A truce between Atheists and Non-Atheists? (page 70)

As "for instance", I work in a field where it's usually pretty apparent after some investigation what is going on. There are always people that get emotionally invested in their ideas and will say anything to be right. Often that leads to dimished credibility when otherwise smart people go down rat holes because they have invested their self worth into an idea and evidence points against that idea.

There is NOTHING wrong with having an idea and it being wrong. Sometimes people start apologizing because it looks like something I am saying might be wrong, they think my feelings will be hurt. I just say "It was an idea, I'm not married to it, you know."

Point is, when we can't separate what we think and what our ideas are from our self worth, that's when things go south.

sabastious

Point is, when we can't separate what we think and what our ideas are from our self worth, that's when things go south.

There is soft evidence and then there is hard evidence. Some people have a strict standard of hard evidence for belief and others are more loose. What happens is that somone is OK with using soft evidence coupled with unverifiable personal experience and it frustrates a different style of approach. Then things go south when the frustrated rationalist attempts to make an example of the believer. There are many types of evidence and many preferences as to what kind of evidence is deemed appropriate for a given scenario. It's wrong to impose a court room like approach to a set of personal beliefs. If someone wants to register their idea as a religion and get donations then they should be subject to a high level of scrutiny. Otherwise they should just be left to be.

-Sab

EntirelyPossible

I'm sorry Sab, as per my word and your plea, I can't engage with you until December 1st. My word is my bond. Only a week and a few days to go, I am sure you can make it. Be strong, brother.

sabastious

I'm sorry Sab, as per my word and your plea, I can't engage with you until December 1st. My word is my bond. Only a week to go, I am sure you can make it. Be strong, brother.

You already broke it because you lack self control. I never plead for anything, I want you to cut your crap or leave this forum. This hiatus has done nothing but prove to me you lack basic self control, which is something I already knew.

-Sab

EntirelyPossible

I'm sorry Sab, as per my word and your plea, I can't engage with you until December 1st. My word is my bond. Only a week and a few days to go, I am sure you can make it. Be strong, brother. (not a double post, just reminding you)

sabastious

EntirelyPossible

My point at large, being, that when we tie our self-identity into our ideas, bad things happen. For instance, Harold Camping or the WT.

Einstein would be an example of the opposite, he was able to call his idea of the cosmological constant his greatest blunder. He did NOT tie the validity of his iseas to his self-worth or to his ability to get things done.

Of course, that is not to suggest that religious people are the only ones that tie their identity to their ideas or that all scientists don't, those are just example off the top of my head.

EntirelyPossible

Total and complete lie. Proof here.

And I apologize, Sab. I wasn't engaging with you, I was posting some uplifting thoughts, I didn't realize it would affect you so much that you felt I was "engaging" with you.

Phizzy

As regards the thread title , this may already have been said, I haven't time to do it justice and read the whole thread at present, the washing machine outlet has sprung a leak, so it's Phizzy the Plumber in a minute !

What I wanted to say was that with most respectful and honest non-theists and non-athiests there is certainly no war, so no need of a truce.

But I do hope that no one gets so upset that they spit their dummy (U.S: pacifier) out and leave the forum, these kind of discussions are informative, mind-stretching and fun !

I enjoy your contributions very much, Entirely Possible.

A truce between Atheists and Non-Atheists?

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