I really don't care what people believe. If it helps them get through the rough spots in life, that is fine by me. What l don't like is when those beliefs affect our laws and the rules of our society.

What about believing even if you know it's not true?

Sorry, believing is not something you can just switch on and off. It's not a choice.

If you 'know something is not true' you do not believe it, all you can do is PRETEND to believe it. This is where 'Pascal's Wager' falls apart. If you don't believe in god, and SAY you don't believe, you're a honest atheist. If you don't believe in god and say you do, then you're still an atheist - just a dishonest one.

....groan. Incidental benefit already has a name - serendipity.

Sounds like a waste of skull sweat to me.

Personally, I prefer to use my brain for something other than keeping my eyeballs from rolling back into my head.

Lot of cognitive dissonance there.

Ohferpetssake....do you lie to yourself about other things too? For example, buy a size 6 when you are a size 18? Just as silly IMO......

"What about believing even if you know it is not true?"

Sorry, David, but it doesn't work that way. You cannot believe something you know is not true. You can only pretend, which is NOT the same thing, and I wish more people understood that.

I leave people with flawed religious thinking alone, unless they actually ask me about it, which isn't likely to happen. Even then I'd hedge, depending on how strong their beliefs are.

For instance, I would never argue with a Buddhist - I'd just let them be Buddhist.
Besides, I agree with many/most of their inclusive beliefs, and even meditate twice a day, while hiking.

Some people just can't be bothered with thinking. See that a lot in politics as well.

You can't believe something that you know is not true. That's not how the mind, or language, works.

Pragmatism as defined by "giving up and going along"? So, rather than educate people about germ theory and microbes, just let them believe it's evil spirits, as long as they do what they need to do?

My personal take is that this bullshit is still bullshit.

From a pragmatic standpoint, if you exercise a belief and it results in a positive outcome but for an unrelated reason, why waste your time on this kind of indirection? Wouldn't it be better to know what actually caused the good results so as to concentrate time and effort there, instead of accidentally getting a benefit because a belief happened to coincide with reality? Seems you could multiply the good outcomes that way by deliberately pursuing effective methods.

Arrrgh...people everywhere in our society are using that word "spirituality" but with no clear definition of it. Of course, you're free to define it any way that you want. It's a free country. However, I do use the word now and then, but I have a very clear definition of it. And it does NOT include any gods, angels, ghosts, goblins, and things that go BOO in the night. And my definition remains free of the dastardly sin of Belief.

Every living thing has some form of energy inside it. And we are free to use the word "spirit" to name that form of energy. So you, the reader, and I, the writer (in this case) both have a "spirit" inside somewhere. If we don't have a spirit, then we are said to be "dead."

Now then, MY definition of "spirituality" in MY case is this: Anything that has to do with the form of energy inside me known as my spirit I CHOOSE to call spirituality. Learning and practicing deep mind meditation has allowed me to learn some things about my spirit, chiefly who I am and what I am at my deepest levels all without the masks and delusions created by my conscious thinking mind.

If it's a case of "I truly don't have enough evidence to make a decision" then fine -- do what you will. (Subject to the 'if it does no harm' caveat.)

I personally think it's a shame when a person's ignorance has to be used to fool them into beneficial behavior as with the magical 'thinking' for bathing above.
The people involved don't have all the knowledge. What if the river is contaminated?

Making decisions in ignorance can work out -- even a broken clock is right twice a day.
But it's not a desirable situation. We should always work to be as informed as possible.

"Believing" even if you know its not true? Huh? I think we have different definitions of the word "believe"

What is the point of all this??

Lame excuses for the weak-minded.
It's still intellectually dishonest.
The truth is the moral and intellectual imperative. Always.

I know people, I think, that believe this way. It’s easier and more convenient to just fake belief rather than to delve into the realities. Also, It’s easier to fit in than to stand out. Say.. to go along with a group prayer than respectfully abstain, even when you don’t believe praying works. I think a lot of people practice “pragmatic theism” because it’s just easier to fit in and not question the status quo. Personally I think it’s

"She is spiritual and I asked her what if the belief is not real but the results are beneficial? Would you want to know the truth. Lets say a family member died and you prayed to spirits and it made you feel better but the spirits did not exist. Would that matter? Would you care? She said no."

Ask her "what about people who believe blood transfusions are against God, follow their belief and watch their child die? Are you not doing the same things as them to a lesser extent?

Heroin makes people feel good every day, is that a viable reason to take up heroin?

"She says it does not matter as long as in the end people are washing and get a benefit."
So the ends justify the means?

Placebo effect. At best, setting onesself up for disappointment later. At worst, tragedy.

That seems like an oxymoron of the highest order. I have never heard of pragmatic theism/spirituality and I'd venture that neither exists.

I am with her. Why is it so important for you to push your own beliefs onto others. Does it harm you in any way if she believes it?

if you know something is not true, how is your belief actually belief? it is pretense, even to oneself, of belief. how is that pragmatic? i don't have to deal with it in anyone. i don't care what people believe unless they push that belief upon others. it's none of my business. but i am still capable of having an opinion, and i have no respect for such pretense.

g

I'll take reality over mythology any day. I do not want to fool myself with myths. If a close friend or family member were fooling himself or herself with myths, I would ask for evidence that the myths are true. If they dare to do research for evidence that their myths are true, they will likely find just the opposite. They have NO evidence for their myths.