Reasons

[Edwardo Piet]

All that wordplay aside, you're saying then that you refuse to think about anything which doesn't concern itself with hard physical fact? I don't think Dawkins would be with you there.

I quoted Dawkins. I don't see how I am disagreeing with him when I quote him.

You created a total strawman. I never said that I 'refuse to think about anything which doesn't concern itself with hard physical fact?'. I mean, man - how would I live!
I am saying I do not believe in the existence of things without evidence.

I have desires and goals and urges - and I like music and comedy and some TV and movies. I love the internet computers and games.

I think about the future - things I want to do and get on with my life. Things that aren't physical fact - I never said that I refuse to think about things that aren't about physical fact! I think about whatever the hell I want to think about! My mind just floats - I think about stuff. I wouldn't even be able to function if my mind was that restricted.

I am just saying that I certainly do not wish to believe in the existence of things without any real evidence. And if that means I'm close-minded then I guess I'm close minded. If being pro-evidence and if being - also crucially to me - anti- faith, if being more rational and less irrational about reality - and the existence of things - if that's close-minded - then I guess I'm close minded. But at least I don't believe in stuff that almost certainly doesn't exist - at least I'm almost certainly not being delusional because I don't believe in those things and I'm favouring evidence over faith ( faith being belief without evidence.

Besides if ANYTHING goes and you believe in as many things as you want on FAITH - if ANYTHING goes - how open minded is that exactly?

I don't think it's very imaginative and open minded to simply shrug your shoulders and think "I'll believe whatever I want. I'm completely 100% open minded." - I think actually having some structure and commiting to reality - believing in what actually the evidence shows - I think if anything, that's more open minded.

If 'anything goes' - and just taking anything on faith is MORE open minded - then I guess as people say: you can have too much of anything!

EvF