People Said to Believe in Aliens and Ghosts More Than God

[zan]

An interesting article I found....

More people believe in aliens and ghosts than in God, a new survey finds, according to a British newspaper.

The survey, however, was done by a marketing firm in conjunction with the release of an X-Files DVD, and details of how the poll was conducted were not reported in the Daily Mail. Survey questions, depending on how they are written, can greatly skew results, along with how subjects are sampled.

That said, the poll of 3,000 people found that 58 percent believe in the supernatural, including paranormal encounters, while 54 percent believe God exists. Women were more likely than men to believe in the supernatural and were also more likely to visit a medium.

Indeed, humans are prone to believing in things they can neither see nor find logical evidence for.

A survey of U.S. college students done in 2006 found 23 percent of freshmen had a general belief in paranormal concepts — from astrology to communicating with the dead. Interestingly, the number jumped to 31 percent among seniors and 34 percent among graduate students.

Researchers who have compared various human belief systems say our tendency to believe is deeply rooted.

"While it is difficult to know for certain, the tendency to believe in the paranormal appears to be there from the beginning," said Christopher Bader, a Baylor University sociologist. "What changes is the content of the paranormal. For example, very few people believe in faeries and elves these days. But as belief in faeries faded, other beliefs, such as belief in UFOs, emerged to take their place."

Religion and belief in the paranormal are not linked as one might imagine. A handful of surveys show just the opposite, in fact.

"Paranormal beliefs are very strongly negatively related to religious belief," said Rod Stark, another Baylor researcher. Some scientists think this is so because religions tend to discourage paranormal beliefs, and indeed most devout practitioners of a religion have been shown to be the least likely to believe in Bigfoot, ghosts or aliens.

livescience

[Minimalist]

Indeed, humans are prone to believing in things they can neither see nor find logical evidence for.

That explains the Republican platform.

[kbs2244]

This begs for my intervention of the theological.
In the words of Stevie Wonder “when you believe in things you don’t understand.”

You know there has to be something out there that is bigger than “us” but you have been thought that you are at the top of the totem pole.
You know better, but it goes against everything you have been thought since 1st grade.

"Researchers who have compared various human belief systems say our tendency to believe is deeply rooted.

While it is difficult to know for certain, the tendency to believe in the paranormal appears to be there from the beginning," said Christopher Bader, a Baylor University sociologist. "What changes is the content of the paranormal. For example, very few people believe in faeries and elves these days. But as belief in faeries faded, other beliefs, such as belief in UFOs, emerged to take their place."

As humans, when compared to animals, we just know we are not “the best.”

We have to worship, or at least give credence to, something greater that us.

[Minimalist]

We have to worship, or at least give credence to, something greater that us.

It just requires too much baggage, kb.

[john]

We have to worship, or at least give credence to, something greater that us.

It just requires too much baggage, kb.

Minimalist -

You can start with the Shamanic, and/or

The Fractal.

Don't think that

That is too much baggage.


hoka hey

john

[Minimalist]

You can start with the Shamanic, and/or

It isn't where it starts, John. It's where it ends up.

[zan]

You can start with the Shamanic, and/or

But John your avatar states there are no beginning or ending in the grand scheme.

[john]

You can start with the Shamanic, and/or

But John your avatar states there are no beginning or ending in the grand scheme.

zan -

Precisely right.

However, for any given year, day, hour, second, or life

There are beginnings and completions.

http://www.terebess.hu/english/oxherding.html

And those take both hard work

And celebration.

I remember, many years ago,

When I was Living in Portland, Oregon,

A musician named Obo Addy brought in four people

From Central West Africa to round out his band.

Portland, being what it was, was unwilling to provide a house

For these people. I was renting a big house,

And through a combination of circumstances, invited

All to live in my place.

They would practise in the living room.

And I lost a girlfriend when she discovered that the upstairs

Bathtub was full of (African) goatskins soaking

As part of the process for making drumskins

For some drums Obo and I were collaborating on.

