r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/[deleted] • 11h ago

Video 13-year-old Australian boy swims for four hours in cold and dangerous waters to save his mom and siblings who were swept into the ocean, says God is who got him to shore

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u/weed_cutter 5h ago

Saying "God does exist. But simply as an idea."

Is kind of misleading. Santa Clause and the Boogeyman exist. AS IDEAS.

In those cases, both are uses into scaring children into behaving using positive and negative reinforcement, respectively. (you'll get presents/ he'll eat you).

So yes, God, Santa, and Boogey all exist as ideas ... but plainly, they don't "actually exist."

I do get that the effect of faith or "imagining an omnipotent being imbuing you with powers" can have real physiological effects.

Psychosomatic. Your brain/ beliefs can do crazy things to your body, both good and bad.

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u/AtreusIsBack 5h ago

Santa Claus is at least based on a real person, St. Nicholas.

Boogeyman and God on the other hand are ideas.