The psychology of religion, part III
Our own brains trick us into believing nonsense for various reasons
Religion and the sunk cost fallacy are brothers in arms. The sunk cost fallacy describes our tendency to follow through on an endeavor if we have already invested time, effort, or money into it, whether or not the current costs outweigh the benefits. Religious people are predisposed to go against evidence that contradicts the beliefs about the world they have invested in. This predisposition applies to everyone, but it is particularly sticky in the devout.
Human brains are rife with cognitive biases that impact our ability to act rationally and make good decisions about our well-being and that of those around us. Fallacies, which are flaws in logical thinking, go hand in hand with cognitive biases. Fallacies are errors in reasoning that lack evidence. The Abrahamic religions are chock full of fallacies. All knowledge claims are subject to demands for evidence, and anytime someone makes one, we should ask for supporting evide…
