Fact vs Belief?

Man is a creature of belief ... No ifs ands or buts about it. You got that?
 
zaayrdragon said:

The alleged apple in front of you continues to exist, irrelevant of your belief of said apple.
Iacchus said:

I couldn't care less. The thing I want to know, is how do you know that the apple is there? In other words it can't be proven, based upon our senses that is. It's just like lifegazer says, the apple exists (for us anyway) only inside of our awareness of the apple. So whether it exists or not is besides the point.

By the way, I'm reasonably certain the apple does exist (due to my interacting with it), however, I could be entirely wrong. So, if you're going to call me the fool for saying so, you could stand to take a look in the mirror yourself.

So how is it that we can be so damn sure of ourselves, and come to find out later we're wrong? What does that suggest to you? That it's all a matter of belief perhaps?

Exactly!
Am only repeating this for those who start on this page without understanding why I made the statement at the top. No sense in re-hashing it if at all possible, right? ;)
 
zaayrdragon said:
It goes to prove that knowledge of a fact might be limited or wrong, but the fact remains.

This is where science is superior - it's always adjusting its claims based on new evidence. Every axiom, theory, or hypothesis remains as such until it can be irrefutably proven - then it's called a law. If, later, something defies said law, the law returns to theorem status until it can be adjusted accordingly.

If I say that they keep changing the "facts" on freon, and each time they say its fact and then it changes yet again. Then it never was or is "fact" Maybe current theory would be more accurate but No they always state it is a fact.

So how could that fact it remain if it always changes there is nothing to remain??

As for science being superior by what you stated I understand;

Science can say whatever it wants. Science can change the theory any time by adding or subtracting information. It can also make a law but if something is added or subtracted the law can be adjusted. So making a adjusted law.

So science just changes to suit the situations? by adding or subtracting different information? That would mean there is no such thing as a science fact then . . . which would make it more convient than superior.

This is a interesting observation.
 
Iacchus - you are an idiot. The apple exists.

In this and at least another thread, you said "So how is it that we can be so damn sure of ourselves, and come to find out later we're wrong? What does that suggest to you? That it's all a matter of belief perhaps?"

When are we supposed to find out we're wrong?

It has nothing to do with belief - if one is presented with something that appears to be an apple, and meets other criterion relevant to applehood, then one may reasonably accept that it is, in fact, an apple; however, if we then discover it to be scented wax, then we know it to be a scented wax apple. Nonetheless, the apple still exists, but our understanding of what it was was incorrect. This has nothing to do with faith.

Faith would be if someone held out an empty hand and said, "Behold, I have here an apple." If you then claim there is an apple there, you are exercising faith.

But, obviously, you and Rad are so brain-dead, so indoctrinated in your faith, that simple facts are beyond you.

It's a wonder you can operate the alleged computer in front of you!

:D
 
If man were a creature of belief... wouldn't atheism be impossible?

Or are you implying that even an atheist believes?

Of course, since you assert that there are no such things as 'facts', then, by your warped view of things, we have no choice but to be 'believers'. However, creating a such a determination essentially 'factors out' the determination - if EVERYTHING is belief, then we can dispense with belief entirely; in other words, assuming everything is belief, then we can dispense with ideas of belief entirely. We can then look at belief in the real, vs. belief in the unreal.

If we then assert everything to be unreal (as you so did earlier), then we can again dispense with this factor; and we can then look at belief in the unreal things that we can perceive, vs. belief in unreal things that we cannot perceive.

This process can continue ad infinitum, of course, but it still classifies a notable difference between 'fact' and 'fantasy' - and still places religion nicely outside the realm of 'fact'.

However, since I think your idea that everything is a belief in unreal things is utter and complete nonsense, I don't have this problem - I can clearly see real vs. unreal and know which one is true.
 
zaayrdragon said:
Iacchus - you are an idiot. The apple exists.
As I have already stated, this is not what's in dispute.


In this and at least another thread, you said "So how is it that we can be so damn sure of ourselves, and come to find out later we're wrong? What does that suggest to you? That it's all a matter of belief perhaps?"
And what if we were actually inside the holodeck on Star Trek, would you be able to dispute whether any apples in there were real or not?


When are we supposed to find out we're wrong?
And how long did it take them to figure out the world wasn't flat? :D :D :D
 
zaayrdragon said:

If man were a creature of belief... wouldn't atheism be impossible?
Yes, exactly! And, whether this is something which is done deliberately or not, it would seem to explain why Atheists are so adamant about not acknowledging it exists or, addressing it at all. So, if man were religious like I say, then it's certainly not hard to imagine how any notion of a god(s) might come into being.


Or are you implying that even an atheist believes?
How ironic huh? :D
 
And who knows, maybe this is what the original dispute in the Garden of Eden was all about? The fact that you have knowledge of something (i.e., knowledge of good and evil) does not make it real? But, that it's the tangibilty of the experience (within our awareness) that makes it real. In other words by placing emphasis on the external facts (knowledge), you lose sight of your original or true self which, is within you. The temptation you see, being to reach outside of one's self, to the illusion that external reality represents.

