Living life with only one narrow point of view. This presents a unique social dilemma

This is a Philosophical look at having only one point of view throughout one's lifetime.

These narrow minded belief systems are a detriment to a healthy, happy, and diverse society.

Are 'Personal Beliefs' based on facts, illusions or delusions?

• They embrace either, or both, religious and/or political party affiliations.

'Personal beliefs' are often based on illogical and/or irrational illusions, delusions, and thoughts that can be deceptive and elusive.

• Illusions are deceptive. They are perceptions of something objectively existing in such a way as to cause misinterpretations of its actual nature.

• Delusions are dangerous. They are false beliefs that are firmly held.

Even facts can be vague, deceptive and elusive, when viewed in a way that causes confusion, or when only partial information is supplied.

But when ideas are empirically proven they cannot be disputed; whereas illusions and/or delusions can never be proven to be factual by empirical proof.

Personal beliefs that say: ''it' s my way or the Highway'' are not conducive to discussion, debate, or shaken by reality....

We are all guilty of this attitude from time to time in our lives.

This article was prompted by a question asked by hubber Jessie Mugnier.

Unfortunately the discussion was closed rapidly so i could not give my two cents there, so i decided to expound on that premise in the form of a hub.

But, please keep in mind that these are not my 'personal' opinions; they are logical facts.

The question read:

"What is it about Religion and Politics that gets people so amped up?"

This is a great question, and there were several great replies posted. Each of them were true, but only to a certain extent. As with any other discussion, about any subject, one can only comment based on what they were taught to be truth. But with that being said, not all things "taught as truth" are in fact "True".

Just a brief examples regarding politics and religion:

• If you and I are both brought up in different religious cults and different political parties, we would both believe that what we were taught must be the truth.

• As logical intelligent adults, capable of even a minimal degree of abstract or logical thinking, and an iota of common sense, we will certainly know that, that statement in itself, cannot be farther from the truth.

• Every religion cannot be the only true religion.
• No political party can be the only true path to the future of any country.

Following anyone, or anything, (both religious or political) blindly is one of the most dangerous threats, and obstacles, to attaining a stabilized society that there can be.

When some people question the veracity of any religion, or an opposing political party, they are considered heretical, evil, treasonous, or any other adjective that has negative connotations to it.

And believe me, i have been called them all here on hub pages.

Ergo, societal turmoil, infighting, and wars, are the results of believing in only one point of view.

Add a little greed, and self serving to that cauldron of calamity and voila, we have today's world at its worst.

If the arguments that 'Freedom of Religion', and 'Freedom of Religious Choice' are to be respected, then one must argue that those without any religious affiliations must be respected as well.

There can also be no arguing the fact that in order to be part of a cult/religion, or political party, that sees no other points of view; one must be subjected to years of conditioning by others, at an early age (indoctrination) to reach that point.

And here we are back to that old "brainwashing our children" idea that cannot be ignored.

We, as a society, owe it to our children to not continue to brainwash them into any form of one sided belief systems.

A truly enlightened society that lives in peace and harmony would have the intelligence and fortitude to teach their children about the diversities in life, what they represent, what they promote, and what they oppose.

Obviously this education and information cannot be delivered to the children properly and effectively in any household that holds only one narrowed point of view on religion and/or politics.

When children reach their age of awareness and logical reasoning, it should be up to them to decide which cult or political party to join with. Or to not be part of any of those narrow minded groups that wallow in self serving and total unawareness of the rest of the real world.

Religious "beliefs" are nothing more than the sum of what children were brainwashed into believing long before their age of awareness and reasoning.

Opinions based on one sided limited views are worthless in any kind of logical discussion.

These unduly learned opinions and religious beliefs cause friction, arguments and negative reactions toward those who were brought up in a different cult/religion or political party.

And none of them are based on diversity, common sense, logic or rationality.

We make a conscious choice of either living in the past, or the present.

If we continuously live in the past, and fear for the future, we will never learn to accept the pleasures of today and be truly happy.

Believing and building one's entire existence around books that perhaps had some significance 2000 or more years ago is extremely illogical in today's world and do not have enough, if any, logical, or factual credence, to cause fighting and warring today.

And yet, here we are fighting over inane things because we are afraid to learn about diversity and accept that there are others in this world that have equal rights to their own opinions and beliefs as long as they do not try to force them on others or emotionally abuse their children by forcing (brainwashing) those narrow opinions into their evolving minds.

When folks like me, voice our opinions based on logic , we are attacked by all sides for trying to "brainwash" the already brainwashed victims of the religious and political sects.

We also make a conscious choice of either living in fear of the past which overshadows living with love in the present and dampend any hope for the future.

Man was not meant to live in constant fear or spend our lives living with unfounded guilt for things that we have had no part in.

Trying to promote the misgivings of the past and project them into our future is an exercise in futility and superstitious nonsense - nothing more than ignoratio elenchi. ( a fallacy in logic of supporting a point proved, or disapproved, by an argument proving, or disproving, something not at issue).

In other words: inadvertently trying to justify one's beliefs by arguing that those beliefs are the reasons they are true. As many do here on hub pages when they quote from their "holy" books to prove that their beliefs are valid.

One cannot logically prove something to be true by quoting from that which is in question.

It is totally illogical.

by: d.william 10/19/2012