Which Comes First?

[Ryft]

I meant no disrespect ...

And none was taken, Rhizo. I figured your question was genuine, and I was implying that I have worked to inform my views.

I would say that my rejection of God is based on a scientific assesment of the available data.

And while that sounds intellectually appealing, I strongly doubt it is the case. I am very, very confident that if we look at the data you reviewed and the manner in which you assessed it, we will find that either the data wasn't scientific or the assessment wasn't (assuming, of course, that we both mean the same thing by "scientific") because science investigates the natural world only. It cannot draw any conclusions about reality in itself. Of course, you might be tempted to say that the physical cosmos is the extent of reality, that this universe and everything in it is all that exists, but that would be a metaphysical claim, not a scientific conclusion.

Things like theories of morality?

Sure.

It would follow, then, that your beliefs about morality satisfy "the rigors of the scientific method with claims that are falsifiable" (which you asserted as the criteria that "big things" must satisfy). I would be most interested in finding out how your beliefs met that criteria, plus how they avoided the "naturalistic fallacy" as per George Moore as well as the "is-ought problem" as per David Hume. It would seem you succeeded at something no philosopher ever has. This is huge. Would you share it?

My standards for accepting either claim is different. They have to be.

In the ghost story of my scenario, your standards for accepting such a claim are entirely moot because your acceptance is entirely irrelevant. Just because you do not personally believe ghosts exist, that does not mean my experience never happened. It means you cannot accept my claim, but—as I said—what has that to do with my experience? Nothing at all. I can appreciate that you have specific standards for belief, but your belief was neither asked for nor even relevant. See the distinction?

"I'll need substantial evidence before believing," you said. But that only matters if your belief is actually called for.