No one here has yet made fun of me for my interest in religion, even though I expect most people disagree with it.
What does it mean to disagree with an interest? That sounds like it means that most LWers either disapprove of your involvement with religion, do not share your interest, or expect that you could increase your utility by decreasing your involvement with religion. I’m not sure which of these, if any, you meant, but as to the first, I don’t think most of us do disapprove of it. As to the second, that’s not disagreement. And as to the third, I’m not sure what most LWers think, but I think that you are in a much better position to judge that than I am.
In general, from the posts I’ve seen, the LessWrong attitude to religion is one of derision. (This may represent Eliezer’s point of view more than it represents the average point of view.) But that derision has never been directed at me personally. A number of posts use religion as an example of ‘widespread irrationality that is bad for individuals and for world’ but no one has accused me directly of propagating an irrational or damaging meme.
As for your second point, yeah, lack of interest is not disapproval or disagreement. I have very little interest in finance and investment; that doesn’t mean I disagree with the premise of it. In fact, I have a lot of respect for people who can put up with studying something that seems so tedious to me. And I doubt that no one on LessWrong is interested in religion in the abstract, since it is one of the more surreal and bizarre aspects of human behaviour.
I bet there are several people on LessWrong interested in religion in the abstract, since it is one of the more surreal and bizarre aspects of human behaviour.
Also, there’s a selection effect, the people who have strong opinions about religion will tend to be the ones to talk about it. I suspect there’s a significant number of LWers who just don’t pay much attention to religion and tend to think religion is not useful but not harmful in many contexts.
Disapproval of religious interest isn’t really a disapproval of an interest. I doubt there is much disapproval of scientific investigation of the evo-psych reasons for religious belief.
Interest in religion is just a fancy way of saying flirtation with the beliefs/worldview offered by religious faiths. Thus the derision is no different than the average person’s derision of people who take seriously the idea that the world might be flat or that dogs can talk. The difference is simply that religion is thrust into your face and life substantially more frequently than most people encounter nutjobs insisting the world might be flat (in a topological sense no telportation in weird coordinates).
Well and a generous sprinkle of the superiority complex all persecuted/socially rejected groups develop to salvage their pride. I mean psychologically it’s very difficult to resist the easy option of going along with the flow without some form of personal satisfaction (I’m smarter than them) derived from maintaining that difference.
Interest in religion is just a fancy way of saying flirtation with the beliefs/worldview offered by religious faiths.
No it isn’t. I’m interested in religion. It’s a fascinatingly complex aspect of human culture. Even if it’s obviously wrong, I have a hard time relating to a mental state of finding it uninteresting. How should a person express this if not by saying that they’re interested in religion?
What does it mean to disagree with an interest? That sounds like it means that most LWers either disapprove of your involvement with religion, do not share your interest, or expect that you could increase your utility by decreasing your involvement with religion. I’m not sure which of these, if any, you meant, but as to the first, I don’t think most of us do disapprove of it. As to the second, that’s not disagreement. And as to the third, I’m not sure what most LWers think, but I think that you are in a much better position to judge that than I am.
In general, from the posts I’ve seen, the LessWrong attitude to religion is one of derision. (This may represent Eliezer’s point of view more than it represents the average point of view.) But that derision has never been directed at me personally. A number of posts use religion as an example of ‘widespread irrationality that is bad for individuals and for world’ but no one has accused me directly of propagating an irrational or damaging meme.
As for your second point, yeah, lack of interest is not disapproval or disagreement. I have very little interest in finance and investment; that doesn’t mean I disagree with the premise of it. In fact, I have a lot of respect for people who can put up with studying something that seems so tedious to me. And I doubt that no one on LessWrong is interested in religion in the abstract, since it is one of the more surreal and bizarre aspects of human behaviour.
I bet there are several people on LessWrong interested in religion in the abstract, since it is one of the more surreal and bizarre aspects of human behaviour.
Also, there’s a selection effect, the people who have strong opinions about religion will tend to be the ones to talk about it. I suspect there’s a significant number of LWers who just don’t pay much attention to religion and tend to think religion is not useful but not harmful in many contexts.
Disapproval of religious interest isn’t really a disapproval of an interest. I doubt there is much disapproval of scientific investigation of the evo-psych reasons for religious belief.
Interest in religion is just a fancy way of saying flirtation with the beliefs/worldview offered by religious faiths. Thus the derision is no different than the average person’s derision of people who take seriously the idea that the world might be flat or that dogs can talk. The difference is simply that religion is thrust into your face and life substantially more frequently than most people encounter nutjobs insisting the world might be flat (in a topological sense no telportation in weird coordinates).
Well and a generous sprinkle of the superiority complex all persecuted/socially rejected groups develop to salvage their pride. I mean psychologically it’s very difficult to resist the easy option of going along with the flow without some form of personal satisfaction (I’m smarter than them) derived from maintaining that difference.
No it isn’t. I’m interested in religion. It’s a fascinatingly complex aspect of human culture. Even if it’s obviously wrong, I have a hard time relating to a mental state of finding it uninteresting. How should a person express this if not by saying that they’re interested in religion?