Are Religious People Stupid? - Matthew Kelly
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- Опубликовано: 27 авг 2024
- Are Religious People Stupid?
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Video Transcript:
“Have you ever heard someone say, “Religious people are stupid!” I’ve heard it many times, but someone said it in a conversation recently and I challenged myself to really think it through.
When we hear statements like this, our tendency is to either accept them as completely true or reject them as completely false.
In the case of the statement, “Religious people are stupid” people who oppose religion instantly accept it and religious people instantly reject. The problem with that is that we are just reacting based on bias, rather than thinking critically.
Are religious people stupid? No. Why am I so certain? Well, for one, the statement is a gross generalization, there are billions of people on the planet who fall into this category, and at the very least generalizations are never completely true.
Some people would be satisfied at this and return to the comfortable place in their mind, assured that religious people are not stupid.
But let’s go a little further.
Why? Because the further we go, the more compete our answer, the greater confidence we can have in our conclusions.
So, I asked myself two questions: Why do some people believe religious people are stupid? and Do religious people behave stupidly sometimes?
The main reason non-religious people believe religious people are stupid is found in their accusation that religious people are “narrow-minded.” But then I asked myself another question: How to non-religious people experience religious people’s so-called narrow-mindedness? Is it in rigorous discussion of important topics? I don’t think so. It’s through judgement, sometimes real and sometimes imagined.
The definition of stupid is “showing lack of intelligence or common sense.” So, this is the question that emerges: Is it stupid to be judgmental?
Jesus was clear in Matthew 7:1 when he said simply, “Do not judge.” He repeated this teaching many times throughout his public life.
I think a fairly good case could be made that judging other people shows a lack of intelligence and a lack of common sense.
But why did Jesus counsel us not to judge? Many reasons, but let’s look at a three. First, because it is unreasonable to ask someone to do something they are incapable of doing. It’s like asking a three-year-old to teach a post-graduate course on bio-ethics. When we judge other people we are pretending to be God, but we are eminently unqualified.
Next, because judging others interferes with healthy human relations (something God is intensely interested in). And finally, because judging other people poisons our hearts and complicates our souls.
All these lead to chaos and confusion and God prefers order and clarity.
But here is the big revelation I discovered in my recent exploration of this topic: Judgement makes empathy impossible.
What is empathy? It’s the ability to emotional understand what other people are experiencing and feeling. It’s the ability to see things from another person’s perspective. It’s the ability to imagine yourself in their situation. Or… and this is a big one… the awareness that for whatever reason you are unable to relate or connect or imagine what it feels like to be that person.
Empathy is so central to human relationships that God rigorously steers us away from anything that impedes it, and judgement seems to be at the top of that list.
Judgement makes empathy impossible.
I don’t know for sure if it is stupid to judge others, but I do know that empathy is a beautiful expression of emotional genius that we are all capable of and that we should all continue to develop.
Are religious people stupid? No. But we do behave stupidly sometimes, and when we do, we impede other people’s ability to experience God.
Judgment belongs to God and stealing from God is never a good idea.
The difference between God’s judgment and human judgement is that in His perfection God can judge and remain empathetic. His judgement and mercy are in perfect balance and unison. When human being become judgmental it shuts down our capacity our empathic functions, creating division and conflict.
There is no such thing as a highly evolved spiritual person who lacks empathy. Empathy is proof that the truth of religion has taken deep root in our lives.”
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Calling religious people stupid isn’t “judging” them, it’s just stating the obvious. And I truly feel empathy for religious people as they willingly and happily live in a self inflicted prison.
I don't feel empathy towards them. They are like weeds. Not the good kind
Ignorance is bliss but I find it ridiculously boring to be surrounded by sheep
Science is a language to help us understand. It is not definitive. As a former student of Imperial College I can tell you that it cannot explain everything and assumes many things to create its answers.
Anybody with a definitive belief that they consider is fact, either atheist or religious, is basically too stupid to have considered this subject to an adequate level, both scientifically and philosophically.
There is no definitive answer that allows one person to say that someone else is wrong. In this circumstance, to do so would be the essence of stupidity.
@wait... what? science is a method of understanding. The laws of physics are true and will always be true. The speed of light is constant. Objects fall at 9.8 meters per second. Science is the reason that we live in an advanced society. Science is the single most important tool that we have as humans. Science can disprove a lot of "facts" of the Bible. You can not disagree with proven scientific theories. If you do, you are just ignorant. And once you have a better understanding of physics, astronomy, calculus, and biology. Your religious beliefs tend to fade away because you start to understand how the universe actually works and how utterly ridiculous the bible is. Feel free to believe in whatever you want, but I am 99.99999999 certain the bible and every other holy text is completely false.
