Realm here

[Realmleader]

[quote='Realmleader' pid='92406' dateline='1283976953']
[a]IS it bias? Yes, personal Bias, but every decision we make has some degree of personal bias.

Conformation bias is something more than that, it's a common factor in theistic arguments, especially in relation to personal experiences:

http://www.skepdic.com/confirmbias.html

Ahh, thankyou very much, that link was very helpful! So generous for you to give me a leg up instead of allowing me to look the fool. So you think I turn a blind eye to all of the reasons there shouldn't be a God? What reasons might those be?

[b]My family? Feh. Don't make me laugh, I told you my mother told me stories, you do not know the nature of my *family* Do the people I count as significant agree with me? No, not all of them, but at least 40%, the others are Atheist, or luke warm agnostics.

This was response to Watson giving significance to his families agreemnt with him, which is a fallacy. I didn't expect this to apply to you.

Oh well my bad, and why didn't you expect it? That is generally the first thing I hear.
Sorry.

[c]Yes, the bible is reliable in my eyes, in my belief, that is why it's called Faith.

what parts of the bible? Do you accept all of the bible? I would doubt it... unless you think bashing the children of your enemies with rocks is a good thing to do (psalms 137:9)

Well, I won't 'cherry pick', it's all or nothing, I can't claim to understand such action or even pretend for a moment that in that day in time I would condone it, were it within my power to stop it. BUT it's in the Bible for a reason, God has standards we will never be able to reach, furthermore He has all of the attributes we think we understand, but the the Nth degree. Don't ask me how I can sit here and tell you that killing innocent children is a standard I can't reach, cuz' that's not what I mean. It's hard to say for sure, but I just have faith that God is not something or Someone we can ever understand. So what parts of the Bible>? All of it. I also believe that a great deal of the Old testament serves as a catalyst for the New. Who is to say that God did not know something we didn't? All knowing remember?

This essentially makes the bible a crutch for some intelelcual or emotional vulnerability, namely incredulity.

A cheap shot at best. Don't expect retaliation here buddie I 'll just call you out if your rude.

[d]A wizard? Maybe if he talked to me right.....no not really. I believe I have a relationship (and I appreciate your careful note in using the word "relationship") with the Creator, and yes, I am very familiar with the no true scotsman deal, so if your warming up for that lets get it it.

Great, so why do you think you have a relationship with the cosmic wizard?

Why do I think I've a relationship with a God? (much harder to believe than a wizard, you give me too much credit) It's a very simple honest matter. I can;t use anything other than the honest truth. He guides me through life. He is there to catch me (literal sense) when I fall (metaphorical) He is there to give me gentle reminders throughout my day when I neglect to keep Him a part of it, I get those a lot these days, being in College it is easy to forget Him sometimes How do you know you have any relationships?

[e]Through Experience, yes.

When personal experience can lead to so many contradictory conclusions, especially when considering propositions like cosmic wizards that are by their very definition non-verifiable and unfalsifiable, why do you consider it to be in any way a sufficient standard for determining truth?

People tend to base what they believe in on their own personal experiences. They like to believe in what the evidence points at sometimes even when the evidence is based on a misconception. The truth is out there and it's not beyond our reach. Those who desire the truth more than they desire to find evidence that supports what they choose to believe in will eventually find the truth providing they never give up

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[quote='EvidenceVsFaith' pid='92361' dateline='1283949109']
Realm,

Now, I'm not going to ask how your personal experiences are evidence of God. I'm going to ask how you think any personal experience can possibly be evidence for God. How is not any alternative more probable?

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Firstly, what sort of alternative did you have in mind? And are you telling me, that if you had a personal experience with God, that wouldn't be enough?

Tough crowd.