If you want to know the mind of God – look in the mirror.

That is the conclusion of Nicholas Epley and his team who studied people’s beliefs about God’s beliefs. They asked subjects a series of questions about controversial moral issues, such as the death penalty and abortion, and also asked them about beliefs on those issues of famous people and of God. Not surprisingly, subjects’ own beliefs mirrored the beliefs they attributed to God.

This, of course, can have multiple interpretations. It may indicate that people tend to attribute to God their own moral beliefs. But it may also result from people acquiring their moral belief from the teachings of their faith. Also, culture or other factors may influence both moral beliefs and beliefs attributed to God.

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