Of course does that mean we should blame Atheists for all of this? No. Because they are merely dramatizing the original choice (or, lack thereof) which was made in the first place.
 
Iacchus said:
And who knows, maybe this is what the original dispute in the Garden of Eden was all about? The fact that you have knowledge of something (i.e., knowledge of good and evil) does not make it real? But, that it's the tangibilty of the experience (within our awareness) that makes it real. In other words by placing emphasis on the external facts (knowledge), you lose sight of your original or true self which, is within you. The temptation you see, being to reach outside of one's self, to the illusion that external reality represents.

Of course does that mean we should blame Atheists for all of this? No. Because they are merely dramatizing the original choice (or, lack thereof) which was made in the first place.

Bloody hell, now your fantasies aren't even internally consistent.
 
Hate to tell you this but all we have is our internal being. And, to the extent that we are not true to this (ourselves), we are not real. You see it's not the fact that the apple exists that makes it real (otherwise it's just a fact you see), it's what you do with the apple that makes it real. In which case it becomes a matter of intent which, is what the true self entails, and, has nothing to do with external reality.
 
Iacchus said:
Hate to tell you this but all we have is our internal being. And, to the extent that we are not true to this (ourselves), we are not real. You see it's not the fact that the apple exists that makes it real (otherwise it's just a fact you see), it's what you do with the apple that makes it real. In which case it becomes a matter of intent which, is what the true self entails, and, has nothing to do with external reality.

Doot-doot doodle-oodle doot-doot do-do... :crazy:
 
Iacchus said:
Hate to tell you this but all we have is our internal being. And, to the extent that we are not true to this (ourselves), we are not real. You see it's not the fact that the apple exists that makes it real (otherwise it's just a fact you see), it's what you do with the apple that makes it real. In which case it becomes a matter of intent which, is what the true self entails, and, has nothing to do with external reality.
 
Iacchus said:
Hate to tell you this but all we have is our internal being. And, to the extent that we are not true to this (ourselves), we are not real. You see it's not the fact that the apple exists that makes it real (otherwise it's just a fact you see), it's what you do with the apple that makes it real. In which case it becomes a matter of intent which, is what the true self entails, and, has nothing to do with external reality.

What is our internal being?
 
From the thread, Limits of Science ...


dmarker said:

I discern that my coffee table exists when I stub my toe on it.
But, if there was no you internally to experience it, what difference does it make? Does a dead body experience pain? So what is it about the body that's missing that allows it to do so? In religious terms, this would be called a soul.
 
Well, Iacchus, you are entitled to your opinion on the subject. As are we all.

I'm quite comfortable where I am. I believe in God and soul, but also in a solid reality which we perceive. I believe God and soul are outside of perceptable reality - possibly even outside reality as a whole - but firmly believe that facts remain true, regardless of our perception - that facts remain 'outside' us and remain true.

Of course, I also believe in intangible dragons, faeries that drink wine eat candy and hide my keys, and dream entities that lead me on vision quests - but that's another argument altogether.
 
zaayrdragon said:
Well, Iacchus, you are entitled to your opinion on the subject. As are we all.

I'm quite comfortable where I am. I believe in God and soul, but also in a solid reality which we perceive. I believe God and soul are outside of perceptable reality - possibly even outside reality as a whole - but firmly believe that facts remain true, regardless of our perception - that facts remain 'outside' us and remain true.
While we're here, yes.


Of course, I also believe in intangible dragons, faeries that drink wine eat candy and hide my keys, and dream entities that lead me on vision quests - but that's another argument altogether.
Collective unconscious. And yes, when you become a part of their realm, anything's possible.
 
Iacchus said:
Collective unconscious.[/B]

Explain to the nice people how "collective unconsious" relates to "intangible dragons, faeries that drink wine eat candy and hide my keys, and dream entities" for the nice people, and show just how profoundly ignorant and deluded you are about Jung.

If you'd be so kind.
 
Piscivore said:

Explain to the nice people how "collective unconsious" relates to "intangible dragons, faeries that drink wine eat candy and hide my keys, and dream entities" for the nice people, and show just how profoundly ignorant and deluded you are about Jung.

If you'd be so kind.
The realm of dreams, myth and magic. Which, is the realm of the spirit or, soul.

By the way, if Jung didn't believe in the soul, he should have. ;)
 
Piscivore said:

Explain to the nice people how "collective unconsious" relates to "intangible dragons, faeries that drink wine eat candy and hide my keys, and dream entities" for the nice people, and show just how profoundly ignorant and deluded you are about Jung.

If you'd be so kind.
While I just noticed you took what I said out of context which, is why my post (above) doesn't quite line up with yours. ;) I never mentioned anything about our friendly "little entities" existing in our realm.
 

Back
Top Bottom