About christ paying for our sins to save us from hell.

[ParadigmShifter]

Did you not see my post #177?

 

[MayNilad Man]

I did. But I was talking about Geniuses who have a penchant for saying something is right because it feels right, and only proving its rightness afterwards.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Well most genius minds tend to know not to claim something feels right until they have evidence to back it up. Einstein published his theories before they were validated by observation but it was more a case of investigating the effects of the speed of light being constant for all observers (i.e. time must be relative in that case). He made predictions from his model and the predictions were verified.

Often "what feels right" in science is what is the simplest explanation which fits all the observable data, which often turns out to be the "most correct" explanation we have anyway.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Einstein also was unique in his ability.

Most (if not all, I couldn't be sure) other groundbreaking scientist worked from observations.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Well Einstein's postulates for special relativity were based on observation too, the failure of the Michelson-Morley experiment which tried to measure the "luminiferous aether" of the cosmos.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelson-Morley_experiment

 

[MayNilad Man]

Just to clarify, if I say something is right because it "feels" right, does it preclude me from being able to back it up with reason?

 

[ParadigmShifter]

No, of course not, but I'd want to see some evidence fitting the model you construct from your intuitions.

The simplest explanation is often the most correct one as I said but I for one don't see religious arguments as "simple explanations".

I'm an atheist but think the existence of God or gods is undecidable (I guess that makes me a lapsed agnostic!), just to make my position clear on the matter.

 

[bigfatron]

That's usually how they break down.

We take one of 'their' axioms and then add in some 'common sense' axioms and then show how the logical conclusion defies common sense. Because the conclusion was logically derived, we know that the problem is with one of the axioms. Then an attempt is made to get people to toss out the axiom which is not obvious.

Precisely so - thanks, El_Machinae, you've explained what I was endeavouring to do perfectly

 

[warpus]

Mind telling me what?

Can you be more specific?

 

[MayNilad Man]

Never mind.

 

[El_Machinae]

Precisely so - thanks, El_Machinae, you've explained what I was endeavouring to do perfectly

I speak far, because I stand on the shoulders of giants
I couldn't have said it well without quoting.