Bible quoters.

Forums: Psychology, Quotes, Religion, Philosophy, Bible
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The recent discussion about Gold Einstein prompted me to outline the following on the the psychology of those who quote from assorted scripture.

Thesis:
1.Socialization rests heavily on language acquisition which provides a set of spectacles through which we segment “reality”.
2. The abstract permanence of “words” conditions us into expecting and predicting the permanence of aspects of reality despite the fact that all is in flux.
3. The invention of writing added a further layer of psychological permanence to the “reality” associated with words insofar that they could now transcend time and space,
4. “Believers” turn this thesis on its head by arguing that their transcendent “God” is the origin of “the word” not vice versa.
5. “Word magic” aka “prayer” and ritual incantation is clear evidence for the a priori status of words with respect to conceptions of reality.

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fresco wrote:

The invention of writing added a further layer of psychological permanence to the “reality” associated with words insofar that they could now transcend time and space,

Most quoters seem embedded in this layer as fossils are in geological strata..

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@Francis,

Correct !

The fossil analogy raises the issue of "belief" as an impediment to intellectual "progress". Certainly, that would be true of fundamentalist attitudes to science.

However, the claim for spiritual" progress" is less easy to confront (by the thesis) with respect to say the move from Old to New Testaments. At that point I might need to argue for the "ineffability of spirituality" in order to undermine those who resort to quotations.

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@fresco,

"Eff the ineffable"...

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@farmerman,

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@fresco,

When Ive gotten into discussions with "Bible SCientists" who wished to expand their worldview into mainstream Biology and Geology, Ive yet to find one who has not resorted to their "comfort zone" that Scripture has provided them as talking points.

When reminded of this fact, they dont see what the objection to SCriptural reference could be. SO, I dont think youll be successful at changing anyones mind.Its Frustrating .

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@farmerman,

Biology seems to be problematic because it seems to rely heavily on the teleology of functionality within organisms. Such teleology immediately gives religionists a link to "purposeful creation". I would have thought that geology does not have that particular problem and religionists with "brains" must give way to empirical evidence,

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