Supernatural and Atheism

[LadyForCamus]

[Ahriman]

Okay, maybe we can be friends after all.

Why?

[Gwaithmir]

Maybe a more parsimonious explanation is that immaterial souls do not exist to the same extent that the Jedi Force does not also exist.

Every material object has both form and matter. The soul is the form of the body.

Yeah, and I'm King Isildur. 

[The Grand Nudger]

It would also make sense…if people were interested in what Aristotle thought about souls, for them to understand that they are not in any way like software, and yet here we are.

[Jehanne]

It would also make sense…if people were interested in what Aristotle thought about souls, for them to understand that they are not in any way like software, and yet here we are.

In a similar vein, they need to ask what Aristotle thought about women. See where that leads!

[LadyForCamus]

Okay, maybe we can be friends after all.

Why?

I thought you were making an IASIP reference.

[Simon Moon]

Every material object has both form and matter. The soul is the form of the body.

I think that a better explanation for consciousness is the existence of brains, and so, monism is to be preferred -- No brain, no mind.

???

I enjoy learning and talking about traditional philosophy concerning the soul. This doesn't mean that I believe any or all of it, I just find it fascinating. 

The type of Aristotelian philosophy I mentioned above has been very influential in Christianity and (I'm pretty sure) Islamic theology. So if people are talking about Christian concepts of the soul, it makes sense that they would know these things. 

So it gives me pleasure to think about this stuff. 

Other people are not interested in the subject. That's fine. There's no reason for them to think about it at all.

Most people who aren't interested just walk away. Others somehow think that my talking about it should be mocked or insulted. They don't want me to enjoy the kind of things that I enjoy. It's basically a Puritan Pleasure Patrol, aiming to shut down discussions that they don't happen to get pleasure from. Passing judgment on other people's pleasures is pretty normal, and if that's what they want to do it's OK with me. I can ignore them too.

I also like discussing this sort of stuff, or else I would not be on forums like this.

But when you make statements about things like a soul, maybe you shouldn't state them as if they were fact.

I was responding to this statement by you. "Right. Because the soul, as I said, has no weight".

When you make completely unevidenced statements on an atheist forum, be prepared to be called out on them.

No one is trying to shut down the conversation. We are simply calling you out when make claims that are completely unsupported by demonstrable evidence. Some people do it with ridicule*, which is a valid way to point out flawed arguments. Others do it by being more detailed with the problems of flawed statements.

If you don't believe what you are saying, maybe in the future, for clarity, you should preface your statements with, "While I don't necessarily believe the following, some philosophers or theologians do".

*Just see how quickly a 10 year old on the school bus, who still believes in Santa, is ridiculed out of their silly beliefs.

[Ahriman]

Why?

I thought you were making an IASIP reference.

I don't even know what that is.

[Jehanne]

A difference exists between mocking a belief and mocking an individual (say, by calling that individual a "moron") who holds to that belief. One is satire, the other abuse.

[Angrboda]

I thought you were making an IASIP reference.

I don't even know what that is.

"It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" A comedy show. Do they not have Google where you live?