Ex-"New Atheist", Now Christian

[Love]

Why shouldn't Occam's Razor have universal application? What are the grounds for discerning the areas in which it can apply?

I subscribe to the idea that it is the positive claimant who has the philosophic burden of proof. I do not see a reason why Ockham's Razor should have universal application, and you have inferred that you think it does; therefore, I respectfully shift the burden of proof to you. Please inform me why you believe that it does have universal application.

Also, I would tend to agree that you're not relying on God-Of-The-Gaps. It's more like Special Pleading with some loaded language thrown in for flavour. I mean, "atheistic rationalists"? Really?

I disagree with you that it is loaded language or that I used it pejoratively. Does it come across as negative to you? If so, why? Pure reason appeals to a lot of atheists, so I do not see what is wrong with using the term "atheistic rationalists".

The topics under discussion are indeed exceedingly complicared, however that doesn't mean we know nothing at all about the subjects and still less that we have no tools and methodology for finding out. Least of all that one can simply throw out the available scientific evidence just because it happens to lead to a different interpretation to one's own.

I have never claimed that science knows nothing about the topics we're discussing. My main point is this: I believe some rationalists (not necessarily scientists) often come to a lot of hasty conclusions. Rationalism relies heavily on deductive reasoning, but I feel that a lot of arguments made by staunch rationalists often result in being formal fallacies.

Believe it or not it takes a massive paradigm shift to rewrite the scientific consensus, not because scientists are all atheistic rationalists entrenched in dogma but because it's all-too often the case that the "independent thinkers", as Patrick Moore termed them, have some agenda of their own to push. Present company excepted, obviously.

Again, I never claimed that all scientists are dogmatic atheistic rationalists; you're putting words in my mouth here.