Fast forward:

At the end of each piece of drumming/brass/song

In the living room, each member of the group

In turn, would announce "I congratulate myself."

The spirit inherent in this was outrageous and infectious.

One day, Kpakpo, one of the drummers, took me off to the side

And counseled me.

His criticism was that I worked incredibly hard all the time

But never congratulated myself.

There was no joy in my life.

I've never forgotten that day, or that lesson.

There is no beginning or end to joy,

And to me the state of joy is joined hip and thigh

To everyday beginnings and completions,

Which leads to "no beginning or end in the grand scheme,"

Which then leads to the path you have chosen,

Be it Shamanic or fractal or Zen or the Tao Te Ching

Or Black Elk, or others.


hoka hey


john

[Cognito]

His criticism was that I worked incredibly hard all the time but never congratulated myself.

Excellent advice. You cannot be grateful for others until you are grateful for yourself.

[john]

His criticism was that I worked incredibly hard all the time but never congratulated myself.

Excellent advice. You cannot be grateful for others until you are grateful for yourself.

Cognito -

And just how are "aliens and ghosts"

Different from God?

Just wondering..................



hoka hey

John

[zan]

To know others one must first know ones self.
To understand anything...one must first understand ones self.

[kbs2244]

When I am asked if I believe in extra terrestrials I say “sure.”
Angels and demons are both extra terrestrials.

[War Arrow]

This begs for my intervention of the theological.
In the words of Stevie Wonder “when you believe in things you don’t understand.”

You know there has to be something out there that is bigger than “us” but you have been thought that you are at the top of the totem pole.
You know better, but it goes against everything you have been thought since 1st grade.

"Researchers who have compared various human belief systems say our tendency to believe is deeply rooted.

While it is difficult to know for certain, the tendency to believe in the paranormal appears to be there from the beginning," said Christopher Bader, a Baylor University sociologist. "What changes is the content of the paranormal. For example, very few people believe in faeries and elves these days. But as belief in faeries faded, other beliefs, such as belief in UFOs, emerged to take their place."

As humans, when compared to animals, we just know we are not “the best.”

We have to worship, or at least give credence to, something greater that us.

For what it's worth this seems pretty much on the mark to me. A few months ago I was on holiday in Cornwall, and standing out on the coast at night - no light pollution just more stars than I ever remember seeing and a vast pitch black and very noisy sea. For better or worse I found it difficult to not be at least a little spooked, so I guess if some of us are hardwired to see intent behind (arguably) random patterns, I'm probably one of those people despite all the fancy book learnin'.

[War Arrow]

This begs for my intervention of the theological.
In the words of Stevie Wonder “when you believe in things you don’t understand.”

You know there has to be something out there that is bigger than “us” but you have been thought that you are at the top of the totem pole.
You know better, but it goes against everything you have been thought since 1st grade.

"Researchers who have compared various human belief systems say our tendency to believe is deeply rooted.

While it is difficult to know for certain, the tendency to believe in the paranormal appears to be there from the beginning," said Christopher Bader, a Baylor University sociologist. "What changes is the content of the paranormal. For example, very few people believe in faeries and elves these days. But as belief in faeries faded, other beliefs, such as belief in UFOs, emerged to take their place."

As humans, when compared to animals, we just know we are not “the best.”

We have to worship, or at least give credence to, something greater that us.

For what it's worth this seems pretty much on the mark to me. A few months ago I was on holiday in Cornwall, and standing out on the coast at night - no light pollution just more stars than I ever remember seeing and a vast pitch black and very noisy sea. For better or worse I found it difficult to not be at least a little spooked, so I guess if some of us are hardwired to see intent behind (arguably) random patterns, I'm probably one of those people despite all the fancy book learnin'.

[kbs2244]

And then, War Arrow, add in the realization of the precision of the repeated motion of those stars.
There is no way that "chance" can be involved.