@@jaikefromlake6883 You're talking to someone with a PhD from Imperial College. What academic background do you have?
The answer is yes. Yes they are.
You believe that religious belief negates intelligence?
@@MatthewKellyAuthor The mere fact that someone is religious shows they lack intelligence. Because an intelligent person will not blindly follow what's written in a book. Intelligent people can think for themselves and form their own opinions, religious people can't. Most importantly intelligent people question EVERYTHING.
@@antidelusionalpeepsI wholeheartedly agree. They may be smart in many other ways,as their are multiple intelligences, but in this way you are displaying stupid
@@antidelusionalpeeps Very True and good argument! RELIGION is a DISEASE of the MIND. Seeking SPIRITUAL/INNER Divinity within oneself is much more beneficial and profound.
@nikosantikythera2422Re Re
When I was younger I was quite religious then I realized that my religion didn't make sense. Looking back, I was quite stupid to be so religious. I'm so glad I'm spiritual and not religious now.
Or maybe you still haven’t learned how to think for yourself and question things. Think critically about your faith. If you can’t then, god bless.
@@youngmonkreturns5973 Your indoctrination camps rhetoric doesn't work on people who have realized it's all a lie bud.
@nikosantikythera2422dude some people just can’t accept the easy answer. You have given yourself an easy answer to the unknown with religion. It makes people stop being imaginative and creative because they have the so called answer.
Being spiritual is the same as being religious. Grow up and live in the real world.
@@jimj2683 😄😄😄😄😄😄 That is false. There is more than one definition of "spiritual. "
Not necessarily stupid, just naive and gullible. Almost childish.
Yepp
therefore stupid
Everytime religious people open their mouths they remove all doubt
Did you watch the video, Mike? Do we have any common ground for discussion?
@@MatthewKellyAuthorThere's no discussion when it's a baseless, closed-minded lecture.
Is believing in santa a reasonable thing to do?
Let him believe in what he wants he hasn’t hurt anyone
@@boundless0023Christians have killed billions and caused mass extinctions across the globe.
@@boundless0023 until he does you cant truely think that peoples beliefs dont have an influence on there actions
@@boundless0023 Only Christian people specifically are responsible for the holocaust. They're responsible for prosecuting and attacking every other religion and existence. So, yeah, religious people are actually hurting people. And they claim that they get to do it just fully and rightfully because they're fictitious, God gives them That right
Yes actually, santa is real
To answer the video’s question: yes
You are correct, only morons believe in fairy tales
The answer for the title is, Yes.
Ok. Did you watch the video? Do we have any common ground?
@@MatthewKellyAuthor asking questions and only looking for responses that confirm your already held opinions is called "confirmation bias" and it is how you build an echo chamber.
@@MatthewKellyAuthorreligion is evil and all it is is judgmental and torture so yes the answer is yes fk religion and fk your God.
Religious people aren't stupid, they are gullible.
Which is a stupid trait 😂
@nikosantikythera2422 of coarse smart ppl can be gullible but they are less likely as they have a working logical brain to navigate life and be alert to red flags. For example, Believing in Jesus, a man in which you’ve never, seen, heard speak, and going purely based on eye witness in which you also don’t know is called hear say and a gullible thing to rely on as evidence.
i would never worship an omnipotent being that is capable of preventing atrocities but chooses not to for the purposes of some kind of "test"
it just doesnt sit right with me, i'd rather burn
3.24 "God prefers order and clarity."
Not much order and clarity in the Gaza Strip right now.
Where are you, God?
A simple "yes" would have sufficed and saved you a 5 minute, 46 second lecture where you gradually prove what we already know
😂😂😂 right!! You nailed it
God has always been just an instrument to control the weak
Man created god not the other way around
This video was a terrible defense for the intelligence of religious folk…
Generally yes. It's a proven fact that the more educated/smart a person is the less religious they are. Sorry, but religion promotes ignorance and willful ignorance is stupidity.
I think religious people, esp. when raised in religious families, have a mindset to support authoritianism
- rules, laws, mirality and judgement comes from tge Saviour
- Power and knowledge of the Saviour is absolute, unchallangable and uncomprehensible
- You MUST be completelly loyal, and repeatedly publicly show your loyalty
- Our truth is complete, others must be wrong
- Everything good comes from the Saviour, the bad comes from me - hence he is perfect
- You must not challenge Scripture or Priests
- Impossible things are possible, if they come from the Saviour
Replace the saviour with any authoritharian. These people are used to that their position is absolute gratitude, obedience and reliance on Leader.
So, worst impact of religion is that people suffering by this mental disorder keep destroying democracy. Thats why Catholic church was always on the side fascust dictators. Because God is described as an absolutist dictator, requiring complete obedience, observing everything and everytime, and if you will not obey, you will not suffer now, but for eternity.
