sabastious:
" I do not fail to understand this " that your senses can fool you.
You're saying that somehow you have a way to validate your observations, in spite of the limitations of your (all our) senses. You say you do this because of experience (doing it for so long) and because you see it in others. But this is where you close yourself to ideas and arguments that can affect that perception. You're looking from the inside out at people and determining, using your own internal compass, that they are biased or they are wrong. They may be wrong and biased, but in order to make that determination, you have to explore their ideas (not yours) and then have supporting independent information for why they are wrong (not just your own set of data).
What I had detected in your arguments was a refusal to recognize the logic of what can and cannot be successfully argued. For example, you said: " I do not think that just because creationism cannot be disproved that it's true. I have said, I think serveral times now, that because it cannot be disproved it's not an illogical intellectual pursuit." In the first place, the first sentence confuses me because of the double negative condition ("I do not think that it cannot be disproved"), but I get you. I mentioned this before but let me do it again. From Terry's post:
You said: " what if we COULD know, but are being repelled by forces we don't know exist? " Really? Please think about that. Give it your best self-argument. In high school, we'd argue whether a rock was 'alive' or 'aware' -- By the fact that we cannot detect that a rock 'thinks' doesn't mean it doesn't think. So therefore, not being able to prove it doesn't think does not mean it doesn't think and means it could think and be alive."
I had hoped you understood the fallacy of that argument. What you're asserting to is that because we can't disprove something it means your point that it exists (because it's possible) is just as valid. What you fail to conclude correctly is the opposite: that not being able to prove the positive is just as valid and therefore the thing doesn't exists. What it means is that when it comes to conclusions, we don't have to have a binary state where it either is or it isn't. In logic, it's OK to conclude that we can't make a conclusion either way because either opposite conclusions are possible or because neither conclusion is possible.
So when you fail to understand that point, you are isolating yourself to your observations and rejecting anything else that would adjust your view.
" I established motivation for the search for God "
When I said that you're guilty of the same thing you accuse "classic" scientists by having a preconceived aim (motivation) in your exploration, you replied: "I established motivation for the search for God. If there are facts that disprove that a Creator is possible then there IS NO MOTIVATION ". What I specifically referred to was your claim that some scientists set out with an unproven belief and stop searching as soon as some results match their expectation.
Your reply to the "motivation" aspect doesn't make any sense at all. You set out on an intellectual exploration with a premise: "There is an intelligent creator" or "There is NO intelligent creator". The "facts" that either prove or disprove (according to you) directly apply to the notion of the premise you establish. How does that make motivation go away, prior to the examination of the facts? I think you're very motivated and have an intense need to justify your belief. More power to you. But, I think that understanding how someone else can have a completely different understanding from their own senses would go a long way towards examining your own perceptions.
" Why would I rein in my own valid research? "
I didn't mean to say you should stop seeking. What followed my suggestion to rein in your ideas was not intended for you to end pursuit your passion. What I meant is that if you're going to expose those ideas to others, it must be on an egalitarian plateau. You have to play by the same rules. Otherwise, you are free to live and think within your own realm. What I'm saying is that in the end, failing consider a prevailing set of ideas and reasoning besides what you have already determined is not very productive or conducive to new understanding.
As you can see, even though the discussion has given many of us an opportunity to exercise our brains, the experience was not very satisfying and even wearisome and contentious for many. That's why I recommended that what would help is to settle on a specific point and hammer it out. When making a statement of fact, always show a source or an example. Steer the conversation to stay on a specific point before going to the next. Otherwise, you're not going to get affirmation regarding what you think. That's OK. But then, you'll find that people are less and less willing to engage you. Isn't that what you're here for?