Author Topic: Searching for GOD...  (Read 3870977 times)

Stranger

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8236
  • Lightly seared on the reality grill.
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15050 on: February 15, 2017, 09:17:04 PM »
there is exactly the same amount of reasoned argument and objective evidence for leprechauns as there is for any of the many gods on offer.
Show your working.

Certainly.

Reasoned arguments and evidence for (any of the many) gods:-







Reasoned arguments and evidence for leprechauns:-








x(∅ ∈ x ∧ ∀y(yxy ∪ {y} ∈ x))

bluehillside Retd.

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 19469
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15051 on: February 15, 2017, 09:20:56 PM »
Vlad,

Quote
Are you starting off with philosophy in your piece or not.
Yes because of your talk of centres and ultimate reality.
None of which is proved. We don't know..............ok but that is dogmatic agnosticism.

Desperate, desperate idiocy. Here’s what I actually said:

“Think of reality as an epistemic onion. At the centre is an “ultimate” reality – the be all and end all final explanation for everything. Whether there is such a thing, let alone how you, I or even a god would know we’ve found it is another matter but go with it.”

Perhaps you missed the, “Whether there is such a thing, let alone how you, I or even a god would know we’ve found it is another matter but go with it”?

I merely posited the possibility of the centre of the onion to distinguisah the epistemology of materialism from it. Whether it exists at all or whether we’d know it even if we found it is neither here nor there – it’s there only to make the point that the materialistic model does not rely on it for its force.

Could you at lest try to keep up from now on?

Quote
How does that lead to "we don't know but we know it isn't God"

Straw man noted. Why are you so dishonest do you think?

Quote
So we are to ignore the ultimate reality.  But somehow the next layer is matter and forces.

You don’t have to ignore the possibility of it, but that’s all it can be – a possibility.
 
Quote
And we have a pragmatic view........not so. You are as dogmatic a physicalist as it comes.

As I’ve only ever said pretty much the opposite of that, why lie about it again?

Quote
More than that how do you demonstrate your contention that matter and force are a model of reality?...reality.........which you dispensed with at the first layer.

More lies? Really?

Which part of the words “model of” are confusing you here?

Quote
It is of course a model of matter and forces. If it is as you say a model of reality a philosophical decision has to be made to say that.

Oh dear. “Matter and forces” are labels we give to observable and investigable phenomena. They allow us to create a model of reality – and to do that they need make no appeal to a supposed ultimate reality.

Quote
All you are saying or asserting is forget reality.

He lied.

Again.

Quote
My experiences are more superior than yours.

You’ve set the crass idiocy bar here pretty high in the past, but you really seem to have exceeded it this time. “More superior” (sic) eh? The cry of the delusional through the ages.

Quote
And why is that?

Because you’re delusional as well as dishonest?
 
Quote
You can't avoid putting your philosophy higher since you have nothing to raise your model of matter/forces above being a model of matter/forces.

NURSE! NURSE! He’s been at the random word generator again!

Quote
Your problem here is of course is your use of the word experience and your use of the word reality as equating matter/force.

Actually it’s your problem, and that problem is that you don’t understand the meaning of the term “model of”. Thanks for trying at least though.

Quote
With the former your invalidation of religious experience draws on the very philosophical position you deny you hold.

And another nice juicy big lie to finish with. The “invalidation of the religious experience” as you put it is that neither you nor anyone else can make an argument for it that isn’t hopeless. Could still be true of course just as my “experience” of leprechauns could be true, but you offer nothing to suggest that it is.
"Don't make me come down there."

God

bluehillside Retd.

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 19469
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15052 on: February 15, 2017, 09:25:25 PM »
Vlad,

Quote
The circularity of materialism/ physicalism

There is no circularity in materialism (the source you relied on blew you out of the water remember?) and eliding materialism with physicalism is just more dishonesty.

Quote
The arbitrary limits of naturalism,

The limits aren't "arbitrary".

Quote
The moral argument

Which has been exploded many times here.

Quote
Existentialism

Aw noooo...he's found another long word he doesn't understand. Oh great  :(
"Don't make me come down there."

God

bluehillside Retd.

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 19469
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15053 on: February 15, 2017, 09:27:35 PM »
Vlad,

Quote
Game set and match to me.

As I may or may not have explained to before...You are of the Rene Artois school of Debate......when your argument is caught with it's trousers down just shout ''you stoopid woman'' vey loudly.

In which brave Sir Vlad shoots himself in the foot again by missing the "working, pragmatic model" bit and then claiming his "victory".

Bizarre.
"Don't make me come down there."

God

bluehillside Retd.

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 19469
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15054 on: February 15, 2017, 09:30:13 PM »
Vlad,

Quote
But it is no longer a question of falsifiability. It is a question of you deciding that God might be real and what your next step is.

Your next step would be to find some logic or evidence that would validate or invalidate your conjecture - you know, the but you missed entirely in favour of jumping straight to the centre of the onion.
"Don't make me come down there."

