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To: Judith Anne

No. There is no way that I know of explaining the color blue to someone born blind. You can explain the electromagnetic scale and the existence of wavelengths, but I doubt that that will help him understand color. There are, however, billions of people that have SEEN the color blue, so you have facts to support that the color blue does exist. If everyone was blind, then no one would experience the color blue or that such a thing existed. When something is based entirely upon a personal experience, it is not in the realm of reasonable debate. That does not make the experience false, but you cannot argue with feelings. You can only recognize that certain feelings exist.


46 posted on 05/02/2010 7:46:59 PM PDT by Nosterrex
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To: Nosterrex

From your post #17:

“When anyone states that you have to experience something to understand it, any rational discussion becomes impossible.”

Then, in response to my statement in #18, that it’s kind of like trying to explain the color blue to someone born blind, you respond in post #46:

“When something is based entirely upon a personal experience, it is not in the realm of reasonable debate. That does not make the experience false, but you cannot argue with feelings. You can only recognize that certain feelings exist.”

I would counter that the physical senses are not “feelings” in the sense of emotions, but physical feelings based on physical nature. A rational discussion about the senses can take place even if someone lacks the particular sense.

And a rational discussion about religious beliefs can take place, even if someone lacks religious beliefs, or holds a contradictory set of religious beliefs (always presupposing that a rational discussion is desired).


56 posted on 05/02/2010 8:53:43 PM PDT by Judith Anne
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