(February 28, 2013 at 3:53 pm)ChadWooters Wrote:(February 28, 2013 at 2:28 pm)Question Mark Wrote: Personal revelation and experience is something particular only to you, and can't reasonably be countered against you by someone else, but at the same time can't be used as evidence for anyone else. That's all I'd say to that.I remember reading much the same in Thomas Paine's "Common Sense". While I understand the sentiment, some consideration of the source may be appropriate. I have had my own personal spiritual experiences though I would not expect those to be believed except by those already inclined to do so. That said, I imagine the revelations to a random stranger would be much less authoritative to you than a famous scientist. For example, what if Stephen Hawking claimed to have received messages from angels or Daniel Dennett reported having an NDE. I imagine you would take their reported experiences more seriously. Of course, those two would probably dismiss them as fantasies, bits of undigested cheese, no matter how compelling the experience.
I wouldn't take their words for it either. An experience is still by by its nature, proof only to they who had the experience. Anything that happens to Steven Hawking or Daniel Dennett happened to them, and not to me. it can't be evidence for me, unless those experiences can be demonstrated to have happened, and to mean what they claim it to mean.
If you believe it, question it. If you question it, get an answer. If you have an answer, does that answer satisfy reality? Does it satisfy you? Probably not. For no one else will agree with you, not really.
