The longer I’m an atheist, the more bizarre it is to me that people actually believe in a god(s), not to mention all of the other strange beliefs that can go along with believing in a god(s); a talking snake, a talking donkey, a global flood, and the completely immoral system of using a scapegoat for one’s wrongdoings etc.
Of course, we can look at childhood indoctrination as one of the main culprits but what else leads otherwise intelligent people to being convinced of such extraordinary things?
Cognitive Ease could be one prong in this multi-pronged issue. It starts with the aforementioned child indoctrination; you are taught this as a child. You are told that these beliefs are “facts” (with no good evidence given), then add on to that that most people around you believe the same things you believe, it is often a large part of your culture. This leads to cognitive ease. It is more simple and easier to just keep believing.
The Endowment Effect is another prong. Again, this starts with child indoctrination. These beliefs are yours and they are special because they are yours. This is a bias where we value things that are ours because they are ours.
These are biases that we all have in one way or another. But, we should do our best to acknowledge them and limit them.
Most importantly, we should try to look for good reasons to accept something as true. Our intuitions and personal experiences are often wrong and that is why the scientific method is so important.
Matthew D. Hansen, Taylorsville
