First of all, thanks for taking the time for a thoughtful reply.
>I've been thinking about how to best answer you. You take an awful lot for
>granted. First, you have a simplistic view of the Christian mindset. For
I do not have a simplistic view of the Christian mindset. The four
beliefs of the born again Christian do not represent my entire view,
far from it.
>many, Christianity is more like a mood than like a scientific belief
>system, like having a pleasant, motivating melody playing in the background
>of your life. You think that the kind of belief system you have is the only
True, and for many Christianity is more like a scientific belief system.
(I get e-mail from them on an almost daily basis.)
>possible one or the only valid one, yet you're not happy, and you
>illogically ignore the fact that others are happy. Why?
I do not think my belief system is the only valid one. I have said
many times on this list words to that effect.
What makes you think I am not past OK?
If I was really ignoring the fact that others are happy, then we wouldn't
be having this conversation.
>The conceptual trap you're in is more of a meta-trap. You can't expand your
>worldview from within your worldview. I would suggest you spend some time
>in Thailand or come to Seattle and have some fine cognac and smoke cigars.
>This will give you new data which will require you to rethink your
>positions on certain things and transcend your positions on others.
I definitely plan to come to Seattle some day soon (for the cognac if
not the cigars) and I hope to make it to Thailand some day. I'm open
to the possibility that future experience will change my positions
on practically everything.
>As to the value of harboring unscientific/false beliefs, I've been thinking
>about that too. Here's a "scientific" explanation that may interest you.
<example deleted>
Your examples are only about beliefs that can affect reality such as
"people can't be trusted" or "I can't sing". What about beliefs about
things that cannot be changed like "the Holocaust never happened"?
Do you still recommend believing whatever would make you happier?
-- David McFadzean david@lucifer.com Memetic Engineer http://www.lucifer.com/~david/ Church of Virus http://www.lucifer.com/virus/