I am really getting flustered, if not fed up, with people who make all sorts of unsubstantiated claims and when you ask for any evidence or observation, demand that I prove that the claim is false. This upside down logic is so frustrating but regularly used by the claimers. The regular answer to that one is that the burden of proof is on the person making the claim, but it is always rejected. Imaging we start out with no opinion and never heard of an idea about why there is a universe because we never thought about it, a blank slate in fact. We just accepted what we can observe. Now someone invents a fictional force (god, superman, spirit, ghost, superbrain, what ever), and then tells me too accept their fiction because I cannot prove they are wrong. One can imagine anything, such as “The universe is an aware super being itself”, for example, but imagination has no validity.
Then there is another tactic that drives me up the wall. One makes a claim and then declares that since we don’t know it might be possible, no matter how outrages the claim is. For example “There might be a spiritual world even if there is no scientific based evidence. You don’t know, but there is always the possibility that there is”. NO,NO,NO! just because it sounds reasonable they think that is a valuable statement but it isn’t. Let me make a similar statement “There might be a moon somewhere in the universe which is made of cheese. You don’t know, but there is always a possibility that there is”. This statement would be rejected by most, if not all, people but if you make the same statement about Spirits, ghosts or gods, then it suddenly becomes acceptable as a debatable item. It shouldn’t.
Also there is the misuse of the word “evidence” (the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid). NDEs are NOT “evidence”. Hallucinations and drug-induced revelations are NOT “evidence”. Biblical texts are NOT “evidence”, Feelings are NOT “evidence”, only facts and real information are.
I am also tired of having repeatedly to explain the difference between a scientific theory and a speculation. Many think that a theory is just a guess and thus equal to a speculation. A theory might be incorrect or incomplete but it is based on facts and observation. The theory of gravity is not complete and not fully understood but it is based on facts and observation. If you don’t believe me, jump of a tall building. Speculations such as UFOs (although observed) are aliens in spaceships, are fiction.
I am tempted when I run into arguments and the above tactics are used, just to give up and quit to debate that person, since they will reject logic anyway. The only reason that I hang in there most of the time, is the fact that someone else might be reading the debate, who does not have a closed mind and becomes aware of the above tactics and recognizes their invalidity.
Then there is another tactic that drives me up the wall. One makes a claim and then declares that since we don’t know it might be possible, no matter how outrages the claim is. For example “There might be a spiritual world even if there is no scientific based evidence. You don’t know, but there is always the possibility that there is”. NO,NO,NO! just because it sounds reasonable they think that is a valuable statement but it isn’t. Let me make a similar statement “There might be a moon somewhere in the universe which is made of cheese. You don’t know, but there is always a possibility that there is”. This statement would be rejected by most, if not all, people but if you make the same statement about Spirits, ghosts or gods, then it suddenly becomes acceptable as a debatable item. It shouldn’t.
Also there is the misuse of the word “evidence” (the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid). NDEs are NOT “evidence”. Hallucinations and drug-induced revelations are NOT “evidence”. Biblical texts are NOT “evidence”, Feelings are NOT “evidence”, only facts and real information are.
I am also tired of having repeatedly to explain the difference between a scientific theory and a speculation. Many think that a theory is just a guess and thus equal to a speculation. A theory might be incorrect or incomplete but it is based on facts and observation. The theory of gravity is not complete and not fully understood but it is based on facts and observation. If you don’t believe me, jump of a tall building. Speculations such as UFOs (although observed) are aliens in spaceships, are fiction.
I am tempted when I run into arguments and the above tactics are used, just to give up and quit to debate that person, since they will reject logic anyway. The only reason that I hang in there most of the time, is the fact that someone else might be reading the debate, who does not have a closed mind and becomes aware of the above tactics and recognizes their invalidity.
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