Quote:
Originally posted by papermachesatan
There's a far greater amount of evidence in my physician's competence - Medical degrees, laws, etc. than there is in God. I don't know that the car stopped at the red light won't just peel out other than the probability is low and they most likely know of consequences of doing such; even then, I procede across cautiously. Faith is the grease of life and faith in things with evidence supporting their dependability is not irrational. And you are correct than I cannot be 100% certain that the sun's going to come up or that my parent's love me. The sun has consistently come up and gone down for all of recorded history; it's safe to assume it will come up. I also have evidence of my loved one's love towards me. God has no evidence what-so-ever. Faith in something with evidence is far different in something faith without evidence. That's where the boundry of the rational and irrational lie.
|
So what if someone claims to have personal evidence of the existence of a god? Since that evidence may be purely experiential how is it any difference from the "evidence" that you have as to your loved ones' feelings towards you?
I agree though, faith based on rational thought is generally better placed than blind faith. What if i claim that it is possible to believe in the existence of god based purely on the very rational belief that the universe was created? Surely the idea that the universe was created by some sort of force is nothing new to you, why is it so irrational for that force to be sentient? I think it is irrational to label as irrational something which you have no direct or even secondhand knowledge of.
Quote:
|
I'd be highly interested in hearing what makes a spirtual assessment of what happens when you die so accurate.
|
I'm not saying it is accurate, just that when it comes to things that by their very nature can't be proven or disproven it is a waste of time to try and write said thing off as irrational. I'd like to hear your rational, scientific fact-based perspective on the afterlife or lack thereof. Where do you think we go after we die? Let me pre-emptively state that whatever you think is wholly irrational. At least as irrational as believing in some sort of deity.
So i'm wrong. You're argument is essentially "you can't prove it and it is irrational." My bad. Its still not a very compelling argument. It is very rational to wonder about that which cannot be explained. It is also very rational to make sense of the unknown as best as you can based on your experiences. How is it irrational to believe in god, even lacking the empirical, quantitative evidence that you seem to need?