cofty

Joined

• started 464 topics
• posted 24,957 times   see topics posted on
• send a message

Posts by cofty

• 
  147

  Scientism - Nothing But a Childish Insult?

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it is not uncommon for theists to accuse rational people on this forum of "scientism".. in my opinion it is nothing but a cheap shot from those who know they lack evidence for their beliefs.

  if something like "scientism" actually does exist then i have never encountered it.. here is part of an exchange from another thread - i have brought it here as it was off-topic.... scientism = claim of scientific method being universal and the only valid method of knowledge.

  followers of scientism always demand scientific evidence to anything.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  Music is one example.

  What information about the universe do we acquire from music?
  

  If someone claims to have been cured then we can scientifically investigate if such cure indeed had occurred. But we can't put a scientific evidence about the cause of such cure.

  Of course science can investigate such claims. It belongs to the scientific field of epidemiology. In fact the pro-faith Discovery Institute did exactly that. Turns out prayer for healing doesn't work. It's not for you to tell scientists what they can and cannot achieve. If god acts in the world he is fair game for the scrutiny of science.
• 
  147

  Scientism - Nothing But a Childish Insult?

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it is not uncommon for theists to accuse rational people on this forum of "scientism".. in my opinion it is nothing but a cheap shot from those who know they lack evidence for their beliefs.

  if something like "scientism" actually does exist then i have never encountered it.. here is part of an exchange from another thread - i have brought it here as it was off-topic.... scientism = claim of scientific method being universal and the only valid method of knowledge.

  followers of scientism always demand scientific evidence to anything.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  Scientism = a metaphysical claim about the scientific method being the only valid way to get knowledge about the universe.

  I asked you for a specific example of something we could learn "about the universe" from a source other than the application of science. You refused to give one so we are no further forward.

  One example of scientism is demanding scientific evidence to things beyond the scope of the scientific method

  Yes that does sound like it would be a foolish thing to do. I haven't encountered anybody who does that. Do you mean like expecting science to tell us whether we ought to prefer pistachio or chocolate ice cream?

  On the other hand when theists claim that god acts in the physical world - as you have - it is entirely reasonable to turn to science to investigate those claims. That would be a proper application of science.
  
• 
  147

  Scientism - Nothing But a Childish Insult?

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it is not uncommon for theists to accuse rational people on this forum of "scientism".. in my opinion it is nothing but a cheap shot from those who know they lack evidence for their beliefs.

  if something like "scientism" actually does exist then i have never encountered it.. here is part of an exchange from another thread - i have brought it here as it was off-topic.... scientism = claim of scientific method being universal and the only valid method of knowledge.

  followers of scientism always demand scientific evidence to anything.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  Your position is scientism does not exist? Yes or not? - J_M

  Perhaps somewhere there is somebody who deserves the label - I don't know I have never encountered such a person. Nobody even seems able to agree on a concise definition of the word.

  Can't you see you personally is a follower of scientism in denial?

  That is total nonsense. You have yet to show one single example of anything I have ever said in over 20,000 posts that would justify your accusation.

  You claimed that anybody who asks for scientific evidence of god is guilty of scientism. By that definition almost everybody who has ever lived is that group. It is the most foolish thing I have ever read from a theist on this forum. You just keep redefining science until it is so narrow it excludes everything you find inconvenient.

  You are also a hypocrite because you said your faith was built at least in part on three specific miracles. All such events are subject to examination of the evidence. As soon as somebody asks for evidence you scream "scientism". It is pure intellectual dishonesty and cowardice.

  You also avoid every difficult question you are asked.
  
  
• 
  147

  Scientism - Nothing But a Childish Insult?

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it is not uncommon for theists to accuse rational people on this forum of "scientism".. in my opinion it is nothing but a cheap shot from those who know they lack evidence for their beliefs.

  if something like "scientism" actually does exist then i have never encountered it.. here is part of an exchange from another thread - i have brought it here as it was off-topic.... scientism = claim of scientific method being universal and the only valid method of knowledge.

  followers of scientism always demand scientific evidence to anything.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  But I have never encountered anyone who does that Ruby.

