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Refuting Theistic Arguments

Started by Ricardo, October 04, 2019, 07:58:43 PM

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Recusant

Quote from: xSilverPhinx on October 05, 2019, 02:20:17 PM
Science is about testable hypotheses and theories. These should be falsifiable as well. That is, new evidence can "disprove" a theory.

A well designed experiment has a number of positive and negative controls that give more statistical and scientific weight to the conclusions reached. How on Earth could you control for these things when dealing with the supernatural when science can only test natural events? Any supernatural occurrence (if they actually do occur), are beyond the realm of scientific inquiry. They are not testable and they are not falsifiable.

Whether god or gods exist is not a scientific question.

Thank you, xSilverPhinx. My post was faulty. Yours is much better, which is to be expected.  :smokin cool:
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Ricardo

Quote from: xSilverPhinx on October 05, 2019, 05:36:48 PM
Quote from: Ricardo on October 05, 2019, 03:57:51 PM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on October 05, 2019, 02:20:17 PM
Science is about testable hypotheses and theories. These should be falsifiable as well. That is, new evidence can "disprove" a theory.

A well designed experiment has a number of positive and negative controls that give more statistical and scientific weight to the conclusions reached. How on Earth could you control for these things when dealing with the supernatural when science can only test natural events? Any supernatural occurrence (if they actually do occur), are beyond the realm of scientific inquiry. They are not testable and they are not falsifiable.

Whether god or gods exist is not a scientific question.
Seu Avatar ficou muito legal ! 8) 8) 8)
xSilverPhinx: Thank you very much for the clarification!
Eu sou do interior do Estado de São Paulo !  que boa surpresa uma Brasileira !  :grin:

;D I don't think that in the past nine years there's been another Brazilian here.

:popcorn: We're taking over the internet.

Ricardo

Quote from: Ricardo on October 05, 2019, 06:29:56 PM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on October 05, 2019, 05:36:48 PM
Quote from: Ricardo on October 05, 2019, 03:57:51 PM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on October 05, 2019, 02:20:17 PM
Science is about testable hypotheses and theories. These should be falsifiable as well. That is, new evidence can "disprove" a theory.

A well designed experiment has a number of positive and negative controls that give more statistical and scientific weight to the conclusions reached. How on Earth could you control for these things when dealing with the supernatural when science can only test natural events? Any supernatural occurrence (if they actually do occur), are beyond the realm of scientific inquiry. They are not testable and they are not falsifiable.

Whether god or gods exist is not a scientific question.
Seu Avatar ficou muito legal ! 8) 8) 8)
xSilverPhinx: Thank you very much for the clarification!
Eu sou do interior do Estado de São Paulo !  que boa surpresa uma Brasileira !  :grin:

;D I don't think that in the past nine years there's been another Brazilian here.

:popcorn: We're taking over the internet
Your Avatar is very cool!  8)

Ecurb Noselrub

Just say "you can't prove that God does exist" and then invite them for a beer at your local oasis and talk about College Football.

Icarus

Good suggestion Bruce.  Are you emotionally attached to a particular college team?

I am a Univ. of Florida alumni so I have to be a die hard Gator fan.  ( WHoopee! My Gators defeated #7 Auburn this afternoon)

Ecurb Noselrub

Quote from: Icarus on October 06, 2019, 02:29:43 AM
Good suggestion Bruce.  Are you emotionally attached to a particular college team?

I am a Univ. of Florida alumni so I have to be a die hard Gator fan.  ( WHoopee! My Gators defeated #7 Auburn this afternoon)

Baylor (D-1 - 5-0 right now)
Mary Hardin Baylor (D-3, 4-0 right now, defending National Champions, ranked No. 1).

These are my two alma maters.  I played football in high school and love the game, violent as it is.

xSilverPhinx

Quote from: Ricardo on October 05, 2019, 06:32:12 PM
Your Avatar is very cool!  8)

Thank you, I like it very much. I like googly eyes, they basically express what I'm feeling most of the time. :grin:

I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


xSilverPhinx

Quote from: hermes2015 on October 05, 2019, 05:48:01 PM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on October 05, 2019, 05:36:48 PM
Quote from: Ricardo on October 05, 2019, 03:57:51 PM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on October 05, 2019, 02:20:17 PM
Science is about testable hypotheses and theories. These should be falsifiable as well. That is, new evidence can "disprove" a theory.

A well designed experiment has a number of positive and negative controls that give more statistical and scientific weight to the conclusions reached. How on Earth could you control for these things when dealing with the supernatural when science can only test natural events? Any supernatural occurrence (if they actually do occur), are beyond the realm of scientific inquiry. They are not testable and they are not falsifiable.

