Awesomelyglorious wrote:
I was going over the thread again.
I take 91's claim that atheists are anti-evidence somewhat negatively. My big objection is that to a high extent, I do not trust personal perceptions as evidence. If a group of people saw, and I am a member of this group, then I might start changing my mind, (particularly with assurance of no drugs), however, for my mind to go weird for a short period of time is really odd, but not earth-shattering, while the notion of the existence of a deity would stand against a lot of the claims I have made about this matter. The best model for this is "webs of belief", and honestly, I think theist responders to the corresponding thread by philologos were too quick to accept claims, because... well.... how do you know this is Jesus? How do you get evidence that the disciples *really* were the ones to steal the body? etc...
I will not necessarily assume that is what 91 was implying, nor quibble - he can talk quite adequately for himself.
But I would not by any means say atheists are anti-evidence.
Yes, SOME posters [maybe on both sides] seem to feel, talking to THESE idiots we don' need no stinking evidence. But there are others.
One thing that has become abundantly clear is that different people have very different standards of evidence. To postulate a sound change, my PhD professor insisted on the totally arbitrary number of three examples, which he thought ruled out chance. Statisticians need not bother to comment. My siuster in law will believe a lot of things if she hears them from Oprah. Thomas was not about to believe eyewitness accounts of the resurrection - he needed direct sensory experience, and, frankly, I totally relate to him.
Some people on the Christian spectrum scour land and sea hunting for something they can use as evidence on the nonbeliever. Which is basically futile, because if you believe the stuff you have to believe where it says that that kind of evidence is deliberately missing.
So you get Thomas saying show me something I can put my finger on - and unless Jesus steps in, the others cannot get anywhere with him.
In the thought experiment thread, I was rather encouraged by the presence of those who would question and test.
One time there was a lecture that had me - personality of the speaker - totally swayed and wowed. Until I asked him a question, for which he had no answer but a smile. That kind of conviction is only good till Oprah's next show.
03 Jan 2011, 2:33 am
