This Forum is Biased

I doubt that, she seems to be a reasonable, thinking individual. I don't either. As 'they' say some of my best friends are Christian. What I am concerned about is how a line can be drawn that isn't too easily crossed.Once it is ok to start taking things as 'true' just because someone says so or once it is ok to believe things just because you want to then where does it stop?There seems to be two major groupings of ways we come to take things as 'reasonable' or 'true' or at least reasonably true. We all use some of both. Some of us use a lot more of one than the other.One way is to take things on "faith" (and that can have lots of shades of meanings).The other way is to attempt to take information in, make a decision on how reliable it might be and to reason out a most reasonable conclusion. The best of this approach recognizes that we are all easily fooled into seeing what we want and being biased. To avoid this we seek input from others and don't trust what we see if we can't make the information available to others including someone who is at least a bit skeptical of our conclusions. This kind of reasoning allows for some comfort with the uncomfortable situations of uncertainty, it recognizes how hard it can be to come to an absolute final conclusion.The second approach allows some chance, though difficult, of actually reaching a consensus resolution of opposing views. I can not see how the first approach ever can. If one arrives at something by faith and someone else believes just as much in an opposing view then I see no way of ever making any progress in resolving what may be contradictory views.The "faith" approach allows for, it seems to me, anything at all being an acceptable conclusion. The Taliban's view is just as valid as the Pope's, a YEC's or an Islamists, a Hindu mystics or anyone elses. How can we draw a line between views of simple, deep religious faith and extremism?In the same vein I object to astrology. Not because it is, in itself, very often harmful but because it allows for a poor quality of rational thinking and decision making. If one can accept this then one can easily move to "alternative medicine" for a cold and from there to dying because of poor decisions based on irrational thinking about appropriate care.It isn't the specific faith or belief. It is the damage it does to rational thinking. Irrationality can be a fatal disease under some circumstances.

I'd have to see the reasoning. Someone in that postition doesn't have time to dig carefully into everything (no one does). There have been a number of fairly careful studies done that concluded there is something to time/date of birth as an influence. However, it seems they all have subtley flawed statistics. Someone might know of those studies but not the controversy over the conclusions.Also, we all have different aspects to ourselves. No one is always rational, sensible and careful. Like I said, I'd have to see the reasoning behind the conclusions.

Here, here. (even though I just got moderated a little I think )