Do we "choose" our beliefs? I think not.

[SoundMaster]

I was enaged in a debate with a co-worker last week who attempted to convince me that I've 'chosen' to not believe in god(s).

His argument is that I made a choice in regards to the god question, that a choice was made to either accept god(s) as fact, or to not.

My argument is that NO such 'choice' is ever made. My view is such:
- through life's experiences and through what we learn, our thoughts arrive at certain conclusions. And this is the basis of our beliefs. We arrive
at a conclusion (without choosing). I don't 'choose' to believe that 2+2=4. Is there another option? Can I 'choose' to believe 2+2=5 when I've proven that it equals 4?

Can one choose to believe something that they don't believe to be true? It's not possible. Such represents a paradox. You can lie to yourself and pretend not to believe something, but that's all it is: self-deception.

For example: can a Christian who believes that Jesus is the son of God and factually existed then choose NOT to believe in him? Makes no sense.

And, for the record, it's highly unlikely that one would choose a finite existence over a potential infinite existence, particularly one in which a heaven is involved.

 

[no country for old wainds]

Indeed.

 

[Bloody Pollyanna]

through life's experiences and through what we learn, our thoughts arrive at certain conclusions. And this is the basis of our beliefs

absolutely, i completely agree. surely our beliefs arise from the experiences we are exposed to and engage in, and the effects they have on us. it's no coincidence that people from different socio-economic backgrounds, for example, or who have similar upbringings etc, tend to hold similar political and other opinions. aren't beliefs an expression of your world view? i think when you link beliefs and values, that's where the choice part comes in. but as for beliefs.. yes. i agree with you, they're not a matter of choice.

 

[no country for old wainds]

Let's not forget genetics, either.

 

[speed]

I think in general you guys may be right, but there are always outliers.

 

[NeverIsForever]

I agree 100% with the original post. Well put.

 

[anonymousnick2001]

What about people who live pious/devout lives and just become disillusioned or "realize" to the point of losing faith?

What about those who live godless, generally nonreligious lives and one day break out the "Jeebus Saves!" and subscribe to a religion?

What about converts?

Are these speed's outliers? Did everyone here who does not believe in God recall believing that since childhood? Did anyone lose their way, or find their way to not be on that path? What about the religious like me? Faithful since birth?

 

[SoundMaster]

What about people who live pious/devout lives and just become disillusioned or "realize" to the point of losing faith?

What about those who live godless, generally nonreligious lives and one day break out the "Jeebus Saves!" and subscribe to a religion?

What about converts?

Are these speed's outliers? Did everyone here who does not believe in God recall believing that since childhood? Did anyone lose their way, or find their way to not be on that path? What about the religious like me? Faithful since birth?

I'm not sure what "outlier" means, but I am a former Christian (among other things).
I practiced until about my 21st year. However, I firmly remember serving mass as an alterboy and while on the alter, questioning the validity of God (at a very young age).
I generally suppressed such doubts however due to my family life, community, upraising, etc. I really thought it was "wrong" to question God and felt that if I did, I was risking eternal damnation.
As I aged, and experienced life, etc., I began to throw off those chains and I DID begin to fully question things, to follow through on the answers.

After a few years of complete immersion in to my beliefs, a few years of hard core research, comtemplation, you name it, I slowly arived at a conclusion which I still refused to accept: that I simply don't believe that any god(s) exist. Then, after finally becomming intellectually honest with myself, I simply accepted it for what it is.

(between being a Christian and being an atheist, I couldn't totally let go of the God idea. So, although I could no longer hold the Christian view as truth, I settled on a sort of pantheistic belief, something akin to a mix of Taoism and the 'force' from Star Wars! But then i saw past this view, as well)

But no 'choice' was ever made to 'stop believing'. My faculties & every ounce of my being led me to conclude that there simply are no deities. No choice was made.

 

[speed]

an outlier is a statistical concept--one of those numbers (people) that falls outside of the 99.7% or 95% probability range.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Let's not forget genetics, either.

i disagree. you are not born christian, or atheist, or republican. there are not genes for viewpoints...

 

[Zack]

i disagree. you are not born christian, or atheist, or republican. there are not genes for viewpoints...

Correct, but you can be forced. You can't be forced to believe, but if you were to go to a place of practice, an onlooker would think you were part of the faith, but you woudn't.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Correct, but you can be forced. You can't be forced to believe, but if you were to go to a place of practice, an onlooker would think you were part of the faith, but you woudn't.

and since you cannot be forced by that which you don't agree with, you wouldn't be. so...?

 

[JColtrane]

I, for one, do think that we choose our beliefs. However, I don't see a choice as a completley seperated event as seems to be the meaning in the original post. There are many, many factors such as experience and genetics that lead to a choice. You can't see a choice as an isolated event, it is a result of the person's life up to that point and most likely a progression of thought stemming from some certain event or events. In this sense you do "choose" your beliefs, but it is a result of all that has transpired in the individuals life up to that point.

 

[infoterror]

I was enaged in a debate with a co-worker last week who attempted to convince me that I've 'chosen' to not believe in god(s).

Our beliefs are an extension of the quality of our minds, and the conceptual building blocks to which we've been exposed, on the order of 80%-20%. Age and experience are also factors.