by LAWHFol 449 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I suggested that "something" within science can be a hypotheses without evidence.
A hypothesis can be based on evidence, a lucky guess, throwing a dart at board, etc.. They key that makes it a hypothesis is explanatory capability with falsifiability.
A hypothesis can be based on evidence, a lucky guess, throwing a dart at board, etc.. They key that makes it a hypothesis is explanatory capability with falsifiability.
True, I am suggesting that it can exist without evidence.
You can't prove the non existence of fairies, if that is what you are asking.
since new-born babies do not disbelieve in god, they are also born Theists."
Theists, according to the OED, are persons 'who believe in the existence of god/gods'. According to this definition, babies are not born theists.
Atheism simply means without belief in god/gods. This definition fits babies to a T.
Look at the chart, are you not Atheist and Agnostic?
No
Science is not binary, proved or not, 1 or 0. It is probabalistic, meaning things are confirmed to degree of probability. It is absolutely correct to say you can disprove to a degree of high probability and satisfaction by defining what fairies are, how we could detect them, that evidence there should be, etc..
Look at the chart, are you not Atheist and Agnostic?
No
Atheist and Gnostic then?
How sure are you that God does not exist? 100%?
I am not agnostic I am an atheist. Agnostics just need to think it through a bit more. -COFTY
I somewhat disagree with COFTY here (or perhaps I disagree with the common conception of what an atheistic or agnostic person is).
I think agnosticism and atheism are two entirely different things.
Agnosticism has to do with knowledge, i.e. "How do I know (whatever)?"
Atheism has to do with non-belief, i.e. "I do not believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Donald Trump or Harry Potter."
I am solidly atheist. I do not believe in God. I have no doubt that there is no god. I am not waiting for him to tap me on the shoulder.
However, I do believe that a measure of intellectual agnosticism is neccesary (at least for me) for a healthy mental life. I think it is important to ask myself the question, "How do I know what I know?"
"There is a fly in the room." You see no fly hence Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"
That example falls short. Not seeing a fly is not the same as not seeing an elephant. What size is the room? Is there something big enough to hide an elephant or fly? What methods were used to look?
There are some exceptions, to be sure, but in your examples it is 100% reasonable to find the evidence if one is willing to look. Also, we know what flies and elephants are, their properties, etc., and how to detect them. In the case of god, anytime someone has been able to loosely define what we are looking for, then absence of evidence absolutely is evidence of absence.