God

Walt Zingmatilder

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 33187
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15055 on: February 15, 2017, 09:30:35 PM »
No, I am equating "not falsifiable with no supporting reasoning or evidence" with "not worth taking seriously".

Then what you haven't taken seriously is your own claim that there could be a God.
You seem to want your cake and eat it.

bluehillside Retd.

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 19469
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15056 on: February 15, 2017, 09:31:46 PM »
Vlad,

Quote
Again several philosophical steps have been taken here particularly the choice to equate matter/force with the words adequate and reality as Hillside has done.

Stop lying.
"Don't make me come down there."

God

bluehillside Retd.

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 19469
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15057 on: February 15, 2017, 09:33:37 PM »
Vlad,

Quote
I think you are confusing ''unfalsifiable'' with ''completely ridiculous'' here.

No he isn't, and what makes you think my conjecture "leprechauns" is more "completely ridiculous" than your conjecture "God" in any case?
"Don't make me come down there."

God

bluehillside Retd.

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 19469
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15058 on: February 15, 2017, 09:35:25 PM »
Vlad,

Quote
Hint.....it is the use of the words adequate and reality.

Hint - you just dropped the words "model of" there. Disgraceful dishonesty, just disgraceful.

Do you think Jesus would be proud of you for your relentless lying?
"Don't make me come down there."

God

Walt Zingmatilder

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 33187
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15059 on: February 15, 2017, 09:36:20 PM »
Vlad,

Your next step would be to find some logic or evidence that would validate or invalidate your conjecture
If you declare that there could be a good then you've already taken that step Hillside....
Otherwise how could you declare that there could be a God.

Having taken the step of declaration where do you go next. You are suggesting a retreat back in the hope that you will come up with a different declaration. .

Your next step is of course ''If God exists how does that impinge on me''

How would you validate or invalidate your declaration ''There may be a God''?

Stranger

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8236
  • Lightly seared on the reality grill.
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15060 on: February 15, 2017, 09:39:00 PM »
Then what you haven't taken seriously is your own claim that there could be a God.
You seem to want your cake and eat it.

Do try to pay attention. "Not falsifiable with no supporting reasoning or evidence" is also "could be" (provided there is no actual evidence that contradicts the claim and no logical inconsistency).

It's very, very simple: anybody can tell a story that might be true but if there is nothing at all to back it up, then there is no reason to take it seriously. What's so hard for you to grasp?
x(∅ ∈ x ∧ ∀y(yxy ∪ {y} ∈ x))

bluehillside Retd.

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 19469
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15061 on: February 15, 2017, 09:39:08 PM »
Vlad,

Quote
Then what you haven't taken seriously is your own claim that there could be a God.

Yet another non sequitur. That's not what he's done at all - you can "take seriously" the possibility of any conjecture you like, but finding no logic or evidence to validate takes you no further than that.
"Don't make me come down there."

God

Walt Zingmatilder

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 33187
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15062 on: February 15, 2017, 09:40:35 PM »
Vlad,

In which brave Sir Vlad shoots himself in the foot again by missing the "working, pragmatic model" bit and then claiming his "victory".

Bizarre.
The trouble is context though. And you are saying that methodological materialism provides us with adequate models of reality. That is the very essence of PM and scientism which, when we last looked were philosophies for which methodological materialism provides inadequate evidence and models of.

You lose.

bluehillside Retd.

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 19469
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15063 on: February 15, 2017, 09:45:42 PM »
Vlad,

Quote
If you declare that there could be a good then you've already taken that step Hillside....

Nope. Why are you lying again?

Quote
Otherwise how could you declare that there could be a God.

You can "declare" that there could be anything you like.

Quote
Having taken the step of declaration where do you go next. You are suggesting a retreat back in the hope that you will come up with a different declaration.

He lied (again). I told you where you go next - you look for logic and evidence that could validate or invalidate your conjecture. You know, the bit you missed entirely.

Quote
Your next step is of course ''If God exists how does that impinge on me''

Bollocks is it. That's just the argumentum ad consequentiam again - another of your basic errors in thinking. How "God" (or leprechauns) would impinge on you if he was real tells you nothing about whether he's real in the first place.

Quote
How would you validate or invalidate your declaration ''There may be a God''?

Simple - given the phenomenon of unknown unknowns, there may be anything. Your problem is to find a way from "may be" to is.
"Don't make me come down there."

God

Walt Zingmatilder

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 33187
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15064 on: February 15, 2017, 09:46:16 PM »
Do try to pay attention. "Not falsifiable with no supporting reasoning or evidence" is also "could be" (provided there is no actual evidence that contradicts the claim and no logical inconsistency).

It's very, very simple: anybody can tell a story that might be true but if there is nothing at all to back it up, then there is no reason to take it seriously. What's so hard for you to grasp?
How might it be true if there is nothing to back it up ? If you concede it might be true then what is it which makes it possibly be true?

bluehillside Retd.

