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By "proven" (and its other variants) you mean scientifically proven, right?
And yet the fact that two million people might go hungry in the United States today, doesn't mean they're all starving and will die tomorrow or within the next ten days. So I guess it all depends on what that fact is "related" to. Although "the fact" of the matter is, a fact is a statement of truth (perhaps the smallest?), when taking into account the fact by itself ... Got it?Originally posted by LogicalAtheist
A fact is a fact. it's true, always true, never false.
Hurkyl, I find you are always questioning, here, the essence of things, nitpicking. Tell me, when you go to sit down in your computer desk chair, do you ever question Newton's laws as wrong, and get a bit scared you might fall right through your chair?
I didn't think so. You need some basis of fact and truth otherwise you'd be frightened at everything. I know you don't question it that heavily in real life, otherwise you'd have no time for anything else.
Originally posted by Hurkyl
You are right, I don't question everything that heavily. I don't question at all whether I'll fall right through my chair. However that does not mean I accept it as absolute fact that I will not fall through my chair.
I recognize that logic does not claim to give truths, it merely gives deductions from premises. Science also does not claime to give truths, it gives statistical likelihoods.
So, there is nothing within a purely logical/scientific worldview to suggest that it has any claim to truth or correctness.
I don't find anything wrong with that in itself. I find it to be highly humorous when people start claiming that logic + science yield absolute truths and start criticising other belief systems that don't conform to a pure logic + science must be incorrect, because in order to have that view you must have a belief system beyond that of pure logic + science.
Originally posted by Astronomer107
Logical Atheist,
Hypothetically, if your beliefs were the right ones, then why do you work so hard trying to disprove something that is not even there? If you honestly didn't believe in God, wouldn't you not even go there? No one here is trying to convert you, so personal vendettas are not really needed. Everyone is entitled to his beliefs.
The unsaid statement is that it's true enough so we can prove other truths with the implication of this one. And that it's fact enough so that it occurs as we state it to be.
Originally posted by LogicalAtheist
1. Why do I work so hard? You call disproving something that isn't there hard?
2. This is a forum. It's what people do is discuss, if you have problems with it, try a chat room or an instant messenging service.
3. "honestly didn't believe in God"? The phrase reeks of ego.
4. "trying to convert me"? What? It's a forum, this is what occurs at a forum.
5. "everyone is entitled to his beliefs"? First off, it's a sexist statement. Secondly, where in the heck did you get the idea people are entitled to beliefs?
6. People don't have rights and entitlements. I'm guessing you are religious.
7. End of story.
Originally posted by Astronomer107
6. People do have the right to believe what they want. Where in the known universe did you get the idea that no one has rights? The fact that I am or am not religious is not important here. I only wanted to ask why you try so hard to disprove God.
7. End of story? We cannot find truth unless we continue searching.
Originally posted by LogicalAtheist
It's you who has the burden of proof. You proposed a claim that rights exist. The burden of an existence claim lies on the side proposing the existence. Where's your evidence?
Who is this "we" you speak of? Some people find truth, others don't. And some people find the truth and refuse it because it isn't the truth they want.
Originally posted by Astronomer107
It is I who have the burden of proof? How can one deny that there are rights.
Originally posted by Astronomer107
Existence is not the problem here because rights exist only if we choose them to, and we do, at least in the United States. The thing that one must realize is that if we do not respect people's rights, one group will rise over the other, leading to the ultimate destruction of both.
Originally posted by Astronomer107
If I have the burden of proving, then it is you who has the burden of disproving. So begin disproving. Where is YOUR evidence?
Originally posted by Astronomer107
Right, my point exactly, some people do not accept the truth because it is not the truth they want, so they simply give up and say, "I believe nothing."
Originally posted by Astronomer107
Tell me, if "nothing" created the universe, then the universe would be nothing. Plus, how can a "cosmic accident" produce something so perfect, from the arrangement of the galaxies down to the perfection of an atom? It requires planning.
How can one propose an existence claim with no proof and expect another to listen?
The thing one should realize is rights don't exist. In your head you believe rights exist that are different than everyone elses beliefs of rights. So how should this one who needs to realize go about "respecting" these non-existant rights when no two people believe in the same non-existant right? You opened a can of worms!
Anyone else ever heard that? Me go first? No you go first, no YOU go first?
Haha - I'll leave this open for everyone else to rip apart
You're not just being skeptical about the existence of rights, you are denying their existence. You too have the burden to prove your claim.
Originally posted by Astronomer107
I only wanted to ask why you try so hard to disprove God.
Alexander,Originally posted by Alexander
This one is easy. Just identify the object (tell exactly what you mean by this word to make sure we both will talk of SAME animal).
Originally posted by Hurkyl
Every positive right can be reformulated as a negative right.
And I suppose you mean to say there's a right on education and on knowledge that you sanction?
Originally posted by Shadow
You say facts and logic but how about truth?
Truth? Truth is defined as "what complies with facts".
Truth? Truth is defined as "what complies with facts".
Knowledge or information based on real occurrences: an account based on fact; a blur of fact and fancy.
How can anyone know the truth (or the Truth) without an adequate definition of what the truth is?Originally posted by Shadow
How can one define truth when no one knows the truth?