The Call to Distinguish Belief from Truth
Believing a thing doesn't make it true. We have to act on beliefs, but what a sweet world it would be if we all recognized (one of the few sure things) that our private, subjective belief-acts don't impose limits on the objective universe. I posted the above on a Facebook religion group and got backlash, including denial that, even in the informal common sense, such a thing as an "objective universe" exists. I replied with (I thought) reasoned arguments, but still got backlash. I shared this weird exchange recently ( https://www.wrestlingwithreligion.net/2022/09/believing-thing-doesnt-make-it-true.html ). This morning it came to me that argument was the wrong approach. A list of examples should work better. I may believe the earth is flat. That doesn't make it so. I may believe that God revealed the Quran to Muhammed by the angel Gabriel. That doesn't make it so. I may believe that Jesus died for our sins and believers go to Heaven. That doesn't make ...