Sciforums religion survey 2014

Discussion in 'Religion' started by James R, Dec 21, 2014.

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What do you believe? (Select all that apply.)

Poll closed Jan 11, 2015.
  1. I don't believe in God now, and I never did.

    12 vote(s)
    26.1%
  2. I don't believe in God now, but I used to.

    15 vote(s)
    32.6%
  3. I believe in God now, but in the past I did not.

    4 vote(s)
    8.7%
  4. I believe in God now, and always have.

    5 vote(s)
    10.9%
  5. I have no opinion on God/do not wish to select one of the above options.

    6 vote(s)
    13.0%
  6. I don't believe in God, but I believe there is a higher power, life force or similar.

    4 vote(s)
    8.7%
  7. I don't regard myself as religious, but I am a spiritual person.

    7 vote(s)
    15.2%
  8. I believe that human beings have a soul or life force which remains after the death of the body.

    5 vote(s)
    10.9%
  9. I believe in reincarnation.

    4 vote(s)
    8.7%
  10. I describe myself as a follower of a recognised religion.

    3 vote(s)
    6.5%
Multiple votes are allowed.
  1. Seattle Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    8,849
    I guess we should believe in dragons and Cyclops as well since we can find them mentioned in ancient literature?

    We can figure out how the pyramids were built and you have no problem with that but because USA Today mentions mica having to come from 3,000 miles away you read ancient aliens into that?

    Isn't it much more likely that it just came from 3,000 miles away (much less increible that invoking aliens) or that there was actually a source of mica much closer?
     
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  3. davewhite04 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,233
    I do not argue the fact that there's other intelligent life in the universe, read my posts, I am convinced the universe is bustling with life, and intelligent life that far surpasses our own intellect.

    I rate self awareness or high intelligence extremely highly, but not as highly as life on earth itself. Without nature what point would intelligence have? What enjoyment would there be?

    Man is perverted, violent, deceitful etc. at this point of our evolution.

    Guide is probably the wrong word, inspire is better. I said "Cris" not "us".
     
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  5. davewhite04 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,233
    How was life created exactly(in your opinion)?
     
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  7. Bells Staff Member

    Messages:
    24,270
    I see.

    I think you are confusing awareness with intelligence.

    We would never have evolved to the point that we are at now if we were not violent, etc.

    Still pretty fucked up.. Then again, if anyone wants to read a horror story, just read the first testament or early religious texts, drawings, carvings, etc from all religions to see the horrors humans perpetrated against others or were inspired to by their deity's or did so to please their deity's. We create God(s) to suit ourselves and to give us an excuse or a reason.
     
  8. davewhite04 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,233
    There was simply no source of the material closer, simple as that. We are pretty darn good at archeology.

    If you can provide me proof, from any source that proves the material was much closer, be my guest.
     
  9. davewhite04 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,233
    Exactly.
     
  10. Seattle Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    8,849
    Can you provide me proof that it was the results of aliens?
     
  11. GeoffP Caput gerat lupinum Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    22,087

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!



    More alienses.

    Argument: circled.

    My work here is done.
     
  12. Cris In search of Immortality Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    9,199
    You are making the same mistake again - it is not valid to imply what the future holds from current results. History is full of claims of "it can't be done" only to see them occur. It's just a logical fallacy.

    I am not qualified to state whether science will be able to initiate independent life in a laboratory or not, and judging from your posting history you are not qualified in the sciences either. The real reason you must assert that science must fail is that if they succeeded then it would destroy part or most of your religious fantasies you have adopted.
     
  13. Cris In search of Immortality Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    9,199
    Faith is not the issue. Intelligent life exists here and that establishes a precedent. With simple math and given the countless trillions of stars and a similar number of planets the calculation of probability that conditions like earth are common is very high - that alone significantly raises the probability that life exists elsewhere. We have no reason to assume that earth is anything special or that life on earth is anything special or unusual.

    I think again that you are arguing against life like ours elsewhere because it would upset your religious fantasy doctrine, rather than an argument from evidence or logic.
     
  14. Cris In search of Immortality Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    9,199
    Thank you. And I welcome God's assistance in helping me motivate more people to adopt an atheistic perspective.

    I will admit to massive feelings of relief and freedom once I had fully expunged my early years of Christian indoctrination. You appear to be seriously trapped for the moment and don't know it yet - I wish you luck in a possible eventual escape.
     
  15. davewhite04 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,233
    Of course not, this conversation wouldn't exist if I could.
     
  16. Cris In search of Immortality Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    9,199
    Your conclusion from those claimed quotes of evidence do not constitute evidence of aliens or other intelligences. All you have are potential mysterious that we haven't explained.

    Again it is a logical fallacy, and the predominately apparent method to your religious thinking, to infer a fantasy solution to something that is unknown. This is how most religions began - when something could not be explained then something supernatural was invented to provide a highly desirable answer.

    You do not have any evidence for your claims only imaginative fantasy propositions in the absence of actual evidence. This is the logical fallacy known as argument from ignorance.
     
  17. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    54,036
  18. davewhite04 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,233
    I am not a qualified scientist, I am however a student of life. At this point in time my beliefs are incompatible with any religion I know of, so maybe you should call it "delusion" and not religious belief. When it boils down to brass tacks regarding this subject, then all beliefs are delusional as lack of evidence is not evidence also.
     
  19. Cris In search of Immortality Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    9,199
    When evidence is absent the correct conclusion is to state - "we do not know", and not create alternative propositions and assert them as truth. It is still healthy to explore imagine alternatives, just remember that they are just propositions to be explored.
     
  20. davewhite04 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,233
    It's exciting to think of the possibilities, but probabilities and calculations are not evidence Cris.
     
  21. Cris In search of Immortality Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    9,199
    There is a perspective here that I do not quite understand. Given that earth is just one planet among countless trillions, why should it be considered special just because we are on it? Isn't that simple arrogance?

    "Without nature what point would intelligence have? " I don't understand what that means. Intelligence simply evolved, it has no point other than it has strong survival traits, hence its current existence.

    "What enjoyment would there be?" Life does not imply any particular benefits to individuals. Life can be cruel, harsh, fun, short, long, unpleasant, happy, and everything in-between. Life has no objective or purpose - it simply is, for good or bad.
     
  22. davewhite04 Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    5,233
    You might think your posts inspire people to become atheistic, but in reality they are very informative and logical which inspires people to search for their own answers. You will get like minded people who cling on to every word you say, but I think that is the minority Cris.
     
  23. Cris In search of Immortality Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    9,199
    Yes excitement is perhaps the spice of life. But your post referred to unlikeliness - a statement of probability - I answered in kind.

    But as with earlier arguments about inductive logic - probabilities do constitute meaningful evidence. We expect the sun to rise tomorrow - that is a statement of probability, but there is no proof that it will since perhaps the earth might explode overnight without warning. But all the past occurrences create a strong inductive and probabilistic argument that the sun will most likely rise tomorrow.

    Almost all of science is based on inductive probabilities and technically there is no such thing as a scientific proof. In science the highest state is that of a scientific theory where an element of doubt is always retained. Science does not assert any certainties. Compare that to religions where they start with assertions of certainty.
     

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