Whether god or gods exist is not a scientific question.
xSilverPhinx: Thank you very much for the clarification!
Eu sou do interior do Estado de São Paulo !  que boa surpresa uma Brasileira !  :grin:

;D I don't think that in the past nine years there's been another Brazilian here.

:popcorn: We're taking over the internet.

Soon there will be gazillions of Brazilians here.

:watching:
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


xSilverPhinx

Quote from: Recusant on October 05, 2019, 06:04:35 PM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on October 05, 2019, 02:20:17 PM
Science is about testable hypotheses and theories. These should be falsifiable as well. That is, new evidence can "disprove" a theory.

A well designed experiment has a number of positive and negative controls that give more statistical and scientific weight to the conclusions reached. How on Earth could you control for these things when dealing with the supernatural when science can only test natural events? Any supernatural occurrence (if they actually do occur), are beyond the realm of scientific inquiry. They are not testable and they are not falsifiable.

Whether god or gods exist is not a scientific question.

Thank you, xSilverPhinx. My post was faulty. Yours is much better, which is to be expected.  :smokin cool:

Thanks, Recusant. I couldn't find fault with your post, I thought it was pretty accurate.  :thumbsup:
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


Ricardo

 So do theists believe in something that doesn't exist? would it be a self-delusion? Can this be harmful to others? :thoughtful:

Bad Penny II

Quote from: Ricardo on October 06, 2019, 12:52:16 PM
So do theists believe in something that doesn't exist? would it be a self-delusion? Can this be harmful to others? :thoughtful:

No, I don't think so, I've never heard of a theist hurting anyone 'cause of their delusion, couldn't happen, their delusion's about niceness, how could that possibly turn to not niceness?
Take my advice, don't listen to me.

Bluenose

In my view I agree with the idea that lack of evidence can be evidence of lack.  In the case of gods the lack of evidence does indeed approach the status of evidence of lack.  Personally I think the probability of there being any gods to be so low as to effectively be zero, just not *quite* zero.  So, I don't waste my time wondering if there are any gods, I simply choose to live my life under the assumption that none do exist.  In the unlikely event that some actual evidence ever gets produced in favour of some god's existence, then and only then I will review my opinion based on the strength of that evidence.  However religion has had thousands of years to come up with such evidence and so far all it has managed is self delusion, logical fallacies and sophistry so I'm not concerned that such evidence is imminent.
+++ Divide by cucumber error: please reinstall universe and reboot.  +++

GNU Terry Pratchett


Bluenose

Quote from: Bad Penny II on October 06, 2019, 01:33:47 PM
Quote from: Ricardo on October 06, 2019, 12:52:16 PM
So do theists believe in something that doesn't exist? would it be a self-delusion? Can this be harmful to others? :thoughtful:

No, I don't think so, I've never heard of a theist hurting anyone 'cause of their delusion, couldn't happen, their delusion's about niceness, how could that possibly turn to not niceness?

Indeed, no one expects the Spanish Inquisition...
+++ Divide by cucumber error: please reinstall universe and reboot.  +++

GNU Terry Pratchett


Bad Penny II

Have we proved the sun isn't Ra in his sun boat yet?
I don't know, I don't know how southern hemisphere people fit into this.
We could be in the underworld, only see him in his night boat.
Maybe, it is very shiny though, anyway whatever the wise ones decide I'll go along with.
Take my advice, don't listen to me.

xSilverPhinx

Quote from: Bluenose on October 06, 2019, 02:13:33 PM
In my view I agree with the idea that lack of evidence can be evidence of lack.  In the case of gods the lack of evidence does indeed approach the status of evidence of lack.  Personally I think the probability of there being any gods to be so low as to effectively be zero, just not *quite* zero.  So, I don't waste my time wondering if there are any gods, I simply choose to live my life under the assumption that none do exist.  In the unlikely event that some actual evidence ever gets produced in favour of some god's existence, then and only then I will review my opinion based on the strength of that evidence.  However religion has had thousands of years to come up with such evidence and so far all it has managed is self delusion, logical fallacies and sophistry so I'm not concerned that such evidence is imminent.

:notsure: You know, if it weren't for the earphone pixies that constantly leave my earphones in knots whenever I leave them in my bag overnight I would agree with you. I don't have direct evidence they're there -- I've never seen any of them --  but I just know they're responsible and I curse them every time I get my earphones out.  :grrr:
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey