Nobody converts to Thor-worship or pastafarianism; they do convert to major traditions
I’ve met a number of converts to Asatru, as well as several relatively serious followers of semi-parody religions like Discordianism and the Church of the SubGenius. Don’t think I’ve ever met a serious Pastafarian, but I’m not going to rule out the possibility of their existence. Unsubstantiated personal gnosis can point people in some pretty strange directions.
Interesting that the two came from opposite origins. I genuinely didn’t know there were serious followers of those religions. It seems I incorrectly generalized from the people I’ve encountered, who merely use those religions for jest and argument.
So I’ll retract my claim and instead agree with the author’s risk evaluation. If you’re going to analyze and critique a belief system, be wary of developing an unconscious Us Vs Them dichotomy in your mental model. If the argument is conceived of as strictly a two-player game, then weaknesses in your theory are strengths in your opponent’s. But where the range of alternative theories is practically infinite, a reduction in the probability of your belief is balanced by only an infinitesimal increase in the probability of a specific other belief.
I’ve met a number of converts to Asatru, as well as several relatively serious followers of semi-parody religions like Discordianism and the Church of the SubGenius. Don’t think I’ve ever met a serious Pastafarian, but I’m not going to rule out the possibility of their existence. Unsubstantiated personal gnosis can point people in some pretty strange directions.
A Pastafarian in boot camp
OK. Do you happen to know what they converted from?
Catholicism in one case, a secular upbringing in another. I don’t know or remember the rest.
Interesting that the two came from opposite origins. I genuinely didn’t know there were serious followers of those religions. It seems I incorrectly generalized from the people I’ve encountered, who merely use those religions for jest and argument.
So I’ll retract my claim and instead agree with the author’s risk evaluation. If you’re going to analyze and critique a belief system, be wary of developing an unconscious Us Vs Them dichotomy in your mental model. If the argument is conceived of as strictly a two-player game, then weaknesses in your theory are strengths in your opponent’s. But where the range of alternative theories is practically infinite, a reduction in the probability of your belief is balanced by only an infinitesimal increase in the probability of a specific other belief.