Why do people believe in the supernatural?

[Zeebadee]

Your asserting something to be true despite all evidence to the contrary does nothing to support your stance. It only makes you willfully ignorant.

You've never given any evidence to the contrary. You've claimed you don't need to.

[Cephus]

rubbish!

Yes, your religion is. Glad to see you agree.

[Cephus]

But you would have to prove they were delusional wouldn't you. Whereas it is the ones who do not see who are deluded, no matter how well it is presented

Delusion: a fixed false belief that is resistant to reason or confrontation with actual fact.

That's religion.

[Cephus]

Many things start from a position of gut feelings, what we intuitively think is right, even in science. You cannot say that BELIEVE has no bearing in ''factual reality'' just because you can't see it. And what has 'feeling good' got to do with it? It sounds like a usual misrepresented, misunderstood blind response

Yeah, but they don't STOP there. A scientist might have a "gut feeling" that something is right, but you know something? He tests it! He demonstrates it! He doesn't just say "I think I'm right so I'm right!"

That's all that religion does. It takes a gut feeling and runs wild with it.

[xx_mortekai_xx]

Yeah, but they don't STOP there. A scientist might have a "gut feeling" that something is right, but you know something? He tests it! He demonstrates it! He doesn't just say "I think I'm right so I'm right!"

That's all that religion does. It takes a gut feeling and runs wild with it.

bingo.

The difference between evidence and faith.

[Senor Hoint]

So atheists are free to make all kinds of claims and statements of fact without any supporting evidence at all? Anything atheists say must be considered true until proven otherwise? Anything a theist claims is false until proven?

So if I made the assertion that I was a god without providing any evidence, you think you would need evidence to disprove my claim? Seriously? I hate how religion makes people contort logic and common sense.

[grandpa]

So if I made the assertion that I was a
god without providing any evidence, you think you would need
evidence to disprove my claim?

According to many, we would have to regard it almost as a statement of fact, simply because it's "rude" to publicly express skepticism. And if you offer evidence as personally
witnessed by you, it supposedly should stand on its own -- according to some.

Grandpa h.

[xx_mortekai_xx]

So if I made the assertion that I was a god without providing any evidence, you think you would need evidence to disprove my claim? Seriously? I hate how religion makes people contort logic and common sense.

its classic 'shifting the burden of proof'.

He knows that he cannot provide evidence for his claims, and gets defensive in response.

Hell, if ANY christian had actual evidence, they wouldnt be so quick to resort to "i have faith", as evidence trumps faith every single time.

and of course he knows the way it works, that claims need evidence. He just puts his beliefs in a box in his head so that he doesnt have to apply those rules to that belief. If you ask why he doesnt believe in leprechauns or faries or unicorns or other such things, he would likely give a reason that is in line with logic and rationality. Its that one subject that he protects, I suspect because he was raised with it and his god beliefs have become synonymous with who he is.

[Senor Hoint]

and of course he knows the way it works, that claims need evidence. He just puts his beliefs in a box in his head so that he doesnt have to apply those rules to that belief. If you ask why he doesnt believe in leprechauns or faries or unicorns or other such things, he would likely give a reason that is in line with logic and rationality. Its that one subject that he protects, I suspect because he was raised with it and his god beliefs have become synonymous with who he is.

I know. If a travelling salesman came up to you in the street and claimed to have a cold fusion unit, Zee, finder, and the others would almost certainly ask for some evidence or demonstration of this. If evidence was not provided they wouldn't believe the claim. It is only with god that they feel the need to twist things around.

[Zeebadee]

So if I made the assertion that I was a god without providing any evidence, you think you would need evidence to disprove my claim? Seriously? I hate how religion makes people contort logic and common sense.

If you made that assertion, of course you would be expected to provide some evidence to support your claim.

The statement I was questioning was, "There is no god". Are we to just accept that as true without any supporting evidence? How does he know? Why should anyone believe him?

[brendand]

The statement I was questioning was, "There is no god".

The interesting thing about that statement is that most people tend to shy away from making that positive assertion, and rightly so.

What puzzles me is that many people take a non-conclusive, or agnostic, position on the existence of god, yet at the same time take a militant stand against people holding the positive belief that god does exist.

[Zeebadee]

The interesting thing about that statement is that most people tend to shy away from making that positive assertion, and rightly so.

What puzzles me is that many people take a non-conclusive, or agnostic, position on the existence of god, yet at the same time take a militant stand against people holding the positive belief that god does exist.

Agreed. If he had said, "I don't believe there is a god", or "You haven't shown that god exists", I'd have no problem with it.

And besides, expressing a belief is not the same as claiming to know without a doubt.