There’s more tangible evidence to believing in Santa Claus than God. That’s GOT to mean something
honestly, i think most people who believe in flat earth are religious.
Short answer : yes
Did you watch the video? Do we have any common ground?
@@MatthewKellyAuthorwe don't have to watch it at all, you heart comments that religious people are saying. Therefore sir your questions to these people are contradictory lol.
They are not stupid, they are deceitful and fearful.
They're not deceitful. That's quite a slight thing to say. They are deceived for sure, but not deceitful.
2 seconds into this video I knew it would be pro-religion
Did you watch it though? Do we have any common ground?
@@MatthewKellyAuthorstop trying to deflect we hear the video and we still do not agree. You guys are judgmental you don't have empathy. You're not nice you like to start wars and fight the Bible IS evil all religion any Bible any God all of it evil. But of course you guys will have to justify the evil and that's what you're doing but you're trying not to sound like a dick and more like a nice pastor to a new church and nobody knows you yet more like that
@@MatthewKellyAuthorperhaps religion is good for populations to create social order and try an attempt at somewhat cohesive values. So in a pragmatic sense, it may have utility societally and surely possible utility in a personal way.
However, I can’t see being religious as a logical or sensible stance to hold. Being agnostic is one thing, but fully believing in a god is hard once a person critically assesses where their faith even comes from and the full ideas of their religious text
Religious people need to suspend critical thinking to maintain their beliefs, they also need to make mental gimnastics for the same purpose when challenged by normal, not even exceptionally inteligent, non religious people, about their beliefs. So yes, I don think they are stupid and that they make an effort to remain that way.
Well said
Yes, they are.
The main reason I struggle to respect religious people is not because they're narrow minded, but because their beliefs are not evidence-based. Religion is simply absurd. The fact that one believes in a sky god and nonsense religious book mythology brings into question their ability to think critically.
That said, I don't think religious people are stupid in everything as there are plenty of good mathematicians, writers, etc who are religious. Most religious people are misguided due to a lifetime of brainwashing. Others who participate in organized religion I have found do it for the community aspect. And some might resort to it out of desperation/ need for mental comfort when the real world doesn't offer them the hope they need.
Is that really what buggles you? That some people believe in things that you can't possibly believe in? You're just close-minded dude. "Evidence-based" is what narrow-minded people use to refute anything they don't believe in. Anyway. Yes, most religious people have zero critical thinking skills but it's not because they believe in a higher power, it's because they blindly follow texts and are brainwashed by these texts. Therefore they can't form opinions on their own.
I guess the tooth fairies real 😂
Did you watch the video? What lead you to that conclusion?
The tooth fairy did bring me money a few times as a child after I lost teeth, so there is evidence. 😂
@@outdoorboss3061I’ll use this shit while talking about religious people
lol 😂😂
Believing in something with no proof because it sounds good is the very definition of a fairytale! People that pray to God to solve their problems instead of solving their problems themselves are pathetic!
I couldn't have said it better myself
Why did the guy start ok but ended up preaching HIS religion. Facepalm
Many people believe jesus was the son of god/Mohammed went up to the sky/moses talked to god in sinai. That is stupid. Prove me wrong
You can’t be proven wrong. Religion is stupid and to say otherwise is false and stupid
Ok, then the statement "Religion is stupid because it's not true." is better.
Any chance you are wrong?
@@MatthewKellyAuthor if you want to have a sincere conversation about the religion, especially ones based on the Bible, let's talk about dinosaurs. Where do they fit in your ration'al? 6000 years ago? Checkmate. Shut up.
@@yoda9518 These people have been indoctrinated since childhood, so do not expect to reason with them
🎉 agreed
@@yoda9518excuse me but do u know how to read books and how to categorize them. Bible is not a science buk dealing wth scientific facts. So dnt take the numbers there literally. Do u know how to read poetry and literature. Did u actually think that Humpty Dumpty is real whn u read it. If u did, well u shudnt because the author didnt write that for u to accept it as a fact but rather to grasp the msg in it. Oh and wud u mind researching for a bit on the origin of modern science? U will be surprised .
You can believe whatever you want but stop forcing your beliefs on me
Yes. The End.
Yes they are
Did you watch the video? Do we have any common ground?
Religion is not necessarily stupid, it's delusional
Being delusional is a sign of stupidity. If one is intelligent, they will be able to reflect and analyze, thus being able to reflect and analyze until they come the conclusion that they are delusional, and hopefully will change their way. So, yes, one can be delusional without being stupid, but if one is intelligent, you don’t remain delusional
Delusion can be associated with stupidity.
@@BorshigiNot necessarily. A lot of people are religious because it gives them hope or a sense of control over their lives. It satisfies emotional needs. That’s not stupidity.
