There are always two sides to the story and since we all are biased in one direction or another we will tend to interpreted opinion in the direction of our position. This is called cognitive dissonance and if we do not recognize it we cannot accept the other side’s argument. This is especially true when listening to a pseudo science debate where the “scientific’ language is used to dazzle people lay people by drawing exotic conclusions. In most cases, however, if you have an open mind, you can tell the difference between real science and pseudoscience arguments as follows:
I will state the Atheist (A) position and the Believers (B) position on some of the current controversies and you pick the “A” side or the “B” side.
A: The Earth is millions of year old, because we have a method called Radiocarbon Dating which gives us the approximate age of rocks and fossils.
B: The earth is less than 8000 years old as established in the Bible By counting up the years as out lined and the bible is to be taken literally.
A: NDE (Near Death Experience, as narrated by people who were revived after their brain waves went flat) can be accounted for as hallucinations, dreams etc. after the minimum brain activity strengthened and they came out of a deep coma. They were never really dead. ( “near” means “almost” and not “actual”)
B: These people were declared brain dead after the electric measurements of brain activity showed no activity on the monitors. So they experienced Death for a while and their testimony cannot be otherwise explained.
A: Alzheimer’s patients clearly show that when the brain is dying, that awareness dies with it, therefor after death there is no awareness left.
B: After an Alzheimer patient dies his/her awareness gets miraculously restored without the necessity of a physical Brain. We cannot prove that, but we feel that it happens.
A: Sceances are sessions with a Medium who very skilled in deceiving people under the influence of hypnosis or in highly emotional state using ventriloquism and other tricks. Many researches have tested mediums and none has so far proved to have this, so called, sixth sense (ESP) or that ESP exists.
B: Psychic mediums who have a sixth sense can talk to people after death. They speak with distorted voices and sometimes even disembodied voices representing a dead family member.
A: UFOs are Unidentified Flying Objects. Most are identified after but some are not, but that does not automatically means that they are spaceships manned by ETs.
B; But there are people who will swear that they are actually abducted by aliens, and have been aboard these UFOs. And we have some photos, although not clear, showing strange objects in the sky.
A: Aids and Ebola are terrible diseases which will eventually cured by medical advances, just like other diseases in the past
B: These diseases are God’s punishment for Homosexuality and other deviate behavior in our immoral society
A: Prayer has no effect on the outcome of a disease or other phenomena. People have died, relying on prayer to heal the sick and not consulting a doctor, some illnesses will eventually be cured by the bodies own defenses but better seek real medical advice.
B:Prayer does work, I have seen that many times, and when it doesn’t work it is God’s mysterious ways which cannot be questioned or understood.
If you are a die hardened Atheist you agree with all “A”s and a fervent believer with all “B”s, but I want to hear from the fence sitters: Which positions seem more logical and scientific to you?
I will state the Atheist (A) position and the Believers (B) position on some of the current controversies and you pick the “A” side or the “B” side.
A: The Earth is millions of year old, because we have a method called Radiocarbon Dating which gives us the approximate age of rocks and fossils.
B: The earth is less than 8000 years old as established in the Bible By counting up the years as out lined and the bible is to be taken literally.
A: NDE (Near Death Experience, as narrated by people who were revived after their brain waves went flat) can be accounted for as hallucinations, dreams etc. after the minimum brain activity strengthened and they came out of a deep coma. They were never really dead. ( “near” means “almost” and not “actual”)
B: These people were declared brain dead after the electric measurements of brain activity showed no activity on the monitors. So they experienced Death for a while and their testimony cannot be otherwise explained.
A: Alzheimer’s patients clearly show that when the brain is dying, that awareness dies with it, therefor after death there is no awareness left.
B: After an Alzheimer patient dies his/her awareness gets miraculously restored without the necessity of a physical Brain. We cannot prove that, but we feel that it happens.
A: Sceances are sessions with a Medium who very skilled in deceiving people under the influence of hypnosis or in highly emotional state using ventriloquism and other tricks. Many researches have tested mediums and none has so far proved to have this, so called, sixth sense (ESP) or that ESP exists.
B: Psychic mediums who have a sixth sense can talk to people after death. They speak with distorted voices and sometimes even disembodied voices representing a dead family member.
A: UFOs are Unidentified Flying Objects. Most are identified after but some are not, but that does not automatically means that they are spaceships manned by ETs.
B; But there are people who will swear that they are actually abducted by aliens, and have been aboard these UFOs. And we have some photos, although not clear, showing strange objects in the sky.
A: Aids and Ebola are terrible diseases which will eventually cured by medical advances, just like other diseases in the past
B: These diseases are God’s punishment for Homosexuality and other deviate behavior in our immoral society
A: Prayer has no effect on the outcome of a disease or other phenomena. People have died, relying on prayer to heal the sick and not consulting a doctor, some illnesses will eventually be cured by the bodies own defenses but better seek real medical advice.
B:Prayer does work, I have seen that many times, and when it doesn’t work it is God’s mysterious ways which cannot be questioned or understood.
If you are a die hardened Atheist you agree with all “A”s and a fervent believer with all “B”s, but I want to hear from the fence sitters: Which positions seem more logical and scientific to you?
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