Posted on 01/03/2002 11:19:13 AM PST by ArGee
(Which side are you on again????)
While this assumption is mathematically rational (in the best form of Solomonoff), it doesn't prove that your assumption will always be correct. The problem is that the rational choice and the correct choice are not always the same thing, so errors are quite possible. By the same token, to assert that ANY religion of the thousand is correct is irrational and all intelligent people should treat such an assertion as just that.
It is up to the individuals who hypothesize that a particular choice is correct to devise an objective metric that can be rigorously evaluated as rational in these cases. If the hypothesis is correct, the construction of such an objective metric must be possible.
Until some form of independently verifiable evidence is presented to support such an assertion, it is logical to dismiss such a notion as fallacious.
That never worked for me. Many people base their faith on personal experiences. Even though these experiences cannot by independently verified, they would be fools to ignore such experiences. For those of us who do not have such experiences, it is a matter of how much we trust the stories that we hear and the people who tell them.
This isn't just religion: Many of our beliefs -- aesthetic, romantic, even political to a certain extent -- are formed just the same way.
It is not foolish of you to reject religious belief, based on your experience. It is foolish of you to reject others faith and beliefs on that basis, unless you are going to reject other beliefs, based on unverifiable evidence, such as appreciation of a form of music or romantic love.
There was actually a point to it--Who are the rich man's servers at the banquet?
So it is with the Scripture. IF there were just SOME past prophecy that had come true, we might be tempted to check........
Nah, that's crazy........
Faulty logic..........
If 990 coin flips in a row are tails, the chances are pretty good that flip 991 will be tails as well. And by the time you get to flipping coin 1000, it stands to reason it'll be tails, too.
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Just change the wording and you'll see...........
Ummm...no. If I flip a coin 990 times, and it comes up tails each time, I'm thinking I'm dealing with a loaded coin. I can't *prove* the coin is loaded, and given the nature of relgion, I can't prove that any or all them are false- but I reserves the right to be dubious...
How about The Koran?
We could all be a god, who created the universe, in order to experience an almost infinite number of lifes. To do so, he makes himself forget that fact, each time he starts a new life.
I don't believe that; but there's nothing illogical per se about that.
Those are intriguing questions. I have a more intriguing one, though:
What about you?
That's the impression you've been giving me.
I don't trot Him out, He comes when you call to Him. He is there for you to find. He desires a relationship with you.
Been there, done that, nobody showed. Got over it. Moved on.
But, as Jesus said: (Luke 16:31) "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"
There's your mistake. Luke said, Jesus said, and the guy pretending to be Luke wasn't even Luke! You accept third or fourth hand testimony. Even second hand testimony is inadmissable in our own fallible court system!
Even if He were to appear to you tonight, you would convince yourself you were dreaming.
Nice try, but it never happened before and it ain't happening tonight.
There is no more complete evidence than what already is. It isn't a lack of evidence that is bothering you, it is a lack of will.
In other words, you still have no independently verifiable evidence to present.
Open the eyes of your heart and you will see.
Been there, done that, nothing to see. Got over it. Moved on.
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