@@mrcrackdonald_1excuses
I remember when Pope Benedict said (when addressing fraternal correction,) "We are called to judge 'behaviours' but we do not condemn 'people.'" That has stuck with me for many, many years if I was tempted towards judging a person.. Luckily I've always leaned towards "there-but for the grace of God go I" In the end it's all - everything- about leading one another to salvation ❤ 🙏
I find it quite a difficult teaching to grasp, as judging a behaviour feels like judging the person.
If, for example, we condemn sodomy, those who engage in it feel personally judged.
Tough one to navigate!
@@sacredheart7965 For sure, it's not easy! Especially when they wrongly Judge *us* - for speaking truth. IE: We love our children, (spouse friends, etc) and if our child engaged in physically or morally destructive behavior, I do believe we will judge - and hopefully correct or address - that behavior- while still loving the person and in fact, *out* of love. Scripture tells us to always speak *truth* in love.
We must boldly Hate the sin, but love the sinner.
It just occurred to me: Priests, in persona Cristi, do it constantly, in the confessional! Thanks be to God ❤
@@sacredheart7965 I hear your concern. Might think of it like this: Let’s say your very good friend has a medical condition that is exacerbated by drinking alcohol, but still drinks. You see the damage it is doing to your friend and that saddens you. You still love your friend as a person with all of their faults, but you might try to help him/her stop drinking because you know it is wrong medically to do so. So you have made a judgement on your friends behavior, but still love and accept him/her.for who he/she is. Remember, Scripture says “ even the righteous man man sins seven times a day”.
When a LEO gives you a ticket for speeding, you are not being judged for who you are, but for what you did. I am a retired teacher. When a student misbehaved in class, I responded to the misbehavior and tried my best to not form a judgement about the student as a person because of the misbehavior.
@@RS-hu4dm Very well put.
I live in a country (Scotland) where the concept of sin died out a long time ago. It's a very confusing place to live your life as a Catholic!
@@sacredheart7965 Sorry to read your comment about sin in your beautiful Scotland. I am in the U.S. and I live in Colorado which is poised to pass the most liberal abortion law in the country. ( includes partial birth abortion for any reason )
Yes, sin , while always with us, seems to be an idea of a less and less important concern. The idea of secular relativism is on the rise ( I have my own truth).
May God bless you abundantly. ( My father’s ancestors came from Scotland to Ireland to the U.S.. )
Short answer: Yes
The research shows that the one percent cohort which includes people holding phds are largely atheists or agnostic. You may say... why is that the 1 percent the smarest? Basically, people who have pursued a higher academic degree as PhD or devoted their life to scientific research are generally more open to learn and question things. That it is why we call thinking, and the more your educate yourself in logic and rationality the better your thoughts become. In fact, neuronal connections in the brain streghten while getting into deep problem solving.... and religion otherwise, pretends to provide the answers to those questions. Therefore you think less about the hard questions in life.
We are all atheist about thousand of gods, you may just need to drop your last one..
Although not everyone with a PHD thinks for themselves. I would say the are just as indoctrinated into their fields and would loose their jobs if they questioned status quo. Religious texts taken literally are obviously untrue where other dogma is more subtle
All religious people, 1 + 1 is 11 Because Jesus!
try this , ask a religious human if he is for slavery , mostly will say no , then ask theme that if in their religion slavery is allowed would they change their opinion , and you will see how cognitif dissonance work , so they are not really stupid they are deluded by fear and ignorance
Are they Narcissistic? Yes!
Are they apologetic towards anything they do or happens in their life? Yes!
Are they naive? YES!
Does this make them stupid? Absolutely.
also a part of the pie from the religious can't respect atheists and agnostics just bc it's like hardcoded into them (they hate it when people don't have the same beliefs as them). if you reject science and take religion literally then that's a problem.
view from an atheist perspective.
Yes.
Did you watch the video? Do we have any common ground?
@@MatthewKellyAuthor no, we have no common ground. The whole world is worse off because of religion. It normalizes hate, paints people who aren't religious as evil, and encourages religious people to harm or ignore them.
yes.
When I hear people accuse religious people of being stupid it seems to me that it’s often coming from the view that what we believe is illogical or impossible and that we accept religious teachings blindly and unquestionably. That’s a different origin from dismissing religious people as judgmental. I’d like to hear a reflection on how to respond to statements rooted in this view.
Religious people just can't think for themselves but most people can't. Taking the religious texts literally is obviously untrue but most people believe the government unquestionably and yet corruption is always coming to the surface. Most people believe and worship the media. It is hard to say who is more emotionally weak.
