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Post by Undecided on Jun 10, 2009 2:45:40 GMT -5
How can anybody know what knowledge is correct? It's easy to say something like "my beliefs are correct because they're backed up by evidence," but then how can one know what degree of evidence is sufficient "proof" of a correct belief? - How do people on this site know that they're not suffering from a confirmation bias by habitually posting on sites where people agree with them?
- Why should scepticism be valued so much?
- How do we know that people from Rapture Ready or an equivalent community aren't really correct, and that scientific methods are the only test of knowledge?
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Post by Jodie on Jun 10, 2009 2:46:34 GMT -5
We have fossils. We win.
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Post by ironbite on Jun 10, 2009 2:59:45 GMT -5
BECAUSE I SAY I AM DAMN IT!
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Post by ausador on Jun 10, 2009 3:02:17 GMT -5
Because observable and testable evidence is the only kind there is, when you come up with a test for god let us know, I'm sure we will all be very interested.
also...
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Post by lunarxero on Jun 10, 2009 5:02:18 GMT -5
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Post by Star Cluster on Jun 10, 2009 6:28:32 GMT -5
Because observable and testable evidence is the only kind there is, when you come up with a test for god let us know, I'm sure we will all be very interested. also... And while all the evidence we have does not 100% eliminate the possibility of a god (or gods), it certainly demonstrates the events and processes for how things did happen without the actions of or even the necessity of deities of any sort. •And I don't come to this site to have my lack of belief confirmed, I was an atheist long before I ever even had internet access and the ability to go to such sites. This is merely an opportunity to interact with a community of like-minded people, something that is difficult to do on a daily basis in my real world community. •I'm not sure that skepticism is highly valued, but it does show that people are actually thinking for themselves. •Pardon me if I don't hold my breath waiting to find out if they're correct or not. I'll err on the side of sanity.
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Post by m52nickerson on Jun 10, 2009 7:09:32 GMT -5
How can anybody know what knowledge is correct? Knowledge is not correct nor incorrect. Knowledge is just the sum of what we know. I know a fair bit about the bible, that does not mean it is correct, or that I think it is so. That is why there is no reason for religious people not to learn about scientific theories like evolution. I don't think most people here would say that all of their beliefs are unequivocally fact. That is a dogmatic view. People here tend to base their beliefs on facts and evidence, because they are looking for the truth regarding the world in which we live. Now some things are not really beliefs as much as knowledge of fact. Evolution is one example. A person does not believe in evolution, because it is fact that over time populations of living things evolve, as much as they accept the facts. Most of us read articles from other site, and also post on site were we are not agreed with. While it may look at first that we all think the same way, it is not so. Not everyone here is an atheist. We have a fare share of agnostics, and also religious. One of a mods is a practicing Christian. It avoids dogmatic beliefs. Skepticism make people look at what others as well as their selfs believe. This prevents people from blindly following ideals just because they sound good. The bible says that people who believe without seeing are blessed. I think that people who believe without seeing are suckers.....and I would like to talk to them about a bridge. We know this because their is not one bit of evidence to support their beliefs. The scientific method is not a test of knowledge, it is a test of fact, or truth. You have to understand that the scientific method is not some abstract idea on how to test ideas. Really it is quite a natural way of discovery. Have you ever tried preforming the same task in different ways to find out what works best? That is a simple scientific method. I would be interested if you had another method of testing ideas.
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Post by rookie on Jun 10, 2009 7:45:14 GMT -5
Remember to pick up your exalt on your way out. "Right" and "wrong" are relative terms. For example, a good friend of mine is colorblind. So if I ask him what color my shirt is, he'll say gray and someone else will say it's blue. They are both right. Nate sees gray and Zack sees blue. Or ask about a car accident. You'll get as many versions as there are witnesses.
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Post by schizophonic on Jun 10, 2009 9:51:50 GMT -5
Another +1.
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Post by Sigmaleph on Jun 10, 2009 9:56:39 GMT -5
I would be interested if you had another method of testing ideas. This. Most of what nickerson said I agree with, but this is the part that I think is the most relevant. When you can offer a method that works better than the scientific method for determining reality, I'll listen to you. Until then...
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Post by dasfuchs on Jun 10, 2009 10:44:44 GMT -5
See, that's the problem, to accept religion like the RR flavor you have to ignore everything that is very real around you for it to be true. Denying that things around you and science in general is an illusion put here to test us for god, well, that's just an excuse to remain ignorant.
On top of that i've yet to see one of them choose to avoid a doctor for life threatening instances for themselves. Sure they'll choose for someone else, but i've not seen a whole lot ot "I'll pray and not go to see a doctor for my problem". Medicine is very very real science
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Post by antichrist on Jun 10, 2009 13:43:55 GMT -5
Well to be blunt, I cannot prove with 100% certainty that there is no god; however, it is not the biblical god. It's quite easy to prove. Take the promises and predictions from the bible (no not what a pastor says, go straight to the source). Can prayer move mountains? nope. Ever met a Christian willing to drink a gallon of antifreeze? nope. I could go on. And dasfuchs is right, they'll kill their own kid over their 'faith' but when it comes to their own medical needs, they'll run for the emergency room.
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Post by ironbite on Jun 10, 2009 13:48:26 GMT -5
Honeslty, nobody knows if they're "right" or not. Sure, quantafiable evidence helps but when it comes down to it, this is an argument that'll last forever. Like the relationship between an old guy and a midget.
Ironbite-"WHERE'S THE REST OF YA!?"
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Post by Old Viking on Jun 10, 2009 13:50:37 GMT -5
If you could see the character in my face ... the wisdom in my eyes ... you could not question my correctness.
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Post by ironbite on Jun 10, 2009 13:56:33 GMT -5
*looks deep in Old Viking's eyes*
Ironbite-oh dear...I can see forever again.
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