Elsewhere, elsewhen

Ishika

If you had been in a very different circumstance at the time of forming that belief, would that belief reasonably be unchanging? If your answer is no, then it seems that you have a good reason for that brief. But, if not, you probably do not have sufficient reason for that belief. The argument goes as follows:

P1: If circumstances change a belief, then one lacks a sufficient reason for that belief.
If one lacks a sufficient reason for a belief, then one should find better evidence for it.
Religious beliefs are changeable based on circumstances.
C: If one's religious beliefs are changeable based on circumstances, then one lacks a sufficient reason for those beliefs and should find better evidence for them.

Many people use arguments like this to disprove theism. They say that if you were born into an atheist family in mainland China instead of a catholic family in Mexico, then you would hold different religious beliefs. This is not bad for a theist, though. It seems that if a theist can provide sufficient reason for their faith that is not based on circumstances of their upbringing, then they should keep their belief. If the catholic from Mexico only goes to church because of their parents, then sure, it would not be a sound belief. But the catholic could also believe in God’s existence for sound reasons, and those beliefs would be unchanged even if they were born into a Chinese family. Atheists from China could hold their beliefs on the non-existence of god for the same

For example, if I had been black when I developed my beliefs about affirmative action, would I hold a different belief about it? If I had a weak reason for opposing affirmative action, then the answer would probably be yes, and I would hold a different belief. However, if I have good evidence for my opposition to affirmative action, the answer would be no, and my belief would stand. For example, if the reason for my opposition to affirmative action was that I am white and affirmative action hurts me, then that is not a good reason because my belief would not stand if I happened to be black. However, if I believe that affirmative action is bad because it is unjust and unequal, then my opposition would stand no matter my race, which means I have a good reason for that belief.

noAxioms

P1: If circumstances change a belief, then one lacks a sufficient reason for that belief. — Ishika

You'll need to refine this postulate a bit. I mean, I step out of the door and based on the sky I see, I believe it will rain within the hour. That's circumstances, and it is very much a sufficient reason for that belief, even if it doesn't actually rain. Still, I get what you're saying.

Many people use arguments like this to disprove theism. They say that if you were born into an atheist family in mainland China instead of a catholic family in Mexico, then you would hold different religious beliefs.

Such statistics actually constitutes very good evidence against theism. If the choice was a matter of logic and such and not upbringing, there would either be a sort of even mix of all religions everywhere, or (if the deity was real and reveals himself), almost everybody would independently come up with the same religion. But no, it appears in clumps, a strong indication of cultural influences.

Some statistics lie. Somebody from Mexico might profess catholic beliefs because professing otherwise would cause ostracism from society. So there's plenty of church goes that are there for the social acceptance and interaction, and not because they hold actual belief. Much of the founding fathers of the USA for instance fall in this category.

However, if I believe that affirmative action is bad because it is unjust and unequal, then my opposition would stand no matter my race, which means I have a good reason for that belief.

Except the alternative is also unjust and unequal. There's no obvious 'just and equal' solution to the problem it is trying to solve.

Ishika

↪noAxioms

Except the alternative is also unjust and unequal. There's no obvious 'just and equal' solution to the problem it is trying to solve. — noAxioms

Moral relativist?

Thanks for the feedback, you are correct.

Vera Mont

Many people use arguments like this to disprove theism. They say that if you were born into an atheist family in mainland China instead of a catholic family in Mexico, then you would hold different religious beliefs. — Ishika

Of course you would. And speak a different language and wear different clothes and eat different food and root for a different football team. And each of those things would probably change if you moved to another country.
Religious belief is not an equation. It's part of a cultural matrix. When you reach the age of contrariness - usually 12 or 13 - you begin to question everything your parents and other authority figures have ever told you. You eventually - usually at about 18 or 19 - come to conclusions of your own about the main points: you will eventually decide what to accept and what to reject in your upbringing. After that, you form a set of working beliefs: ideas regarding reality, society, the supernatural, other sexes, other races, citizenship, the limits of possibility, the purpose of your life.
You don't work it out with numbered P's.

alan1000

"P1: If circumstances change a belief, then one lacks a sufficient reason for that belief"

Obviously if circumstances change, then a belief may have to change to keep up with circumstances. That's a no-brainer; it's called "learning".

"Religious beliefs are changeable based on circumstances."

Ok, now you're joking, right?

Elsewhere, elsewhen

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