It takes intellectual competence to believe in magic?
Yes, it does. Faith is like a muscle, it has to be exercised or it will atrophy, but with it, one can choose their beliefs, regardless of evidence. At the lowest level, this makes placebos stronger and helps quiet intrusive thoughts. At the highest levels of magical skill, all reality is one’s plaything. Because by changing your beliefs, you can rewrite your perceptions and remake the world as it exists within your own eyes.
Jesus said as much in the parable of the fig tree.
That’s not very convincing to people who care about believing true things, and it’s certainly not what I’d classify as “intellectual competence.”
Whatever works for you, great. But saying people who don’t delude themselves are lacking in intellectual or emotional competence doesn’t seem to be an effective message.
Yes, it does. Faith is like a muscle, it has to be exercised or it will atrophy, but with it, one can choose their beliefs, regardless of evidence. At the lowest level, this makes placebos stronger and helps quiet intrusive thoughts. At the highest levels of magical skill, all reality is one’s plaything. Because by changing your beliefs, you can rewrite your perceptions and remake the world as it exists within your own eyes.
Jesus said as much in the parable of the fig tree.
That’s not very convincing to people who care about believing true things, and it’s certainly not what I’d classify as “intellectual competence.”
Whatever works for you, great. But saying people who don’t delude themselves are lacking in intellectual or emotional competence doesn’t seem to be an effective message.
If you care more about truth than about the power to heal the sick and free the oppressed, then you are complicit.
Cool story. It’s a wonderful excuse, anyway.