There is an interesting news report about how the various forms of belief set up shop in San Diego’s Balboa Park at the weekends. Nestled amount the various competing ideas being promoted in this supermarket of beliefs you will now also find non-belief … and why not. Since all the daft beliefs are out there, then the promotion of reason and logic also makes a lot of sense.
KPBS has a nice news report on it all … and its a good report, in that there are no snide comments …
In many way, most beliefs are all about death, and also promote a simplistic carrot and stick form of psychology to ensnare humans. Emotionally embrace the belief on the basis of no evidence at all and you will not only be accepted and become part of the tribe, but you will also have a wonderful reward in the next life. If however you reject the belief, then you will burn. I can never really decide if this is simply an abusive relationship (love me or I will torture you), or simply a gullibility test … perhaps a bit of both. There is however nothing simplistic about any belief system, because those that thrive today are those that have adapted themselves over many centuries of natural selection into a form that can successfully embed themselves within human minds.
In stark contrast, non-belief is all about life and the celebration of life. We find meaning with those around us and in the world we live in now, so why not encourage others to stop pouring out their one unique life in the vain pursuit of beliefs that are not actually true at all, and instead focus on the things that are true.