That One Simple Question
Where IS your evidence?
That is the one question no theist can satisfactorily answer. At least that is another of my incredulity fallacies since I have yet to see “satisfactory evidence” presented by any theist. Not even the great William Lane Craig. One I sometimes call Sociopathic Bill after watching a speech he gave at Cambridge.
They then counter, “What would constitute evidence for you?”
I counter, “Your god-thing is supposedly omniscient. Why can IT not tell you?”
Then comes the apologistic carpet-bombing that makes WWII seem a doggy walk in the park. The intense and overwhelming amount of apologistic carpet-bombing, rotten Word Salad, hellashus Gish Galloping, and overwhelming spewage of Brain Diarrhea is phenomenal. Almost, beyond the pale.
FYI: Brain Diarrhea is the term I give for ANY thought one can have, regardless of veracity or mendacity. That is determined else wise. Example: Our star is just a huge ball of fusion plasma. That is my Brain Diarrhea. ITs veracity/mendacity is determined through other means and evidence. Where I grew up, we spelt it “hellashus” because we tended to pronounce hellacious like delicious.
Another Example: Whopnobberdoogledorf.
Now THAT is Brain Diarrhea in the purest sense. The first is verifiable and falsifiable. The second is literally a true “WT7734?” The second can mean literally any thing I wish it to mean. Mendacity at its peak. THAT is what religion truly is. For “organized religion” behaves more like a criminal syndicate, robbing their riches and wealth, than a church which should truly be helping people in need.
“Prepare and Prevent, instead of Repair and Repent.” An atheist made that adage.
Satisfactory Evidence
This is a phenomena that does exist.
Example: I claim to have a set of mechanical pencils 0.3mm, 0.5mm, 0.7mm, and 0.9mm. With this example, your first thought is probably, “So what?” However, with many, it would be “satisfactory evidence”. For to those many, it is also a matter of, “So what? Must use them for different things.”
If you knew I still practice the art of “hand-drawn” maps. Those four lead sizes come in handy for certain things. One in particular, for the two smaller sizes, labeling features. 0.9 is used for generalized sketching. 0.9 and 0.7 to come behind and sketch in more “accurate” features. 0.9 I also use to draw in shores of lakes, rivers, etc., et al. 0.7 is used for sketching town/city boundaries. This is currently in practice as I actually map me new world of Etherlond. Literally translated, “Lands Where we live.” Even later, I will go back and pen in the features with a 24-color 0.3mm pen set.
A set of pencils and pens is more-or-less “so what?” But, that is still an example of “satisfactory evidence" because you ain’t gonna scream for hard evidence.
If claimed to own a Lamborghini, you WOULD SCREAM for evidence. And have every right to do so. Or, would that be rite?
No “evidence” any theist has ever presented has ever passed muster for me. For IT is nothing more than apologistic carpet-bombing (love that term), rotten Word Salad, hellashus Gish Galloping, and overwhelming Brain Diarrhea beyond the pale.
If you have evidence, then present the Journal Paper showing that evidence. And I had better be able to repeat that experiment and data.
Philosophy and Philosophiæ
There is a difference.
Philosophy is any thought you wish to have, regardless of veracity or mendacity.
Philosophiæ may be based on “philosophy”, but it is tempered through the Principles of Logic then forged through the Scientific Method to be deduced True.
Religion is nothing more than a philosophy. It shall never be philosophiæ.
Religion can only be made to SEEM true through Emotional Thinking. It can never be proven through Intellectual Thinking. And Knowledge.
Emotional Thinking is the most fallacious and irrational form of thinking us humans have. The ONLY true fact about emotions is the fact we have them. Otherwise, there is no Truth in emotions.
Ben Shapiro’s infamous, “Facts don’t give a damn about your feelings.” Yet, I have actually watched him lose an interview. How funny is that? Lose an interview.
Apologetics
Originally Greek, apologia, meaning in defense of.
Apology now means repenting of wrong.
My PoV, apologetics now means defending wrong to do right through later repentance.
All in the name of some “great commission” to save souls. First must prove only humans have this magic-thing. Never been any evidence. EVER.
And if us humans have that magic-thing, then why not all Life?
And, finally, how is this for an ULTIMATE “Ultimate Challenge” for religion? Saw a news story video that “big” religion in 2022 was worth 1.2 Trillion $ in just the USA alone. Why not take those trillions, buy a large chunk of land, do like North Carolina, build your own research and development center, and prove your claims are true. Prove the supernatural co-exists with the natural.
Hints About Evidence
To answer “What constitutes evidence” is rather simple. First, put it through the Hypothesis Test:
- Is IT testable?
- Is IT falsifiable?
If either is “No”, then it remains forever as a make-believe idea. If IT cannot be falsified, then IT also cannot be verified. How long have us humans questioned this “god” concept? Roughly 100,000 years or more? For even that long ago, there were unbelievers. I cannot prove it definitively, but the Principles of Probability dictate very high probability for their past existence.
If you do have evidence, then write the Journal Paper presenting that evidence. And the experiment and data had better be repeatable. Else, it automatically fails.
What evidence do you require to KNOW a rock exists? Similar to that with Your god.
All I have ever asked is “Where is the evidence?” And in ¾century, I have not seen even a molecule’s worth of evidence that any god-thing exists. And I have seen enough to have seen such evidence if it existed.
Franklin