(August 14, 2016 at 11:00 am)robvalue Wrote: Yes, I've noticed a lot of emphasis put on anecdotes, especially ones in which changes come about once the belief starts being held. These changes (which are easily explained in other ways, if they are true at all) are presented as evidence, rather than giving evidence for the actual belief itself.
Yeah - we all know how undependable anecdotes are - ESPECIALLY when they are self-reporting self improvement. "I found the Lord and my life turned around!" And, of course, there are the usual fallacy culprits. Perhaps one of my favorite examples - someone did a study of people visiting Notre Dame to get "healed," and it turned out more people got sick, injured, or died traveling there and back than got "healed" by going there! Also, how can anyone know (short of having a Miracle-o-Meter) whether they got "healed," or, as often happens - this has actually happened to me on numerous occasions - they just got better!
