All ideas are controlling. Even an idea as simple as "yellow is the best color" is designed to influence a person's worldview in some way.
rejecting an idea
If we don't accept an idea ( like "yellow is the best color"), then we reject the idea, and then throw up ideas to explain the source ("that guy is a dumb-ass", "that's just an opinion" etc.). But even a rejected idea has still had a controlling effect because of the way it influenced our thinking and perception (memory of the emotional stance is linked to the associated ideas) of the source (as being wrong).
Ever notice that when someone is confronted with information they have no confidence in understanding they will write it off as being "stupid" or "boring"? This is what we do to disqualify information so we don't feel the need to understand it (and feeling stupid isn't pleasant).
accepting an idea
Ideas that we accept have an immediate impact on the worldview: Contradictory ideas are discarded from the realm of "reality" (the worldview, which isn't actually real) and labeled as "wrong", "just superstition" "bigoted", "stupid", "intolerant", "science mumbo-jumbo" (such as in the case of a religious person disowning contradictory scientific ideas like of evolution) etc. Ideas are either right (+) or wrong (-). The brain does not like grey areas, it likes its ideas to be neatly organized into two piles (positive or negative).
In this way, atheists are as controlled by ideas as the most devout believer. The difference is the way the ideas influence their worldview and actions. In the same way that there are certain ideas that no Christian would give up (e.g. God, heaven, souls), the same is true for atheists. Atheists would never give up the ideas like:
"logical thinking is the only way of validating information"
"the scientific method works and is accurate"
Some atheists are firm in their disbelief of souls and/or that abortion is morally permissible. It is ideas about ideas that allow atheists perceive themselves as being right about the invalidity of theistic ideas (and the same is true in reverse). It seems that both atheists and theists are victims of controlling ideas, and this is a control that isn't easy to escape (can only be truly escaped by viewing ideas as they are experienced, and perceiving the world through the senses).
rejecting an idea
If we don't accept an idea ( like "yellow is the best color"), then we reject the idea, and then throw up ideas to explain the source ("that guy is a dumb-ass", "that's just an opinion" etc.). But even a rejected idea has still had a controlling effect because of the way it influenced our thinking and perception (memory of the emotional stance is linked to the associated ideas) of the source (as being wrong).
Ever notice that when someone is confronted with information they have no confidence in understanding they will write it off as being "stupid" or "boring"? This is what we do to disqualify information so we don't feel the need to understand it (and feeling stupid isn't pleasant).
accepting an idea
Ideas that we accept have an immediate impact on the worldview: Contradictory ideas are discarded from the realm of "reality" (the worldview, which isn't actually real) and labeled as "wrong", "just superstition" "bigoted", "stupid", "intolerant", "science mumbo-jumbo" (such as in the case of a religious person disowning contradictory scientific ideas like of evolution) etc. Ideas are either right (+) or wrong (-). The brain does not like grey areas, it likes its ideas to be neatly organized into two piles (positive or negative).
In this way, atheists are as controlled by ideas as the most devout believer. The difference is the way the ideas influence their worldview and actions. In the same way that there are certain ideas that no Christian would give up (e.g. God, heaven, souls), the same is true for atheists. Atheists would never give up the ideas like:
"logical thinking is the only way of validating information"
"the scientific method works and is accurate"
Some atheists are firm in their disbelief of souls and/or that abortion is morally permissible. It is ideas about ideas that allow atheists perceive themselves as being right about the invalidity of theistic ideas (and the same is true in reverse). It seems that both atheists and theists are victims of controlling ideas, and this is a control that isn't easy to escape (can only be truly escaped by viewing ideas as they are experienced, and perceiving the world through the senses).
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