Debunking the claim that Ramanujan received insights from a god

[Sicnoo0]

I want to develop a case against the claim that Ramanujan received insights from a god. 

I think that the fact that Ramanujan studied mathematics from books is good evidence that he could have come up with his theorems without any help from a god.

If it were the case that he never once opened a mathematics textbook, then I'd be convinced he got external help from an entity with whom he communicated telepathically. 

Additionally, his family were devout worshippers of the Hindu goddess Namagiri Thayar. He was raised believing in this deity. He was unwilling to leave India until his mom told him that Namagiri Thayar gave him permission. He adhered to a vegetarian diet because he believed Namagiri Thayar wanted him to do so, even despite his health complications, which he believed a vegetarian diet made worse. 

That's pretty good evidence that he was devoted. The fact that he attributed his mathematical insights to the very same deity he grew up worshipping seems extremely convenient. If he had attributed his mathematical insights to a different god or goddess then I would be a little more convinced that it was true (that being said, it could be the case that this deity communicated with him because he worshipped her).

Without mincing words, I would say that Ramanujan was delusional due to the religious indoctrination he was subjected to from an early age. 

Lastly, I'd like to add that at the heart of this is the idea that by opening your third eye you can communicate with divine beings. The phenomenon that I believe people refer to when they talk about opening your third eye is merely a form of meditation that some cultures have mistaken as being a method of connecting to divine consciousness. 

Do I make a decent case against the idea that Ramanujan received insights from a god?

What other arguments can one make?

[Silver]

The only argument one needs is to uphold the theist to intellectual honesty by way of asking the theist to provide empirical evidence of the deity's existence. Otherwise, the claim is just a claim.

[Sicnoo0]

The only argument one needs is to uphold the theist to intellectual honesty by way of asking the theist to provide empirical evidence of the deity's existence. Otherwise, the claim is just a claim.

They'd probably point me to the movie The Man Who Knew Infinity.
At that point, I'd have to seriously engage with the history of Ramanujan repeatedly attributing his insights to his god, which they'd argue is really good evidence of Namagiri Thayar communicating with Ramanujan.

[Silver]

And a movie isn't reality. Therefore, we remain at the point where the theist has to provide evidence of god's existence.

[Angrboda]

I want to develop a case against the claim that Ramanujan received insights from a god. 

I think that the fact that Ramanujan studied mathematics from books is good evidence that he could have come up with his theorems without any help from a god.

If it were the case that he never once opened a mathematics textbook, then I'd be convinced he got external help from an entity with whom he communicated telepathically. 

Additionally, his family were devout worshippers of the Hindu goddess Namagiri Thayar. He was raised believing in this deity. He was unwilling to leave India until his mom told him that Namagiri Thayar gave him permission. He adhered to a vegetarian diet because he believed Namagiri Thayar wanted him to do so, even despite his health complications, which he believed a vegetarian diet made worse. 

That's pretty good evidence that he was devoted. The fact that he attributed his mathematical insights to the very same deity he grew up worshipping seems extremely convenient. If he had attributed his mathematical insights to a different god or goddess then I would be a little more convinced that it was true (that being said, it could be the case that this deity communicated with him because he worshipped her).

Without mincing words, I would say that Ramanujan was delusional due to the religious indoctrination he was subjected to from an early age. 

Lastly, I'd like to add that at the heart of this is the idea that by opening your third eye you can communicate with divine beings. The phenomenon that I believe people refer to when they talk about opening your third eye is merely a form of meditation that some cultures have mistaken as being a method of connecting to divine consciousness. 

Do I make a decent case against the idea that Ramanujan received insights from a god?

What other arguments can one make?

Not really, all of the above could be true and he could have received his insights from a god.

[Sicnoo0]

I fully accept that my logic isn't airtight. I'm willing to put the entire argument in the trash.

If you had to give your take on it, what would your argument for/against be?

[Sicnoo0]

And a movie isn't reality. Therefore, we remain at the point where the theist has to provide evidence of god's existence.

I didn't mean to imply the movie is reality.
Forget the movie. The point is they'd point to the history of Ramanujan's life as evidence of that god's communication with him.

[Sicnoo0]

Administrator Notice
Link removed per 30/30 rule.

[Sicnoo0]

Administrator Notice
See above.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

We know what's coming, right?