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How can Atheists trust science if a non-material realm of ideas and truth does not ex

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How can Atheists trust science if a non-material realm of ideas and truth does not ex
rybak303 Offline
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#1
How can Atheists trust science if a non-material realm of ideas and truth does not ex
August 9, 2010 at 7:16 am
If the universe consists of a material realm only and there is no such thing as a non-material/spiritual realm of higher ideas and absolute truth. If our reason and science is only the interactions of matter upon matter and has no basis in a non-material realm of absolute truth then why should atheists believe in objective truth? And if atheists do not believe in objective truth than how can they trust reason and science? How can one trust reason and science as a path to objective truth if objective truth does not exist?
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Edward the Theist Offline
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#2
RE: How can Atheists trust science if a non-material realm of ideas and truth does not ex
August 9, 2010 at 7:35 am
(August 9, 2010 at 7:16 am)rybak303 Wrote: If the universe consists of a material realm only and there is no such thing as a non-material/spiritual realm of higher ideas and absolute truth. If our reason and science is only the interactions of matter upon matter and has no basis in a non-material realm of absolute truth then why should atheists believe in objective truth? And if atheists do not believe in objective truth than how can they trust reason and science? How can one trust reason and science as a path to objective truth if objective truth does not exist?

I think for them it's just a matter of whatever works is true. There is no objective truth, per se. By all means, atheists, correct me if I'm wrong. Worship (large)

As for me, I don't worry so much about truth. I see things as being the way they are because to be any other way would result in an impossible contradiction. In other words, I believe that when I finally uncover the ultimate truth of the universe, I will find it simply is the way it is because it can't be any other way. Thus truth for me is a matter of discovering the necessity of the universe.
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solja247 Offline
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#3
RE: How can Atheists trust science if a non-material realm of ideas and truth does not ex
August 9, 2010 at 7:43 am

Quote:If the universe consists of a material realm only and there is no such thing as a non-material/spiritual realm of higher ideas and absolute truth. If our reason and science is only the interactions of matter upon matter and has no basis in a non-material realm of absolute truth then why should atheists believe in objective truth? And if atheists do not believe in objective truth than how can they trust reason and science? How can one trust reason and science as a path to objective truth if objective truth does not exist?

Truths are always going to be biased. They are manipulated by our experiences and our beliefs or absent of beliefs.

Science cant explain everything. It would be silly to science could. There objective truths we wont learn them in this life.
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KichigaiNeko Away
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#4
RE: How can Atheists trust science if a non-material realm of ideas and truth does not ex
August 9, 2010 at 7:52 am (This post was last modified: August 10, 2010 at 9:44 am by KichigaiNeko.)
(August 9, 2010 at 7:16 am)rybak303 Wrote: If the universe consists of a material realm only and there is no such thing as a non-material/spiritual realm of higher ideas and absolute truth. If our reason and science is only the interactions of matter upon matter and has no basis in a non-material realm of absolute truth then why should atheists believe in objective truth? And if atheists do not believe in objective truth than how can they trust reason and science? How can one trust reason and science as a path to objective truth if objective truth does not exist?

Sorry possum...but I'm not understanding your problem.

There is no alternate "reality" aka non-material spiritual realm of higher anything.

Perhaps you are speaking of your own wishful thinking?

Objectivity is very difficult to be "absolute" since humans are the ones who are striving to objectively study and observe the universe around them. As each new piece of information is uncovered it adds to our knowledge.

One can trust science to at least try to correct it's errors of perception and the 'truths' it finds.

so you are saying that water does not make you wet??
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Welsh cake Offline
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#5
RE: How can Atheists trust science if a non-material realm of ideas and truth does not ex
August 9, 2010 at 7:53 am (This post was last modified: August 9, 2010 at 7:54 am by Welsh cake.)
I can't speak for everyone but there are a variety of reasons to place some level of trust or confidence in scientific methodology and when testing for phenomena like for example gravity its useful meaningful knowledge as opposed to absolute certainty which is a fool's errand quite frankly because you can’t know anything for sure in that context.

It's not like science just stops working on occasion like when I drop a pen for example it will fall at 9.81 m/s2. There are principles in the method like reproducibility and repeatability which can be carried by anyone curious enough to undertake the experiment with the same item under the same conditions.
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Zen Badger Offline
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#6
RE: How can Atheists trust science if a non-material realm of ideas and truth does not ex
August 9, 2010 at 8:00 am
(August 9, 2010 at 7:16 am)rybak303 Wrote: If the universe consists of a material realm only and there is no such thing as a non-material/spiritual realm of higher ideas and absolute truth. If our reason and science is only the interactions of matter upon matter and has no basis in a non-material realm of absolute truth then why should atheists believe in objective truth? And if atheists do not believe in objective truth than how can they trust reason and science? How can one trust reason and science as a path to objective truth if objective truth does not exist?

Please define your idea of objective truth please, then why you think we can't "believe" in objective truths.

Some examples of objective truths; E=Mc2, the sun is a giant sphere of helium transforming into hydrogen via the process of nuclear fusion, the universe is freakin HUGE........

Shall I go on?
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Spencer Offline
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#7
RE: How can Atheists trust science if a non-material realm of ideas and truth does not ex
August 9, 2010 at 8:32 am
I love how the OP never follows up on his threads... I think you were right KichigaiNeko, cut and paste.
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Tiberius Offline
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#8
RE: How can Atheists trust science if a non-material realm of ideas and truth does not ex
August 9, 2010 at 8:41 am
(August 9, 2010 at 7:16 am)rybak303 Wrote: If the universe consists of a material realm only and there is no such thing as a non-material/spiritual realm of higher ideas and absolute truth. If our reason and science is only the interactions of matter upon matter and has no basis in a non-material realm of absolute truth then why should atheists believe in objective truth? And if atheists do not believe in objective truth than how can they trust reason and science? How can one trust reason and science as a path to objective truth if objective truth does not exist?
Absolute truth exists; of course it does. Even in a material realm, truth exists, but as a way of interpreting the world around us (i.e. in our minds). At some particular point in time, something in the universe...is. That is to say, all the smallest particles must exist in some position, in some order, for anything to exist at all, so they must exist as absolute truths. What those truths are are unknown to us, and ultimately so are most absolute truths unless they stem from logic (the three laws of logic for example).

As for how we can trust reason and science; I find this question quite peculiar. Surely if objective truth existed and we knew it, we would have no reason to "trust" science, because we'd know science would be either true or false. Trust wouldn't come into it.

It is because we do not know objective truths that we have to put a level of "trust" onto science in the first place.
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Minimalist Offline Donators
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#9
RE: How can Atheists trust science if a non-material realm of ideas and truth does not ex
August 9, 2010 at 9:04 am
Quote:Truths are always going to be biased. They are manipulated by our experiences and our beliefs or absent of beliefs.


Hmmm...but your fucking fairy tales come from 'god' so they can't be biased, huh? Total bullshit.
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lrh9 Away
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#10
RE: How can Atheists trust science if a non-material realm of ideas and truth does not ex
August 9, 2010 at 12:54 pm
I'll wait until rybak comes back before I respond.
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Atheist Forums › Community › Atheism v
How can Atheists trust science if a non-material realm of ideas and truth does not ex

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