a challenge to those who feel intelligent

[altagid]

.... I guess my point being that when people interpret biblical texts literally and assume the have the Truth, in a capital T sort of way please note, they tend to become fundamentalist assholes who think it's ok to bomb people for thinking something else. Obviously any absolute outlook is going to have problems in this sense. Likewise I think anyone who restricts existence to the physical, lacks both inspiration and imagination. Keep an open mind, and don't think that just because your system is empirical you're getting Truth (capital) out of it.

Dogmatism is for fools. Dogma may seem attactive but it can really bite you in the ass , haw haw haw! One should never, ever be dogmatic... uh ... wait a second...

As for Truth with a capital T there isnt much of that in Science. Science is mostly about doubt, the skillful constructive use of doubt - not certainty. Very few important scientific results are "proved". Even the "Law of Gravitation" is just a theory and could, at least in principle be overturned. In fact the hope is that it will!

Just because I dont accept the existence of a spiritual world doesnt mean I closed minded about it Look, what's your position on Unicorns? or Bigfoot? Well mine is this, show me convincing evidence and I will accept their existence but until then, I conduct my life as if those things dont exist. I wont buy leather goods claiming to be unicorn hide . I wont waste my time and money going on a wild BigFoot chase, not on the strength of what we know at this time - this is a skeptical approach. You make the best decision you can based on the facts and tools that you have available - if later you get an opportunity to revise that decision, you jump at it.

.... As for religion, I'll just say, contrary to poker, the human weakness in all humans is the groundwork for compassion, not exploitation.

admirable but irrelevant. The point of that example was just to show that uncertainty can be handled intelligently - it does not oblige you to throw up your hands and say - all outcomes are uncertain therefore we have no way of making a decision and going forward.

.... I don't rely on causal or quantum connections in order to be a moral person. Whether or not there is a spiritual connection between all people, I behave as if there is.

I have no idea what this means or how it connects to our discussion.

.... I behave as if I should pay my bills rather than just lounge around in my vat.

What would you do?

Damn, man! I am a brain in a vat. If I dont pay my electric bill they pull the plug on me!

.... ps ~ I don't see it as a straw man. I hardly built it into much, and never represented it as a statement of your views.

this is bullshit - you are shifting your ground!

....
Originally Posted by Polymirize
You guys in this thread are all such fucking hardliners. Religion is the opiate of the masses (Marx) but I guess personally I fail to see the difference between pouring your faith into religion, or science, or causality, or belief in my own existence, etc...

(text accents are mine)