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Author Topic:   Has The Supernatural Hypothesis Failed?
Straggler
Member
Posts: 10333
From: London England
Joined: 09-30-2006


Message 76 of 549 (573152)
08-10-2010 6:00 AM
Reply to: Message 69 by jar
08-09-2010 4:13 PM


Re: The Supernatural Explanation For Myths and Stories
Straggler writes:
But nor does your own explanation for the existence of myths and stories pertaining to the supernatural:
jar writes: I consider all Gods and gods to be evidenced. The evidence is the stories themselves. Message 329.
How is that conclusion more evidenced than Buz's conclusion?
Be specific.
jar writes:
Do the stories exist?
Does the universe exist?
Obviously both the universe, and the stories you are citing as evidence of the supernatural, both exist. But so what? In neither case do we need to resort to invoking the supernatural as a cause of these phenomenon.
Your position regarding supernatural involvement as leading to the existence of certain stories is just as evidentially unjustified as Buz's nonsense.
The primary difference is that you are significantly better at making yourself sound reasonable than he is.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 69 by jar, posted 08-09-2010 4:13 PM jar has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 77 by Bikerman, posted 08-10-2010 6:29 AM Straggler has replied
 Message 82 by jar, posted 08-10-2010 9:04 AM Straggler has replied

Bikerman
Member (Idle past 4977 days)
Posts: 276
From: Frodsham, Chester
Joined: 07-30-2010


Message 77 of 549 (573154)
08-10-2010 6:29 AM
Reply to: Message 76 by Straggler
08-10-2010 6:00 AM


Re: The Supernatural Explanation For Myths and Stories
I'm afraid I missed this. What evidence for the supernatural? I'm aware of a few unexplained sightings of UFOs, but that isn't really evidence for the supernatural, even if they WERE aliens. Apart from that, the only things I know of are pretty well refuted stories of mass visions and tales of miracle healings which nearly always turn out to be bogus, and when not bogus don't require any supernatural agency.
Even the Catholics are laying-off the miracle stories these days, since previous stories have been so well refuted that they are wary of ridicule if they try to proclaim another miracle.
Shermer is worth a hearing on this sort of thing:
http://bikerman.co.uk/media/beliefs-sherman.isx
Edited by Bikerman, : No reason given.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 76 by Straggler, posted 08-10-2010 6:00 AM Straggler has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 78 by Straggler, posted 08-10-2010 6:53 AM Bikerman has replied

Straggler
Member
Posts: 10333
From: London England
Joined: 09-30-2006


Message 78 of 549 (573158)
08-10-2010 6:53 AM
Reply to: Message 77 by Bikerman
08-10-2010 6:29 AM


Re: The Supernatural Explanation For Myths and Stories
What evidence for the supernatural?
You must have me confused with someone else.
It is jar who is citing myths and stories as evidence of the supernatural.
Not I.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 77 by Bikerman, posted 08-10-2010 6:29 AM Bikerman has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 79 by Bikerman, posted 08-10-2010 7:02 AM Straggler has replied

Bikerman
Member (Idle past 4977 days)
Posts: 276
From: Frodsham, Chester
Joined: 07-30-2010


Message 79 of 549 (573159)
08-10-2010 7:02 AM
Reply to: Message 78 by Straggler
08-10-2010 6:53 AM


