Why is it So Obvious to Me that You?????re Views are Wrong?

[Guest]

I’ve been a poster here at Mormon Discussions for a few years now and one thing has become quite clear…the TBM’s (if there really are any) and the non-believers both believe that they are correct and that those who hold an opposing view are utterly wrong. The divide is so wide I can not fathom a bridge that could span that gap.

I’ve seen pretty much every position argued from every which way…and other than confirm what I believe to be true…I’ve yet to be swayed by or had my view change due to the arguments presented by those who hold an opposite view.

To me, Mormonism is such an obvious fraud, a church who packages fiction and passes it off as reality to its membership...I don’t understand how those of you who claim to be TBM, who are informed and know the problems can’t make the logical leap and see Mormonism for what I believe it to be?
So what am I missing? How can we both see the same information and you cling to belief while I see fraud? What am I missing?

Note: When I was a believer I held a similar view against non-believbers...to me it was so obviously true...but I was holding that view on limited whitewashed, correlated information...but now...I just don't get how anyone who knows can not logically connect the dots.

[_DrW]

What am I missing?

Another spell check of the thread title.

[_Craig Paxton]

What am I missing?

Another spell check of the thread title.

duh...

[_lostindc]

The problem of perception?

[_Tim the Enchanter]

Craig,

Can reasonable minds disagree about the church?

[_Tchild]

As a once believer, I remember well how belief was supported in my mind. It is a matter of one's paradigm or worldview. You simply have another vantage point that makes sense to you. Believers have another.

If blind men each feel up an elephant (non-sexually of course), does the person who describes the trunk describe a different elephant than the one who touches the hind legs?

Food for thought brought to you from Chicken soup for the soul.

[_DrW]

Another spell check of the thread title.

duh...

Okay - sorry about that. As the thread grows nobody will notice the first few posts anyway.

Michael Shirmer's book on Why We Believe Weird Things and some main points from that book summarized in this video of his TED Talk is about as good an answer to your question as there is out there, I think.

Some of the neuroscience mentioned on the 'God is Hardwired into the Human Brain' thread is also helpful in understanding why TBMs and other fundamentalist religionists believe as they do.

What I am becoming more concerned with are the implications of fundamentalist religion as something we inherit from our parents, not by way of nature, but by way of nurture and upbringing.

The recent article on the Cruelty of Creationism in Slate magazine really drove this message home for me.

[_Sanctorian]

But this is a really good question. I understand why most TBM's believe the church and its claims. They believe it because they really know nothing about it. How does someone that knows its history still hold onto belief of the religion? How does a Bushman interpret Joe in a favorable light knowing what he knows when after reading Bushman's book, I interpret Joe in a negative light?

[_Bazooka]

So what am I missing? How can we both see the same information and you cling to belief while I see fraud? What am I missing?

[Guest]

Religion isn't math.

Religion is art.
I adore Rock Music and think it is the best guitar playing* on the planet.
My other detests Rock music and thinks Classical Music is the best.
We both hear the same notes but reach different conclusions.

*Mark Tremonti