Makers of Supernatural claims have an inescapable burden of proof.
The Burden of Proof
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Category Archives: Critical Thinking
Losing Your Religion: Analytic Thinking Can Undermine Belief
People who are intuitive thinkers are more likely to be religious, but getting them to think analytically even in subtle ways decreases the strength of their belief, according to a new study in Science.
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Analytic thinking undermines belief because, as cognitive psychologists have shown, it can override intuition. And we know from past research that religious beliefs—such as the idea that objects and events don’t simply exist but have a purpose—are rooted in intuition. “Analytic processing inhibits these intuitions, which in turn discourages religious belief,” [British Columbia psychologist, Ara] Norenzayan explains.
Instinctive Thinkers More Likely to Believe in a Personal God – and Less Likely to be Atheists
Late last year some fascinating research revealed that people who take a more deliberative approach to problem solving – rather than just going with their instincts – are also less religious. Now some independent research not only confirms those findings, but also extends them to show how there is a progressive link thinking style and decreasing religious beliefs.
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The key results are shown in the figure. People who believe in a personal god are disproportionately likely to have got every question wrong.
Pantheists, who believe in god as an impersonal force, did better. Deists, who believe in an impersonal god who does not intervene in the universe, did better still, and agnostics even better. Atheists were the most likely to give correct answers.
Always Question Authority 