RE: Four proofs of the nonexistence of God
July 20, 2017 at 7:08 am
(This post was last modified: July 20, 2017 at 9:01 am by mordant.)
(July 19, 2017 at 10:38 pm)Lek Wrote:I, an otherwise normal respected person, hereby report seeing a pink elephant following me all day as I go about my business. Can science prove whether or not I am truly accompanied by a pink elephant? If not, are we to assume totally that pink elephants that are visible only to me don't exist? What if a dozen other people report seeing them? What if thousands of otherwise regular people make this claim?(July 19, 2017 at 9:40 pm)mordant Wrote: 100% -- one HUNDRED percent -- of all hypotheses about the supernatural, about invisible realms and beings, are not falsifiable hypotheses. We can't say how we'd disprove them systematically according to a proven methodology. So we can't demonstrate, that they are true. Hence, they are inherently unsubstantiatable. And that's by design, because they are completely MADE UP.
Here is an example of something that has been reported by "otherwise" normal respected people. Many people have reported being visited by angels. Can science prove whether or not they were truly visited by angels? If not, are we to assume totally that they were not visited by angels. What do we do with thousands of claims by "otherwise" regular people concerning this?
Well the issue isn't whether I'm "mostly" sane or credible yet see pink elephants. The issue is whether I can present any evidence to substantiate it. If I can't, then sorry, it's not substantiated. If thousands of people can't, then sorry, it's not substantiated. It doesn't mean I'm crazy or "not regular", it means I am making an unsubstantiated claim. If the elephant is invisible and not detectable in any way, then it's not even substantiatable.
Finally if I claim the elephant isn't part of the natural world then I have two problems. Now it's REALLY unsubstantiatable, inherently. And if I'm claiming as a matter of knowledge that my pink elephant exists, then I'm making an inherently illogical claim. I'm saying the elephant doesn't exist in the only universe I have access to examine, yet, I can't make that claim since I have no access to that imagined realm where I claim the elephant is.
Science would regard thousands of people claiming to be followed by pink elephants that only they can see, as an interesting case of mass hysteria or delusion, and would examine it as such. It would not consider it an interesting case of invisible pink elephants. Simplest explanation, Occam's Razor, etc.
I'm astounded that here in the 21st century I have to explain this to you, frankly.