(December 30, 2015 at 5:33 am)robvalue Wrote: I put this in the religious section because it addresses an argument used incredibly frequently by some theists, and they can't seem to grasp why it isn't valid.
The "argument from ignorance" (which is just the name it happens to have, it's not meant to be an insult) is the claim that a statement is (probably) true because it can't be shown to be false. My new video below demonstrates why this argument does not work, so please, please stop using it.
http://youtu.be/BzxMXzdaxtI
The other form the argument from ignorance can take is the "argument from personal incredulity".
This usually pops up in reality (evolution) vs creationism debates.
"I can't understand how that could have happened naturally, therefore, god(s) did it".
You'd believe if you just opened your heart" is a terrible argument for religion. It's basically saying, "If you bias yourself enough, you can convince yourself that this is true." If religion were true, people wouldn't need faith to believe it -- it would be supported by good evidence.
