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Society & Culture0 min ago
Does Something Imaginary Serve A Purpose.
40 Answers
I am thinking especially of Fairies and Gods. Neither can be proved because they are imaginary . Neither can they be disproved for the same reason . However that depends on the meaning and definition of ' proof ' . Just believing is enough for many because it gives comfort . It satisfies a 'need ' . They don't want the truth . ( Something that can be repeatably tested. ).
They prefer to live in their comfortable imaginary world. So in that respect belief does serve a purpose for the believer.
The problem is how does their belief affect the rest of the world. It's not a fundamental question of Fairies and Gods but rather all the man made different religions that evolve from them.
They prefer to live in their comfortable imaginary world. So in that respect belief does serve a purpose for the believer.
The problem is how does their belief affect the rest of the world. It's not a fundamental question of Fairies and Gods but rather all the man made different religions that evolve from them.
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The trouble with comfortable imaginary worlds is when it gets to "my world is real, yours is wrong, so if you don't accept I'm right I'm going to kill you."
People who don't believe in any "comfortable imaginary worlds" don't start crusades.
People who start wars who happen to be atheists do not start their wars for the sake of spreading atheism. It is commonly just for the usual reasons, money, land and power.
People who don't believe in any "comfortable imaginary worlds" don't start crusades.
People who start wars who happen to be atheists do not start their wars for the sake of spreading atheism. It is commonly just for the usual reasons, money, land and power.
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"… it gives emotionally fragile people something to cling to…" What an inane, stupid and biased statement!
Where to start?
England's own William Wilberforce, became involved in the abolition of the slave trade in Britain after his conversion to Evangelical Christianity in 1784.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer graduated from the University of Berlin in 1927, at age 21
and subsequently was executed for his opposition to Hitler.
Maximilian Kolbe (1894- 1941) A Polish Franciscan friar. He was arrested by the Nazi's for sheltering refugees, from the Nazi's. He was executed at Auschwitz concentration camp after volunteering to take the place of a man who feared death.
C.S. Lewis, a towering intellectual and author.
Desmond Tutu, widely recognized as a primary figure in ending apartheid in South Africa.
Christian scientists: Isaac Newton (Christian Unitarian), Galileo Galilei (Roman Catholic), Max Planck (Protestant) and Nikola Tesla (Eastern Orthodox) and one of my personal favorites, George Washington Carver a black scientist (son of slaves) who created an entire industry based on his work with peanuts.
The list of Christian scientists and intellectuals goes for pages and pages… as do the lists of Christian martyrs who died in their faith doing everything they could to help their fellow man.
When considering absolutely false and literally hateful things said on this section of AB yours takes the prize!
Where to start?
England's own William Wilberforce, became involved in the abolition of the slave trade in Britain after his conversion to Evangelical Christianity in 1784.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer graduated from the University of Berlin in 1927, at age 21
and subsequently was executed for his opposition to Hitler.
Maximilian Kolbe (1894- 1941) A Polish Franciscan friar. He was arrested by the Nazi's for sheltering refugees, from the Nazi's. He was executed at Auschwitz concentration camp after volunteering to take the place of a man who feared death.
C.S. Lewis, a towering intellectual and author.
Desmond Tutu, widely recognized as a primary figure in ending apartheid in South Africa.
Christian scientists: Isaac Newton (Christian Unitarian), Galileo Galilei (Roman Catholic), Max Planck (Protestant) and Nikola Tesla (Eastern Orthodox) and one of my personal favorites, George Washington Carver a black scientist (son of slaves) who created an entire industry based on his work with peanuts.
The list of Christian scientists and intellectuals goes for pages and pages… as do the lists of Christian martyrs who died in their faith doing everything they could to help their fellow man.
When considering absolutely false and literally hateful things said on this section of AB yours takes the prize!
As the crossword buffs might say of your post: "Nicely constructed and full of thematic material. Many thanks, Clanad!".
I agree that intelligent people may believe in all sorts of things which both you and I might, variously, find absurd. There might well be a significant overlap between these two sets.
But I think you're saying more than that. Am I right in interpreting your post as an assertion that: (a) if a person has made great contributions to human knowledge AND has religious belief, then that belief must have intellectual respectability; and (b) if a person is a great humanitarian AND has religious belief then that belief is the grounds for his goodness? Or have I misunderstood?
I agree that intelligent people may believe in all sorts of things which both you and I might, variously, find absurd. There might well be a significant overlap between these two sets.
But I think you're saying more than that. Am I right in interpreting your post as an assertion that: (a) if a person has made great contributions to human knowledge AND has religious belief, then that belief must have intellectual respectability; and (b) if a person is a great humanitarian AND has religious belief then that belief is the grounds for his goodness? Or have I misunderstood?
The meaning is fairly clear, vetuste... can an "emotionally fragile person" accomplish what these individuals (and millions of others) have, often at the submission to death of themselves and be Christian... obviously yes. There ability to do magnificent things may or may not rest upon their Christianity, but they are both heros/heroines and often Christian, belying the brummagem quoted...
There is no need to prove something does not exist if you know that there is no credible argument for its existence. A waste of your valuable lifetime.
The idea that you cannot prove a negative has long been discredited - you just do it by subtracting the incredible from the credible.
Hence some claim Santa is Not Real (credible) and some claim Santa Is Real (incredible). So the answer to (Santa-Is-Not) minus (Santa-Is) equals almost 100% by probability. QED.
Aaaw modeller you have opened the box, allowing the Christians etc., to claim all the good they have done without admitting the bad.
Dear jno, slavery was abolished by universal consent athough Wilberforce's religious beliefs were a major factor (good for Christian ethics, agreed). But was the European slavery of black Africans not started and prolonged by Christian States, notably ours and the now-US cotton/tobacco growers?
SIQ.
The idea that you cannot prove a negative has long been discredited - you just do it by subtracting the incredible from the credible.
Hence some claim Santa is Not Real (credible) and some claim Santa Is Real (incredible). So the answer to (Santa-Is-Not) minus (Santa-Is) equals almost 100% by probability. QED.
Aaaw modeller you have opened the box, allowing the Christians etc., to claim all the good they have done without admitting the bad.
Dear jno, slavery was abolished by universal consent athough Wilberforce's religious beliefs were a major factor (good for Christian ethics, agreed). But was the European slavery of black Africans not started and prolonged by Christian States, notably ours and the now-US cotton/tobacco growers?
SIQ.
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divebuddy,
I agree with you about overanalysis, including my own posts.
So, "does something imaginary serve a purpose?".
In a child's learning, in scientific reasearch, in the arts and music (i.e. in creative development) - Yes. That is good.
In areas of where imagination is a mere tool to rationalise things we will never be able to understand like the concept of a supernatural creator of the universe - No. That is a retrogade waste of time and has led to religions which believe imagined claims as being "the truth" and act on it to persecute the non-beleivers.
SIQ.
I agree with you about overanalysis, including my own posts.
So, "does something imaginary serve a purpose?".
In a child's learning, in scientific reasearch, in the arts and music (i.e. in creative development) - Yes. That is good.
In areas of where imagination is a mere tool to rationalise things we will never be able to understand like the concept of a supernatural creator of the universe - No. That is a retrogade waste of time and has led to religions which believe imagined claims as being "the truth" and act on it to persecute the non-beleivers.
SIQ.
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