Re: The Supernatural Explanation For Myths and Stories
Oops - sorry, I thought you had been discussing this with Jar and might be able to point me to the stories...my bad....
PS - ahh....I trawled back and see the origin of this particular sub-plot.
Hmm...was Jar winding you up I wonder (not having been here long enough to form solid opinions on the regulars yet, I dunno)....
Seems like a semantic argument mostly - he saying that beliefs in the supernatural exist and that an individual will decide upon the evidence available to them personally.
Actually I find that a weak argument. At one time it would have been valid. Certainly I believe that there is a strong evolutionary predisposition to seek supernatural agencies based on what Dan Dennet calls 'intentionality'.
The basic thesis in a nutshell:
There are three ways of looking at the world - Dennett calls them 3 stances.
1 Physical - how does it work? what are the components? how do they fit? Basically what is the physics?
2. Design - what does it look like it is designed to do?
3. Intentionality - what does it want to do?
Dennett argues, I think convincingly, that our distant ancestors, when faced with, say, a tiger, could adopt any of these 3 stances.
The physical stance involves looking at the length of the animal, the way the....(oops, too late....eaten).
The design stance involves looking at the big teeth and the strong claws and saying - that thing looks designed to kill and eat things....I'd better get...(oops, too late, eaten).
The intentionality stance involved looking at it and thinking 'that bugger intends to eat me....I'm offski'.
Clearly the third offers a survival advantage and therefore a potential evolutionary advantage.
Now, this 'assigning agency' misfires, as do all our 'instincts', and we begin to assign agency to pretty much everything. A large thunderstorm must have intentionality which means it must have an agent that directs it...so we look for one. The sun is impressive and therefore must be an agency with intentionality. The stars are impressive and......and so it goes.
From there to rudimentary religion is a very short hop.
The reason it is weak today is that nobody can be unaware of the basic discoveries of science unless they are living somewhere remote or are willfully ignorant. Likewise it takes some self-deception to select only the confirmations of a theory and ignore all the counter-cases where it fails (something every woo-woo merchant does routinely). Therefore you need to really want to believe in whatever woo-woo it is or you need to have been very strongly indoctrinated with not just the woo-woo itself but with a lack of intellectual curiosity and a fundamental lack of self-honesty....
Edited by Bikerman, : No reason given.
Edited by Bikerman, : No reason given.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 78 by Straggler, posted 08-10-2010 6:53 AM Straggler has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 80 by Straggler, posted 08-10-2010 7:40 AM Bikerman has not replied

Straggler
Member
Posts: 10333
From: London England
Joined: 09-30-2006


Message 80 of 549 (573163)
08-10-2010 7:40 AM
Reply to: Message 79 by Bikerman
08-10-2010 7:02 AM


Re: The Supernatural Explanation For Myths and Stories
I thought you had been discussing this with Jar and might be able to point me to the stories
Up and down thread from this Message 329
Jar talks in riddles and euphemisms. He simply won't give a direct and straight answer to the following question which I have asked multiple times:
Question: Do you consider the supernatural to be evidenced in any way? Or not?
He seems to want to maintain a facade of extreme reasonableness and explicitly saying that the supernatural is evidenced wouldn't really fit in with that.
Seems like a semantic argument mostly - he saying that beliefs in the supernatural exist and that an individual will decide upon the evidence available to them personally.
He has cited the myths and stories pertaining to gods as evidence of gods. jar says: I consider all Gods and gods to be evidenced. The evidence is the stories themselves[/b]. Message 329.
What he seems to fail to appreciate is that by citing such stories as evidence of gods he is implicitly and necessarily advocating a causal relationship between the two. These stories cannot very well be evidence of said gods if the existence of these gods has absolutely no bearing on the stories in question.
Whether he accepts it or not he is essentially advocating the supernatural hypothesis as an explanation for the existence of certain myths.
.... he saying that beliefs in the supernatural exist and that an individual will decide upon the evidence available to them personally.
Which if taken to it's logical conclusion amounts to nothing more than citing personal conviction as evidence in itself. The circular argument of citing belief itself as evidence upon which to justify belief.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 79 by Bikerman, posted 08-10-2010 7:02 AM Bikerman has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 85 by nwr, posted 08-10-2010 10:32 AM Straggler has replied

Larni
Member (Idle past 185 days)
Posts: 4000
From: Liverpool
Joined: 09-16-2005


Message 81 of 549 (573170)
08-10-2010 8:50 AM
Reply to: Message 70 by Bikerman
08-09-2010 8:27 PM


Re: Defining terms
No, that is simply a misunderstanding of basic physics.
Don't try to explain physics to Buzz. There are countless threads where Buzz has shown over and again that he is immune to learning about physics.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 70 by Bikerman, posted 08-09-2010 8:27 PM Bikerman has not replied

jar
Member (Idle past 415 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 82 of 549 (573171)
08-10-2010 9:04 AM
Reply to: Message 76 by Straggler
08-10-2010 6:00 AM


