[ExI] Basis of Belief

[Randall Randall]

On Feb 25, 2008, at 5:37 PM, Tom Tobin wrote:

> On 2/25/08, aiguy at comcast.net <aiguy at comcast.net> wrote:
>> I will start by saying that although I am not a Christian, I  
>> respect the
>> belief systems of people with other memesets.
>
> I don't.
>
> This notion — "respecting" the beliefs of those who make *false* (for
> the Bayesians, read: close to zero probability) factual claims about
> reality — needs to have a stake driven through its heart.  I don't
> necessarily hate the *people* who hold these false beliefs, but there
> is nothing about the claims that deserves *respect*.

Nothing inside the universe can be evidence for or against
a Creator of the universe.  Either you believe in such a
thing or you don't, but there's no way to get from one of
those beliefs to the other with reason and evidence.  If
you believe, there's nothing about our universe which
could logically dissuade you, since God made it like that.
If you don't believe, even miracles and Jesus himself
coming to talk to you should only be (e.g.) evidence that
you're in a simulation or that you're delusional, rather
than that Christianity is ultimately true.

Of course, people do change their minds, cease to believe,
and so on, but they don't do it for rational reasons.

--
Randall Randall <randall at randallsquared.com>
"Someone needs to invent a Bayesball bat that exists solely for
  smacking people [...] upside the head." -- Psy-Kosh on reddit.com