we didn't attack you, we was..umm...does the word "disagree" mean anything to you?

^^^ Ah, an ATS first folks! "we" I'll type that again "we"... looks like confirmation of the ATS religious cabal. I had no idea they were so unified and considered themselves a "we". This place is in trouble now...

reply posted on 1-12-2009 @ 01:18 AM by DayKnightmare

reply to post by reasonable

HAHAHA "God Squad". I have found that even questioning the true nature of God makes some people very angry. Its like most people never even make an effort to learn about what god really is and when you get them thinking about it they fly off the handle. I dont really know how to post a vid but im gonna try.

YouTube Link

www.youtube.com...

reply posted on 1-12-2009 @ 01:18 AM by IceDash

Originally posted by reasonable

Originally posted by IceDash

Originally posted by reasonable
Here comes the god squad to attack.. lash out, etc. I will not stop posting such articles. I'm not scared of you punks whatsoever. crucify me all you like.. I'm sure Jesus would approve of you bickering with me rather than helping down at the homeless shelter

we didn't attack you, we was..umm...does the word "disagree" mean anything to you?

^^^ Ah, an ATS first folks! "we" I'll type that again "we"... looks like confirmation of the ATS religious cabal. I had no idea they were so unified and considered themselves a "we". This place is in trouble now...

lol, the reason why I said "we" because you used the word "punks" and God squad...that's mean more than one people, right?

reply posted on 1-12-2009 @ 01:20 AM by IceDash

and I am not religion, i don't believe in the bible.

I am just disagree with your theory on how God is just one's own image....it's just doesn't....work.

reply posted on 1-12-2009 @ 01:23 AM by tedpi

"Through a combination of surveys, psychological manipulation and brain-scanning"

Hell I can prove anything using THAT

reply posted on 1-12-2009 @ 01:33 AM by spy66

OP. I am going to tell you something that these scientists have left out.

Science can only study and acknowledge existence. One of the greatest thinkers in our time even admits that Existence was created from nothingness. That makes nothingness a dimension we know nothing about.
And its not that nothingness is totally nothing. Its just that its not existence. That's why we call it nothingness because to us that dimension dont exist. I dont expect you to grasp this.

But if Nothingness is the source to existence. It must be a lot more complicated then our existence.

And just to point out. Science can't and will never be able to disprove the existence of God. Therefor to them God will always be non existence. In other words nothingness.

And what created existence? Nothingness did. "God"

reply posted on 1-12-2009 @ 01:34 AM by orwellianunenlightenment

That is because most people's god is merely the ego, or that beast masquerading as the divine. It is created by perpetual vainglory. Narcissistic self-worship. Many so-called Christians and atheists ironically worship this same god. There is, however, a God beyond this...............

reply posted on 1-12-2009 @ 01:37 AM by semperfortis

I hate to break it to you OP, but you are a tool..

A tool of prophecy.

You are working for the very God you mock.

You were foretold and you are expected and in many ways welcome. Your very protestations and the very hilarious links you provide, all further substantiate the writings in the Bible. (Besides providing a great source of amusement)

I for one, thank you for being here. Your presence solidifies and strengths my faith as only proof can. For you are proof.

"Many will be called, few will answer"

“And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.”

Semper

reply posted on 1-12-2009 @ 01:43 AM by reasonable