RE: The difference between ethical atheism and nihlism is that ethical atheists have more faith
March 12, 2013 at 1:14 am
(March 12, 2013 at 12:54 am)jstrodel Wrote: Well, science acknowledges the human origin of its categories of objectivity and truth. You may argue against the claims of religion, present counter evidence against religion, but if religious belief is true, you must admit that the belief takes on a completely different character.
I'd be willing to admit that, if the belief was true. And, a religion which makes many naturalistic claims in its scripture (in which God directly interferes with the physical world in a way that those in proximity are said to be directly, physically affected) must undergo natural scrutiny. Hiding behind the veils of the supernatural and metaphysical is a tacit admission that the physical universe contains no evidence of the existence of the being which allegedly created it, which is, itself, a clear example of faith retreating before the advance of science. Before science reached its maturity, Christians did not need to fit their god into gaps. Now, it is the only place in which most Christians seem to find him (excepting those really special people who run Creationist museums).
Quote:Even the Bible itself though does not really stress an objective, culturally defined law. Christianity is really more about the collective supernatural experience of the people of God being transformed not according to cultural traditions but according to spiritual experience. I can assure you that spiritual experience is nothing at all like the process of constructing an epistemology. You may guess that it is, and that I am lying, but you can't prove it.
It is nothing like constructing an epistemotology because having delusions and hallucinations is in no way related to the construction of that which becomes knowledge.
You cannot prove that any 'spiritual' experience has ever happened, even once, in all of human history. I'll accept that you believe your delusions and hallucinations were spiritual episodes, but to suggest that they actually were spiritual episodes is a hollow and transparent assertion, nothing more.