Posts by stuffwotifink

212

Why Do You No Longer Believe in God?

by Tenacious in

i know this question has popped up from time to time but i really would like to know how you guys, those that no longer believe, came to that conclusion?

was it the wts and all its crap?

was it something you read?

stuffwotifink

Is it your normal tactic to claim that people who disagree with you don't understand what you are talking about?

It is my normal tactic to point out that people who don't seem to know what they are talking about: don't seem to know what they are talking about.

Am I supposed to think that someone who claims everyone is an evidentialist and thinks that "epistemology isn't about evidence", knows what they are talking about?
If I honestly think that a person lacks understanding about something, should I hide my opinion?

Well I am open to being persuaded by evidence

Good for you. I hope you find someone who cares to try and persuade you. That person is not me.

I feel no obligation to a person who pops up (with what seems like a very poor grasp of what epistemology actually is) to say "epistemology has no value" and then demands that I persuade them of its value.
I have drying paint that needs watching first.

212

Why Do You No Longer Believe in God?

by Tenacious in

i know this question has popped up from time to time but i really would like to know how you guys, those that no longer believe, came to that conclusion?

was it the wts and all its crap?

was it something you read?

stuffwotifink

Nope. Lots of people are no such thing.
They are, it's why rational people don't walk out of second floor windows. I suggest you look up 'last thursdayism' as I think it applies to anything that comes from a study of epistemology.

You may want to find out what "Evidentialism" actually is, before stating that "everyone" is an evidentialist, perhaps.

If you think Last Thursdayism applies to "anything that comes from a study of epistemology": It is clear you don't understand epistemology very well.
(Assuming that you are using "anything", here, as synonymous with "everything", which you seem to be doing, given the context.)

I wasn't trying to convince you. Your opinion of epistemology doesn't effect me, one way or the other.
You bought it up, not me. If you don't want to discuss your own contribution to a discussion forum then why are you here?

I did mention epistemology, that is very true, have a cookie.
You then popped up and said that, according to what you see as the "evidence", epistemology has no "predictive power" (I've no idea at all why you think it should have) "or value".

In what way did you think that voicing your opinion of the lack of value in epistemology, was encouraging my further "discussion" of it with you?

An article you may find enlightening, maybe:
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/evidence/#EviWhiJusBel

212

Why Do You No Longer Believe in God?

by Tenacious in

i know this question has popped up from time to time but i really would like to know how you guys, those that no longer believe, came to that conclusion?

was it the wts and all its crap?

was it something you read?

stuffwotifink

cofty

Evolution happened we know this with a level of certainty that is every bit as great as our knowledge that the earth is not flat.

Certainty is no measure of the veracity of a belief. No idea why you'd even mention it.
One can be certain and wrong, uncertain and right.

Why would anybody who already accepts this to be true want to debate whether this belongs in the set of facts or beliefs?

I wasn't debating the issue.
All facts are beliefs. "Facts" and "knowledge" are subsets of belief.
The statement I originally responded to was "Nobody "believes" in natural selection, it's just a fact."
I wasn't debating that point, I was offering correction.

I read the article on epistemology a while ago. It was outrageously tedious.

Seemingly you didn't understand it.

cappytan

Anyone that points to DNA as "proof" of a creator and evidence against evolution has no idea what the science behind evolution actually says. They're being intellectually dishonest.

If they have "no idea what the science behind evolution actually says": They are not being intellectually dishonest. They are just being ignorant or wrong.
To be intellectually dishonest, you have to know that you are in error...

For example:
Someone who is aware that "facts" belong in the catagory of "belief", but who continues to say that "you don't have to believe a fact", would be intellectually dishonest.

212

Why Do You No Longer Believe in God?

by Tenacious in

i know this question has popped up from time to time but i really would like to know how you guys, those that no longer believe, came to that conclusion?

was it the wts and all its crap?

was it something you read?

stuffwotifink

We are all evidentialists

Nope. Lots of people are no such thing.

that doesn't convince me there is any value in epistemology.

