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Wendy Kaminer

Wendy Kaminer Quotes

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“It's easy to sell good news like this, and the authors confidently rely on classic fallacious arguments. They argue by declaration, which is what makes the books so amusing. In matter-of-fact, authoritative tones, the authors tell us how plants and human beings exchange energy - or they describe what angels look like, whether or how they're sexed, how they communicate with human beings, and how they differ from ghosts. Readers might be expected to wonder, How do they know?”

KnowsHumansLooksBookMatterFactsMightEnergyEasyHuman BeingsWonderAtheismReaderNewsAngelArgumentSellsPlantCommunicatePositive AtheismExpectedArguingGhostClassicToneRelyDeclarationGood NewsAmusingMatter Of Fact
Author:Wendy Kaminer
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“Spirituality authors, who are generally forgiving of most human foibles ... take a hard line on intellectualism.... Skepticism they view with contempt, as the refuge of the unenlightened.”

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Book:Sleeping with Extra-terrestrials: The Rise of Irrationalism and Perils of Piety
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“There are, however, exceptions to this reliance on feelings as evidence of truth: if, for instance, your feelings lead to disbelief instead of belief, they're apt to be dismissed as some form of denial. This is not a common problem. Usually intellectualism, not feeling reality, is blamed for disbelief. But, some angel experts suggest, there may be emotional as well as intellectual barriers to belief: unwillingness to believe in angels can reflect low self-esteem.”

IfsBelieveWellsMaySelfFeelingsProblemRealityFormBeliefCommonAtheismSelf EsteemEmotionalIntellectualLowsEvidenceAngelPositive AtheismEsteemInstanceDenialExpertsExceptionBarriersRelianceDisbeliefLow Self EsteemIntellectualism
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“Religions, of course, have their own demanding intellectual traditions, as Jesuits and Talmudic scholars might attest.... But, in its less rigorous, popular forms, religion is about as intellectually challenging as the average self-help book. (Like personal development literature, mass market books about spirituality and religion celebrate emotionalism and denigrate reason. They elevate the "truths" of myths and parables over empiricism.) In its more authoritarian forms, religion punishes questioning and rewards gullibility. Faith is not a function of stupidity but a frequent cause of it.”

BookSelfReasonHelpingMightFormSpiritualityCoursesLiteratureCausesChallengesSelf HelpDevelopmentMassIntellectualTraditionFunctionRewardsAveragePositive AtheismStupidityMythPersonal DevelopmentPunishmentCelebrateScholarQuestioningParablesEmpiricismGullibilityJesuitSelf Help BooksHelp Book
Author:Wendy Kaminer
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