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Originally Posted by Vulcan
Yeah, in your terms I'm speaking of the spiritual heart. At least not the physical heart but it is still something that I feel. Not like a feeling but something tangible.
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Unless you can have everyone else touch it and agree with you about its nature, then it isn't tangible by definition. It's still a feeling; an especially strong one, but a feeling regardless.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vulcan
If you want to take it too extremes everything is based on a belief. Myself I believe I'm here and exist in this world but I imagine some could make a good argument that I don't, it still doesn't make it true.
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Belief is holding a proposition to be true (that's the definition I'm using), so yes everything is based on beliefs (no extremes necessary). We operate day to day based entirely on our beliefs (based on all the propositions we hold to be true). Some beliefs are well substantiated (I believe gravity will hold me to the earth and will do it again tomorrow), some not so much, some are irrational and some demonstrably false.
And yes just because someone makes a good argument doesn't make it true. Just because someone feels something doesn't make it true. And that's what we're really discussing here, is how to determine if a belief is in fact true.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vulcan
Back to the life force, I'm guessing you're not conscious of it, so you say it doesn't exist. I am conscious of it, so I say it does exist.
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I used to believe I was conscious of it. I was also conscious of the tangible presence of both God and Satan, including physical manifestations of them. I'm not saying it doesn't exist because I'm not conscious of it, I'm saying it doesn't exist because there's no evidence it exists and that being aware of it is something that is explained by neuroscience, even to the point of being able to induce it externally on a test subject.
People all over the world report the same, or being conscious of their (mutually exclusive) god or gods, or ancestors, or what have you.
Or alien presences, some people channel ancient aliens. Or ghosts, people speak with the dead.
Their experiences are just as strong as yours, so must be equally valid as yours (which means God and Satan, Allah and Vishnu, hundreds of different alien species all contacting humans, ghosts, etc all exist). Either that or you have to admit that what you are conscious of is just as possibly not real as all those others; why would you happen to have the truth when most others do not?