A Serious Question To Self-Proclaimed Atheists ...

[sojourner]

There's nothing there when an infant is born.

I disagree.

 

[Subduction Zone]

Why not? Cthulu would be as real as Illuvatar (Creator God of Middle Earth) or Torak (Dragon God of Angarak) or Jehovah or Thor or Quetzalcoatl or the God of any man made work of mythological fiction.

Ooh, it has been a while, but I do believe that I was asking about if God was Cthulhu in context of Pascal's Wager. How would that affect how one approach's that argument? I do not think that a belief in Jesus would help at all.

 

[Sheldon]

Developmental science disagrees with you.

I doubt it, but since all you've offered is another bare claim, then there's not much to debate.

 

[Sheldon]

I disagree.

That's fine, but you offered a sweeping claim for everyone, and while I can only speak for myself, your claim is demonstrably wrong in that instance. Thus it is demonstrably wrong, since I am a subset of everyone.

 

[sojourner]

I doubt it, but since all you've offered is another bare claim, then there's not much to debate.

Skepticism for the sake of skepticism appears to be reasonable. But it isn’t. Look up any reliable source for developmental psychology.

 

[sojourner]

That's fine, but you offered a sweeping claim for everyone, and while I can only speak for myself, your claim is demonstrably wrong in that instance. Thus it is demonstrably wrong, since I am a subset of everyone.

See my latest post.

 

[Sheldon]

Skepticism for the sake of skepticism appears to be reasonable. But it isn’t. Look up any reliable source for developmental psychology.

It was your claim, I'm not going to research it for you, it was offered without the pretence of evidence, and is rejected in the same fashion, Hitchens's razor applied.

 

[sojourner]

It was your claim, I'm not going to research it for you, it was offered without the pretence of evidence, and is rejected in the same fashion, Hitchens's razor applied.

Nope. Sorry. That’s like saying that the fact that most colds are accompanied by nasal congestion is “my opinion that doesn’t apply to you” unless I trot out some medical journal article to back it up. The development of the fully differentiated self is common knowledge.

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

Skepticism for the sake of skepticism appears to be reasonable. But it isn’t. Look up any reliable source for developmental psychology.

If I wasn't skeptical, why would I look it up? I could just believe you by faith. But since I don't want to add wrong ideas, I won't do that. Any other attitude is unreasonable.

FYI, "everybody knows" arguments carry n persuasive power.

That’s like saying that the fact that most colds are accompanied by nasal congestion is “my opinion that doesn’t apply to you” unless I trot out some medical journal article to back it up.

If that weren't already common knowledge, and you wanted to be believed by a critical thinker, you would need to trot something out.

You've made no argument here, nor offered any evidence - just bare claims, which are treated as opinions, not facts, until sufficient evidence is produced to justify belief. Yet you seem to expect to be believed anyway.

 

[sojourner]

If I wasn't skeptical, why would I look it up? I could just believe you by faith. But since I don't want to add wrong ideas, I won't do that. Any other attitude is unreasonable.

FYI, "everybody knows" arguments carry n persuasive power.



If that weren't already common knowledge, and you wanted to be believed by a critical thinker, you would need to trot something out.

You've made no argument here, nor offered any evidence - just bare claims, which are treated as opinions, not facts, until sufficient evidence is produced to justify belief. Yet you seem to expect to be believed anyway.

Common knowledge is common knowledge.

Self-Awareness

 

[Shadow Wolf]

" is so often the prefix to "atheist", but not to
other beliefs or non-beliefs. Who isn't "self proclaimed", eh...
Christian, Muslim, Pastafarian, & Philosophical Taoist/Christian
We each decide what best labels our religion / philosophy.
It's not like any of us are certified. (Although I suppose that Jews
could be considered certified, given that maternal blood line &
conversion requirements stuff.)

I think it's rooted in the prejudiced view that atheists are bad and immoral people. Self-proclaimed is also used for those such as racists, adherents of radical ideology, and other bad things.
Sort of like how one "commits" suicide, although suicide is not criminal. But it's "bad." So we use "bad" wording.

 

[Revoltingest]

I think it's rooted in the prejudiced view that atheists are bad and immoral people. Self-proclaimed is also used for those such as racists, adherents of radical ideology, and other bad things.
Sort of like how one "commits" suicide, although suicide is not criminal. But it's "bad." So we use "bad" wording.

I note that the left, eg, NPR, is among the
bigots who spout this "self proclaimed" stuff.

 

[KWED]

As we develop, we become aware that the world is much bigger than just “us.”

But you just claimed ... "Everyone starts out with some sense that the world is larger than it appears to be".

So, which is it?

 

[KWED]

Developmental science disagrees with you.

Likewise, I have no memory of ever thinking that there is "something else out there" or "some greater purpose".
Maybe "developmental science" isn't saying what you think it is saying?

 

[Sheldon]

Nope. Sorry. That’s like saying

I have zero interest in a straw man version of what I said, your claim, you evidence it, or else I disbelieve it. Humans have a propensity for superstition, and creating imaginary deities, that much is self evident from the sheer number that humans have created.

 

[Sheldon]

If I wasn't skeptical, why would I look it up? I could just believe you by faith.

Or you could just disbelieve him with faith. That's the beauty of faith, it is completely meaningless, but can be used to believe whatever you want.

 

[Sheldon]

Common knowledge is common knowledge.

Argumentum ad populum fallacy.

 

[KWED]

I disagree.

What do you believe we are aware of at birth, and what leads you to that conclusion?

 

[KWED]

Nope. Sorry. That’s like saying that the fact that most colds are accompanied by nasal congestion is “my opinion that doesn’t apply to you” unless I trot out some medical journal article to back it up. The development of the fully differentiated self is common knowledge.

If you claim that all colds are accompanied by nasal congestion, this can be disproved by a case of a cold that did not experience nasal congestion.
If you were simply saying that some people feel that there is "something else" and "more to it than this", well congratulations on winning this months Stating The Bleedin' Obvious Award.

As for your claim that "we are born with the capacity to sense that we are one with the world", that is just nonsense. A newborn is not even aware that there is a world.

 

[KWED]

Common knowledge is common knowledge.

Self-Awareness

Are you claiming that an article on a specific issue in a specialist publication is "common knowledge"?