THE INFLUENCE OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
With this in mind, it is easy to criticise the premises of this argument.
First of all, is it really clear that things always exist if people experience them? We know that there are drugs and mental conditions that can give people very convincing experiences of things that don't really exist. More subtly, the world is full of mirages, optical illusions and opportunities for misinterpretation. For example, the "Electric Brae" in Ayrshire, Scotland is a road that appears to run uphill, but in fact slopes down, so that cars left with the brakes off will appear to roll "uphill". |
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We have names for people who have many beliefs for which there is no rational justification. When their beliefs are extremely common we call them ‘religious’, otherwise they are likely to be called ‘mad’, ‘psychotic’ or delusional - Sam Harris