Do the number of people that believe in God make him real?

[laza666]

I was the only atheist in my elementary school class. Whenever we started the topic about belief in God they asked me if i think that they were all fools for believing in god and i was the only sane kid in the class.Not long after that , i came across a peace of information about belief in witches.There are approximately the same amount of people that believe in witches as there are people that believe in God. Does that make witches real too?

[Jack]

Popularity does not confer validity. (My own little saying)

Many people believe in luck even though "luck" cannot be confirmed as a causal factor in reality. Many people believe in certain superstitions and research now indicates that believing in superstitions may have positive effects (http://www.healthytheory.com/how-sup...ur-performance), yet we know that it's the attitude of the believer that brings about these effects, not the efficacy of the superstition itself.

A belief may be popular and may even produce the effects one would expect if that belief were true, but it remains for believers to prove that the object of their belief is what brought about those effects and not just that their belief is the cause.

[Jack]

...they asked me if i think that they were all fools for believing in god...

I see that I failed to address this, a common accusation from theists.

While most atheists consider religious belief to be irrational we don't claim that theists are wholly irrational. We don't say there're completely delusional. What we do say is that one this one point of belief, in this single context, theists fail to apply the same degree of critical thinking they apply in the rest of their intellectual lives. That's why it's possible for otherwise intelligent, clear-thinking people to be both scientists and theists. They excuse their religious beliefs from the same degree of skepticism and doubt that they apply to their scientific thinking.

So no, we don't think we're the only sane ones in the room...except in the single context of the belief that particular gods exist. Within the confines of that question, yes, we do consider our opinion to be better informed and thought through than the theist's.

[highfidelity]

I've got news for you - there are witches in the world today - it's called wicca.

People's belief about anything does not make it real. Doesn't matter how many people believe it. Is this even a serious question?

[highfidelity]

I see that I failed to address this, a common accusation from theists.

While most atheists consider religious belief to be irrational we don't claim that theists are wholly irrational. We don't say there're completely delusional. What we do say is that one this one point of belief, in this single context, theists fail to apply the same degree of critical thinking they apply in the rest of their intellectual lives. That's why it's possible for otherwise intelligent, clear-thinking people to be both scientists and theists. They excuse their religious beliefs from the same degree of skepticism and doubt that they apply to their scientific thinking.

So no, we don't think we're the only sane ones in the room...except in the single context of the belief that particular gods exist. Within the confines of that question, yes, we do consider our opinion to be better informed and thought through than the theist's.

Interesting opinion. I also consider my opinion on theism to be better thought out and more rational than yours. I also don't consider you wholly delusional, only on that one topic. Belief in god isn't irrational.

[crimethinker]

People's belief about anything does not make it real. Doesn't matter how many people believe it. Is this even a serious question?

Many people believe this (thus making it true ). It was popularized in works like 'The Secret' and 'What the Bleep Do We Know!?'. My town is a center for New Age activity and thought, and most of the people I know personally believe it. Just had to argue the idea yesterday, actually.

But to the OP: the answer is no.

[minorwork]

I've got news for you - there are witches in the world today - it's called wicca.

Did the tests at Salem, Massachusetts confirm witches influence because of widespread erroneous belief? Yes. Enough people believe in witches and of an evilness by being such then the hangman and pressings begin for real. How can people's belief NOT bring effects of that erroneous belief into reality?

People's belief about anything does not make it real. Doesn't matter how many people believe it. Is this even a serious question?

Anything? A majority belief in a black man being president does not make it a reality? Come on. There are limits, but it's hard to know them without exceeding them.

Real money exchanges hands, or used to in the States, for on-line gaming powers, spells, and abilities. Doesn't exchanging money for fantasy items impart some sense of reality to them? Sure.

[highfidelity]

Many people believe this (thus making it true ). It was popularized in works like 'The Secret' and 'What the Bleep Do We Know!?'. My town is a center for New Age activity and thought, and most of the people I know personally believe it. Just had to argue the idea yesterday, actually.

But to the OP: the answer is no.

What are the new agers reasons for believing this?

[highfidelity]

[QUOTE]

Did the tests at Salem, Massachusetts confirm witches influence because of widespread erroneous belief? Yes. Enough people believe in witches and of an evilness by being such then the hangman and pressings begin for real. How can people's belief NOT bring effects of that erroneous belief into reality?

Their erroneous beliefs may have effects in the world, but the belief itself doesn't make witches real. Their belief alone did not make witches manifest in objective reality, it only brought about some consequences or effects in the world.

Anything? A majority belief in a black man being president does not make it a reality? Come on. There are limits, but it's hard to know them without exceeding them.

Majority votes make someone president, regardless of skin colour.

Real money exchanges hands, or used to in the States, for on-line gaming powers, spells, and abilities. Doesn't exchanging money for fantasy items impart some sense of reality to them? Sure.

Do you mean money for stuff used in playing fantasy computer games? What makes you think games aren't real?

I may see a snake and believe it to be a rope. I may believe it so completely that I try to pick up the snake. The snake will still bite me regardless of my belief.

[Madshadows]

Their erroneous beliefs may have effects in the world, but the belief itself doesn't make witches real. Their belief alone did not make witches manifest in objective reality, it only brought about some consequences or effects in the world.




Majority votes make someone president, regardless of skin colour.



Do you mean money for stuff used in playing fantasy computer games? What makes you think games aren't real?

I may see a snake and believe it to be a rope. I may believe it so completely that I try to pick up the snake. The snake will still bite me regardless of my belief.

Then that effect would make the OP a serious question, would it not? Particularly if you believed the snake to be a rope because everybody else did. The fact that the vast majority of people share the religious beliefs of their parents and/or culture suggests that popularity is specifically and significantly related to belief. This obviously does not make the object of that belief real but it does make it real enough to change the world and at that point what is real and what is not might become moot. Certainly it would as the flames licked around you at the stake, anyway.

[Peter]

Then that effect would make the OP a serious question, would it not? Particularly if you believed the snake to be a rope because everybody else did. The fact that the vast majority of people share the religious beliefs of their parents and/or culture suggests that popularity is specifically and significantly related to belief. This obviously does not make the object of that belief real but it does make it real enough to change the world and at that point what is real and what is not might become moot. Certainly it would as the flames licked around you at the stake, anyway.

I agree. If enough people believe something fervently enough it doesn't really matter if the thing is real or not the effect will be as if it's real. It was once widely believed that bleeding a sick individual was beneficial. At best this belief did nothing and at worst it hastened the death of the victim. So Madshadows is correct, if enough people believe something fervently enough the actual truth of the belief becomes moot.

[Madshadows]

I agree. If enough people believe something fervently enough it doesn't really matter if the thing is real or not the effect will be as if it's real. It was once widely believed that bleeding a sick individual was beneficial. At best this belief did nothing and at worst it hastened the death of the victim. So Madshadows is correct, if enough people believe something fervently enough the actual truth of the belief becomes moot.

Actually, the more I think about it, it can be extended. If everyone believes something then it becomes real, for what else can we measure its reality against. If the opposite works for nonbelief (ie if nobody believes something is real then it cannot therefore be real) then what a relief that becomes in the the giant Earth-killing asteroid scenario. Then again, it would take just one smartarse to say: "I'm not so sure" and KABLAM.....