RE: Atheist VS Naturalist - the latter sounds more appealing to me...
May 26, 2020 at 7:30 pm
(This post was last modified: May 26, 2020 at 7:30 pm by Belacqua.)
(May 26, 2020 at 7:18 pm)possibletarian Wrote: Exactly what question is being begged ?
If someone says that we will find only natural causes because only natural causes exist, that's begging the question.
Begging the question is when you announce what answer you will get while you are asking.
Quote:We would need evidence
"Evidence," as far as I can see, means "scientific evidence" for the people posting here. Empirical, repeatable.
Saying that everything that exists must be demonstrated in this way because the only things that exist can be demonstrated in this way is begging the question.
If, instead, we take a broader definition of "evidence," then there might be reason to consider supernatural explanations. For example, if someone experienced a one-off, non-repeatable, non-empirically demonstrable event, some people would consider that evidence. But I imagine that you wouldn't.