Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: April 27, 2024, 7:19 am

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Value of coincidences.
#1
Value of coincidences.
Me and my mother are often in debates. In the most recent one, she said something similar to what a character in Halo 2 said about blasphemy/heresy. I jokingly said because The Arbiter (it was actually a different character I was mistaken) said something about heresy then we should worship the arbiter. She said she was watching the bible mini series and the voice actor was the arbiter, and god was speaking to me through the character.


Obviously she values coincidences highly, I dont really, where do you guys stand on coincidences?
Reply
#2
RE: Value of coincidences.
Everything that happens is "a coincidence" if viewed a certain way. People irrationally apply extra significance to events, it seems to be a natural human trait.

And obviously there's confirmation bias; no one comments on the billions of things happening all the time that they don't consider a coincidence.
Feel free to send me a private message.
Please visit my website here! It's got lots of information about atheism/theism and support for new atheists.

Index of useful threads and discussions
Index of my best videos
Quickstart guide to the forum
Reply
#3
RE: Value of coincidences.
(March 26, 2016 at 3:39 pm)robvalue Wrote: Everything that happens is "a coincidence" if viewed a certain way. People irrationally apply extra significance to events, it seems to be a natural human trait.

And obviously there's confirmation bias; no one comments on the billions of things happening all the time that they don't consider a coincidence.
There was another coincidence the other day, we both mentioned the great flood at the same time.

Yea, people always seem to take normally insignificant things and give them some significance.

There is a story of a quran surviving a fire that killed 4, but if I gave that to her she would deny it.
Reply
#4
RE: Value of coincidences.
I used coincidence for my foundation of spirituality for years. I never really bought the Bible and God stuff. But, for many years I felt that something was guiding people and things happened for a reason. That coincidence really meant something bigger than me was in charge ..
I don't feel that way anymore, I do believe coincidence is just that, and no more.
[Image: dc52deee8e6b07186c04ff66a45fd204.jpg]
Reply
#5
RE: Value of coincidences.
(March 26, 2016 at 3:52 pm)GeneralDog Wrote: There was another coincidence the other day, we both mentioned the great flood at the same time.

That's a jinks, not a coincidence. You should have claimed your right as jinks master and enjoyed the silence until someone spoke her name.
Reply
#6
RE: Value of coincidences.
I recall the time I was having a particularly vivid dream about my son being involved in a serious motorbike crash in Germany. The very moment I woke up sweating and gasping for breath, the bedside phone rang. I picked up, and it was Sgt. Hans Schleketer of the Dusseldorf police, calling to inform me that I never had a son.

Coincidence? You decide...

Boru
‘But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods or no gods. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.’ - Thomas Jefferson
Reply
#7
RE: Value of coincidences.
(March 26, 2016 at 3:09 pm)GeneralDog Wrote: Me and my mother are often in debates. In the most recent one, she said something similar to what a character in Halo 2 said about blasphemy/heresy. I jokingly said because The Arbiter (it was actually a different character I was mistaken) said something about heresy then we should worship the arbiter. She said she was watching the bible mini series and the voice actor was the arbiter, and god was speaking to me through the character.


Obviously she values coincidences highly, I dont really, where do you guys stand on coincidences?

Voice actors are a pretty insular group, especially among the more popular ones.  We hear their voices everywhere, and Keith David is no exception.  He's also voice acted as:

Goliath in Disney's Gargoyles
Captain/Admiral Anderson in Mass Effect
Despero in Justice League
The narrator for Navy ads
The narrator for UPS ads
Etc.
Etc.

Does god want you to join the Navy?  Work for UPS?  Become a comic book villain?  No, man, it's just easy paychecks because he has a cool voice.  The bible miniseries was just another job for him.  I guess Morgan Freeman wasn't available that week.

And, if she really thinks coincidences mean anything, her brain would melt if she looked at, say, Frank Welker's career, or Steve Blum's.
"I was thirsty for everything, but blood wasn't my style" - Live, "Voodoo Lady"
Reply
#8
RE: Value of coincidences.
(March 26, 2016 at 3:09 pm)GeneralDog Wrote: Me and my mother are often in debates. In the most recent one, she said something similar to what a character in Halo 2 said about blasphemy/heresy. I jokingly said because The Arbiter (it was actually a different character I was mistaken) said something about heresy then we should worship the arbiter. She said she was watching the bible mini series and the voice actor was the arbiter, and god was speaking to me through the character.


Obviously she values coincidences highly, I dont really, where do you guys stand on coincidences?

I think that they are, well, coincidental.
Reply
#9
RE: Value of coincidences.
There is a guy that I'm forced to interact with that believes every good coincidence is a miracle and every bad one is just that, bad luck.
I don't have an anger problem, I have an idiot problem.
Reply
#10
RE: Value of coincidences.
(March 26, 2016 at 3:39 pm)robvalue Wrote: Everything that happens is "a coincidence" if viewed a certain way. People irrationally apply extra significance to events, it seems to be a natural human trait.

And obviously there's confirmation bias; no one comments on the billions of things happening all the time that they don't consider a coincidence.

The word for that is Apophenia. 

[source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apophenia]
Reply



Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Human beings have virtually no value if they are just machines Transcended Dimensions 94 18176 December 16, 2017 at 5:35 pm
Last Post: Banned
  does the "Israel becoming a nation again prophecy" have any value snerie 48 13351 April 1, 2017 at 2:17 am
Last Post: Amarok
Lightbulb Does human life have INHERENT value? Catholic_Lady 121 26086 June 30, 2015 at 10:11 pm
Last Post: IATIA
  Do atheists give value to righteousness? Knowledge of God 45 7364 July 6, 2014 at 8:24 am
Last Post: Thumpalumpacus
  Atheism vs Religious Value Mozart Link 12 2335 June 11, 2014 at 11:41 pm
Last Post: Whateverist
  Atheism not needed for a life of greater value/pleasure Mozart Link 24 5959 June 10, 2014 at 2:02 pm
Last Post: LastPoet
  What time is of more value? Perpetual vs finite. Mystic 6 1293 May 11, 2014 at 1:09 am
Last Post: paulpablo
  Human Value Nonexistent? Reasonable_Jeff 199 74519 November 12, 2012 at 8:23 am
Last Post: genkaus
  The Value of Life thesummerqueen 8 1492 October 14, 2011 at 4:41 pm
Last Post: twocompulsive



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)