'I believe' vs belief

[JaiMaaDurga]

Namaste,

My indicators would be the years spent demanding empirical objective proof;
I had always been the first to scorn those whose lives seemed
governed by superstition or zealotry, and was quick to point out the
"madness of crowds", or the absence of critical thinking skills in an
individual, if one were to have pressed me as to my lack of religious
inclination.

I suppose an advantage of coming to Devi "the hard way", is that hostile
skeptics are often surprised to find me more than well-acquainted with
their usual arguments, and perhaps find their hostility less valuable in the
long run

JAI MATA DI

[Eastern Mind]

Namaste,

My indicators would be the years spent demanding empirical objective proof;
I had always been the first to scorn those whose lives seemed
governed by superstition or zealotry, and was quick to point out the
"madness of crowds", or the absence of critical thinking skills in an
individual, if one were to have pressed me as to my lack of religious
inclination.

JAI MATA DI

Vannakkam JMD: This makes sense. My thoughts when I started this thread was just reflection. I was the same type of questioner, especially in late adolescence, both on my own, and from observing others. I remember religious discussions over coffee, being asked whether or not I believed in something, responding according to some non-thinking way, like just to agree with the pretty girl who was asking ... and then on the way home asking myself, "Do you really believe in that?" which led to much deeper introspection.

I am suspicious of people who say they believe in things with no empirical evidence whatsoever, and then demonstrate contradictions between what they say they believe, and their actions.

Its an eye roll, and a "Really"?

Almost like the guy who says, "Back in Philadelphia, one night I took down Mike Tyson in a street fight."

Aum Namasivaya

[ZarryT]

Belief: Where you are unsure of the answer, and place your bets on yes or no.

"True belief" = knowledge. If you have a sense of knowing something as much as you know 2 + 2 = 4, then you "truly believe" it, since you feel and act as if you know it.