@Razzleg,
Razzleg wrote:
[i wrote:[/i]"kennethamy"]
I may not. But then again, who knows? But that is not the point. The point is that there are no witches, and even if telling that tribe that there are no witches does not change their beliefs they are still wrong, and their other beliefs based on that belief is still false. Let's keep that in mind. Tolerance is fine in its place. But its place is not to believe (not even a little bit) what we know to be false. I can have consideration for a child's belief in Santa Claus, but that doesn't mean (I hope) believing in Santa Claus myself.
are children who believe in Santa Claus irrational
in their belief, given that everything that adults have given them to believe, regardless of reason, supports the idea of Santa Claus
for them?
I did not say that the belief in Santa was irrational. I said it is false. And so is the belief in witches. And sure, small children are expected to believe in Santa since they are unable to make judgments for themselves, and sure, members of the tribe might be expected to believe in witches if they know no better, until, perhaps, some very bright person suddenly says to himself, "now wait a minute....".
Small children are not irrational for believing in Santa, and the members of the tribe are not irrational for believing in witches. But belief in Santa is irrational, and belief in witches is irrational.
