Poll: the supernatural

[ThrobbingEgo]

Fair enough. But that's why I try to take everything I hear and see (and even think about) with a grain of salt. Your own thought processes are often unreliable, since you often rely on them without question. It's one of the reasons why some people have trouble admitting that they have mental issues (hallucinations, etc.). It's natural to believe what it is that you see and hear, but your mind can play tricks on you sometimes. Thoughts do the same thing.

I tend to go through the devil's advocate routine with just about everything that crosses my mind.

Hey, I think I found Daniel Dennett explaining this (the colourblind thing I was talking about a few posts up) on TED. I didn't watch the video yet, but I think this is exactly what he was talking about in his book. I was looking for his lancet fluke video and I found this.

You definitely want to watch this.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/dan_dennett_on_our_consciousness.html

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

You don't know that for sure, and you can't say you do either. If you believe and your wrong, oh well. But if you don't belive and your wrong, well, you missed out on a lot, my friend

People need to stop using Pascal's Wager!

It does not work. At all.

What if some other god, not the Judeo-Christian God, is the one that exists, and it punishes people who don't believe in him? Turns out your "believing not because I have evidence but because I don't want bad stuff to happen to me" thing suddenly goes all to shit.

Sorry for the hostility but this idea has been shot down so many times it's ridiculous that people still use it.

Ninja'd you.

 

[UltimatheChosen]

You don't know that for sure, and you can't say you do either. If you believe and your wrong, oh well. But if you don't belive and your wrong, well, you missed out on a lot, my friend

People need to stop using Pascal's Wager!

It does not work. At all.

What if some other god, not the Judeo-Christian God, is the one that exists, and it punishes people who don't believe in him? Turns out your "believing not because I have evidence but because I don't want bad stuff to happen to me" thing suddenly goes all to shit.

Sorry for the hostility but this idea has been shot down so many times it's ridiculous that people still use it.

Very true. Christians (other religions as well, but it seems to be mostly Christians) often forget or ignore the fact that not every religion revolves around their deity. I mean, what if Zeus and his incestuous family are real? Or Odin and his band of flawed deities? Or some kind of ancient bloodthirsty religion involving human sacrifice? I guess everybody's boned then.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

Guys, already handled it, with tact. No need to start a flamewar about it.

Also, don't anger Zeus.

 

[Wide White]

You don't know that for sure, and you can't say you do either. If you believe and your wrong, oh well. But if you don't belive and your wrong, well, you missed out on a lot, my friend

People need to stop using Pascal's Wager!

It does not work. At all.

What if some other god, not the Judeo-Christian God, is the one that exists, and it punishes people who don't believe in him? Turns out your "believing not because I have evidence but because I don't want bad stuff to happen to me" thing suddenly goes all to shit.

Sorry for the hostility but this idea has been shot down so many times it's ridiculous that people still use it.

Are we on the same page or did I miss something?

Making assumptions that I'm trying to use a wager or whatever I've never heard of will get you nowhere

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

Are we on the same page or did I miss something?

Making assumptions that I'm trying to use a wager or whatever I've never heard of will get you nowhere

Pascal's Wager: Believe in god because if you're right you get into heaven, if you're wrong you lose nothing.

 

[vede]

You don't know that for sure, and you can't say you do either. If you believe and your wrong, oh well. But if you don't belive and your wrong, well, you missed out on a lot, my friend

People need to stop using Pascal's Wager!

It does not work. At all.

What if some other god, not the Judeo-Christian God, is the one that exists, and it punishes people who don't believe in him? Turns out your "believing not because I have evidence but because I don't want bad stuff to happen to me" thing suddenly goes all to shit.

Sorry for the hostility but this idea has been shot down so many times it's ridiculous that people still use it.

Are we on the same page or did I miss something?

Making assumptions that I'm trying to use a wager or whatever I've never heard of will get you nowhere

"Well, if you don't believe and God exists, you're fucked, but if you do believe and he does exist, you're granted eternal bliss, and if he doesn't exist nothing happens, so you should believe." IS PASCAL'S WAGER.

That's what it is. Doesn't matter if you don't know it's called that, that's what it is.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

*Snip*

Ninja'd with tact.

 

[Wide White]

Are we on the same page or did I miss something?

Making assumptions that I'm trying to use a wager or whatever I've never heard of will get you nowhere

Pascal's Wager: Believe in God because if you're right you get into heaven, if you're wrong you lose nothing.

oh, thanks. That's not what i was trying to say though. And I still wasn't trying to convert you, I think you got a little offended at the end there...

