I have a weird fascination with people and their thinking process sometimes. Maybe this is because I'm an atheist and live in America with such a majority of our society being religious. I am fan of and an admirer of Matt Dillahunty, especially his quote (mantra?) of "I want to believe as many true things and as few false things as possible." So when I hear this quote I tend to have this type of thought process:
Is the subject part of this reality? I would, in general, hope that we can all say we live in one reality.
Do I accept this truth claim thus creating a belief. Is the claim demonstrable in it's ability to our reality? If so, it remains a belief; if not then I must change or disregard my belief to the purported truth of the matter. What if I maintain my belief irregardless of the connection to reality? Then this is no longer a belief but a delusion. What about faith? I would argue that faith has no place in clear thinking. That once you accept on faith you are no longer tied to reality. You have closed the door on thinking and are, in my opinion, the definition of closed mindedness.
What if I had a belief that I was the tallest person on earth? Well as long as I do not meet anyone or am provided information that contradicts that belief then it remains a belief. If it is contradicted then that belief must obviously be disregarded or it becomes a delusion. I do not believe that belief is a choice in this regard. The reality and truthfulness of something doesn't matter if I believe or not. Gravity doesn't care if I don't believe in it, I can't believe that the fruit known as an orange is a color known as purple. These realities don't care about my beliefs, they are true.
The funniest part of this thinking is that explaining this entire process in regards to the subject of human-like life elsewhere in the universe, I think most people understand. Sadly, when the subject is religious it all goes out the window.
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