Having 10% believers WILL convert us all. Not 'can'

[FBM]

Deep down, I suspect that this reflects a human tendency to respond to the emotional intensity of a person expressing a belief. Committed true believers can exert an almost hypnotic effect on a very significant number of people.

In comparison, atheist viewpoints are usually expressed at a relatively low level of emotional intensity...

Yeah, I reckon.

[GrahamH]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 190044.htm

As an example, the ongoing events in Tunisia and Egypt appear to exhibit a similar process, according to Szymanski. "In those countries, dictators who were in power for decades were suddenly overthrown in just a few weeks."

That seems like very bad example. Surely it is a case of people already holding the belief that X is bad, and then deciding that is was now safe enough to voice that opinion. They need to study populations encountering new ideas.

"In general, people do not like to have an unpopular opinion and are always seeking to try locally to come to consensus.

People don't like to voice an unpopular opinion to strangers ho may not share that opinion. That doesn't tell us what the believe.

The researchers are now looking for partners within the social sciences and other fields to compare their computational models to historical examples.

Cart before the horse! They started with a model then tried to find historical events that fit the model? Crazy!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

What if there's more than one "10% group" in a society at one time?

[FBM]

Holy war.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Holy war.

Holey war? Over Swiss cheese?

[FBM]

Holy war.

Holey war? Over Swiss cheese?

Bacon, you damned infidel!!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Holy war.

Holey war? Over Swiss cheese?

Bacon, you damned infidel!!

Baconnaise and Swiss Cheesus on Texas toast.

[FBM]

Holy war.

Holey war? Over Swiss cheese?

Bacon, you damned infidel!!

Baconnaise and Swiss Cheesus on Texas toast.

Blasphemy! Fucking...delicious-sounding blasphemy...

You will be executed, but not until after I've made me a sammich...

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Holy war.

Holey war? Over Swiss cheese?

Bacon, you damned infidel!!

Baconnaise and Swiss Cheesus on Texas toast.

Blasphemy! Fucking...delicious-sounding blasphemy...

You will be executed, but not until after I've made me a sammich...

Baconnaise, Lettuce and Tomato sammy.

[Warren Dew]

Good point, Warren. I wonder how many people IRL are so demanding of evidence or actually take the time to deeply examine the beliefs of their peers.

Clearly less than 10%, or beliefs based on empirical observation and logic would have taken over, right? At least that's what this research would say.

I would guess that maybe 5% test and form beliefs based on empirical data and objective logic - and it's not just the beliefs of their peers that are tested, but their own beliefs as well, since one can learn new facts that may require reanalysis of existing beliefs.

Then there's the issue of logic. Logic requires not just an attitude, but a certain level of intelligence - a level which may vary depending on the complexity of the problem. There are probably issues on which we cannot form a fully rational belief, because no human being is smart enough to deduce the truth given currently known facts.

[Audley Strange]

I'd suggest the problem is that the central punishment/reward dialectic of morality and self identification within a belief system cannot be compared to with a rejection of its central hypothesis. So atheism as a movement seems to me actually more desired towards the removal what they see as counterfeit religious authority, rather than just a bunch of folks who don't buy the fable. Abandoning a belief is not the same as sharing in one.

If the atheism movement is concerned more with removal of power from religious groups rather than just people who share a disbelief in the concept it has become a political movement. It will need a central herd of felines with a shared political ideology and cultural narrative that goes far beyond its one issue in order to even begin to be effective enough to be considered an alternative to the belief system it sets out to devalue.

I cannot see that happening.