 

[Wide White]

You don't know that for sure, and you can't say you do either. If you believe and your wrong, oh well. But if you don't belive and your wrong, well, you missed out on a lot, my friend

People need to stop using Pascal's Wager!

It does not work. At all.

What if some other god, not the Judeo-Christian God, is the one that exists, and it punishes people who don't believe in him? Turns out your "believing not because I have evidence but because I don't want bad stuff to happen to me" thing suddenly goes all to shit.

Sorry for the hostility but this idea has been shot down so many times it's ridiculous that people still use it.

Are we on the same page or did I miss something?

Making assumptions that I'm trying to use a wager or whatever I've never heard of will get you nowhere

"Well, if you don't believe and God exists, you're fucked, but if you do believe and he does exist, you're granted eternal bliss, and if he doesn't exist nothing happens, so you should believe." IS PASCAL'S WAGER.

That's what it is. Doesn't matter if you don't know it's called that, that's what it is.

Yeah but if I knew it was a commonly used tactic for converting people I wouldn't have used it in my "argument".

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

Are we on the same page or did I miss something?

Making assumptions that I'm trying to use a wager or whatever I've never heard of will get you nowhere

Pascal's Wager: Believe in God because if you're right you get into heaven, if you're wrong you lose nothing.

oh, thanks. That's not what i was trying to say though. And I still wasn't trying to convert you, I think you got a little offended at the end there...

Nah, I shut the argument down. I'm not offended, I'm just already aware of what you're trying to tell me. I'm not an atheist out of ignorance.

 

[ssgt splatter]

Wow, this is quite the argument. I'd voice my opinion but I'm afraid of being attacked by you people.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

Wow, this is quite the argument. I'd voice my opinion but I'm afraid of being attacked by you people.

I'll only "attack" your argument. I'll make the effort.

 

[Wide White]

Are we on the same page or did I miss something?

Making assumptions that I'm trying to use a wager or whatever I've never heard of will get you nowhere

Pascal's Wager: Believe in God because if you're right you get into heaven, if you're wrong you lose nothing.

oh, thanks. That's not what i was trying to say though. And I still wasn't trying to convert you, I think you got a little offended at the end there...

Nah, I shut the argument down. I'm not offended, I'm just already aware of what you're trying to tell me. I'm not an atheist out of ignorance.

Yeah, I'm not here to burn bridges or start unneeded arguments. I'll try to use my words so they dont sound like I'm using Pascals Wager or whatever it was.

 

[ssgt splatter]

Wow, this is quite the argument. I'd voice my opinion but I'm afraid of being attacked by you people.

I'll only "attack" your argument. I'll make the effort.

What? Explain.

 

[Cliff_m85]

I wish I had, and I wish I believed in it, but unfortunately I haven't and I don't.

I must be the only atheist and sceptic who wishes they believed in God and the supernatural (sorry if it sounds like I'm comparing God to ghosts, that isn't my intention - I'm just too lazy to construct that better).

then why don't you???

I'm also an atheist and I see the appeal in belief. There's a lot of promise involved in supernatural beliefs: protection, wholesomeness, immortality. When you're a strong atheist (meaning, supernatural = no) you know (pardon my certainty) that when your brain dies, you're gone. You'd like to believe there's more after death but you know that your "mortal" life is all you get - and after that, you don't even get to suffer in hell. No thought, no consciousness. The atheist "afterlife" is the worst.

It's not about what you like. It's about reality. The reality you won't escape.

Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science.
=Charles Darwin

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

Wow, this is quite the argument. I'd voice my opinion but I'm afraid of being attacked by you people.

I'll only "attack" your argument. I'll make the effort.

What? Explain.

I'll try to disagree with you politely and knowledgeably. Best offer on the internet.

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science.
=Charles Darwin

I love when people quote scientists outside their area of expertise. It's like getting an athlete to endorse McDonalds.

 

[0p3rati0n]

you still don't get it don't you!?

Disney World is not magic. That's just a statement - a fact. I'm not trying to ruin it for you. It's a cool place. I want to go back there some day.

Do we understand each other?

I understand you. But do you understand the concept of Disney's magic? In a technical way imagination is magic. So that's where it comes from. Now do we understand each other?

 

[ThrobbingEgo]

you still don't get it don't you!?

Disney World is not magic. That's just a statement - a fact. I'm not trying to ruin it for you. It's a cool place. I want to go back there some day.

Do we understand each other?

I understand you. But do you understand the concept of Disney's magic? In a technical way imagination is magic. So that's where it comes from. Now do we understand each other?

Okay, so long as you're not implying that imagination is magic.

I never said "make-believe bad." I'm just saying, if Disney could, they'd be the ones using real magic. Do you understand what I'm saying?