Is Belief in God a Cognitive Bias? (CT Scan, Episode 29)

Is belief in God a psychological fluke? A popular claim is that religious beliefs resulted from the brain’s tendency to interpret effects (like sudden noises) as being caused by intentional beings (like burglars). Let’s see how to answer this argument with the 7 Checks of Critical Thinking.

DIGGING DEEPER
• Joubert, C. (2012) “Evolutionary psychology: Why it fails as a science and is dangerous.” https://answersingenesis.org/human-body/brain/evolutionary-psychology-a-dangerous-failure-as-science/
• The 7 Checks of Critical Thinking https://answersingenesis.org/blogs/patricia-engler/2020/07/08/the-7-checks-of-critical-thinking/

CITED REFERENCES
• Barrett, J. L. (2004). Why Would Anyone Believe in God? Altamira, Walnut Creek, CA

Note: Others have argued for a Hyperactive Intentionality Detection Device instead; the same critical thinking process applies. (Lisdorf, A. [2007]. What's HIDD'n in the HADD?. Journal of Cognition and Culture, 7[3-4], 341-353.)

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