RDFRS: Can we choose what we believe?
Yesterday, while debating Dawkins style I presented the point that we can not choose what we believe. This kind of is at the heart of whether you are reason based or faith based in your world view. If you choose to believe you are abandoning reason and entering faith. My freind said he thought we could choose what we believe so I looked it up and, ironically I found this thread of debate which is really good.
There is a point not made, however, that I think is key in this. Choosing to believe suggests the homunculus that regular readers of skreeworld will be familiar with. Much of the language we use presupposes the homunculus or little man inside our heads controlling the vehicle of our bodies. Phrases like 'I thought to myself' to 'you are lieing to yourself' suggest that I and me are two different people. So for me, ha ha, you just believe not choose to believe. There is a language error that confuses this debate.
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