1. Do stop behaving as if you are God, Professor Dawkins

Comment #21715 by Human on February 10, 2007 at 6:47 pm

Dear Alister,

I have recently completed a four year research project into developmental psychology and deconversion from religious fundamentalism and believe I have the answer to the intent of your question:

How many people do you know who started to believe in Santa Claus in adulthood?

If I understand correctly you are asking "Why do intelligent adults such as me become Christians?" as a response to the charge that belief in God is akin to belief in Santa Claus.

The answer I have come to given my research is this:

Intelligent adults who become Christians tend to spend their intelligence on constructing rational (but not empirical) arguments to defend a commitment to a culture that was first embraced for primarily social and emotional reasons.

Your story seems to be a classic example of a 'reverse stereotype effect' when instead of slowly testing and deconstructing one's stereotypes of a belief system, one is so ashamed of themselves for sterotyping in the first place that out of penance they accept the whole system they once thought they criticised.

I'll send you a copy of the study results when they're published.

Finally, in defence of Alister, if we genuinely think there is no God then surely we are double-minded to lambast Alister personally when he has about as much free will as the rest of us. I'm not sure that emotive 'tit-for-tat' ever made a convert of anyone for the furtherment of truth.

Cheers,

Human