How many times have we heard this one?
109. ARGUMENT FROM LACK OF DISPROOF, a.k.a. ARGUMENT FROM SHIFTED BURDEN OF PROOF
(1) You can’t prove God doesn’t exist!
(2) Therefore, God exists.
(source)
A Christian’s worldview makes life beautiful and exciting, but an atheist’s worldview makes life depressing and meaningless. At least that’s what Gene Edward Veith says in “Making Atheism Enchanting“:
[The atheist's] worldview lacks all appeal. They get hung up on the last remaining absolute: Atheism is not beautiful. It is so depressing.
If there is no God [...]
Whereas non-scientific (and potentially dangerous) thinking starts with a premise and then looks for things that support it, scientific thinking constantly tries to disprove itself. That alone makes all the difference in the world.
—Derren Brown, Tricks of the Mind, p. 266
If we start with a premise and only look for things that support it, we [...]
Here’s George Carlin on swearing on the Bible:
“Yeah — I’ll tell you as much truth as the people who wrote that fucking Bible, how do you like that? Swearing on the Bible doesn’t mean anything, because Bible or no Bible, God or no God, if it suits their purposes, people are going to lie in court. [...]
Everyone has strange beliefs. What’s the strangest belief you have?
I generally try not to believe weird things. But my strangest belief is that someday we’ll be able to store our memories digitally and transfer them to other bodies (like our own, regrown). That is, if we survive that long!
So what’s yours?
Tim Minchin on the danger of opening your mind too much:
Someguy: Cool! An honest to god — or spaghetti monster take your pick — he-said,... Sunsara Taylor and the Ethical Society of Chicago
Sehro: What about Zorak? He’s like 182 cm tall! Praying Mantis Eats Grasshopper
Roger: …you’re still talking?? Leviticus Also Said…
Daniel Florien: It’s interesting to me that the comment is funny that way, but in reverse, it feels... Usually The Husband’s Fault?
Antiutopia: D’n At no time prior to the mid-20thC was marriage considered a “right,” at least not to... Leviticus Also Said…
Dennis Loo: The person using the name Evan K in this comment thread offered an alternate version... Sunsara Taylor and the Ethical Society of Chicago
Zotz: The secret to a long and mostly happy marriage? I my case, we talk about stuff, then we do what my wife... Usually The Husband’s Fault?
