--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "sparaig" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "authfriend" <jstein@> wrote:
[Lawson wrote:] > ALl the study really showed is that people who are members of > a conservative group tend to believe only in the beliefs of > that conservative group while members of more liberal gorups > tend to be more ecclective in their belief systems. As I said: > The point is that atheists and the > "irreligious," rather than being all scientifically > minded, believe more in New Age-type stuff. In other words, the militant atheists' notion that if we get rid of religion everyone will come to their senses and not believe anything weird is bunk. > The questionaire also found that not only did most people > believe in Angels, but that they had been *helped* those > angels and that they had been spoken to by God. How is > this any different than believing in palmreading or > speaking to the dead via a medium, save that the church > they belong to only recognizes chruch-snacitoned supernatural > phenomena as real? The point is that the militant atheists' notion that if we get rid of religion everyone will come to their senses and not believe anything weird is bunk. > > > Perhaps the study found that lerberal religious people are more > > > likely to *indulge* in their beliefs but to suggest that > > > orthodox Christians don't believe in suchthigns is, well, > > > deceptive, at best. > > > > They didn't "suggest," they have data to prove it. > > > > But the key is the phrase "such things." What > > evangelicals believe in is the traditional Christian > > stuff (see above). The point is that atheists and the > > "irreligious," rather than being all scientifically > > minded, believe more in New Age-type stuff. > > That is, non-Conservative Christian stuff. > > > Evangelicals, basically, are limited to traditional > > Christian beliefs as a matter of dogma, whereas the > > "irreligious" can believe in a whole range of nutty > > stuff, with no limitations; their beliefs aren't > > prescribed by or constrained by Scripture as the > > evangelicals' beliefs are. > > Well, gee, and this means what, exactly? That conservative > people tend to accept a much more narrow set of beliefs > as valid than liberals? The point is that the militant atheists' notion that if we get rid of religion everyone will come to their senses and not believe anything weird is bunk. > BTW, I can see why you didn't want me to read the original > study, but merely the article I'm sorry, where did you see me say I didn't want you to read the original study? I left the whole thing in above so you can point it out to me. As Barry would say, I'll wait. , by someone who is herself a > published writer whose religion and writings favor the study's > findings. > > http://www.baylor.edu/pr/news.php?action=story&story=52815 > > > > Andf of course, I recall Skip Alexander's PhD thesis which found > > > that prison inmates who converted to the most strict religious > > > sects became worse on every personality measure. > > > > Speaking of folks with an agenda, you mean? > > yes indeedy. Speaking of someone with a rather obvious agenda... > > Judy... HAW!! And my agenda is...?