Re: The Supernatural Explanation For Myths and Stories
Straggler writes:
Obviously both the universe, and the stories you are citing as evidence of the supernatural, both exist. But so what? In neither case do we need to resort to invoking the supernatural as a cause of these phenomenon.
Okay, so you agree that the stories exist.
Now do you remember the definition I used for God(s) and god(s)?
Edited by jar, : appalin spallin

Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 76 by Straggler, posted 08-10-2010 6:00 AM Straggler has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 89 by Straggler, posted 08-10-2010 12:20 PM jar has replied

Buzsaw
Inactive Member


(1)
Message 83 of 549 (573173)
08-10-2010 9:10 AM
Reply to: Message 75 by Bikerman
08-10-2010 12:30 AM


Re: Defining terms
Bikerman writes:
Again this demonstrates that you don't understand the basics.
a) Science doesn't deal with the supernatural unless it is manifest in some way which can be tested. Those reported phenomena which can be tested have been tested and found to be illusion, invention or imagination.
That's because secular science has never made any attempt whatsoever to test supernatural phenomena. You, along with most secularists do not understand the basics of the supernatural phenomena which exists. You people chide me for not getting myself programmed into what you are convinced to be truth. By the same token, you appear to have a fobia about anything pertaining to the possibility of the supernatural.
Predictions of supernatural phenomena predicted thousands of years ago have been tested by fulfillement. On the otherhand predictions of science have only been ongoing to any significant extent for the past century. When they begin to fail, science simply changes modifys and updates with ever more complex hypotheses, understandable by relative few elites and defying the laws, dimensions and logic of what we observe and experience here in our universe.
b) What you seem to want is an explanation of physics which YOU can understand, without being prepared to do the bare minimum necessary - ie learn some basic maths.
By the same token I can argue that secular science wants an explanation of supernatural phenomenon, without being prepared to test and research evidence of supernatural phenomenon
Why do you think the universe should be simply explicable to someone who's only experience is on a small planet in a tiny corner of an unremarkable galaxy and who's brain was evolved to yell at apes about food and predators? Anything is complicated to those who are ignorant. The answer you seem to adopt is to wail that it cannot be so, because you don't understand it. Kids do the same thing quite a lot. The brighter ones learn that the problem is theirs, not the explanation's.
Heh! Why do you think that the only level of intelligence in the universe should be simply explicable relative to a tiny speck/planet in one of billions of galexies, each having billions of suns/stars?
For sure, we can agree that anything can be complicated to the ignorant. I regard your ignorance and that of most secularists equally as you regard mine relative to physics.
The question is has the supernatural hypothesis failed? Imo, most of the participants of this thread are not qualified to answer that question, having devoted insufficient time, experience and study in testing the phenomena.
Bikerman writes:
Buzsaw writes:
Yet they have the audacity to call multiverses and string theories when, in fact, there's no model or ability to predict from these alleged theories.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There is both - a model (actually several) and quite a few predictions to be tested. Again the problem is that you won't understand either if you insist that it is translated into a language best suited to jabber about the parochial experiences of an evolved ape.
Do you mean models like the supposedly non-3D pancake like stack of disc shaped bubbles, etc? How is that a viable model for something non-3D, when the model depicted (like pancakes) is 3D?
Any models I have seen for the BB theory have been, in reality, 3D but physicists do the same thing. They flatten them all out to 2D or 4D, essenial making them flat illustrations on a piece of paper depicting what they believe in their heads; anything to obfuscate reality so as to educate secularize the sheeple.
Bikerman writes:
Buzsaw writes:
I don't care if you have 4D, 10D or 11D layers, bubbles or whatever multiverses, like 3D, there is a separation known as a between. I'll never be convinced that I must toss out of my thinking all logic and reason so as to become scientific. I call that mysticism, magic, delusional and impossible.
And thus speaks the ignoramus through history. What thinking and logic? You display very little of either. You don't care. Those 3 words sum it up. You don't really want to learn because you are frightened that:
a) You are not capable of understanding
b) It might shake your current worldview
It isn't new - we see the same attitude in all recorded history, from the persecution of Socrates in Plato's account of the trial, through the imposed ignorance of the medieval Church, and, today, in the blind refusal to accept basic science from the creationists.
Now, Bikerman, what applies to the goose applies to the gander. I've revised your allegation so as to apply it to why secularists think the supernatural phenomena has failed.
And thus speaks the ignoramus through history. What thinking and logic? You display very little of either. You don't care. Those 3 words sum it up. You don't really want to learn because you are frightened that:
a) You are not capable of understanding
b) It might shake your current worldview
c) It makes you accountable to a higher intlligence/power
It isn't new - we see the same attitude in all recorded history, from the persecution of Socrates in Plato's account of the trial, Genesis fall of man, effected by Satan's deception, through the imposed ignorance of the medieval Church public education, and in the blind refusal to accept basic logic and realistic observable laws of physics from the secularists.

