Paranormal believers and God believers - Richard Dawkins

Belief in things like astrology, psychics, ghosts, tarot cards and reincarnation etc. remain as popular as religion. Recent surveys show that 75% of the population in the US believes in the paranormal. Since the US is made up of about 86% who believe in supernatural magical gods, it makes sense that most would also believe in things paranormal.

Several reasons given for belief in the paranormal can also be the reasons people believe in god:

They make people feel special or important in an otherwise chaotic and apparently random, uncaring universe.

They offer a sense of meaning or control over things that are otherwise beyond our understanding.

They offer a sense of comfort by ‘connecting the dots’ and creating a sense of order and structure in life.

Because believers don’t understand how to be skeptical and hold such claims up to basic standards of logic and reason.

Then there are those who blindly believe those things are obviously true and real.

This is a very good two-parter by Richard Dawkins.



Part 2 of 2