Believers physically different in brain from atheists?

[endotheistguy]

I only have 43 posts one need 50 to give link to sites.

I found this text on APA the American Psychological Association site

September 20, 2011

Intuitive Thinking May Influence Belief in God

Harvard University researchers explore link between thinking styles and faith

....

“We wanted to explain variations in belief in God
in terms of more basic cognitive processes,”
researcher Amitai Shenhav said.

“Some say we believe in God because our intuitions about
how and why things happen lead us to see a divine purpose
behind ordinary events that don’t have obvious human causes.

This led us to ask whether the strength of an individual’s beliefs
is influenced by how much they trust their natural intuitions
versus stopping to reflect on those first instincts.”

These differences may be innate differences. A kind of personality trait
that one are born with. Some are more trusty and have easy to believe
while others are not only skeptical of God but skeptical to many other
things too.

It is not easy to do such research so this result can be due to
them not have enough knowledge to interpret the result but
from my own experience persons are highly individual in how
they relate to religious traditions.So why can it not be innate difference?

Edit Oops my main interest is in the intuitive part of belief.

I find it very likely that intuition has a big part in belief in God.
I know atheists see reason and logic to be more important
and some Christians are deep into philosophy too but

Does not most believer believe out of intuitive faith and
personal experience than doing logical reasoning?

I've talked to many Christians and my impression is that they
open their heart to Jesus and does not do logical reasoning
and philosophy unless them into Catholic training maybe?

 

[Notedstrangeperson]

Here's the link if anyone wants it:

Intuitive Thinking May Influence Belief in God - American Psychological Association

“We wanted to explain variations in belief in God in terms of more basic cognitive processes,” researcher Amitai Shenhav said. “Some say we believe in God because our intuitions about how and why things happen lead us to see a divine purpose behind ordinary events that don’t have obvious human causes. This led us to ask whether the strength of an individual’s beliefs is influenced by how much they trust their natural intuitions versus stopping to reflect on those first instincts.”

This sounds pretty ... lazy, to be honest. It's basically the old "theists are gullible / atheists are skeptical" cliché.

In some cases the opposite seems to be true. One study noted that people who were highly religious were less likely to give money out of compassion that people who were less religious (link). The conclusion was that they gave out of a sense of moral obligation rather than pity.

 

[CabVet]

This sounds pretty ... lazy, to be honest. It's basically the old "theists are gullible / atheists are skeptical" cliché.

Perhaps it is not a cliche after all?

 

[Notedstrangeperson]

This sounds pretty ... lazy, to be honest. It's basically the old "theists are gullible / atheists are skeptical" cliché.

Perhaps it is not a cliche after all?

Sure, if you ignore all claims to the contrary.

 

[endotheistguy]

To me the important part is that faith is intuitive
and not what some atheists claim about doing philosophy.

My gut feeling tells me that believers have faith based on
that they have met other believers and they see how the relation to God
make the believers behave in a way that Atheists don't behave.

Say me spend 3 years daily with believers and 3 years daily with atheists.

The accumulated experiences is that atheists see more value
in using logic and them less intuitive than what the Christians are.

Christians hug more often. smile more often. Care and show empathy more often.
Christians meet maybe weekly to have prayer groups and atheist don't do
anything similar for a whole year

Atheists say they care but they seldom show it in practice.
So to me that is the intuitive side vs the logical side of it.
the intuitive way seems more caring about the person's feeling
and the logical way is only concerned about getting logic right.

sure some believers are very logical too. Jesusits at RCC maybe?

 

[RisingSpirit]

If you zoom in as far as you can go in:

https://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/525347

You'll see that the atheist will have a closed string meaning that the unregenerated will not be able to connect to God in Heaven. The Christians are the open string meaning the regenerated will be able to connect to Jesus that saves them.

 

[endotheistguy]

English not my first language so
maybe you could find another way to say
regenerated?

Dictionary

1.to effect a complete moral reform in.
2.to re-create, reconstitute, or make over, especially in a better form or condition.
3.to revive or produce anew; bring into existence again.
4.Biology. to renew or restore (a lost, removed, or injured part).
5.Physics. to restore (a substance) to a favorable state or physical condition.

you mean saved by the grace of God?

 

[RisingSpirit]

English not my first language so
maybe you could find another way to say
regenerated?

Dictionary


you mean saved by the grace of God?

none of the above

Regeneration has no doctrinal content.
It represents only a softening of hearts.