Even in the weirdest cases, the most bizarre coincidences

[jimmorrisonbabe]

There is no evidence for a divine intervention in order for experiences like these to have any valid meaning. If they had meaning, a god/something above must have set them to be that way, right?

All evidence points towards everything in this earth falling into this place naturally, in terms of synchronicities/coincidences etc.

[Davin]

There is no evidence for a divine intervention in order for experiences like these to have any valid meaning. If they had meaning, a god/something above must have set them to be that way, right?

All evidence points towards everything in this earth falling into this place naturally, in terms of synchronicities/coincidences etc.

I don't understand what you mean. All evidence points to the reasons why things happen/ed, how they happen/ed and when they happen/ed.

[jimmorrisonbabe]

I'm saying that those reasons are mostly down to science, so why should things like major coincidences or any 'bizarre' happenings point to anything supernatural if there is no God and everything just works on physical laws?

[pinkocommie]

I'm saying that those reasons are mostly down to science, so why should things like major coincidences or any 'bizarre' happenings point to anything supernatural if there is no God and everything just works on physical laws?

They don't point to anything supernatural.

[Davin]

I think you're going to have to provide an example of something that points to something supernatural.

[jimmorrisonbabe]

What i'm talking about when i say 'coincidences' is that many people still believe these mean something, even though they happen all the time. What i'm saying is that even the most bizarre coincidences could be misproven, by the fact there is no god/divine intervention to put them there.

Can i just ask though... what do atheists think of Carl Jung's theory of 'synchronicity'? isn't that a proven theory of supernatural 'coincidences'?

[philosoraptor]

Why are you so obsessed with coincidence, anyway?  All of your posts are about coincidences.

[pinkocommie]

What i'm talking about when i say 'coincidences' is that many people still believe these mean something, even though they happen all the time. What i'm saying is that even the most bizarre coincidences could be misproven, by the fact there is no god/divine intervention to put them there.

Can i just ask though... what do atheists think of Carl Jung's theory of 'synchronicity'? isn't that a proven theory of supernatural 'coincidences'?

I'm unaware of any evidence that 'synchronicity' has been in any way proven.

I found this article, the explanation offered here might help you:

http://www.dbskeptic.com/2009/08/02/synchronicities-and-%E2%80%9Cthe-odds%E2%80%9D/

[Davin]

I don't know what atheists think of Carl Jung, but I think it's a load of nonsense..

[jimmorrisonbabe]

Philosoraptor: cus i'm kinda still an atheist/naturalist/empiricst/non-supernaturalist in training, determined to make myself believe that even the weirdest coincidences don't mean anything at all... in some ways, i think i might be scared of supernatural things. i know it sounds obsessive, but also, i enjoy looking at things rationally, its much more interesting than just assuming these things happen because of other forces. Teach me, rationalists!

And pinkocommie, that is an interesting article. The part about the neutered cat made me LOL, and it is right, weird things would happen even without supernatural forces!

[pinkocommie]

And pinkocommie, that is an interesting article. The part about the neutered cat made me LOL, and it is right, weird things would happen even without supernatural forces!

I think the point wasn't that supernatural forces in any circumstance exist, but that the occurrences that inspire supernatural explanations (such as synchronicity) are common.  Assigning the origin of these occurrences to be ANYTHING supernatural, including synchronicity, is a reaction and not a conclusion.

[Davin]

I'm not sure you can teach someone to be rational, each person has to make a lot of effort on their own. I would start with studying fallacies, looking at each one until you understand why each one is illogical. I would then start making arguments that don't contain any fallacies, then move on to identifying fallacies that people use and why their use of fallacy makes what they're saying irrational.

[McQ]

There is no evidence for a divine intervention in order for experiences like these to have any valid meaning. If they had meaning, a god/something above must have set them to be that way, right?

All evidence points towards everything in this earth falling into this place naturally, in terms of synchronicities/coincidences etc.

They have no meaning. Rather than go into great lengths here, I'll refer you to two links. One is to a book I own and like, which goes into some detail on the odds of "extraordinary" events in everyday life. The other is a quick link to the Skeptic's Dictionary for a primer on Jung's theory.

Buy the book. With your interest in coincidences, you'll get good use out of it. And it's dirt cheap.

http://www.skepdic.com/jung.html
http://www.amazon.com/What-Are-Odds-Ext ... 43&sr=8-10

[Kylyssa]

Lots and lots and lots of things happen.  It's inevitable that some of them will happen in the same way, at the same time, or in an order that seems interesting to the human mind.    

Humans see patterns.  We also see what we expect to see rather than what our senses actually take in.  So if we expect to see a pattern or to see something special about an event, we do, sometimes even if it requires quite a few squints and mumbles to do so.

[Tank]

Why are you so obsessed with coincidence, anyway?  All of your posts are about coincidences.

Would that be a coincidence?