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Faith And Analysis

Here is a link to an interesting piece in Science on the psychology of faith. The question raised relates to the cognitive basis for one's sense of religious belief. As the article states:

"Many people with religious convictions feel that their faith is rock solid. But a new study finds that prompting people to engage in analytical thinking can cause their religious beliefs to waver, if only a little. Researchers say the findings have potentially significant implications for understanding the cognitive underpinnings of religion."

While some folks may be offended by the very idea of the study, I think it's worth reading. Also I wonder about the difference between faith in doctrine or dogma vs. the sense of conviction arising from experience. In some sense this is the difference between religion in its institutional settings and spirituality in its personal expression.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Adam Frank was a contributor to the NPR blog 13.7: Cosmos & Culture. A professor at the University of Rochester, Frank is a theoretical/computational astrophysicist and currently heads a research group developing supercomputer code to study the formation and death of stars. Frank's research has also explored the evolution of newly born planets and the structure of clouds in the interstellar medium. Recently, he has begun work in the fields of astrobiology and network theory/data science. Frank also holds a joint appointment at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, a Department of Energy fusion lab.

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