The Believers Eternal Fight for "Validation"

[Randy Carson]

It must be true if all these other people believe it. That rich and powerful speaker must be speaking the truth. Rave-like emotions are experienced, it must be God.

Or not.

However, the size of the crowd suggests that there MIGHT be something to investigate.

[marom1963]

Or not.

However, the size of the crowd suggests that there MIGHT be something to investigate.

Yeah, those seats are probably comfortable.

[gentle_dissident]

these historic episodes confirm that greed and fear have always been the driving forces of financial markets

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/162120.Extraordinary_Popular_Delusions_and_the_Madness_of_Crowds

[aitm]

scientists have reference books, too.

the difference is scientist start with collecting evidence then presenting a hypothesis. You start with a hypothesis and look for evidence to support it. Just look at all the work you have to do to even prove to yourself. If you need to work that hard for validation, perhaps your premise is wrong in the first place

The part that you've overlooked.... is that while we may not know all the answers IMMEDIATELY, the answers do exist. And they are strong.

You are correct, you do not know the answers because you are awash in superstitious want. But yes the answers do exists, have existed and are easy to find if you just open your eyes. And yes they are strong, proven and true. It's called science. It is not even needed to prove your sky rocket daddy is a lie, that can be done just be reading the babble. Jebus is NOT coming back, first because he should have already done that, another promise that turned out to be a lie, and secondly, he was just a deluded man, if he even existed at all.

[aitm]

However, the size of the crowd suggests that there MIGHT be something to investigate.

Which equally suggest that the Hindu gods are real, that the Muslim god is correct.....I could go on, but I think once again we all know where that goes....just more dodge-ball by those who can't handle the truth.

[Baruch]

This video scripture deals with most issues we have discussed ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD9Q3zJ8IoU

Not on this video, but in the book, the Messiah finally shows up late at the Restaurant At The End Of The Universe ... shortly before the universe ends ;-)

[SGOS]

Belief systems seem to get defended more than testable facts.  OK, so you believe something.  Why work so hard trying to convince others?  I don't work hard trying to convince people that birds can fly.  Well, OK, I don't have to because people know that.  But when it comes to beliefs in the unseen, people can get pretty invested, which always strikes me as a little odd.

[aitm]

Randy it the typical xian, he has invested too much time to be wrong. He can't be wrong! He mustn't be wrong! It would be the single greatest embarrassment of his life…so he has to spend and inordinate amount of time finding things and people that agree with his belief. No different that football fans desperately needing to hang with other fans to validate their passion. At least with football fans they have reality.

[Blackleaf]

Randy it the typical xian, he has invested too much time to be wrong. He can't be wrong! He mustn't be wrong! It would be the single greatest embarrassment of his life…so he has to spend and inordinate amount of time finding things and people that agree with his belief. No different that football fans desperately needing to hang with other fans to validate their passion. At least with football fans they have reality.

Unless they're Jaguars fans.

[Randy Carson]

Randy it the typical xian, he has invested too much time to be wrong. He can't be wrong! He mustn't be wrong! It would be the single greatest embarrassment of his life…so he has to spend and inordinate amount of time finding things and people that agree with his belief. No different that football fans desperately needing to hang with other fans to validate their passion. At least with football fans they have reality.

Right. Which is why I spent the past year in atheist forums...because I need to be around people who think just like me.

Oh...wait...

Talk about irony.

How long have you been hanging with your homers in this forum now??? Let's see...you have 15557 posts averaging 5.082 per day...that's a little over eight years of intellectual inbreeding.

Heh. If I'm wrong about Jesus, okay...my bad. But I've lived a good life.

If you're wrong, it could mess up your whole eternity.

[Mike Cl]

Heh. If I'm wrong about Jesus, okay...my bad. But I've lived a good life.

If you're wrong, it could mess up your whole eternity.

