Why are philosophers so curious about god?

[Nocapszy]

Originally Posted by Jennifer

Ouch.

I guess that's a lesson not to horse around with another Ti sort.


...

I think probably the intellectuals don't want to make a personal commitment because of their intellectual doubts... yet the question still is one of the largest of all human existence, so they end up wanting to tackle it, just like a scientist might be compelled to attempt a Theory of Everything.

But what do I know?

Prestige seems a plausible reason.

[Orangey]

Originally Posted by Nocapszy

Fucking... obviously it interests them.
My question is to ask why it interests them.

What is the curiosity?

Why does anybody care if something is true or not? It is an important question because the history of Western civilization is suffused with ideas of 'God', for good and for ill, and it still affects us whether we choose to believe in 'it' or not. And to actually find the answer, which I assume people who care about the topic still believe is possible, would have huge social and ideological consequences.

But also, I think that it has an intrinsic interest value.

[ptgatsby]

Originally Posted by Nocapszy

Jesus... Orangy already covered that. Why do they choose religion to study? Why not psychology like me?

But why do you study psychology... why functions? If you cannot answer it for yourself, how do you expect to understand it for others?

If you study psychology, you should have a good grasp of why people reach for understanding.

Thank you for pointing out what I've already ascertained. Obviously their interests are different from mine in nature.

I said they are not different in nature. The same reasons you have picked an interest, which even you cannot understand what triggered it, is the same reasons why they chose something.

That's pretty basic psychology. All fixations of interest are internally motivated using the same mechanisms.

I took psychology as a coping mechanism to deal with people... how about you?

It's a simple question, not really worthy of the sarcastic ridicule you have to offer.

That's why I told you to go away.

You are choosing to ridicule religion because you believe it to be different. I'm stating that it isn't different. They have their need to understand, and you have yours.

[Jennifer]

"Now Starring: EMTPzilla vs King ISTP"

Classic type matchups. Woo hoo.

[Nocapszy]

Originally Posted by ptgatsby

But why do you study psychology... why functions?

You don't need to explain yourself -- I knew what you were getting at from the beginning. With that post you made it very apparent that you either would not, or could not help.

I told you to go away the way I did because if you're that interested in one-upping me, I want you to feel free, but this thread is not the place.

Go make your own thread if you think I'm being hypocritical.

Edit: I'm not choosing to ridicule religion. Read more carefully please.

[Edahn]

Nocapszyzsyszy, are you asking why objective people --

I'm not really sure what you're asking.

[Nocapszy]

Originally Posted by Jennifer

"Now Starring: EMTPzilla vs King ISTP"

Classic type matchups. Woo hoo.

Not anymore. He will, of course being the bigger man, be more mature about it and let the adolescent win.

Careful PT -- I might be trolling to get you to say something.

[Nocapszy]

Originally Posted by Edahn

I'm not really sure what you're asking.

Grr... it's obvious.

Why are people curious about God? Why do they want to know.

There's a reason. Night postulated a few ideas, Jennifer gave one...


Maybe you should just lock it.
It's not a hard question to answer at all. I just want other answers than the ones I've come up with.

But it must be a harder question than I thought.
Otherwise I'm insulting people.

[Edahn]

Originally Posted by Nocapszy

Grr... it's obvious.

Why are people curious about God? Why do they want to know.

There's a reason. Night postulated a few ideas, Jennifer gave one...


Maybe you should just lock it.
It's not a hard question to answer at all. I just want other answers than the ones I've come up with.

But it must be a harder question than I thought.
Otherwise I'm insulting people.

Okay.

(1) Material payoff. Important implication for how to live better or longer, if you accept some assumptions about god and a plan for humanity, e.g., the afterlife. And why do people want to live better and/or longer? Time and genetics have programmed us that way. That's what we are. (What Night said.)
(2) Conceptually complicated. Some people gravitate towards that stuff whether it's god or politics or psychology. It's fun to map out and diagram. It can lead to a certain biological "release," too.
(3) Custom. Some people are raised in environments where philosophy is held in high regard. They may not question why they do it, they just do it.
(4) Group conflict. Defending your religion against attack is a way or pledging your allegiance to your group and competing with other groups. These patterns are also implanted in our genetic code.

I dunno. Probably more. I'm fixing your shitty thread title at no charge.

[ptgatsby]

Originally Posted by Nocapszy

I told you to go away the way I did because if you're that interested in one-upping me, I want you to feel free, but this thread is not the place.

You do me great injustice. I only care to help you in your studies.

All I'm trying to get across is that you have placed religion in its own group, as if it is somehow different than other interests. It really isn't.

People are into religion because it is "the big question" their mind needs to wrestle with. Where you look at the world and see behavior and want to understand it, others look at the world and try to understand it. There may be some tendencies for religion to look at it through a more "what is the meaning" stance, it is often the same attitude as you do find in the hard sciences.

Why do people look for god? It is the universal framework in which to understand the world. It gives answers to the meaning of life, something nearly everyone struggles with. It gives you a code of behaviour, something we all need to learn. It provides answers, and security... it does just about everything.

That's why the majority of people look to god/religion to help them understand their world. It's the single thing that can help them understand everything that cannot be explained otherwise, give them what cannot be achieved otherwise.

I mean, what answer *are* you looking for?

Evolutionary reasons? Social norms? Biological influences? Personality preferences? Philosophy? Lazy thinking? Do you want to hear about group unity, filler for the need to understand, maybe about the preference for some to take on a problem just so their mind doesn't rest idle? Or others, that do the opposite, and attempt to fixate and resolve to remain idle?

There is no one answer. That's why the general answer is always going to be - to understand, to bring meaning. Once you come to grips with why we are all driven to understand the world, it answers almost all variations on why people embrace God and religion. It may not be an acceptable answer for your need to understand, but you've almost certainly replaced it something. The mind hates having a vaccum.

Edit: I'm not choosing to ridicule religion. Read more carefully please.

Sorry - not ridicule, mock.

Originally Posted by Nocapszy

Careful PT -- I might be trolling to get you to say something.

Pshhh. I'll help you despite your prickly attitude. I always give people the benefit of the doubt, so I figure you really are genuinely interested in understanding.