According to some studies, up to four million Americans may have been abducted by aliens [Abduction by Aliens or Sleep Paralysis?]. I often use this information when questioning religious people about the rationality of their inner convictions. As it turns out, most theists reject the silly beliefs of alien abductees without seeing any connection between this and their own proof of God by religious experience.A group of people have banded together to
Picture yourself lost in the galaxy...UFO sightings and Alien Abductions are on the rise...Will you return to tell the story?You can buy them for only $12.99 (US). I suggest you buy several sets of dog tags for all your close friends. Do not buy them for other people.
In case of alien abduction these dog tags may save your life. The crucial data an alien will need to get you back to Earth is die stamped into these dog tags.
The design is based on NASA research for the Pioneer 10 Space Mission that used a gold plaque attached to the craft to inform any Extraterrestrials of it's Earthly origin.
[Hat Tip: Bad Astronomy]
The design is based on NASA research for the Pioneer 10 Space Mission that used a gold plaque attached to the craft to inform any Extraterrestrials of it's Earthly origin.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite line. It suggests the results of the NASA research were "the aliens returned the plaque to Earth and provided positive feedback about our methods". Also, does this company offer gold dogtags as well, for more money?
What, they can't just look me up in the phone book? the Galactic Phone Book, of course.
ReplyDelete> As it turns out, most theists reject the silly beliefs of alien abductees without seeing any connection between this and their own proof of God by religious experience.
It seems many atheists possess supernatural knowledge, knowing somehow what all people who believe in God have experienced?
I do see such claims all the time, "How He Came To His Beliefs," in three volumes folio with an index...
One doesn't have to have intimate knowledge of religious experiences to be able to dismiss the vast majority of them. One merely needs to keep seeing the same lame, poorly-articulated arguments from such personal experiences. Once one has met the same boring description of vague patterns, it is easy to realize that a better explanation for these phenomena is to be found in the science of neurology, rather than in the intellectual wasteland of religion. That's not to say that people do not experience various things - far from it, these are real experiences for many people; rather it is to assume a non-supernatural explanation for these and all other phenomena.
ReplyDeleteIn other words, I don't know how you or any other religious believer came to their beliefs, but I can make an educated guess about the generalities and expect to be correct most of the time. Just like you can make an educated guess about my atheism, and expect to be right most of the time, if you've read much of what I've had to say on the subject. In the case of guessing about my atheism, a strong bet would be that I was Christian in the past, but shed my beliefs after some significant event in my life. Another strong bet (correct in my own case) is that I was never religious, never a believer, and have never encountered a religious claim that I found either believable or palatable.
> In other words, I don't know how you or any other religious believer came to their beliefs, but I can make an educated guess about the generalities and expect to be correct most of the time.
ReplyDeleteIn that you'd be wrong I'll venture--I've had some fairly continuous, odd experiences.
> Another strong bet (correct in my own case) is that I was never religious, never a believer, and have never encountered a religious claim that I found either believable or palatable.
Then I propose for starters that you see about rebuilding or reinhabiting Babylon. A straightforward test, the Bible says it can't be done, I note for you that it's been tried...
Larry said I often used this information when questioning religious people about the rationality off their inner convictions
ReplyDeleteVery compelling point Larry. Ever heard of the ‘Fatima miracle’ in Portugal in 1914? It seems to blend the theological experience with the UFOlogical experience, (I dabble in UFOlogy amongst my many hobbyist level interests)
One little philosophical poser though: as the positivists were so well aware: all perceived ontology is a function of experience and the operation of cognition upon that experience.
ReplyDeleteAccording to some studies, up to four million Americans may have been abducted by aliens [Abduction by Aliens or Sleep Paralysis?]. I often use this information when questioning religious people about the rationality of their inner convictions.
Which religious people? Muslims? Jews? Mormons?
It may come as a surprise to you, Larry, but the overwhelming majority of UFO devotees are strong believers in evolution.
As it turns out, most theists reject the silly beliefs of alien abductees without seeing any connection between this and their own proof of God by religious experience.
That is probably because there is no conection between one and the other.
TheBrummell said
ReplyDelete"One doesn't have to have intimate knowledge of religious experiences to be able to dismiss the vast majority of them.
In other words, we don't have to know what we are talking about in order to make weird announcements.
One merely needs to keep seeing the same lame, poorly-articulated arguments from such personal experiences.
There are plenty of well articulated Christians arguements for the Christian worldview. Read Dr William Lane Craig, Ravi Zecharias, et al.
Once one has met the same boring description of vague patterns, it is easy to realize that a better explanation for these phenomena is to be found in the science of neurology, rather than in the intellectual wasteland of religion.
Similarly, given the boring evolutionary descriptions about life's origins, it's reasonable to conclude that the foundation for such beliefs comes not from science, but from a priori comitments to unscientific philosophies.
That's not to say that people do not experience various things - far from it, these are real experiences for many people; rather it is to assume a non-supernatural explanation for these and all other phenomena.
If you "assume" a non-supernatural explination, then it's obvious you'll "conclude" that these experiences belong to neuroscience.
Perhaps you should keep an open mind, and let the evidence speak for itself, without a priori "assumptions".
In other words, I don't know how you or any other religious believer came to their beliefs, but I can make an educated guess about the generalities and expect to be correct most of the time.
Well, everyone is allowed to make wild guesses.
Just like you can make an educated guess about my atheism, and expect to be right most of the time, if you've read much of what I've had to say on the subject.
You bet!
In the case of guessing about my atheism, a strong bet would be that I was Christian in the past, but shed my beliefs after some significant event in my life. Another strong bet (correct in my own case) is that I was never religious, never a believer, and have never encountered a religious claim that I found either believable or palatable.
Execpt the religious claim that the living system owes it's existence due to only the effects of natural unguided forces.
mats says,
ReplyDeleteAs it turns out, most theists reject the silly beliefs of alien abductees without seeing any connection between this and their own proof of God by religious experience.
That is probably because there is no conection between one and the other.
Q.E.D.
> Larry Moran: That is probably because there is no connection between one and the other.
ReplyDeleteWhat I need now is your analysis--models and numbers and so forth and so on.
Quod erat demanded.
If you claim a demonstrable probability...
to lee-merrill,
ReplyDeleteI don't know what you're asking for.
It was Mats who said that there's no connection between belief in alien abductions and belief in supernatural beings that tell you how to behave.
> Larry Moran: I don't know what you're asking for.
ReplyDeleteAh. I misunderstood, my apologies...