OK, so it seems we all agree that it is more delusional to seek a “cure” for homosexuality than it is to seek a cure for religion. Since some religious people do seek a “cure” for homosexuality it seems that religion is more likely to be the delusion.
Is it fair to say that certain people are born with a certain predisposition to being delusional? I think it is. Therefore, some people are simply more susceptible to believing the religious hogwash we are bombarded with than others. The only possible ‘cure’ for religion, currently, in my opinion is education, like GCG has pointed out. Proper (scientific) education should get rid of the religious nuts, but it will take a long time. People are not easily convinced that a belief they have clung to for their entire lives is bull… sadly, because people are not fond of questioning anything that is accepted by a great enough number of other people. Its simple, really - to question the existence of a higher being would really get you in shit if you are wrong and he/she/it does in fact exist, or if the majority of society believes he/she/it exists. So a lot of people simply go to church, pray before meals, etc etc - not because they really believe in a god, but because its just too risky, and too much effort to do otherwise. Just as there is no ‘cure’ for homosexuality (because it is not a disease to be gay, duh) there is most likely no cure, and there will most likely never be a cure for laziness, spinelessness or stupidity.
Will educating Teleological cure him?
I think you are missing the point. If consciousness is an illusion constructed by the memes, your question is pretty useless since it too is composed of memes, evolutionary accidents and other mind-viruses…
Why I did not know I had a disease in need of curing. Do you think I do? How about you, do you think you are free of meme viruses that need to be cured?
Oh, we are all infected by these memetic viruses, but there’s a difference between Ebola and a mild cold.
Ok it seems that the consensus is that education is the ultimate ‘cure’ if ‘cure’ is the right word to use;that the god delusion is maybe not a delusional disorder; that Neuroscience does not (yet, maybe) have an answer; and that Teleological’s memes and viruses need some loving care.
The illusion of consciousness being Ebola and the act of thinking and being rational the mild cold?
Education is the ultimate cure for ignorance… You are still stuck with the delusional disorder of consciousness… it being an illusion constructed by memes…
The estate agents sometimes says “needs TLC” or “a renovator’s dream”.
I cannot be stuck with some illusion created by you.
Not me, Susan Blackmore, the meme-theorist Dawkins cites…
Actually it was Dawkins who coined the term in the last chapter of The Selfish Gene. Susan and many others just ran with it.
Thanks. There you go Brian, not created by me.
As your obvious misunderstanding of the concept shows. Not all memes are viral.
Really? 8-10% of your genome consists of endogenous retroviral elements, many of them with crucial functions… I think your definition or association with the terms “virus” and/or “viral” is limited. And you miss the point where Dawkins’ inspired memetic theory leads to the idea that consciousness is an illusion, which of course fits nicely with naturalism…
Most parasitic symbiotic relationships evolve in to a type of mutualism eventually, so it’s not that surprising really.
I’ve read The Meme Machine, it’s not as good as Dawkins’ books.
I think there is a significant quantity of simple habit in religious belief and practice. If so, a failsafe treatment regimen for obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) would be a big step in the direction of a “cure” for religion because such regimens seek to interrupt habitual behaviours that are undesirable. Moreover, education is helpful for another reason besides that it widens a person’s scope; the process of digesting new information also unsettles thought patterns before they can become fully habitual, especially during young people’s formative years.
'Luthon64
I like this response, it sure beats electroshock therapy. ;D
I watch with intrigue how many religious people say grace before dinner. A few inane words are rattled off rapidly in a way that suggests a mindless automaton, after which it no longer is a sin to eat. There will be people who insist on this ritual, yet will not recall the content of the prayer minutes later. This is nothing more than senseless habit and may well be OCD.
Since you guys are on the mission to “cure” people. Ever thought atheism might be as a result of some underlying syndrome, defunct meme or memetic virus or delusion?
An interesting article from a few months back @ Newscientist (Where do atheists come from) highlighted the fact that scientists have become quite adept at explaining why humans seem to have such a widespread bias towards theistic beliefs. What scientists have not done or focused on very well is explain why and how populations of people who are non-theistic make sense of their lives and what underlying factors play a role.
There are of course the usual factors that play a role. For example, people who had fathers that were “defective” by either being absent, uncaring or mistreated them mentally or physically tend to play a psychological role in a person becoming an atheist. Of course this is not always the case. The general psychological reason for this is that those who had a neo-theistic view of God by personalising God as some physical father tend to abandon their belief as a result of mental harm done by their actual fathers.
Then there is the interesting link between autistic people such as people with Asperger’s syndrome who are less likely to see purpose behind the events in their lives. Also, people who have Asperger’s syndrome have have difficulties with developing a theory of mind. Normal children tend to construct a mental model of the world and simulate the minds of others in their own minds at around 4-6 years. With materialists you generally see them denying the existence of mental phenomena in the first place and naturalists tend to deny ultimate responsibility a well as think consciousness is an illusion. An interesting observation in itself.
So there is definitely some evidence to think that atheism might be the result of some underlying psychological syndrome that can be cured.
Curing atheism must be the easiest thing in the universe. Provide evidence for God and viola! eurika! and so forth.