DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Killing the Buddha by Sam Harris (neuroscientist and atheist)

**RG3rGWcA** · 03-10-2012, 11:29 PM

I recognize that religion is not the unique source of violence. I agree that "the source of violence is to be found in the mind that hates, ignores and clings." I think Sam Harris does as well but I don't know this for sure. However the Abrahamic religions often actively and somewhat knowingly teach and celebrate ignorance with what they call faith. It's blind faith. It encourages people to suspend their intellect and their nature of questioning in order to believe that which has no evidence. Also these religions have traditionally taught that non-believers are essentially evil. I recognize that not all believers in any of the Abrahamic religions practice those teachings. Most do not but they exist and it's extremely harmful.

To believe blindly is another human trait and it can be found in any religion. Not just the Abrahamic.

We can found people worshiping metaphysical entities, or universal consiousness as people worshiping saints, god, or Capitalism and those who do not blindly believe in Capitalism -or Communism- are considered evil, too.

I don't know about religions but I prefer not to point fingers just to "Abrahamic" ones but to blind belief that can be found in any sort of religion as in other fields of human activity.

It can be surprising how many hard core scientists at some moments can be driven by blind believes mostly in the field of physics where the ghost of a god haunt their minds often.

It is not about Abrahamic v.s Buddhist blind believes but about blind belief, particularly, as a means to quench dukkha.

For example, it is blind to believe that everlasting happiness will happen just and only just through the materialistic advance of science, as it is blind to believe that some mental shortcomings are about literal past lives karma or even that god do not play with dice.

Blind belief can show many faces. Persuasive argumentation is rooted in making people believe things like the case of political propaganda or marketing strategies. Also honest political propaganda can be rooted in an entanglement of blind beliefs.

I don't think Sam Harris is advocating that it be given a divine status. As a neuroscientist I'm sure Harris realizes science is just a tool. Of course. I was just expressing some ideas because of the article. I am not doing a criticism of Sam Harris.

03-10-2012, 11:29 PM	#10
RG3rGWcA Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 499 Senior Member	I recognize that religion is not the unique source of violence. I agree that "the source of violence is to be found in the mind that hates, ignores and clings." I think Sam Harris does as well but I don't know this for sure. However the Abrahamic religions often actively and somewhat knowingly teach and celebrate ignorance with what they call faith. It's blind faith. It encourages people to suspend their intellect and their nature of questioning in order to believe that which has no evidence. Also these religions have traditionally taught that non-believers are essentially evil. I recognize that not all believers in any of the Abrahamic religions practice those teachings. Most do not but they exist and it's extremely harmful. To believe blindly is another human trait and it can be found in any religion. Not just the Abrahamic. We can found people worshiping metaphysical entities, or universal consiousness as people worshiping saints, god, or Capitalism and those who do not blindly believe in Capitalism -or Communism- are considered evil, too. I don't know about religions but I prefer not to point fingers just to "Abrahamic" ones but to blind belief that can be found in any sort of religion as in other fields of human activity. It can be surprising how many hard core scientists at some moments can be driven by blind believes mostly in the field of physics where the ghost of a god haunt their minds often. It is not about Abrahamic v.s Buddhist blind believes but about blind belief, particularly, as a means to quench dukkha. For example, it is blind to believe that everlasting happiness will happen just and only just through the materialistic advance of science, as it is blind to believe that some mental shortcomings are about literal past lives karma or even that god do not play with dice. Blind belief can show many faces. Persuasive argumentation is rooted in making people believe things like the case of political propaganda or marketing strategies. Also honest political propaganda can be rooted in an entanglement of blind beliefs. I don't think Sam Harris is advocating that it be given a divine status. As a neuroscientist I'm sure Harris realizes science is just a tool. Of course. I was just expressing some ideas because of the article. I am not doing a criticism of Sam Harris.
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