i kind of agree with the belief=absence of critical thought. belief is just static thought. i.e. your brain has stopped computing. the dreamer has stopped dreaming, etc.
it is best to "feel". this isn't irrational bleeding heart bullshit - it is actually your deepest "mind" which knows exact cause & effect
So holding a belief means your critical thought process is hampered? What if you hold the
belief that all religions are bullshit, is your critical thought affected then? Or are you saying that critical thought is only lessened when the belief is in something religious? If you are saying the latter, that's a huge double standard.
Most Christians have their own interpretation of the Bible. In this way, they engage in critical thought, and that's not even looking outside of religious belief. Very,
very few Christians take the Bible as word-for-word truth. Only using these kinds of Christians in your interpretation of the faith is quite close-minded.
Wikipedia uses this definition: "Critical thinking is purposeful and reflective judgment about what to believe or do in response to observations, experience, verbal or written expressions, or arguments." I don't see why people think that just because a person is a Christian/Jew/Muslim, that the person can't engage in critical thinking. People of faith use critical thinking in school, at work, in social situations, and when analyzing their own actions, moods, beliefs, and feelings...just like the rest of us. I can't think of one person I know who would feel depressed and think its because God or the Devil is doing it to him or her. I can't think of one person I know who would ask "
what would Jesus do" when trying to date a girl or socialize with a new friend. Nor can I think of one person who prays to God for an answer to a test question, at least not seriously.
I worked on a school district maintenance crew in highschool over the summer. We had to do some comlicated work at times, and if you didn't do it in just the right order and plan shit out, the jobs would be ten times harder. I was usually just following orders, and I noticed how the men in charge used critical thinking to coordinate a team of people, and get the job done with the least amount of effort in the smallest possibe time frame. Most (if not all) of the men were Christians.
Obviously, you don't have to be a die-hard fundamentalist to be religious. Church might be a valuable social outlet for you. Religion might be a powerful psychological tool for you and your entire family. You might not think that your religion is superior to all other ones, but perhaps you were born and raised into the religion you practice. You don't want to deviate because the religion has always helped make you happy. You want the same happiness and psychological security for your children, so you introduce them to the religion as well.