Id argue the very fact that people need a book to tell them how to act is proof enough of their stupidity. Ive never met an religious person who wasnt a complete hypocrite
Before this video started there popped an ad that showed a man telling his viewers to start praying. No seriously
I think they are… if you can’t think critically or objectively, you are considered stupid. Religious texts have so many inaccuracies. Why do religious people choose to be so ignorant about their own religion text? Why won’t they do the research on where the bible came from? Why some texts were removed? Why the bible contains the same content as spiritual/occult texts that were written before Christ. Why does the Quran and the bible have similar stories with similar names?
Atheists know the bible more then religious people, they like to mention and referrer to the bible without knowing what it says or means. They only know what their preacher, or priest tells them or points out to them.
Judgement does not make empathy impossible and that is a stupid statement. Your parents judge you all the time, but they still have empathy for you. Case closed.
Can judgement and empathy exist at the same time in someone's heart? No, they are opposites. I agree that people are dynamic, and that we judge and empathize at different times because of our fallen nature. However, we are what we repeatedly do, and it's evident in thousands of relationships in our society that when judgement comes too readily, empathy does indeed become impossible and the two parties drift apart.
to be very concise i'd say Amen!
It's not always stupidity. It's dishonesty or pride. Some religious people have trouble admitting when the don't know something. That's why some don't really "believe" in a god. They have "faith". It's kind of a cop out.
The belief that an unfalsified claim is true is stupid. If someone is ignorant of the subject of epistemology, they are stupid. When a person learns to think critically with intellectual honesty, the gawds are stupid.
I generally and respectively disagree with your opinion
There are highly intelligent people who are religious.
There are also ones who are alcoholics, cocaine addicts, morbidly obese, etc, etc.
One doesn't have to be stupid to act stupidly.
Religious people aren’t stupid just irrational。
which makes them stupid.
@@gr122exactly 💯
Yes
Did you watch the video? Do we have any common ground?
They’re not stupid in a certain sense. My dad isnt a moron. He is quite intelligent however in the realm of critical thinking about religious fundamentalism he is severely lacking. Im autistic so in this field im not stupid but i cant do things he can do very easily. Its simply frustrating how religion leads to relentless unquestionable faith. Its so easy to understand the bible or the quaran is not literally true. By a certain age you would think people could figure this out.
You have to define stupid first of all
I have also heard others say that religious people are crazy and need mental help. I have heard this more than I have that we are stupid.
Indeed.
Well, do you believe in Noah's Ark for example? Then there's little to be said aside from that you're either insane, gullible or dishonest. There's just no other option..
Can't reply as always. The religious are experts are shutting off..cognitive dissonance is a powerful thing
if you hear people saying it, maybe its true! 😜
*Did you watch it though? Or do we have a common ground?*
My answer.. "The cardinal truths neither clash, nor mesh. Everyone had been growing up being told he same things over and over again."
"generalizations are never true" is a generalization
You're selling faith, not self-improvement.
Thinking something is completely true or completely false is what is stupid. Do some religious people allow themselves to be stupid? Yes. Are most religious people stupid? No. This was a great explanation. Thanks.
Delighted this resonated with you @emle1125
Then you are ironically dismissing the religious assertions about reality and truth. Jesus and the bible are half truths? Blasphemy according to the cult itself huh?
yes
Yes, they are. This is particularly evident after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony where Christians (and other religious folk) were offended by the “mocking” of the Last Supper.
How they thought a blue, bearded guy (Dionysus) was Jesus is hilarious.
Science is a language to help us understand. It is not definitive. As a former student of Imperial College I can tell you that it cannot explain everything and assumes many things to create its answers.
Anybody with a definitive belief that they consider is fact, either atheist or religious, is basically too stupid to have considered this subject to an adequate level, both scientifically and philosophically.
There is no definitive answer that allows one person to say that someone else is wrong. In this circumstance, to do so would be the essence of stupidity.
I appreciate your thought-out response. I believe it is possible to believe in God through reason, but you are correct that science neither proves nor disproves at this point. This is why Christians need faith.
@@MatthewKellyAuthor Faith is a wonderful thing.
I rejected religion, after I was raised in a very Christian town. I initially was never able to "buy in" to the stories of God. But that wasn't why I turned away. It was the devout Christians who had a very distorted view of right and wrong. They often missed the moral point. If it was a grey area they were unsure of, instead of using careful consideration, critical thinking and a sense of fairness; they instead took a very hard black or white stance that didn't suit the situation at all.
If these difficult choices are tests from God, they all failed miserably. Misquoting the bible and rephrasing teachings to force it to fit a very different situation, all to wash their hands of a difficult ethical dilemma.
This often led them to do, say or act in very abhorrent ways.
The bible is a recount of how people listened to their conscious- the inner voice of God - and acted by letting that inner good guide them.