  That is why when JM and others say it it is just a convenient insult.
• 
  147

  Scientism - Nothing But a Childish Insult?

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it is not uncommon for theists to accuse rational people on this forum of "scientism".. in my opinion it is nothing but a cheap shot from those who know they lack evidence for their beliefs.

  if something like "scientism" actually does exist then i have never encountered it.. here is part of an exchange from another thread - i have brought it here as it was off-topic.... scientism = claim of scientific method being universal and the only valid method of knowledge.

  followers of scientism always demand scientific evidence to anything.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  You are still avoiding the questions.

  Please look at my previous post and address my questions specifically.
• 
  147

  Scientism - Nothing But a Childish Insult?

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it is not uncommon for theists to accuse rational people on this forum of "scientism".. in my opinion it is nothing but a cheap shot from those who know they lack evidence for their beliefs.

  if something like "scientism" actually does exist then i have never encountered it.. here is part of an exchange from another thread - i have brought it here as it was off-topic.... scientism = claim of scientific method being universal and the only valid method of knowledge.

  followers of scientism always demand scientific evidence to anything.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  John your excuses are dishonest unless official Catholic dogma denies totally that God is not and never has been active in the world.

  But you already claimed that your god performed at least three miracles. Those claims can be investigated by science.

  Are you really claiming that every time a Catholic prays for God to act on behalf of themselves or others they are going against official Catholic doctrine? What a pointless God you worship!

  You hypocritically appeal to evidence for your God one minute and yell "scientism" the next.

  Do you actually stand by your assertion that every time someone asks for evidence of God they are guilty of "scientism"? That is perhaps the most extraordinary claim I have read by any theist.
• 
  147

  Scientism - Nothing But a Childish Insult?

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it is not uncommon for theists to accuse rational people on this forum of "scientism".. in my opinion it is nothing but a cheap shot from those who know they lack evidence for their beliefs.

  if something like "scientism" actually does exist then i have never encountered it.. here is part of an exchange from another thread - i have brought it here as it was off-topic.... scientism = claim of scientific method being universal and the only valid method of knowledge.

  followers of scientism always demand scientific evidence to anything.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  Ok - but you have still to establish that anybody here actually is guilty of this thought crime you call "scientism". It just sounds like a catch-all insult to help you avoid dealing with challenges.

  You said - "If you ask for scientific evidence to God then you are a follower of scientism."

  I replied that christians constantly make claims about the real world. Therefore it is reasonable to ask for scientific evidence to support those claims.
• 
  556

  The Watchtower are Right About Blood...

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  ... but, they fail to take note of one important detail.. i believe that if we are going to have any chance of reasoning with a jw about blood, this is the place we need to begin.. don't try to convince them that it was only a dietary law.

  it wasn't, and they will never go along with it.. don't tell them that saving a life is more important than obeying a law, even a seemingly trivial one.

  they take pride in obedience.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  In your 10,000+ posts have you ever said anything kind to anybody? - Cofty to NN

  That was a genuine question.
• 
  147

  Scientism - Nothing But a Childish Insult?

  by cofty in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  it is not uncommon for theists to accuse rational people on this forum of "scientism".. in my opinion it is nothing but a cheap shot from those who know they lack evidence for their beliefs.

  if something like "scientism" actually does exist then i have never encountered it.. here is part of an exchange from another thread - i have brought it here as it was off-topic.... scientism = claim of scientific method being universal and the only valid method of knowledge.

  followers of scientism always demand scientific evidence to anything.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  a person would have to be God to say there is no God

  That ceases to be true as soon as we define "god".
• 
  25

  A baffling physics question

  by FatFreek 2005 in

  1. social
  2. current

  for several weeks i've been treating myself to a hot chocolate milk (well, soymilk) before bedtime.

  some 16 oz soymilk which i heat on high in our microwave oven.

  this is just enough time where the liquid begins to bubble along the top edge.. i then take it out of the microwave and place it on my kitchen gram scale, stir it good enough to redistribute the heat, then reset the scale to zero grams.. next, i squeeze in the hershey's sytup, "special dark mildly sweet chocolate" (fat free) into the warmed soymilk till the scale reads some 30 grams.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  cofty

  Water lost as steam.