RE: Telling fact from fiction
July 19, 2016 at 9:04 pm
(This post was last modified: July 19, 2016 at 9:05 pm by bennyboy.)
(July 19, 2016 at 5:41 pm)RoadRunner79 Wrote: I don't think that these are good epistemological principles. Whether or not something is true or not is independent to your or anyone elses subjective knowledge. It doesn't follow, that because you do not know that it is possible, that it is probably fiction.
No, but it follows that if people claim something is possible, but cannot demonstrate it or give examples of it, it is probably fiction. Or if they give far-fetched causes for mundane events, it's probably fiction.
So: Jesus was in a tomb but is now missing. People come and say, "Holy shit! The stone has been rolled away!" Claimed cause-- resurrection, because Jesus is the beloved Son of God and of Man, and the angels must have moved the stone. Probable cause: some people came and moved the stone, and removed the body.
So: Jesus starts breaking bread and fish, and a whole crowd is fed, with many baskets full of fish and bread left over. Claimed cause-- miracle! Probably cause-- people aren't fucking dumb, and when they went out to listen to him, they brought food.
So: Bush burns, talks to Moses. Claimed cause-- God is communicating with Moses. Probable cause-- Moses was dehydrated, tired from walking too far, and may have eaten mushrooms he found along the side of the road.
So yeah, the truth is what it is. But whether we think YOUR idea represents truth is based on the quality of information you provide us-- which in the case of Christianity, is very poor.