If you lack that inner good voice, or ignore it because you think a book is teaching you differently, you have not understood how to talk to God.
That is the exact point of this video. It's a message to Christians on the right way to act, also.
We judge everday..for ex:before we eat a piece of fruit we wash it off..we honestly dont know if its clean so we prejudge that its dirty..if you dont judge then your brain dead
The problem lies in the way this question is asked. Is it stupid to follow a stupid ethos? Of course it is. Is religion ridiculous? Yes. Is empathy a terrific thing worth developing as the video says? Yes, but not because a god allows or nurtures it. Empathy is a basic concept of awareness, and does not require the existence of gods to exist. Are religious people stupid? Some of the time. As we all are.
Absolutely!
Are religions true. No. So if you choose to believe that things that are not true, are true, you should be able to see the problem with that.
So, are religious people stupid ? Just the ones i know. Go figure.
John 7:24
“Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”
but don't judge because only god can do it and if you try to judge you are "STEALING FROM GOD". Please leave your ability to judge at the door before entering religion. Thank you.
@MrMaster333 why do you want to contradict God's Holy word?
Wonderful reflection. Thanks Mr. Kelly. You are really a blessing to all of us who listen to your videos, and read your books. May God keep blessing your ministry and the Dynamic Catholic projects. We appreciate all you do for the catholic faith. Best regards from New York 🙏 ❤ .
Very welcome Ana. Hope you will share with many.
I appreciated your input on this topic. We live in a society that judges many and values few and as you stated, "judgement makes empathy impossible." Thank you Matthew.
Very welcome Jim.
Historically religion is the first step in a person discarding their empathy. They live less in reality, and thus are more invested in their imagined versions of what happens rather than seeking to understand the people around them. When they use religion as an instrument to understand others, instead of a blindfold to judge others then suddenly faith actually becomes a force multiplier for intelligence by virtue of its ability to give someone more patience. This greater patience results in more failure, and it is fundamentally from all failures that we learn truths, for humans do not learn from their successes. If a person can carry religion without discarding their empathy for judgement, that takes a lot of strength and in the world today I do not see that strength in the vast majority of religious people even when I myself try to be empathetic with them: They simply don't want to engage with the world.
YES, THEY ARE!
Judges are paid to judge. Does that make them wrong and thus bad and sinful? Ask the purp?
The short answer is Yes!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I loved Matthew’s statement “Judgement makes empathy impossible.” Great points MK! ☺️
Delighted this resonated with you Kelley!
Yet Christianity & Islam are all about judgment, they are doomsday cults and the whole end goal is judgment day.
Judging people is exactly what all religious people do. A fake God apparently judges you on your blind faith. This guy exemplifies dumb word salad. Most people in prison were judged and overwhelmingly religious.
The answer is yes
Matthew, how then can we do one of the Spiritual Works of Mercy - Admonish the sinner? We must do those but how without judging????
You are as indoctrinated as they come
Fairy tales 😂
Well I would say a Church person and Christian are two different things
Are or could be?
Yea..it's called predator priests and money lenders in the temple
Thank you, Matthew. it's sad when the non-believers criticize the religious as stupid. However, they're right when (as you said) we act stupidly sometimes. I never want to steal from God. It's amazing to hear that God's judgment differs from our own because he can still remain empathetic towards us. I feel like judgment has gotten the best of me, in the past number of years. On the other hand, as in my comment of the "11 Signs of an Empathetic Person" video; I know I have been empathetic towards many (even to the point of being vulnerable and overtrusting). With that said, I need to imitate how God treats us to our brethren. I do want to have an emotional genius while not taking away from God. As been said from many people, "Let Go and Let God." God will take care of those opposed to our faith, but we have no right to condemn others. Sometimes, they can see the speck in us as we label them. God Bless. - Juls
Love
Add
Religion is not necessarily stupid, it's delusional
God isn't real. Cope harder
no we call yall stupid because u justify all acts of evil as gods plan 😂
God's judgment is different from our own. Infinite punishment for any crime. That's loving.
I love the people in my life that devote their lives to god. But I will admit they aren’t intelligent. Not stupid but you can’t have deep discussions with them. Only small talk
exactlly
I would say they are more gullible than anything especially the Christians if a priest were to say something like God told me to do this than the most followers would listen without a heartbeat
The title is a little misleading.
I'm sorry you feel that way, it certainly wasn't my intention.
Unless they met God personally, yes.