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 19469
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15065 on: February 15, 2017, 09:50:09 PM »
Vlad,

Quote
The trouble is context though.

Ha! It's the context you keep snipping out so as to misrepresent the arguments that undo you.

Quote
And you are saying that methodological materialism provides us with adequate models of reality.

"Adequate" was your word, not mine. Adequate for what purpose? What I said was, "working, pragmatic model" - a very different thing.

Quote
That is the very essence of PM and scientism which, when we last looked were philosophies for which methodological materialism provides inadequate evidence and models of.

He lied.

Do you mind if I only reply from now on when you post something that isn't a lie? It'll save me an awful lot of typing, and I'm not sure it's my job just to keep correcting you.
"Don't make me come down there."

God

Stranger

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8236
  • Lightly seared on the reality grill.
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15066 on: February 15, 2017, 09:51:45 PM »
How might it be true if there is nothing to back it up ? If you concede it might be true then what is it which makes it possibly be true?

Not being impossible.

It might help if you at least tried to think before you post....
x(∅ ∈ x ∧ ∀y(yxy ∪ {y} ∈ x))

bluehillside Retd.

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 19469
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15067 on: February 15, 2017, 09:53:40 PM »
Vlad,

Quote
How might it be true if there is nothing to back it up ? If you concede it might be true then what is it which makes it possibly be true?

Fuck me! ANYTHING might be true - leprechauns, the orbiting teapot, even (gawd 'elp us) your god. It's epistemology 101 - there's no way to eliminate the possibility of an unknown unknown.
"Don't make me come down there."

God

bluehillside Retd.

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 19469
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15068 on: February 15, 2017, 09:55:15 PM »
Some,

Quote
Not being impossible.

It might help if you at least tried to think before you post....

I admire your cock-eyed optimism my friend. Might be an idea not to hold your breath though.
"Don't make me come down there."

God

Walt Zingmatilder

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 33187
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15069 on: February 15, 2017, 09:58:33 PM »
Vlad,

Nope. Why are you lying again?

You can "declare" that there could be anything you like.

He lied (again). I told you where you go next - you look for logic and evidence that could validate or invalidate your conjecture. You know, the bit you missed entirely.

Bollocks is it. That's just the argumentum ad consequentiam again - another of your basic errors in thinking. How "God" (or leprechauns) would impinge on you if he was real tells you nothing about whether he's real in the first place.

Simple - given the phenomenon of unknown unknowns, there may be anything. Your problem is to find a way from "may be" to is.

We live in a universe of consequences Hillside. If something might be then it might have consequences.
I think we agree that we could no longer equate God and Leprechauns on consequences if both existed.

Unknown unknowns is one of Donald Rumsfelds isn't it.

In any case this is not a case of unknown unknowns but a known unknown.

Your problem is this hokey cokey game you play with might be/isn't.........

Walt Zingmatilder

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 33187
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15070 on: February 15, 2017, 10:01:22 PM »
Not being impossible.


Then i'm afraid you haven't seriously thought about what it means if true.
You have made a lot of philosophical decisions though. So much for the method being adequate.

Walt Zingmatilder

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 33187
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15071 on: February 15, 2017, 10:03:52 PM »
Vlad,

Fuck me! ANYTHING might be true - leprechauns, the orbiting teapot, even (gawd 'elp us) your god. It's epistemology 101 - there's no way to eliminate the possibility of an unknown unknown.
But the question of is there a God or not is not an unknown unknown is it.

It is a known unknown.

What is your justification for suspending further thought on the matter?

Walt Zingmatilder

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 33187
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15072 on: February 15, 2017, 10:06:02 PM »
Show your working.


Certainly.

Reasoned arguments and evidence for (any of the many) gods:-







Reasoned arguments and evidence for leprechauns:-

Predictable and circularly argued................ minus ten for a self styled logician.

Walt Zingmatilder

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 33187
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15073 on: February 15, 2017, 10:17:57 PM »
What I said was, "working, pragmatic model" - a very different thing.


///And what about the bit about methodological materialism being a working, pragmatic model for reality
and how that didn't need validation?

Stranger

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 8236
  • Lightly seared on the reality grill.
Re: Searching for GOD...
« Reply #15074 on: February 16, 2017, 06:49:30 AM »
Then i'm afraid you haven't seriously thought about what it means if true.

It doesn't matter what it means if it's true, if it's utterly baseless. I'm not worried about the Coming of the Great White Handkerchief and I'm not worried about Zues getting miffed with me, so why should a worry about your particular (baseless but not impossible) superstition?

You have made a lot of philosophical decisions though. So much for the method being adequate.

You failed to make that argument, so this is just a baseless assertion.

Predictable and circularly argued................ minus ten for a self styled logician.

I'll add circular argument to the (very long) list of terms you don't understand. If you want to fill in either of the empty lists, be my guest...
x(∅ ∈ x ∧ ∀y(yxy ∪ {y} ∈ x))