Quote:
Originally Posted by DuffMan
It is factually incorrect? in brackets, like you are just sliding it in there, unnoticed? Do you really think that is promoting understanding and useful dialogue. That right there is some of the reason why people like T@T and myself have a problem with religion.
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It absolutely is factually incorrect, as outlined in multiple places throughout this thread. Science can not prove anything; that is why, when you conduct a Science experiment, you never say "Hypothesis X is confirmed". What you say is "We fail to reject Hypothesis X", more or less.
Additionally, I'd like to make clear that I'm not trying to slide anything through unnoticed. My use of parentheses was purposeful, as I figured that what I placed in them was tangential to my argument. My argument is that T@T's most recent post in this thread, along with numerous others strewn about the website, serve no constructive purpose. The intent seems to be to belittle or insult people of faith. That will not accomplish anything other than:
- further entrenching those you are speaking to
- reducing the likelihood of sensible discussion
- getting a rise out of people
And, commonly, the answer is, "Atheists have been persecuted for their views, so why can't I do it in turn", or "It's rude when people push their religion on me", or some other such rationalization for poor behaviour. So what? What does it matter?
Further to the point about why my assertion that T@T's statement is indeed factually inaccurate is that there is no universally accepted 'common sense'. As such, 'common sense' can not be used to prove anything. Just because I think it's common sense not to get a huge tattoo on your face doesn't mean everyone thinks it's common sense. It's just as valid for a theist to say, "Common sense proves the existence of God" as it is to say what T@T did. For the record, I think both are completely and totally invalid.
In the end, I think that it's important to treat those you are engaging in discussion with respect, even if you disagree with their position. Of course, we are all human and obviously fail in this manner at times, but it is important to strive for positive discourse. This is after all a discussion board, not an insult board.