Quote:In the world of science, a "new discovery" is compiled into a journal and then chucked out into the world for the rest of scientists to tear it to pieces. If it doesn't and experiments reproduce the same observations and similar data, then guess what, you most likely have something reflecting reality. The same amount of "faith" goes into this as the faith I have that there's a computer in front of me, which can be verified by my different family members.
No, because you can't understand what is in those journals. You have to trust that someone else has had the experiences. The verification is only possible if you are a scientist. It is no different from following a religion
Quote:Wrong. You can test the things you have learned by asking a native speaker e.g. "where's the toilet"? Their response and/or reaction will be the evidence you can then use to know if you indeed asked "where's the toilet"? No faith required whatsoever.
If you are talking about complex social and cultural issues, when you talk you will have to trust the native speakers assessment of whether those things are good. Of course you can verify very simple things that you can see. But that is not really what it is like to learn a language, which involves becoming familiar with many concepts but yet not having any way to test them or know whether they are good or bad. It is very philosophical.
You do not have an open mind and you are just writing things to disprove what I am saying, without caring whether I am writing something accurate or not.
Quote:This proposition is still just a baseless claim so far, except for when it comes to religion. Learning a particular theological construct about a given god requires faith, obviously.
No, when you learn things, you never learn through verification. When you learn math, you don't learn math through doing proofs. You learn math through recitation. The same thing as learning almost anything. At a certain level you can learn through doing proofs and reading scientific journals themselves and repeating the experiments, but in general most learning is through the argument from authority.
Quote:Said every religious person that ever lived. Warm, fuzzy feelings aren't proof of anything. Good for you that you feel that way, and only you.
Why should I have to prove anything to you? What scientific concepts can you prove outside of a science lab? What can you prove in plain text, maybe there is some mathematical concepts, not much else.
Quote:Science isn't concerned with God's existence, but when your god's followers make a faith-based claim inspired by the Bible about the physical world, science usually bulldozes that claim to the ground.
Christians are responsible for a large part of the current scientific understanding of the world. Science arose in Western Christian Universities that were founded by people to train ministers. If you are talking about YEC, that is true that there is not much scientific evidence for that. But modern science owes its existence to God and the Christian world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chr...in_science
Quote:Are you entirely sure that you're calling the right group ignorant, or do you simply know you're right through faith? Because that would be original...
I know that I am right because I have seen so many miracles and have experienced so much in my walk with God. It is my relationship with God that guides me, made stronger by the things I have seen with my own eyes. Atheists are the ignorant ones.
Quote:But of course faith is required. Faith is the very reason why people at my Pentecostal church keep on praying for healing despite never getting results. I spent 6 years as a devout Christian there and not once did I see e.g. the girl with the crutches walk back to her seat without needing them. Faith is the snake oil salesman's greatest accomplice.
I am sorry to hear that. What was your level of commitment to the Christian church? Did you serve in ministry? Did you have sin in your life? Did you look at pornography or fornicate or abuse alcohol? Were you ready to give your life for Jesus Christ? I do not know why God hasn't appeared to you. I know that God is real, I have seen miracles, I have seen also people not getting healed also.
What was the thing that finally made you leave?