BUZSAW B 4 U 2 C Y BUZ SAW.
The immeasurable present eternally extends the infinite past and infinitely consumes the eternal future.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 75 by Bikerman, posted 08-10-2010 12:30 AM Bikerman has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 84 by DrJones*, posted 08-10-2010 10:11 AM Buzsaw has replied
 Message 90 by Straggler, posted 08-10-2010 12:30 PM Buzsaw has not replied
 Message 93 by Hyroglyphx, posted 08-10-2010 1:09 PM Buzsaw has not replied
 Message 103 by Bikerman, posted 08-10-2010 4:32 PM Buzsaw has replied
 Message 104 by Bikerman, posted 08-10-2010 5:00 PM Buzsaw has not replied

DrJones*
Member
Posts: 2285
From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Joined: 08-19-2004
Member Rating: 7.3


Message 84 of 549 (573183)
08-10-2010 10:11 AM
Reply to: Message 83 by Buzsaw
08-10-2010 9:10 AM


Re: Defining terms
people chide me for not getting myself programmed into what you are convinced to be truth
Buz the problem is not that you don't beleive the science, but that you totally fail to understand it and then make up a strawman version.

It's not enough to bash in heads, you've got to bash in minds
soon I discovered that this rock thing was true
Jerry Lee Lewis was the devil
Jesus was an architect previous to his career as a prophet
All of a sudden i found myself in love with the world
And so there was only one thing I could do
Was ding a ding dang my dang along ling long - Jesus Built my Hotrod Ministry

Live every week like it's Shark Week! - Tracey Jordan
Just a monkey in a long line of kings. - Matthew Good
If "elitist" just means "not the dumbest motherfucker in the room", I'll be an elitist! - Get Your War On
*not an actual doctor

This message is a reply to:
 Message 83 by Buzsaw, posted 08-10-2010 9:10 AM Buzsaw has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 86 by Buzsaw, posted 08-10-2010 11:04 AM DrJones* has replied

nwr
Member
Posts: 6409
From: Geneva, Illinois
Joined: 08-08-2005
Member Rating: 5.3


Message 85 of 549 (573190)
08-10-2010 10:32 AM
Reply to: Message 80 by Straggler
08-10-2010 7:40 AM


Re: The Supernatural Explanation For Myths and Stories
Straggler writes:
He has cited the myths and stories pertaining to gods as evidence of gods. jar says: I consider all Gods and gods to be evidenced. The evidence is the stories themselves
I am not sure what you find confusing about this. You yourself say that gods are cultural constructs. Where else do you expect to find the evidence for cultural constructs, other than in the myths, stories, etc that are told within the culture?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 80 by Straggler, posted 08-10-2010 7:40 AM Straggler has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 88 by Straggler, posted 08-10-2010 12:19 PM nwr has replied

Buzsaw
Inactive Member


(1)
Message 86 of 549 (573198)
08-10-2010 11:04 AM
Reply to: Message 84 by DrJones*
08-10-2010 10:11 AM


