But you can't get away from the fact Evie that you're dismissing the idea because you lack knowledge of it. I lack knowledge of a lot of stuff but I take it on faith and trust mass opinion isn't lying to me. I don't disbelieve it because it's not proven to me. I believe it on faith.

I like it. Christopher Hitchens is arguing from ignorance too

Fr0d0,

Disbelief through lack of evidence is not ignorance. Denying the possibility just because of the lack of evidence is ignorance. And I believe that not having evidence and just going ahead and believing anyway, I believe that that, that faith-based thinking, is a lot more ignorant than simply dismissing a belief because you know of no any evidence to back it. But that last belief may just be my opinion.

EvF

Yet I have evidence for my belief - so either you can have evidence but just don't have it yet (ignorance), or you're calling me a liar.

(December 21, 2009 at 8:45 am)EvidenceVsFaith Wrote: And I believe that not having evidence and just going ahead and believing anyway, I believe that that, that faith-based thinking, is a lot more ignorant than simply dismissing a belief because you know of no any evidence to back it. But that last belief may just be my opinion.

wow, if there ever was a sentence on this forum that needed a re-phrase then that one is it.

(December 21, 2009 at 8:38 am)EvidenceVsFaith Wrote: Well could you elaborate on this please?:

Purple Rabbit Wrote:But the point is however that in your response you do not make a difference between the semantics at the formal level and at the common language level. Keeps one wondering.

So you know I'm not making the argument from ignorance really and yet you persist?

I accept your apology.

EvF

It seems we all persist, EvF. If I analyse your statement at the formal level, it suggests that you use absence of evidence as an argument for something. This is a negative formulation. Absence of evidence cannot be evidence for anything, formally. Do you agree that in formal reasoning absence of evidence does not add up to any particular truth statement.

If I read your statement at the common language level it says something like: "As long as I have no evidence of the contrary of A I see no reason to consider the contrary of A. I refrain from taking it into account in any practical way, yet I do not exclude the possibility that evidence may be presented at a later time, in which case I will consider it."
This statement differs considerably from the formal interpretation.

(December 21, 2009 at 8:43 am)fr0d0 Wrote: But you can't get away from the fact Evie that you're dismissing the idea because you lack knowledge of it. I lack knowledge of a lot of stuff but I take it on faith and trust mass opinion isn't lying to me. I don't disbelieve it because it's not proven to me. I believe it on faith.

Since when has mass opinion always been right? If i recall correctly, the mass opinion used to be that the Earth was flat and the center of the universe.

Also, I assume you do not believe the Greek version of how the universe and Earth came to be and knowledge of their gods has been around a lot longer than the Christian God. What makes you dismiss the idea that the Greeks' were wrong and that your younger God is correct?

I wasn't talking about my faith but about scientific discovery that I have no way of personally verifying, for example. Indeed, we should be skeptical, but a lot of stuff requires faith and trust from us.

The idea of a prominent viewpoint that the earth was flat is a myth - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_of_the_Flat_Earth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_Earth

Religious understanding has been developed and perfected over human history. Modern religions are stronger as a result.

(December 21, 2009 at 4:19 pm)fr0d0 Wrote: Religious understanding has been developed and perfected over human history. Modern religions are stronger as a result.

Since when is volume alone an indication of perfection? There are over 3000 christian denominations now all being absolutely right.

No one but you mentioned volume Rabbit. *yawns*

(December 21, 2009 at 4:31 pm)fr0d0 Wrote: No one but you mentioned volume Rabbit. *yawns*

<sound asleep mode>Yes, and what kind of 'perfection' did you have in mind? <still in sound asleep mode>