Comments on: Laughing at Spooks http://atheists.org/blog/2009/11/23/laughing-at-spooks A Blog of Atheist Thought Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:40:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: sgrill http://atheists.org/blog/2009/11/23/laughing-at-spooks/comment-page-1#comment-111499 sgrill Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:03:52 +0000 http://atheists.org/blog/?p=2064#comment-111499 So things that we don't know enough about to generate a model, we are simply agnostic about. Nothing wrong with admitting that we don't know it all. We haven't been doing science for long on this planet. In reading this thread it just strikes me that most people in our country go about their lives believing that life is like a fairytale. If you believe in gods, it certainly opens oneself up to believing in anything. So people we mingle with would not be surprised if something magical suddenly happened. It just seems like such a dichotomy between those willing to accept magic and those not. It is really very interesting. So things that we don’t know enough about to generate a model, we are simply agnostic about. Nothing wrong with admitting that we don’t know it all. We haven’t been doing science for long on this planet.
In reading this thread it just strikes me that most people in our country go about their lives believing that life is like a fairytale. If you believe in gods, it certainly opens oneself up to believing in anything. So people we mingle with would not be surprised if something magical suddenly happened. It just seems like such a dichotomy between those willing to accept magic and those not. It is really very interesting.

]]> By: Mike Christerson http://atheists.org/blog/2009/11/23/laughing-at-spooks/comment-page-1#comment-111399 Mike Christerson Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:41:48 +0000 http://atheists.org/blog/?p=2064#comment-111399 Chris B says "Science isn’t a set of conclusions written in a textbook, it’s a process for obtaining knowledge about the physical world." I agree totally. What I'm trying to get across is that often I get the impression from atheists that they have facts about things that are only suggested by the evidence. I'm not a scientist, so I don't claim to be well read about such but I believe through the years we have folks saying "this is the way things work" then a few years later new data arrives to be followed by a big oops, new facts. I think we should say these things are what we think, not what we know. Chris B says “Science isn’t a set of conclusions written in a textbook, it’s a process for obtaining knowledge about the physical world.”
I agree totally. What I’m trying to get across is that often I get the impression from atheists that they have facts about things that are only suggested by the evidence. I’m not a scientist, so I don’t claim to be well read about such but I believe through the years we have folks saying “this is the way things work” then a few years later new data arrives to be followed by a big oops, new facts. I think we should say these things are what we think, not what we know.

]]> By: Chris B http://atheists.org/blog/2009/11/23/laughing-at-spooks/comment-page-1#comment-111384 Chris B Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:34:59 +0000 http://atheists.org/blog/?p=2064#comment-111384 Humans are always fascinated by some version of "the other tribe is out to get you" narrative. In the modern world, where "tribe" membership is ambiguous, people seek out features that make them part of an in-group and others part of an out-group. For some, religion is this feature. For others, it is race. The rewards for being in an in-group include a social life (not to be discounted) and the comfort that comes from that group's superiority claim: i.e. "the chosen people," "the superior race," or "the greatest nation." The unfortunate effects of this phenomenon are religious, ethnic, nationalist, and racist violence, discrimination, fear, terrorism, and war. It is all motivated by people who think "the other tribe is out to get me." Ironically, if there is someone out to get you, it is because they think you are out to get them. I have a pet theory that some individuals have a higher need for tribal belonging than others. They populate cults, crackpot conspiracy websites, terrorist groups, and racist groups. Something to think about, reason. Humans are always fascinated by some version of “the other tribe is out to get you” narrative. In the modern world, where “tribe” membership is ambiguous, people seek out features that make them part of an in-group and others part of an out-group. For some, religion is this feature. For others, it is race.

The rewards for being in an in-group include a social life (not to be discounted) and the comfort that comes from that group’s superiority claim: i.e. “the chosen people,” “the superior race,” or “the greatest nation.”

The unfortunate effects of this phenomenon are religious, ethnic, nationalist, and racist violence, discrimination, fear, terrorism, and war. It is all motivated by people who think “the other tribe is out to get me.” Ironically, if there is someone out to get you, it is because they think you are out to get them.

I have a pet theory that some individuals have a higher need for tribal belonging than others. They populate cults, crackpot conspiracy websites, terrorist groups, and racist groups. Something to think about, reason.

]]> By: Chris B http://atheists.org/blog/2009/11/23/laughing-at-spooks/comment-page-1#comment-111383 Chris B Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:22:38 +0000 http://atheists.org/blog/?p=2064#comment-111383 Science isn't a set of conclusions written in a textbook, it's a process for obtaining knowledge about the physical world. One core function in science is the scrutiny of ideas and theories. To the extent that decades of intensive investigation of allegedly magical/paranormal events has never produced anything besides natural explanations or recorded static, a core function of science is to discard magical/paranormal theories in favor of the ones supported by data. To the extent that observation also indicates that some people will still believe in superstitious beliefs despite all evidence, their dismissal can likewise be reflexive. Science isn’t a set of conclusions written in a textbook, it’s a process for obtaining knowledge about the physical world. One core function in science is the scrutiny of ideas and theories. To the extent that decades of intensive investigation of allegedly magical/paranormal events has never produced anything besides natural explanations or recorded static, a core function of science is to discard magical/paranormal theories in favor of the ones supported by data.

To the extent that observation also indicates that some people will still believe in superstitious beliefs despite all evidence, their dismissal can likewise be reflexive.

]]> By: fireemblem555 http://atheists.org/blog/2009/11/23/laughing-at-spooks/comment-page-1#comment-111345 fireemblem555 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:24:38 +0000 http://atheists.org/blog/?p=2064#comment-111345 If you go to that shit hole called Philadelphia you have it coming. If you go to that shit hole called Philadelphia you have it coming.

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