Having an Open Mind

[admin]

How can we really know anything? Science claims to have all the answers but cannot provide answers to anything when it comes to God. Let's have an open mind to all things instead of judging and criticizing things we're not open enough to accept.

[FFT]

Sum ergo cogito

That said, we can individually know that we exist, because we can think (cogito ergo sum). That is, I know that I exist, because I feel as though there is an "I" involved.

Science, unfortunately, doesn't claim to have any answers at all. All science can really do is determine which answers are invalid (in most cases, "magnetism!" and "crystals!" are invalid answers). Science is about disproofs, not proofs. That said, it's rather hard to disprove gods. As soon as someone has an "ah ha!" argument, gods get redefined a step further back, or the argument is ignored.

Ancient men observed lightning, and had no answer for its presence. They explained it with gods.

Today, we know exactly what causes lightning, and we know that no god is required to explain it.

Why, then, should we use gods to explain things we may simply not have a full explanation for? In the past, we've used gods to explain everything from wind to fertility, but there's just that one niggling little bit a relatively small number of people want to keep as the territory of a god. Why should we keep an open mind to illogical thought processes? I'm not saying that we shouldn't even leave "a god did it" as a possible option, but why should we believe it?

One of the first reactions people seem to have when their beliefs are threatened is to accuse those around them of not having an open mind. Why? Clearly, they are not having an open mind about what is being discussed, they'll flatly refuse to believe they're wrong. All they want is for others to have an open mind to what they and they alone believe. They do not want communication, they want to preach and feel offended that their preaching falls on unresponsive ears.

I believe this is worthy of criticism.

[remykwp]

i have a very open mind. im also very gulible

[admin]

Me too - that's why I'm very guarded now with what information I process.

FYI - that original post of mine was to get conversation going - it was "tongue 'n cheek".

[admin]

Me too - that's why I'm very guarded now with what information I process.

FYI - that original post of mine was to get conversation going - it was "tongue 'n cheek".

[ShardikSon]

I have a VERY open mind.
Stuff falls in, and stuff falls out all the time.

[Arthwollipot]

Holy zombie thread, batman!

[ShardikSon]

Sum ergo cogito

That said, we can individually know that we exist, because we can think (cogito ergo sum). That is, I know that I exist, because I feel as though there is an "I" involved.

Science, unfortunately, doesn't claim to have any answers at all. All science can really do is determine which answers are invalid (in most cases, "magnetism!" and "crystals!" are invalid answers). Science is about disproofs, not proofs. That said, it's rather hard to disprove gods. As soon as someone has an "ah ha!" argument, gods get redefined a step further back, or the argument is ignored.

Ancient men observed lightning, and had no answer for its presence. They explained it with gods.

Today, we know exactly what causes lightning, and we know that no god is required to explain it.

Why, then, should we use gods to explain things we may simply not have a full explanation for? In the past, we've used gods to explain everything from wind to fertility, but there's just that one niggling little bit a relatively small number of people want to keep as the territory of a god. Why should we keep an open mind to illogical thought processes? I'm not saying that we shouldn't even leave "a god did it" as a possible option, but why should we believe it?

One of the first reactions people seem to have when their beliefs are threatened is to accuse those around them of not having an open mind. Why? Clearly, they are not having an open mind about what is being discussed, they'll flatly refuse to believe they're wrong. All they want is for others to have an open mind to what they and they alone believe. They do not want communication, they want to preach and feel offended that their preaching falls on unresponsive ears.

I believe this is worthy of criticism.

Good point. We see it even in the scientific community, as well, though as the evidence mounts most will come around, eventually.