Re: Defining terms
Dr Jones writes:
Buz the problem is not that you don't beleive the science, but that you totally fail to understand it and then make up a strawman version.
Buz the problem is not that you don't beleive the science, but that you totally fail to understand it and then make up a strawman version.[/qs]
This is a blind assertion on your part. Dr. Jones. Please cite what in my response you think was a straman and why.
Of course I don't believe the science. I've articulated why; that it's too far removed from reality, just as you people assert that the supernatural phenomenon is too far removed from what you consider reality. You people require me to specify while so much of your stuff is blind asserted yada about how ignorant Buzsaw is and that Buzsaw refuses to buy into the secularistic interpretation of observations.
Your job is to specify things I've said about science methodology and to refute them in specificity. Your MO, to often, is to blindly assert that I have no understanding.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 84 by DrJones*, posted 08-10-2010 10:11 AM DrJones* has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 87 by DrJones*, posted 08-10-2010 11:10 AM Buzsaw has not replied

DrJones*
Member
Posts: 2285
From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Joined: 08-19-2004
Member Rating: 7.3


Message 87 of 549 (573199)
08-10-2010 11:10 AM
Reply to: Message 86 by Buzsaw
08-10-2010 11:04 AM


Re: Defining terms
Please cite what in my response you think was a straman and why
Sure, how about:
Do you mean models like the supposedly non-3D pancake like stack of disc shaped bubbles, etc? How is that a viable model for something non-3D, when the model depicted (like pancakes) is 3D?
Clearly the stacked pancakes are not a model of the multiverse theory but an illustration to help explain the concept of multiple universes. Claiming that it is a model of the theory is a strawman.

It's not enough to bash in heads, you've got to bash in minds
soon I discovered that this rock thing was true
Jerry Lee Lewis was the devil
Jesus was an architect previous to his career as a prophet
All of a sudden i found myself in love with the world
And so there was only one thing I could do
Was ding a ding dang my dang along ling long - Jesus Built my Hotrod Ministry

Live every week like it's Shark Week! - Tracey Jordan
Just a monkey in a long line of kings. - Matthew Good
If "elitist" just means "not the dumbest motherfucker in the room", I'll be an elitist! - Get Your War On
*not an actual doctor

This message is a reply to:
 Message 86 by Buzsaw, posted 08-10-2010 11:04 AM Buzsaw has not replied

Straggler
Member
Posts: 10333
From: London England
Joined: 09-30-2006


Message 88 of 549 (573207)
08-10-2010 12:19 PM
Reply to: Message 85 by nwr
08-10-2010 10:32 AM


Re: The Supernatural Explanation For Myths and Stories
nwr writes:
I am not sure what you find confusing about this. You yourself say that gods are cultural constructs. Where else do you expect to find the evidence for cultural constructs, other than in the myths, stories, etc that are told within the culture?
The only thing I am "confused" by is jar's refusal to clearly state whether or not he considers these cultural constructs to be evidence of the supernatural.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 85 by nwr, posted 08-10-2010 10:32 AM nwr has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 98 by nwr, posted 08-10-2010 1:54 PM Straggler has replied

Straggler
Member
Posts: 10333
From: London England
Joined: 09-30-2006


Message 89 of 549 (573208)
08-10-2010 12:20 PM
Reply to: Message 82 by jar
08-10-2010 9:04 AM


Re: The Supernatural Explanation For Myths and Stories
Do you consider the supernatural to be evidenced in any way? Or not?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 82 by jar, posted 08-10-2010 9:04 AM jar has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 91 by jar, posted 08-10-2010 12:33 PM Straggler has replied

Straggler
Member
Posts: 10333
From: London England
Joined: 09-30-2006


Message 90 of 549 (573210)
08-10-2010 12:30 PM
Reply to: Message 83 by Buzsaw
08-10-2010 9:10 AM


Testing The Supernatural
The question is has the supernatural hypothesis failed? Imo, most of the participants of this thread are not qualified to answer that question, having devoted insufficient time, experience and study in testing the phenomena.
Well Buz what tests would you have us undertake?
Be specific.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 83 by Buzsaw, posted 08-10-2010 9:10 AM Buzsaw has not replied

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