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Challenge: I'm willing to convert if.......

Koldo

Outstanding Member
Interesting. That is what YEC creationist say when given reams of evidence of evolution.
Here we have hundreds of verified past life memory events collected over 30-40 years that has been published in peer reviewed journals and have not received and debunking. It's excellent evidence by any objective scientific standard of existence of re-birth phenomena.
Trying to downplay evidence that does not fit ones worldview is classic cognitive bias. It seems you are suffering from it.

"Michael Levin, director of the Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology at Tufts University—who wrote in an academic review of Tucker’s first book that it presented a “first-rate piece of research”—said that’s because current scientific research models have no way to prove or debunk Tucker’s findings."

The quote above is in the link you have provided.
 

shunyadragon

shunyadragon
Premium Member
Surely a religion entails something of the extraordinary. Does it not?

That's all I'm asking. Proof of some kind, of this extraordinary.
It is a simple fact that there is no such thing as proof for anything subjective of the nature of religions.

It is therefore an empty front loaded meaningless challenge where your decision was made beforehand.
 

sayak83

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
"Michael Levin, director of the Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology at Tufts University—who wrote in an academic review of Tucker’s first book that it presented a “first-rate piece of research”—said that’s because current scientific research models have no way to prove or debunk Tucker’s findings."

The quote above is in the link you have provided.
Selectively quoting an article is bad form. Here is the full quote.

While his work might be expected to garner fierce debate within the scientific community, Tucker’s research, based in part on the cases accumulated all over the world by his predecessor, Ian Stevenson, who died in 2007, has caused little stir.

Michael Levin, director of the Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology at Tufts University—who wrote in an academic review of Tucker’s first book that it presented a “first-rate piece of research”—said that’s because current scientific research models have no way to prove or debunk Tucker’s findings.

“When you fish with a net with a certain size of holes, you will never catch any fish smaller than those holes,” Levin says. “
What you find is limited by how you are searching for it. Our current methods and concepts have no way of dealing with these data.”


Levin is explaining why the research has not caused heated debates or controversies. He is saying that the reason is because
1) The work is first rate and hence cannot be methodologically debunked.
2) No scientific model currently exists that can provide an explanation for the data presented in the work.
So scientific community can do nothing with the data. It points to a limitation of current scientific theories and models...not of the work itself. Science works within methodological naturalism. Any phenomena, however well recorded, that does not have an explanation within methodological naturalism, cannot be taken up by science by definition. Here we have one example of such a phenomenon.
 
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Koldo

Outstanding Member
Selectively quoting an article is bad form. Here is the full quote.

While his work might be expected to garner fierce debate within the scientific community, Tucker’s research, based in part on the cases accumulated all over the world by his predecessor, Ian Stevenson, who died in 2007, has caused little stir.

Michael Levin, director of the Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology at Tufts University—who wrote in an academic review of Tucker’s first book that it presented a “first-rate piece of research”—said that’s because current scientific research models have no way to prove or debunk Tucker’s findings.

“When you fish with a net with a certain size of holes, you will never catch any fish smaller than those holes,” Levin says. “
What you find is limited by how you are searching for it. Our current methods and concepts have no way of dealing with these data.”

Why was it bad form?
Did I misrepresent his position? I don't think so.

Levin is explaining why the research has not caused heated debates or controversies. He is saying that the reason is because
1) The work is first rate and hence cannot be methodologically debunked.

And also impossible to be reproduced, and therefore impossible to determine whether it involves any fabrication.

2) No scientific model currently exists that can provide an explanation for the data presented in the work.
So scientific community can do nothing with the data. It points to a limitation of current scientific theories and models...not of the work itself. Science works within methodological naturalism. Any phenomena, however well recorded, that does not have an explanation within methodological naturalism, cannot be taken up by science by definition. Here we have one example of such a phenomenon.

But there are multiple possible explanations within methodological naturalism. The actual problem, if the data is truly reliable, is that the data would support multiple different explanations.
 

sayak83

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Why was it bad form?
Did I misrepresent his position? I don't think so.



And also impossible to be reproduced, and therefore impossible to determine whether it involves any fabrication.



But there are multiple possible explanations within methodological naturalism. The actual problem, if the data is truly reliable, is that the data would support multiple different explanations.
Who said it's impossible to reproduce?
 

Rival

Diex Aie
Staff member
Premium Member
I didn't say it it is mutually exclusive. It just doesn't constitute proof of divine intervention.
It was the person's experience, which cannot be proved nor disproved. If he views it that way, that's good enough.
 

Rival

Diex Aie
Staff member
Premium Member
I will pass wishful thinking, thanks.
That's some bias you have there.

I guess next time you tell me you find a sunrise beautiful I'll just **** all over your wishful thinking.

After all, everyone knows the sun doesn't actually rise.

Not at all. What does it mean to say that it is good enough for someone to view something some given way? I have no idea.
That's a problem you're having, then.
 

Koldo

Outstanding Member
That's some bias you have there.

I guess next time you tell me you find a sunrise beautiful I'll just **** all over your wishful thinking.

After all, everyone knows the sun doesn't actually rise.

What does that have to do with what I have just said?

That's a problem you're having, then.

Or maybe it is a sentence that doesn't mean anything in particular and more like a random pat in the back to show support?
 

PureX

Veteran Member
I know there are no miracles because there is no evidence of any taking place?

Out of this whole discussion, no one, has yet to show any remote chance of a miracle taking place.
You apparently have no idea what evidence is.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
I believe @Madsaac criteria for "objective verifiable evidence" is correct. I just object to his meaningless argument for "proof."

If you appeal to subjective evidence you are only appealing to those that believe.
What anyone believes is irrelevant, as belief does not determine truthfulness. Evidence and logical reasoning does. And that means we should be including as much and as many kinds of evidence as there is. NOT just choosing according to our own bias while we play the judge, the prosecution, and the jury in our own private kangaroo courtrooms.

This whole kangaroo court thing has taken over the minds of so many self-proclaimed atheists these days that they now think they get to determine the definitions of all the words we use to even discuss the subject: "evidence", "atheism", "religion", "theism", "supernatural", "miracle" and anything else that is even remotely related to the idea of God's existence.

And they really believe they have this right, just because they say so and it suits their bias. And apparently I'm the only one around here willing to tell them "no", they do not have that right and we do not have to put up with their idiotic reasoning or their kangaroo court mentality.
 

jimb

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Too bad he doesn't do that for everyone.

Why don't you ask God why He heals some people and not others?

Here are three clues...

"Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”" Luke 8:48

"Then he said to the man, “Get up and go your way. Your faith has made you well.” Luke 17:19

And it gets even better...

"Some people came bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. When they were not able to bring him in because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Jesus. Then, after tearing it out, they lowered the stretcher the paralytic was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” " Mark 2:3-5
 
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