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Belief a Conscious Choice?

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  • #46
    Originally posted by rstrats View Post
    Adrift,

    re: "I'm always mystified when this conversation comes up, because its been my personal experience that changing one's beliefs is actually quite easy to do."

    So how about demonstrating your ability by doing as requested in the OP?
    I simply act upon the belief that I desire. I act as though that belief were true. So, for instance, say I'm about to lose my job because of corporate layoffs. My initial reaction to such news is fear based. I have a sense of frustration, hopelessness, despair, etc. My initial beliefs turn to worry about losing my vehicle, my home, or my ability to feed myself and my family. This fear goes into a loop in my mind where I replay everything I've done to get myself into this situation, and what I could have done differently, and of my eventual fate. These are undesirable thoughts and beliefs. So I stop myself. I lay out all of the facts. I ask myself, "what is the very worst thing that can realistically happen in this situation? Will I or my loved ones die? Will I be thrown into the streets? Will I never find another job again?" And the answer comes back, "no, no, and no". Then I act on that knowledge. I tell myself that I am the head and not the tail, that God will supply all of my needs, and that if worse comes to worse, God will provide a way of relief. When fear begin to encroach upon my mind, and tells me I'm a loser, and that there is no way out, and that I'm trapped, I tell those thoughts to shut up, and then I meditate on the Word, or I spend time in fellowship with other believers who can encourage me, and those wrong headed beliefs quickly depart.

    Pick up You Are Not Your Brain, I think it'll offer a lot of insight into how its possible for people to choose what they believe. Its been positively endorsed by people as diverse as the Christian apologist J.P. Moreland, the actor Leonardo DiCaprio, and adjunct professor emeritus in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Stanford University School of Medicine, David Burns.

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    • #47
      Originally posted by rstrats View Post
      JohnnyP,

      re: " How do you instantaneously choose to believe that going right is better than left, or vice versa?"

      I don't know. That's why I started this topic.
      Do you see anything in this example that doesn't meet requirements of your OP?

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      • #48
        Originally posted by JohnnyP View Post
        Do you see anything in this example that doesn't meet requirements of your OP?
        This whole thing is a bit off topic. Not all choices involve belief. If I am at a point where I must choose one of two options with no information I may well have to choose but that choice will not involve belief. Flip a coin does not mean I am going to believe the result, even if I act on it.
        Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

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        • #49
          Originally posted by Jedidiah View Post
          This whole thing is a bit off topic. Not all choices involve belief. If I am at a point where I must choose one of two options with no information I may well have to choose but that choice will not involve belief. Flip a coin does not mean I am going to believe the result, even if I act on it.
          Flipping a coin would simply shift belief about deciding which way is best, to belief that it's better to let chance decide. Or you could believe it's better to just sit down and not go anywhere, or turn around and head back. Any conscious choice between options usually comes down to what you believe is the best choice, for whatever reason.

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          • #50
            JohnnyP,

            re: "Do you see anything in this example that doesn't meet requirements of your OP?"


            I don't see where you give an example in your post #47.

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            • #51
              Adrift,

              You have a question/request directed to you in post #45.

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              • #52
                Originally posted by rstrats View Post
                Adrift,

                You have a question/request directed to you in post #45.
                I answered that question in post #46.

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                • #53
                  Originally posted by rstrats View Post
                  JohnnyP,

                  re: "Do you see anything in this example that doesn't meet requirements of your OP?"


                  I don't see where you give an example in your post #47.
                  Referring to #38 discussed further in #49.

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                  • #54
                    Originally posted by JohnnyP View Post
                    Flipping a coin would simply shift belief about deciding which way is best, to belief that it's better to let chance decide. Or you could believe it's better to just sit down and not go anywhere, or turn around and head back. Any conscious choice between options usually comes down to what you believe is the best choice, for whatever reason.
                    I disagree, but I guess that is okay.
                    Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

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                    • #55
                      What part do you disagree with? Even if our first instinct is fight or flight, we have a choice to think about it first. That's what separates us from animals. We have the ability to negotiate options according to what we believe works best. We can choose to believe it's better to flee to fake out the enemy, then turn back and strike when he's let down his guard.

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                      • #56
                        Originally posted by JohnnyP View Post
                        What part do you disagree with?
                        I simply do not agree that where you are put in a spot where you have no choice but to do one of two things belief has any part. I do not believe that one choice is better, but I gotta do one.
                        Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

                        Comment


                        • #57
                          I'd equate reason to belief, we have the ability to reason and at least come up to a guess as to which choice may be better. When we don't have clear evidence then we may go with a gut feeling, or decide to against that if we question ourselves. Of course we may just react with animal instinct to choose one or the other but I don't think it has to necessarily be that way. As humans we don't have to fight or flight, we can stop to negotiate a truce or plead for mercy. When there are only two choices seemingly available, we can often create more options due to intellect and belief that we don't need to settle for one or the other.

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                          • #58
                            JohnnyP,

                            re: " When there are only two choices seemingly available..."


                            When it comes to engendering a belief with regard to a specific issue, there are actually 3 options from which to select.

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                            • #59
                              Both yes and no. All conscious choice has a non-conscious component. That dose not mean we do not or cannot make what we call conscious choice.
                              . . . the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; . . . -- Romans 1:16 KJV

                              . . . that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: . . . -- 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 KJV

                              Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: . . . -- 1 John 5:1 KJV

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                              • #60
                                37818,

                                re: "That dose not mean we do not or cannot make what we call conscious choice."

                                And that is all that I am asking for.

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