Communication with other people - particularly the strangers you encounter on a periodic basis -can be confusing and difficult. I grew up in religion and one day the Minister of our church encouraged we kids to take our Bible's to school. I guess I did this because I enjoyed singing the hums and enjoyed reading Biblical History and was also a good student. One person noticed me taking my Bible to school and all she wanted to do was use it to argue with my Science Teacher. I thought this was wrong and inappropriate. I did not want to disrupt education or teaching or learning. I just wanted to make friends as friends are important. I have had some people ask me over a few years if I am "religious" and I just answer politely as best as I can and try NOT to talk religion with anyone. I won't say why but I don't like talking about it. It turns out that the church is spreading a rumor I'm a homosexual and so really these people who ask about religion are wanting a confirmation that I am a Homosexual without asking me that question. This drives me nuts. People ask one question then conclude I am a Nazi based on some other rumor people are spreading about me. Do we live in a religious environment at all? Do I want to associate with people simply because they consider themselves to be Holy while I am not? It would be funny if it were not so sad. Trying to divine my political beliefs or sexual activity (which is really INACTIVITY) based on twisted questions and dishonesty could easily drive me nuts. No, I don't have any special plans for religion. I figure I'll live my life and let God lead me that way if he really wants. To be honest, the Clergy have been very successful over many centuries and I figure there is a reason for their success over time. But as I have written... I carried my Bible to school for a long time and nobody showed any interest whatsoever. How would I know if I liked religion or wanted to get more involved? But I don't judge others... that is UNLESS there are those rare occasions when I am officially asked to be a judge. Then it is my duty and responsibility... and God, please, help me!
A lot of them are unfortunately, and they want to be. They’re not willing to learn anything new because they believe it goes against their religion
its crazy it actually makes me nauseous thinking about it, how do so many people bealive in this ITS CRAZY!!!!
Wait your using the Bible to try and make an intellectual argument? That's just stupid.
This one of the most insightful meditations I have heard. It really made me think.
I'm glad this resonated with you, Brian!
[Luke 6:37 KJV] 37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: If I choose to sit in judgement, then it is idolatry. Isa 33:22. The LORD is our judge . . . [1Co 4:3 NKJV] 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I (Paul) do not even judge myself. Roman Catholic until about 45 years old, ordained non-denominational Protestant minister but I worship in an Orthodox Jewish Synagogue. Common to all is don't judge another person . . .
Indeed.
Religious people are not stupid the one that use religion to commit crimes are the stupid one religious people just believe they truly feel and non-religious people use their own reason why God doesn’t exist or whatever the reason is
Well first off i'm not saying all religious people are stupid because i think generalisation is in it self stupid.
Some people that are religious are religious so they would be accepted in their community.
Also can i point out the hypocrisy of "judgement" because seriously ironically religious people are more judgemental than any other type of people. Christians pov :
"Atheist? You burn in hell i'll pray for you" "Jews betrayed tHe lOrD so they're bad" And the divide it creates is insane. So Islam & Christans judge each other because they both believe in another "god" and if they associate the one with the other you betray your religion LMAO!
The people who are smart & religious are just having a fear of speaking their mind or doubt what a primitive book is saying that if you question it you will be tortured.
The fear of losing your tribe & community because they believe in absurdity must be horrible. So they don't risk to really think critically and buy into a absurd fantasy for their own benefit.
If you really think that eating the tree of knowledge is a bad thing and a snake told the first "humans" to eat "knowledge" ask yourself what you are worshipping.
Knowledge is what thrives science and technology and if Satan is supposed to be the bad guy for suggesting that you can have knowledge then the logic starts to crumble, and the cracks are showing.
Certainly, not all religious people are stupid. My father, who is a member of Mensa, and my late ex-father in law, who was one of the most intelligent people I have ever heard of were both christians and extremely religious.
The problem is that belief in religion usually has nothing to do with intelligence or mental capacity, and has everything to do with how the person who is religious is brought up. Christian parents indoctrinate their children to be Christians. Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus do the same thing.
We know the number one determinant of a persons religious views are the parents or society the child grew up in. That is caused by nothing but pure chance.
So Matthew Kelly is a christian because his parents were probably Christians, and forced their beliefs on him when he was young.
The question you have to ask is, what if Matt's parents were wrong?
Matt mentioned critical thinking skill. What that means is to look at something you are told with a critical eye; to question, to look at evidence without bias and make a judgement about the validity of the argument from a non-biased point of view.
This is actually how to think critically, and that is what I do.
Let's look at Christianity from a non-biased, non-judgemental point of view:
Is there a god? Do we have any scientific evidence, of any kind that there is a god? And if there is, is it a Christian god? Have anybody ever heard god talk to them in an actual verbal manner? Is it at all possible that the whole idea of god, any god just an idea that comes from the mind of humans?
Which god, if there is any evidence is the real god? The Christian god, muslim god, Greek god, or any others? If not how do we know which one is the real god? Is it because we have faith, or do we have actually evidence or proof?
What I am demonstrating is critical thinking skills. I have found that people who actually believe in god do so not because of any evidence or proof, but because they want to believe it for emotional reason like everlasting life or wanting to see their dead loved ones again.