I wasn't trying to convince you. Your opinion of epistemology doesn't effect me, one way or the other.

212

Why Do You No Longer Believe in God?

by Tenacious in

i know this question has popped up from time to time but i really would like to know how you guys, those that no longer believe, came to that conclusion?

was it the wts and all its crap?

was it something you read?

stuffwotifink

But epistemology isn't about evidence, after all pretty much all the evidence I have confirms that the world we live in is as it seems. The world responds in a logical and consistent fashion to the things I do and there is no advantage to assuming that I am in a matrix type environment being fooled (or a brain in a jar). Let's be honest if there were such evidence to be found I very much doubt it is going to be provided by an epistomologist, because I see no evidence that there is any predictive power or value in epistemology.

Evidentialism is an epistemological position.

212

Why Do You No Longer Believe in God?

by Tenacious in

i know this question has popped up from time to time but i really would like to know how you guys, those that no longer believe, came to that conclusion?

was it the wts and all its crap?

was it something you read?

stuffwotifink

We descended from non-human ancestors.

That's a well justified belief. I also believe that it's true.

If you insist on calling this a "belief" you need to invent a new word for the "beliefs" of religious people. Superstitions would do fine actually.

I also agree that "superstitions" would be a good word for the kind of religious beliefs you are refering to. [I guess that excuses me from shouldering the burden of inventing a new word.]

Tedious semantics.

No. Not at all.
Not unless you consider epistemology "Tedious semantics". An odd postition for someone who enjoys evidence so much, but hey, philosophy isn't everyone's bag.

212

Why Do You No Longer Believe in God?

by Tenacious in

i know this question has popped up from time to time but i really would like to know how you guys, those that no longer believe, came to that conclusion?

was it the wts and all its crap?

was it something you read?

stuffwotifink

Nobody "believes" in natural selection, it's just a fact.

All knowledge and facts are beliefs, the rub lies in the justification.
Epistemology, anyone?

I'll just pop this here.
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/epistemology/

Anyway, I do not believe in the God of the bible - because of reading the bible. Any other Gods I ever "looked into", also struck me as false. Metaphor, at best.
Even if, when I looked at the world I thought I saw the Hand of some Maker, I'd have to invent my own idea of a "God" to fit what I thought I saw evidence of.

Even if there is a real God - the best any human can do is invent their own idea of one or believe in someone else's invention.
[Without the god revealing itself, ofc. But even if the god reveals itself to Man number 1 -- Man number 2 is going around telling people about his invented god -- and Man number 3 has no way to distinguish between the false and true gods he's being told about.]

Seems unreasonable, in light of all that, to believe in any God that doesn't tap me personally on the shoulder.
So I don't.

72

Have you heard the one about "Back to the Future" Predicting 911??

by EndofMysteries in

when somebody posted this on fb, i was anxious to see how ridiculous it would be, probably worse then the gb prophecies, etc.

after watching the clip, i honestly don't know what to believe.

at the very least it's very entertaining and interesting.

stuffwotifink

There is a disclaimer at the start of the video.
"The following is a work of mysticism and sophistry"

"Apophenia productions"...

56

If Jehovah's Witnesses were a cereal, what would they be?

by Zoos in

cult flakes?.

.

(welcome to the height of intellectual thread topics.

stuffwotifink

1 Cor 3 teaches us that Jdubz are a bowl of plain milk. Sour at that.

11

Do i still believe in GOD?

by smoky21 in

hi, everyonei not new new... i have been here before under a different user, i just forgot my log-in info after a long time...so i created a new one.i from time to time post something.

usually i just like reading post, cuz you guys are great.i consider myself a atheist.

i came to this conclusion a few years ago, but i think i have always been skeptical about god's existence.i dont ever remember having experiencing the holy spirit, or anything supernatural good or evil, so i cannot relate to people who have.i always thought i was good person (never steal, fornicated or hurt anyone), yet never felt blessed by god.

stuffwotifink

There is a difference between you wanting him to go to hell and you thinking he actually might.
It seems more like you are wishing for a moment that it was true - rather than thinking it actually is true.