tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post3923898108506678744..comments2024-03-28T12:34:14.649-07:00Comments on dangerous idea: Questions for the Outsider Test for FaithVictor Repperthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10962948073162156902noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-81697809950538708612016-02-15T16:59:03.782-07:002016-02-15T16:59:03.782-07:00Even if you don't accept Nagel's conclusio...<i> Even if you don't accept Nagel's conclusions about mind, isn't fear of religion at least a possible biasing factor?</i><br /><br />Considering Dawkins, Barker and company admit to fist-shaking hatred of the God of the Bible, I'd say yeah, evidence certainly points that way.<br /><br /><i>And if so, shouldn't any real test concerning religious belief have the capability of counteracting it. If the test only counteracts pro-religious biases but not anti-religious biases, then the test is faulty.</i><br /><br />Maybe we should just count anti-theism as religion too, yeah? Makes life easier. In other words, the Outsider Test is ill-equipped to serve as a check on religion, as it's amateurishly rigged (at least as Cowboy Hat espouses it) in favor of one particular religion.<br /><br /><i> Loftus maintains that the test commits us to a methodologically naturalistic investigation. </i><br /><br />Pity that's a blindspot, eh?<br /><br />You don't need methodological naturalism for science. Hell, you don't need any methodological metaphysical commitment whatsoever. Methodological agnosticism will do just fine.<br /><br />planks,<br /><br />I'll add, let's see that scientific test for God's existence - better yet, the one that has been done. Those are always a *riot*.Crudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04178390947423928444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-7206487929833510352016-02-15T16:42:17.383-07:002016-02-15T16:42:17.383-07:00jdhuey,
By "science", did you mean the ...jdhuey,<br /><br />By "science", did you mean the science of Gregor Mendel (genetics)? Or that of Copernicus (astronomy)? Or maybe Georges Lemaître (cosmology)? Perhaps you were thinking of the science of Louis Pasteur (medicine)? Could you possibly have meant Johannes Kepler (mathematics, astronomy)? Or Sir Isaac Newton (just about everything)? Oh, I know! You were referring to the science of Wilhelm Röntgen (physics). <i>That</i> must have been the "science" you were referring to!planks lengthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01176715815596833639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-44800820710775047812016-02-15T16:31:18.884-07:002016-02-15T16:31:18.884-07:00If one can't accurately describe a position, i...If one can't accurately describe a position, it becomes impossible to offer valid criticism of that position. <br /><br />That seems to be a fairly common problem here, but I think the most egregious example is your description of the OTF. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09268824070081295206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-48675417722525502802016-02-15T15:41:48.833-07:002016-02-15T15:41:48.833-07:00What is the outsider test for skepticism?
I think...<i>What is the outsider test for skepticism?</i><br /><br />I think it is called 'science'.<br /><br />Or, perhaps the Who song "Won't be fooled again."jdhueyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14548783175350394626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-76064480280954946122016-02-15T12:01:54.675-07:002016-02-15T12:01:54.675-07:00It's not a test if it can have only one possib...<i>It's not a test if it can have only one possible outcome.</i><br /><br /><b>And that's all that really needs to be said.</b><br /><br />Except that perhaps besides "fear of religion", here are a few other factors that ought to be weeded out:<br /><br />- Peer pressure, which could lead to<br />- Fear of being ridiculed (as advocated by Dawkins), especially in the<br />- Current climate of aggressive secularism, with its pervasive<br />- 24/7 Exposure to atheist proselytization <br /><br />and let's not forget<br /><br />- Personal sin (didn't Loftus say he wished to "live life to its fullest"?)<br /><br />There are others, but those will do for now.planks lengthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01176715815596833639noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10584495.post-53759105271164301382016-02-15T11:57:59.996-07:002016-02-15T11:57:59.996-07:00What is the outsider test for skepticism?What is the outsider test for skepticism?oozzielionelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00326968846352428451noreply@blogger.com