Belief Is Dangerous And Should Be Avoided

I apologize for my lack of structure. I agree with the definitions provided and accept the burden of proof. Before we proceed, I want to acknowledge my hypocrisy in that the title of the debate itself is a belief. A more appropriate title might look something like this: Belief Can Be Dangerous and In Most Cases It's Probably In Our Best Interest To Avoid It. Also, in keeping with my position in this debate, I will try to avoid dogmatic statements that spring from personal opinion. I doubt that my opponent will disagree that at least some beliefs can be dangerous. The American Psychologist published a report called "Dangerous ideas: Five beliefs that propel groups toward conflict. "i I will summarize the five beliefs they discussed just in case my opponent wants to take the position that all beliefs are entirely benign: Superiority- A foundation for conflict is constructed because they see themselves as meriting privileged status and members of other groups as contemptible, lazy, unmotivated, and inferior. Injustice- Some groups have a belief that the world is out to get them. They often misinterpret events as unfair that, in truth, are merely unfortunate. Expressions of regret for mistakes or misfortune by the "other side" are dismissed out of hand. Vulnerability- Groups who interpret themselves as chronically vulnerable feel chronically afraid and anxious. The story of the Middle East teaches us that retaliation can be never ending. Distrust- When a group assumes hostile intent, it fails to distinguish between actions that are hostile and those that are not. All actions are seen as hostile. Helplessness- When you believe nothing you can do will make a difference, you usually do nothing at all. Belief in helplessness is more incapacitating than any external circumstance. Assuming that my opponent accepts that some beliefs can be dangerous, it is my goal to persuade the audience that all beliefs present a threat of harm. 1) Belief is optional. We can base our perception of reality on facts, knowledge and experience. We do not need to take the extra step of developing a belief. For example, say someone owns a blue car. It's a testable fact. By definition, "belief" does not require evidence or testing. It is the mere addition of "trust or confidence" which can be done regardless of the evidence. I can "believe" the car is black or red or orange but this has absolutely no bearing on what color the car actually is. Through testing, we find that it would be more accurate to say that the paint that has been applied to the car reflects light in the spectrum that some humans refer to as 'blue. ' But we're not going to find that a blue car is really black. This example supports my position that belief can be dangerous because, historically, many of our beliefs have turned out to be wrong. If belief isn't necessary, then it is cumbersome and keep us from sticking to the facts which can certainly be dangerous. I assume the audience agrees with that assertion. 2) Belief keeps people from searching for new, and possibly superior, information. When someone decides to believe something, the learning process is hampered. The true believer usually doesn't continue to honestly explore the available evidence on the subject. Take, for example, Albert Einstein's belief that "God does not play dice. " This belief, based on 18th century determinism, kept Einstein from exploring the apparent randomness in nature. Other scientists pushed ahead and developed a more acccurate theory, known today as quantum mechanics. ii Einstein refused to explore the possibility of uncertainty because of his belief. As another example, take the archaic belief, promoted for thousands of years in many different cultures, that mental illness was caused by demons. Ancient people developed a surgical procedure called trephining in which a hole was drilled into a suffering person's head. This procedure was performed to "cure beating headaches, epilepsy and insanity"iii and to allow "the exit or entrance of spirits believed to cause illness. "iv For thousands of years, mentally ill people had holes drilled into their heads because of a belief. These examples support my position that belief can be dangerous because it shows that belief can cause us to cling to inaccurate positions, limit possibilities and keep us from finding real solutions. 3) Belief is the motivating force behind confirmation bias. Confirmation bias is defined as "a tendency of people to favor information that confirms their beliefs or hypotheses. "v Take for example the practice of bloodletting to cure or prevent illness and disease. Bloodletting was based on the belief that "humors" (blood and other fluids) "had to remain in proper balance to maintain health. "vi This practice stayed in place for almost 2,000 years, despite the fact that it is entirely useless. As psychologist R. Nickerson points out, "If a patient recovered, medical authorities counted the treatment as successful, rather than looking for alternative explanations such as that the disease had run its natural course. "vii This example supports my position that belief can be dangerous because it shows that belief can lead us to perpetuate our own delusions and inflict suffering on others. 4) Belief can make us cruel. For example, during the Inquisition, "confession would allow the suspect to acknowledge the crime " the key to repentance, the salvation of their soul, and possible readmission to society. "viii In essence, the inquisitors could justify torturing people because they believed it was for their own good. In a more specific instance, some men recently killed a fourteen-year-old girl because she was a "relentless advocate of education for girls. " A spokesman for the conservative religious group called her promotion of education "a new chapter of obscenity" and said, "any female that, by any means, plays a role in the war against [us] should be killed. "ix These two examples support my position that belief can be dangerous because they show the cruelty inflicted on innocent people was justified by belief. In conclusion, it seems that belief is optional, that it keeps us from exploring new ideas, that it causes confirmation bias and can be used to justify cruelty. I would like my opponent to attempt to refute these claims. If these assertions stand, I do not see any way to avoid the conclusion that belief can be dangerous and in most cases it's probably in our best interest to avoid it. If my opponent cannot refute my claims, I ask that my opponent would make an attempt to explain why we should continue to use them and ignore the risks I have highlighted. i lson, Roy J. ; Eidelson, Judy I. Dangerous ideas: Five beliefs that propel groups toward conflict The American Psychologist (March 2003) ii Hawking, Stephen Does God Play Dice? Retrieved April 16, 2013 from: . http://www.hawking.org.uk... iii Parr, Nicolette Intentional Cultural Modifications to the Skull University of Florida Retrieved April 16, 2013 from: . http://www.clas.ufl.edu... iv Brought to Life: Exploring the History of Medicine Science Museum Retrieved April 16, 2013 from: . http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk... v Retrieved April 16, 2013 from: . http://en.wikipedia.org... vi Retrieved April 16, 2013 from: . http://en.wikipedia.org... vii Nickerson, Raymond S. Confirmation Bias; A Ubiquitous Phenomenon in Many Guises, Review of General Psychology viii Herzog, Tamar Torture in Early Modern Spanish and Latin America (1999) ix Ghitis, Frida Girl's Courage, Taliban's Cowardice CNN Retrieved April 16, 2013 from: . http://www.cnn.com...