Are demons real?

[Muffled]

If you apply Hume's Maxim On Miracles (or just due diligence, frankly) you get a pretty clear conclusion in these cases, and in many others as well.

Ironically(?) it's all about forming hasty, falsely confident conclusions, which is why I posted that Qualia Soup video on open-mindedness a bit back (at least I think I posted it in here--hereyago just in case).

I believe saying that my conclusions are hasty is an assumption on your part.

 

[SkepticX]

I believe saying that my conclusions are hasty is an assumption on your part.

I find that about as tight a full circle irony as one can expect to ever see.

But exactly how did you go about eliminating more likely and just other likely explanations?

Also, what did you think of the video? How do you think it might apply in this case?

 

[Bunyip]

A leprechaun (Irish: leipreachán) is a type of fairy ... (Wikipedia)

I believe you ought to get your facts in order before trying to take advantage of my ignoarance.

What point are you trying to make? Fairies like demons are mythological creatures. A fairy is a kind of demon.

 

[psychoslice]

For me there only as real as you make them, I myself don't have a belief in demons, so they don't exits in my life.

 

[`mud]

We all know that Christians don't like fairies,
or lizzies, or leps, or unies, please don't insult his 'ignoarance'.
But demons and the evil within us....well that's different !
~
'mud

 

[Muffled]

What point are you trying to make? Fairies like demons are mythological creatures. A fairy is a kind of demon.

I believe a demon is not a mythological entity but a fairy is. Fairies are not demons because they actually help people theoretically. Theoretically Leprechauns like Genies (djins) can grant three wishes. If one is looking for an evil spirit in Irrish mythology it would be the Banshee.

 

[Muffled]

We all know that Christians don't like fairies,
or lizzies, or leps, or unies, please don't insult his 'ignoarance'.
But demons and the evil within us....well that's different !
~
'mud

I believe many of the stories come from a time when Ireland was Pagan and that is mostly likely the reason for Christian aversion.

I believe our answer is that God speaks the truth about things and therefore it is not mythology so it is different.

 

[Muffled]

For me there only as real as you make them, I myself don't have a belief in demons, so they don't exits in my life.

I believe that is foolishness but if you can overcome reality with belief then you should at least be able to levitate a book. Can you do that?

 

[`mud]

hey Muff,
Your reply makes no sense, God speaks something different from mythology,
could these speakings be 'laws' or 'commands' ?
I don't know what 'differences' there are beside those.
'Splainittome.
~
'mud

 

[psychoslice]

I believe that is foolishness but if you can overcome reality with belief then you should at least be able to levitate a book. Can you do that?

Levitating a book isn't reality, but everything on this planet is levitating on the levitation rock called earth.

 

[Bunyip]

I believe a demon is not a mythological entity but a fairy is. Fairies are not demons because they actually help people theoretically. Theoretically Leprechauns like Genies (djins) can grant three wishes. If one is looking for an evil spirit in Irrish mythology it would be the Banshee.

Well as interesting as it is to explore what you believe, I think it is pretty clear that demons, fairies and leprechauns are all mythological entities. Fairies by the way in European folklore were not helpful - they were evil, terrible and dangerous elemental beings. In European tradition a fairy is no less terrifying than a demon. Leprechauns were also entities to strike terror, like demons.

 

[SomeRandom]

Well as interesting as it is to explore what you believe, I think it is pretty clear that demons, fairies and leprechauns are all mythological entities. Fairies by the way in European folklore were not helpful - they were evil, terrible and dangerous elemental beings. In European tradition a fairy is no less terrifying than a demon. Leprechauns were also entities to strike terror, like demons.

Fairies are scary blighters to be sure. *shudders*

Didn't Hollywood try (but failed horribly) to make Leprachauns scary in like the the 80s?

 

[Aupmanyav]

Demons are real, we have Kim Jong-un in Korea, Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, Caliph Ibrahim in Syria/Iraq and others as well (Putin ? ).

 

[Bunyip]

Fairies are scary blighters to be sure. *shudders*

Didn't Hollywood try (but failed horribly) to make Leprachauns scary in like the the 80s?

I think the idea of fairies and leprechauns being benign is very modern - the image of fairies as cute little girls with insect wings and so on. In ancient times, they were terrifying.

 

[SomeRandom]

I think the idea of fairies and leprechauns being benign is very modern - the image of fairies as cute little girls with insect wings and so on. In ancient times, they were terrifying.

Fairies are not portrayed as cute little girls with insect wings, except in children's fiction or at those parties you have at Maccas or Hungry Jacks (Burger King) when you're like 5. At least not portrayals I'm familiar with. The most prominent image of the fairy, even to this day, is a terrifying demonic little *******, sometimes with a cute pretty facade. Unless you count Thumbelina, I guess. But that's from the 1800s. But then, I don't really read up on my erm fairy folklore. So maybe I'm just out of the loop.

Leprechauns tend to be either or, as far as I'm aware.

 

[Muffled]

Levitating a book isn't reality, but everything on this planet is levitating on the levitation rock called earth.

I believe there are cases of levitation but if a person believes it isn't reality then one will not be able to do it. One can't simply think things to levitate and have it happen. I know because I have tried.

 

[Muffled]

Demons are real, we have Kim Jong-un in Korea, Caliph Ibrahim in Syria/Iraq and others as well (Putin ? ).

I believe those are not demons because they ar people. One could speculate that such people are controoled or influenced by demons but without evidence that doesn't mean much. I believe people are capable of plenty of evil on their own.

 

[Muffled]

I find that about as tight a full circle irony as one can expect to ever see.

But exactly how did you go about eliminating more likely and just other likely explanations?

Also, what did you think of the video? How do you think it might apply in this case?[/QUOTE]

I believe the way it applies in this case is that the video is suprstitious about the supernatural and the speaker would discount the evidence no matter how valid because of his preconceived notions.

1. I examined whether it was my will for grotesque images to appear. I believe It was not.
2. I examined whether my subconscious could have been fantasizing and recognized that I was not in a dream state so I believe it was not.
3. I recognized that the images departed because of the name of Jesus which highly suggests the presence of an evil spirit that does not like that name.
4. I examined the possibility of my psyche presenting the images. However I believe in my psyche there was no connection between guilt and grotesque images.
5. Further down the road after learning more about evil spirits I believe I have learned that they like to attack people where they are weak and a guilty conscience is a weakness.

 

[SkepticX]

And you see no untested assumptions or confirmation bias problems in any of those measures to eliminate other likely explanations?

 

[Bunyip]

Fairies are not portrayed as cute little girls with insect wings, except in children's fiction or at those parties you have at Maccas or Hungry Jacks (Burger King) when you're like 5. At least not portrayals I'm familiar with. The most prominent image of the fairy, even to this day, is a terrifying demonic little *******, sometimes with a cute pretty facade. Unless you count Thumbelina, I guess. But that's from the 1800s. But then, I don't really read up on my erm fairy folklore. So maybe I'm just out of the loop.

Leprechauns tend to be either or, as far as I'm aware.

That was basically what I said.