genkaus Wrote:My second impression was that you are attributing arbitrariness to the position taken on the topic, rather than the topic itself. That is, of the three explanations posited for formation of mercury, the one chosen by a person is arbitrary and picking others would be just as valid. And similarly, picking an option out of theism and atheism is arbitrary as well. I don't think that's what you mean, because you seem smarter than that. But if you do, then no, that is not the case because, even though the practice of science requires you to provide a margin of error, choosing the position that is 99% certain over the one that is 1% certain isn't arbitrary at all.

No, I meant the topic itself is arbitrary. To me it would be the equivalent of asking what your favourite colour is in the census as well as your religious affiliation.

Thanks for the rest of your post. It addressed my thoughts head on and I have to say I agree with all of it.

(September 18, 2012 at 8:00 pm)FallentoReason Wrote: To me it would be the equivalent of asking what your favourite colour is in the census as well as your religious affiliation.

Funnily enough, asking for favorite color might not be as arbitrary as you'd first imagine.

http://askville.amazon.com/popular-colou...Id=1067007

Think about it. Knowing which color people like most and therefore which ones the consumers would respond to would be a pretty important part of market research.

(September 17, 2012 at 3:47 pm)Faith No More Wrote: I don't think it's so much that god is a possibility, but that epistemologically speaking, it is impossible to rule out with 100% certainty. I label myself an "agnostic atheist" not because I see god's existence as a legitimate, probable scenario, but more because I can't say for certain that a god does not exist.

Probable scenario? I see it more as highly improbable. It's about as likely as my teddy bear can speak. On second thoughts, it's less likely.

(September 18, 2012 at 1:51 pm)genkaus Wrote:

(September 18, 2012 at 9:20 am)FallentoReason Wrote: Please elaborate. I'm not sure what you mean.

I also don't understand how modern science says it would be rational for me to be agnostic towards Dr. Who. I know 100% that it's a fabrication that is shown on tv for entertainment. Not one thing about it has a bearing on reality because it was dreamed up by men, just like the concepts found in religion and eventually their god(s).

Can you be absolutely sure that what happens on Dr Who is not, in fact, the real reality? Can you state with 100% certainty that there is absolutely no possibility that science and logic does in fact work as shown on Dr Who and all the events shown actually do happen, but wool has been pulled over the eyes of humanity by a powerful telepathic alien race, while another alien race is trying to tell us the truth by subliminally influencing the minds of the writers?

Or perhaps, there is in fact an alternate universe where things do work as shown on Dr Who and the events shown do happen there and someone there has built a machine to telepathically broadcast those events to other universes. And the few people in this world who receive these broadcasts become the writers of the show (or really devoted fans).

The point is, something like 100% absolute certainty doesn't exist in modern science, because, if it did, science would stop being self-correcting. While this facet is necessary for scientific progress, it still requires us to allow for the existence of any and every arbitrary idea - no matter how far out there it may be.

Genkaus you're my favourite poster, but that was just shit.

(September 18, 2012 at 8:17 pm)genkaus Wrote:

(September 18, 2012 at 8:00 pm)FallentoReason Wrote: To me it would be the equivalent of asking what your favourite colour is in the census as well as your religious affiliation.

Funnily enough, asking for favorite color might not be as arbitrary as you'd first imagine.

http://askville.amazon.com/popular-colou...Id=1067007

Think about it. Knowing which color people like most and therefore which ones the consumers would respond to would be a pretty important part of market research.

Hah, fair enough. But my point is that it's not something that we have to associate with every day, just like GOD shouldn't be in my opinion. Another example would be to replace the 'Religious Views:' section of our profile with 'Favourite Colour:'. It would be the same thing for me.