Ha!  There it is in a nutshell!  Repeater Randy is a COWARD!!  He is all about popularity and not taking any risks.  If he were to spend some actual time using critical thinking he may find that he can't believe in his fiction--but he is too frightened to do that.  So, just in case, he will say he is a christian, a believer in the fictional jesus just so he can go to heaven--if it exists.  If not, nothing lost.  Except his self respect and his ability to critically think.  For him, being the coward he is, he finds that acceptable.  Hypocrite is far far better for him to be than a candidate for hell, even if it is fictional.  Just thinking of it makes his knees quake and his eyes tear in horror!!!  Poor Repeater Randy--scared out of a reasoning mind--settling for an insanity, a fiction.  Yes, the one word I have for Repeater Randy is PITY.  I do pity the poor insane christian.

[Randy Carson]

Ha!  There it is in a nutshell!  Repeater Randy is a COWARD!!  He is all about popularity and not taking any risks.  If he were to spend some actual time using critical thinking he may find that he can't believe in his fiction--but he is too frightened to do that.  So, just in case, he will say he is a christian, a believer in the fictional jesus just so he can go to heaven--if it exists.  If not, nothing lost.  Except his self respect and his ability to critically think.  For him, being the coward he is, he finds that acceptable.  Hypocrite is far far better for him to be than a candidate for hell, even if it is fictional.  Just thinking of it makes his knees quake and his eyes tear in horror!!!  Poor Repeater Randy--scared out of a reasoning mind--settling for an insanity, a fiction.  Yes, the one word I have for Repeater Randy is PITY.  I do pity the poor insane christian.

To the contrary, Pascal's Wager is very reasonable.

Only a fool plays a game he is guaranteed to lose.

[Mike Cl]

To the contrary, Pascal's Wager is very reasonable.

Only a fool plays a game he is guaranteed to lose.

Oh yeah--I'm sure Pascal is in heaven frolicking with jebus right now!  Oh--and another advantage to believing in jevus--you no longer have to worry about the boogy man under your bed--I mean, jebus got rid of those pesky pigs, and I'm sure boogy men and pigs are quite a bit alike; now you don't have to look under you bed--you are safe!  Besides, if one were to investigate under your bed who knows what you would find???  And just to make sure you can go to heaven, you have that idol---err, crucifix---around  your neck and displayed every damn where--you can touch and kiss that and that will even scare away vampires; but it is not an idol, catholics don't idol worship.  And those fingers bones, and neck bones, and innards and stuff from the saints, those are not idols either, just happy healing stones or bones or whatever.  And those statues for Mary and St. Francis and oh so many more, are not idols either.  They are focus stones--just touch and kiss them and they will focus your thoughts and feelings--and even (if you are faithful enough) channel them back up to jebus.   My, my, the advantages of being a catholic christian are just legend!!!!!  I can see why one with your mental affliction would like that crap. 

[Randy Carson]

Oh yeah--I'm sure Pascal is in heaven frolicking with jebus right now!  Oh--and another advantage to believing in jevus--you no longer have to worry about the boogy man under your bed--I mean, jebus got rid of those pesky pigs, and I'm sure boogy men and pigs are quite a bit alike; now you don't have to look under you bed--you are safe!  Besides, if one were to investigate under your bed who knows what you would find???  And just to make sure you can go to heaven, you have that idol---err, crucifix---around  your neck and displayed every damn where--you can touch and kiss that and that will even scare away vampires; but it is not an idol, catholics don't idol worship.  And those fingers bones, and neck bones, and innards and stuff from the saints, those are not idols either, just happy healing stones or bones or whatever.  And those statues for Mary and St. Francis and oh so many more, are not idols either.  They are focus stones--just touch and kiss them and they will focus your thoughts and feelings--and even (if you are faithful enough) channel them back up to jebus.   My, my, the advantages of being a catholic christian are just legend!!!!!  I can see why one with your mental affliction would like that crap.

Right.

[Baruch]

To the contrary, Pascal's Wager is very reasonable.

Only a fool plays a game he is guaranteed to lose.

So you support French Jansenism ... something the Vatican condemned?