Function of outrageous beliefs is communication

[Alex]

This explains the function of outrageous fundamentalistic beliefs within religious groups:

...There is a very nice article in the new Zygon (I think it is the first article) which explores whether primitive peoples actually believe in their magic or not.  Although the authors don't tread on the rest of our toes TOO much, they do a little.  Their basic argument is that much of what people claim to believe -- they may or may not.  And indeed the question never comes up, because the REAL dynamic going on is that people by asserting beliefs are really in a communication mode.  That is, they are communicating to one another that they are allies, or they communicate to a leader that they are willing to follow him or her.  In some societies, the more outrageous the belief, the more clearly they are making this communication.  ...

(from the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science (IRAS) email list)


當人聲稱自己相信某些離譜荒謬的信念，心底實在半信半疑，他們實質上是在做溝通，向同袍表示自己是同黨，向領袖表示自己效忠！



Comment: 回想，我在教會時可能的確在做此事！宣稱自己相信教會所信的基要教義，下意識是在向群體表達自己願意溶入，不「搞事」，令群體更安全愉快。