[ExI] Belief in maths (was mind body dualism)

[Ben Zaiboc]

samantha <sjatkins at mac.com> wrote:
Re: [ExI] Belief in maths (was mind body dualism)
> 
> I once led an intelligent, honest fundamentalist friend
> step by step, 
> starting from what she did believe to be true outside
> fundamentalist 
> conclusions, to see clearly that her beliefs were highly
> inconsistent 
> and contradictory and the bible was filled also with such 
> contradictions, inconsistencies also and with many horrid
> things.  She 
> saw perfectly clearly that much of what she believed to be
> true could 
> not be true.   Do you know what she said at
> the end?  It was what 
> persuaded me to not do that again.  "Thank you for
> your patience and 
> even, calm, fair discussion with me.  I learned a lot
> and see that you 
> are largely right in what you said at the beginning. 
> But this is what I 
> believe and I like believing it so I am going to keep doing
> so."

Rather than a reason to give up, I think that's a reason to change tactics.

Logic alone will not sway a lot of (most?) people.  Emotion is needed as well.  We need to offer good emotions, not just 'cold' logic.  Think how you feel when you contemplate the kind of future you hope for.  Is it dispassionate? Or is it a fantastic excitement? Or what?

We need to think how to communicate the excitement, the happiness, etc. as well as how to make logical arguments.

Ben Zaiboc