Can anybody answer my questions and show me why I should believe in god? Personally, I see zero evidence of any kind of any god being real...however I am open minded and could be wrong.
Anybody have any real scientific evidence to show me? I'll be waiting...
I would say it is somewhat related to intelligence, as I would argue rational and critical thinking are a part of intelligence, sure you can be intelligent in certain regions of intelligence, but stupid in others, I would see intelligence more as a spectrum, so are religious people dumb? Well on average they score slightly lower, but of course there are intelligent religious people, but I would say generally, they do lack intelligence in certain regions of the intelligence spectrum, such as in the previously mentioned, rationali thinking and logic as well, though I would have to say that, obviously, emotions are a big part of it as well, but generally, I would see a more logical and rational person, to be able look past their personal biases and opinions and world views to really consider their beliefs. But that's just my opinion, thanks for coming to my Ted talk
Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you.
To some people there are no gray areas., everything is black and white, right or wrong, smart or stupid. Each person's story is different, you cannot pass quick assessments unless your know all the facts or have walked in another person's shoes. My story has many unknowns, which I feel cloud what others perceive as mistakes on my part. If they only knew everything, it likely would clarify what I went through and why I tried so hard. I could write a book, tell a different story, share the truth and at some point that will happen. Meanwhile I learn my lessons, adjust my failings when times get confusing, and try to be the best I can be. God is my strength...Amen
Thanks for sharing your wisdom Janice.
It all goes back to the creator..why would God design us the way he did and why would he make a complex world full of evil without straight and forward guide lines..why doesnt God or jesus show us who he is..why do we have to read about him in many different forms??? Why is their a olace called hell if he so called loved everyone he made???
@LOGICAL-JAY I have more questions for you, why was he only concerned about the jews? that was the first question I asked myself when I was a young teen. as if everyone else were nothing to him. is there really only 1 god or are there many and he is the god only for the jews? why is it if this god is never erring, all powerful and all knowing and is the creator of everything and everyone does he screw up and create deformed children? If he is never erring why is the old and the new testament opposite from one another? is he bipolar? seems to me he does change his mind according to his mood. and why is this god so complicated and not straight forward and easy to understand that he needs to be interpreted?
@gr122 lol..bro I'm with you all the way...I go at my religious friends with these type of logical questions and they can't answer them...lol..religion is not for thinkers.
The moust primitive People are the moust Religius, simple.
This is a hard one today. So many people seem to be living a delusion and want to pull us into it. I have to remember that Jesus said to pray for those we disagree with and for our enemies. When I do this I am not quick to judge them.
Oh the irony of a person of faith talking about delusion, then immediately invoking supernatural tenets of Middle Eastern origin. Hilarious..
Religion is not necessarily stupid, it's delusional
@@kennybeginner4087 Well, Peggy is proving the stupidity aspect of it
I agree empathy is a sign of intelligence....you, however started asserting that you knew gods mind......this is assumption which is a sign of low intelligence
What part of Jesus's story makes people focus on being covered in blood?
In no way shape or form does Jesus want or intend for that and Mary does not want to relive the crucification over and over again.
And no.. we are not doing the Apocalypse ... Somebody had a bad dream 2000 years ago ...stuck it in a book.. and now people think that's what happens. Another fallacy is thinking that God has or wants anyone in torment or some kinda hell.
That isn't true. And by no means should ever be taught to a child.
Another thing is spontaneous conception. If people can't figure out that Mary was accosted and would have been scorned had she not had some cover... Then I don't know what to tell ya because I can't teach to my kids that you get pregnant by magic and to copy that template. If anything I pray to God that all the characters in the bible are healed and have moved on from those stories. Sure you can hang out in upper realms but what the heck are ya gonna do there? Probably be bored.. everybody is ..I don't know talking lights or something.
So if there are Angels n God n Holy Spirit ..all kinda spirit ... I hope by Goodness graces that we make Earth and life and living be creative n fun and not a death sentence of destitution and an asylum for 'how crazy do you want it'.
Don't get me started on politics.
*
Ok.. another truth ...Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute.
That was another Mary ...popular name.. and at that time... Men wanted women as servants.
Truth be known.. all each person is a child of God.
No Offense Intended Towards Anyone!!!! I'm trying to look towards healing for religiously traumatized people. I like what he says n I gotta remind myself that judgement inhibits empathy. So ...oh my goodness. There is no such thing as stealing from God. Each person is a Whole World. Just don't rape n pillage anybody.
Truly appreciated this, Matthew. I'd like to add from personal experience, empathy should not be considered "weakness." 😉
Very true, it most certainly is not weakness, it's one of the hardest things to do in our modern day.