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Author Topic:   Atheist Changes Mind
NosyNed
Member
Posts: 9011
From: Canada
Joined: 04-04-2003


Message 31 of 34 (171311)
12-24-2004 1:03 PM
Reply to: Message 30 by Taqless
12-24-2004 12:03 PM


Symptoms
Having worked in the healthcare field a bit he is sounding like one or both of the following that I've personally seen:
1) Significant loss(es) of someone(s) he cared for. I've seen individuals accept theism based on their inability to cope with where and what will happen to that specific person (not themselves). Seems odd, but we all tend to "bank the fire" of our youth with increasing age....sometimes it's easier to "give in". Pure speculation, but obervations nonetheless.
2) A mild form of dimentia.
Having suffered such a loss I can tell you that it would be very nice to be able to believe that it isn't an end. I think I have a tiny bit of understanding of that.
I did think I heard, in his ramblings, a bit of cognitive impairment.
It's hardly reasonable to be diagnosing at a distance mind you. He is after all only a philosopher. I've heard them go on about the sciences before from a place of deep ignorance. I attended a number of philosophy lectures with a friend back in school (they weren't great but she was ). They spoke of relativity and quantum mechanics with great profundity and knew not a damm thing about the subjects.
I'd say the Flew is in the same position with regards to what he is talking about.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 30 by Taqless, posted 12-24-2004 12:03 PM Taqless has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 33 by Taqless, posted 12-24-2004 1:41 PM NosyNed has not replied
 Message 34 by Silent H, posted 12-26-2004 5:16 AM NosyNed has not replied

  
PerfectDeath
Inactive Member


Message 32 of 34 (171313)
12-24-2004 1:18 PM


facing death
the main reason you see old athiests becoming religious is because it is very hard to face a death that just ends. It takes a strong person to acctually face the fact that you will die and stay dead it's the end of the road. because of that there is no comfort in facing death if you are an athiest.
so don't think it's a great acheivement that an athiest converts.

  
Taqless
Member (Idle past 6165 days)
Posts: 285
From: AZ
Joined: 12-18-2003


Message 33 of 34 (171319)
12-24-2004 1:41 PM
Reply to: Message 31 by NosyNed
12-24-2004 1:03 PM


Re: Symptoms
It's hardly reasonable to be diagnosing at a distance mind you.
Agreed.
Well, I'm 5 minutes away from hanging up my labcoat and finding out what my experiment results are, so I'll wish you Happy Holidays.
p.s.
Having suffered such a loss I can tell you that it would be very nice to be able to believe that it isn't an end. I think I have a tiny bit of understanding of that.
Having been in that position I reminded myself that it is a transfer of energy, so there is no "end". I take encouragement from that...maybe you can/or have as well.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 31 by NosyNed, posted 12-24-2004 1:03 PM NosyNed has not replied

  
Silent H
Member (Idle past 6071 days)
Posts: 7405
From: satellite of love
Joined: 12-11-2002


Message 34 of 34 (171525)
12-26-2004 5:16 AM
Reply to: Message 31 by NosyNed
12-24-2004 1:03 PM


Re: Symptoms
He is after all only a philosopher. I've heard them go on about the sciences before from a place of deep ignorance. I attended a number of philosophy lectures with a friend back in school (they weren't great but she was ). They spoke of relativity and quantum mechanics with great profundity and knew not a damm thing about the subjects.
GRRRRRRARRRRRRRRRR!!!! Apparently you feel it possible to discuss philosophy from an equal state of ignorance?
This keeps popping up at EvC and it really pisses me off. Philosophy is the love of knowledge. It is supposed to indicate someone is actively pursuing knowledge.
Modern science is the field of natural philosophy. What many call "philosophy" today refer to the bigger picture pursuits such as metaphysics and epistemology and ethics. But that is IGNORANCE about philosophy.
While one will study those subjects, one also studies other subjects such as science and most important of all the application of logic to debate and evidence. After all a PhD is a doctorate of PHILOSOPHY in a field.
I moved from science to philosophy and back to science and I felt no missed beat. And I'll tell you what, I also saw no change in capability of people talking about things of which they do not know.
Biologists are just as likely to be found advancing arguments on subjects such as chemistry and physics, as the latter two are regarding biology. And everyone seems to feel they are capable of understanding sociology and psychology because they are "pseudo-sciences" and then reveal less than a basic understanding in how to interpret studies coming out of those fields.
Heck, I have seen a mathematician pretend to know philosophy and logic and yet display a gross lack of knowledge in that area, yet many (including "science minded" people) come around and tell him what a brilliant logician and debater he is just because he is good at emotiona laden zingers. *sigh*
If you saw philosophers discussing something they did not understand, then you simply saw some people being very bad philosophers and engaging in what everyone in every field of life engages in... idle and ill informed speculation and sophistry.

holmes
"...what a fool believes he sees, no wise man has the power to reason away.."(D. Bros)

This message is a reply to:
 Message 31 by NosyNed, posted 12-24-2004 1:03 PM NosyNed has not replied

  
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