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Top 5 Skeptical Fallacies

The Atheist said:
I've changed that a little, because it's reinforcement of what I started out saying.
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I've noticed that there's a key point you seem to consistently miss or fail to understand across various threads:

Some people think truth matters.

When I'm playing Kerbal Space Program, I do not claim that I am actually sending little green people to the Mun. Unless you're speaking of a "Bigfoot Hunting" group that openly and sincerely acknowledges it's all just about camping out and having a bit of fun playing photo tag with a guy in a hairy suit, people hunting sasquatch believe, or pretend to believe, it's true.

Seriously. Next time you're confused or feel the need to "correct" anyone, just tell yourself that maybe this is a guy who thinks that telling the truth matters, that there is a difference between being right and wrong, and I suspect the urge to post will go away.
 
The Atheist said:
You're both right.

Bollocks is used as either slang for testicles or nonsense.

Context.
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Technically, it's not slang for testicles. It's a real word that means exactly that, it's of Middle English origin. Saying it's slang is like saying "sneakers" is slang for "trainers".

"Balls" isn't slang for "testicles" either, it's just common usage as opposed to medical usage. By the same token, "fingers" isn't slang for "phalanges", and "nose" isn't slang for "proboscis".
 
John Nowak said:
I've noticed that there's a key point you seem to consistently miss or fail to understand across various threads:
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No, it's not that I'm missing it, I just think this is a nonsensical position to take on everything:

Even though I find telling kids fairy stories as facts and we don't have Tooth Fairies and Easter Bunnies, we do still let our kids have Santa.

Also, you shouldn't need me to tell you that "truth" is a flexible concept.

Or maybe you've never read a history book.

John Nowak said:
Seriously. Next time you're confused or feel the need to "correct" anyone, just tell yourself that maybe this is a guy who thinks that telling the truth matters, that there is a difference between being right and wrong, and I suspect the urge to post will go away.
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Nah.

My urge to pour scorn on people to whom truth matters so much that they must tell the kindergarten kids that Santa is made up by mommy and daddy will always exceed my desire to let them do it because they are protecting some "truth" they think is that important.

To quote Willy Wonka: "A little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men."

To me, attacking people who support irrational but harmless ideas is a lot less intelligent than believing in those ideas.
 
Belief is what it is. It's belief in something with no proof. It's not logical... but it's also not unreasonable.

  • I believe that most people are inherently well-intentioned. They don't mean harm; at worst, they simply aren't aware of the impact they're having on other people.
  • I believe that nature seeks equilibrium, and that this propagates through many layers of existence that we don't yet understand.
  • I believe that tomorrow will be substantially like today, and that nothing surprisingly bad will happen to me unexpectedly.
  • I believe that I am healthy, that I'm a good person, that I am loved and liked.
  • I believe that my friends will be there for me when I need them.

We all have beliefs. Belief is what allows us to face the world without constant worry. It's the foil to our fight-or-flight reflex. It's what lets us form social groups, communities, and societies.

Before you condemn another person for their beliefs, before you scorn them for believing something you don't... it's fair to reflect on your own beliefs. How many of them are perfectly reasonable to you, but for which you lack any shred of the proof you so vehemently require of others?

I know that I have many beliefs that others might consider irrational. In *some* cases, I am able to identify the dearth of logic and support for a belief, and to set that belief aside. In many, many more cases, I accept a belief on a provisional basis, until something comes along to show it untrue.

I am not above the pitfalls of belief. Neither is any other human.
 
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Mudcat said:
The reason why you fail is that correcting people's belief in the patently absurd isn't attacking those people.
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Ah, if only that were the issue.

It isn't, and I've said that several times in this very thread: by all means ask for evidence, most definitely falsify claims, but there is an awful lot of attacking goes on and it's needless and stupid.

If you'd bothered reading some of the tread, you'd be aware of this.
 
The Atheist said:
Ah, if only that were the issue.

It isn't, and I've said that several times in this very thread: by all means ask for evidence, most definitely falsify claims, but there is an awful lot of attacking goes on and it's needless and stupid.
If you'd bothered reading some of the tread, you'd be aware of this.
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I agree and think you should stop doing it.
 
Emily's Cat said:
If you can come up with a simple way to do that, then you're win the internet and solve the world, all in one swell foop!
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Hey, MRC_Hans just dropped a great metaphor over in the Shroud thread:

"If you stand on a piece of paper, you are indeed closer to the moon."

That's a good image, it has an easy hook to it.


Oh, PS: swell foop. Love it. :D
 
Donn said:
Hey, MRC_Hans just dropped a great metaphor over in the Shroud thread:

"If you stand on a piece of paper, you are indeed closer to the moon."

That's a good image, it has an easy hook to it.
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It has a flaw: It's only true half the time.
 
jt512 said:
It has a flaw: It's only true half the time.
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Actually, that makes it even better. It shows how the effect, while real, is futile and self defeating. I get what you mean, but I desire this metaphor… You can't take it away from me. <clutches paper moon layer to breast>
 
The Atheist said:
No, it's not that I'm missing it, I just think this is a nonsensical position to take on everything:

Even though I find telling kids fairy stories as facts and we don't have Tooth Fairies and Easter Bunnies, we do still let our kids have Santa.

Also, you shouldn't need me to tell you that "truth" is a flexible concept.

Or maybe you've never read a history book.



Nah.

My urge to pour scorn on people to whom truth matters so much that they must tell the kindergarten kids that Santa is made up by mommy and daddy will always exceed my desire to let them do it because they are protecting some "truth" they think is that important.

To quote Willy Wonka: "A little nonsense now and then, is relished by the wisest men."

To me, attacking people who support irrational but harmless ideas is a lot less intelligent than believing in those ideas.
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None of this makes much sense considering the fact that you call yourself "the Atheist."
 
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