The reasons for this vulnerability to frauds is probably all too obvious to people who have decided to be led by the evidence, wherever it may lead, and who base their conclusions on evidence, reserve judgement when the evidence is lacking and change their minds when the evidence changes. Christians have a sacred and fixed conclusion which has to be defended and protected at all costs, even at the cost of intellectual honesty and personal integrity. Their mind has to be firmly closed to contradictory evidence when even considering that the conclusion might be wrong risks the wrath and damnation of their imaginary 'friend' in the sky.Read the whole post. (Hat tip to Infidel753.)
Because their conclusion has to be defended and because they have no evidence on which it is based, and despite their frequent disparaging of evidence in favour of 'faith', they are a ready, willing and eager market for people trying to sell them confirmation and lies dressed up as evidence. This makes them almost uniquely vulnerable to frauds and liars and why so many preachers and Christian apologists are almost indistinguishable from con artists and fraudsters. They are indistinguishable because, for the most part, that's exactly what they are. Parasites exploiting vulnerable and defenceless hosts.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Rosa Rubicondior on the Fundamentalist Mind
Why are fundamentalists so easily manipulated? In a recent post on the debacle surrounding The Boy Who Came Back From Heaven, Rosa Rubicondior offered insights into the fundamentalist mind. Even though Rosa is describing Christian fundamentalist, the observation would hold equally true for fundamentalists and ideologues of any stripe.
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Excellent point. Utah Valley, which is predominately LDS, continues to be a hotbed for conmen who prey on people who will trust anyone just because he/she is a Mormon.
ReplyDeleteDonna -- It's another reminder of why fundamentalism and rigid thought are so dangerous. When people cling to an ideology, they will seek out others who confirm than ideology. Unscrupulous people will take advantage of that impulse.
DeleteI'm afraid that's about the way fundamentalists think. Not at all a healthy way to experience life.
ReplyDeleteDoug -- Not healthy at all. Rigidity and stubbornness (of any stripe) cause so much trouble.
DeleteOh I could write a book about my personal experiences involving the fundamentalist's need for validation. It would begin almost from my birth and go on for decades. That need is so acute and so desperate that believers will reject any facts that do not support their beliefs. I suspect their brains are wired this way as a matter of necessity so they can keep their constant cognitive dissonance at bay. The alternative is too frightening.
ReplyDeleteThis is why when I left my former faith, no believers were interested in knowing or understanding the factual reasons for my decision. Instead, they created their own narratives that fit with their beliefs (which narrative was, of course, prepared for them by their unscrupulous leaders). I actually had one friend say, "Don't tell me. I don't want to know." After she asked me why I did not believe and I started to tell her. Her words are branded into my brain. They define the fundamentalist to a T.
Instead of asking me about the facts, the believers bombarded my inbox with faith-promoting emails about events that were to them, miraculous. But they were absurd. Just one example of many: During the Prop 8 campaign in California, a scary bunch of picketing gays surrounded the Mormon temple in Oakland. Somehow an envelope containing a white powder made its way into the temple. But Mormon Jesus prompted a Mormon guy who just so happened to be a microbiologist to attend the temple that day, and he was able to determine (sans highly specialized and expensive scientific equipment?) to determine that the substance was not anthrax!!!
It's mind-blowing to me how people who I know and love and who are otherwise intelligent swallow these types of tall tales all the time without questioning anything. But that need for validation completely overrides their desires to be informed by facts. It is rooted in the fear and disempowerment created and nurtured by their religious narratives.
Agi Tater -- The need for affirmation you describe is strong in all ideologues, including fundamentalists. They'll run from information that contradicts their beliefs.
DeleteIt sounds like the believers you knew were afraid and unwilling to step outside their paradigm for a moment and see things from your perspective. I've seen similar behavior from evangelical Christians trying to bring me back in the fold.