Moderator: felix dakat
1) Plenty of obvious things can be very strongly supported by the evidence and in logic some obvious things can be deduced. 2) One persons 'obvious' (self evident truth, axiom, etc.) is another person's extraordinary claim is another person's possibility.Bodhimalik wrote:I had for awhile, a running argument with one of the moderators on my post "Nobody can prove God exists and nobody can prove He doesn't. This moderator kept insisting that I prove that comment. I kept trying to explain that nobody can prove the obvious
But he was responding to your claim, I assume.and I kept asking him to prove that what I said was not true. Of course he couldn't do it. He would not talk about that part - just ignored it.
If this is Felix I thought he was generally, if accused, accused of being anti-religious. If I have the right overview he can use this to defend himself against those claims, at least as anecdotal evidence.And can you imagine having to prove statements on a religious board?
As far as I can tell, he does challenge religious people to back up their assertions. Though perhaps some bias is present, I haven't read enough posts to judge.On a Philosophical board, if he did it, I would think it stupid, but as least possible. But on a religious board where almost nothing can be proved? Pah!
Well, I can't resist asking for evidence that this is relevent here. It just seems like a vaguely aimed ad hom and psychic claim.What I see happening - besides the obvious censoring of beliefs contrary to the censor's, is that when you give somebody a little power, they get bored because they don't have that much to do. So what they do is to start expanding their power. The only way to do that is to start making subjective "rules" that they can now enforce with impunity. I saw that in the military and I see it here, now. It seems to be the human condition, akin to the common practice of mistreating the helpless.
Shame shame shame.
Bodhimalik wrote:I expect that this thread will not go far because of bias on the part of moderators for this type of complaint and also because I have not proved this comment. I have run into this "power struggle" before on other posts.
I had for awhile, a running argument with one of the moderators on my post "Nobody can prove God exists and nobody can prove He doesn't. This moderator kept insisting that I prove that comment. I kept trying to explain that nobody can prove the obvious and I kept asking him to prove that what I said was not true. Of course he couldn't do it. He would not talk about that part - just ignored it.
He warned me that if I kept insisting on posting things that I didn't prove, that he would put those posts in "The Hall of Questions" where nobody would see them. Excomuniation, I guess. I told him that I had posted lots of posts like that and I never heard a word about them until they related to religion. He is religious.
And can you imagine having to prove statements on a religious board? On a Philosophical board, if he did it, I would think it stupid, but as least possible. But on a religious board where almost nothing can be proved? Pah!
What I see happening - besides the obvious censoring of beliefs contrary to the censor's, is that when you give somebody a little power, they get bored because they don't have that much to do. So what they do is to start expanding their power. The only way to do that is to start making subjective "rules" that they can now enforce with impunity. I saw that in the military and I see it here, now. It seems to be the human condition, akin to the common practice of mistreating the helpless.
Shame shame shame.
James S Saint wrote:I'm still trying to figure out what a "non-religious post" means. And what it has to do with the inherent eas[e] with which people abuse the power they are given.
Bodhimalik wrote:James S Saint wrote:I'm still trying to figure out what a "non-religious post" means. And what it has to do with the inherent eas[e] with which people abuse the power they are given.
A "Non-religious post" is a post written by a person who has no religion. "Non-religious" people do have God in their lives however, to differentiate them from atheists and agnostics.
You assume wrong.Moreno wrote: But he was responding to your claim, I assume.
For exactly the same reasons a theist responding to their assertion that God exists will be called on it if their defense is 'proof there is no God' an atheist should be called on it if their defense is prove there is a God after their claim.
Try going into the ethics forum and making what you think is an obvious moral rule. If you don't back up what you think is obviously morally correct - and demand that they disprove it - you will also meet with strong resistance. How the moderators would act I don't know.
If someone asserts X, they can be challenged on this assertion and whether the other person can prove not X is, basically, another topic.
You were fooled by his post entitled, "Help Me Understand Why I'm An Atheist." That wording alone should have tipped you off.If this is Felix I thought he was generally, if accused, accused of being anti-religious.
well, you don't have, so there's that.If I have the right overview he can use this to defend himself against those claims, at least as anecdotal evidence.
Of course! That is exactly what I was trying to get him to see. No matter which way a person goes with whether or not God exists, He says, "Prove it!" And they can't. I kept telling HIM, Prove it! He couldn't. Which is exactly my point. Nobody can!As far as I can tell, he does challenge religious people to back up their assertions. Though perhaps some bias is present, I haven't read enough posts to judge.
you want evidence that that is the way it seems to me? Really?
Well, I can't resist asking for evidence that, "It seems to be the human condition, akin to the common practice of mistreating the helpless."
Doesn't seem that way to me, and can you prove that statement ? You did declare, didn't you, that obvious statements can be proved? Well, here's your chance
This is relevent here. It just seems like a vaguely aimed ad hom and psychic claim.
Bodhimalik wrote:We are back to you confusing my statement that no one can prove whether or not God "is" with proving God exists or proving God does not exist, and I reiterate, Prove either and I will shut my mouth.
God is consciousness. Hell, make any definition you like and see if you can still do it.James S Saint wrote:Bodhimalik wrote:We are back to you confusing my statement that no one can prove whether or not God "is" with proving God exists or proving God does not exist, and I reiterate, Prove either and I will shut my mouth.Define what you mean when you say "God" and I will take that challenge.
James S Saint wrote: I'm still trying to figure out what a "non-religious post" means. And what it has to do with the inherent eas[e] with which people abuse the power they are given.
Actually, I was talking about one who was that way, and I was talking about moderators with biases against anything. This one seemed to take an instant dislike to me. I have my ideas about why he was that way, but I am not going to go into that.So you are talking about moderators that have a bias against non-religious people's posts?
Bodhimalik wrote: You assume wrong.
Which is a claim and I assume the one he challenged.However, my claim was that no one could prove there is a God nor prove there isn't a God
Actually, no. I do not have to prove a counterclaim. You are doing precisely what theists do, though you are doing it from an agnostic stance. Agnosticism is correct, theism and strong atheism are wrong. When challenged you demand that they demonstrate you claim is false.. And I'll give you the same chance I gave that moderator. YOU Prove either He exists or prove He doesn't. If you can prove either one, that will prove my claim is in error. That's fair, isn't it?
Here you are actually putting words in my mouth. I never said that you couched it as an ethical issue.I don't often call out people who put words into my mouth and then argue that those words are nonsense, but this time I will.
At no time did it ever cross my mind that this was a moral issue, and to tell you the truth, I don't know how you came up with that from anything I've said.
Try going into the ethics forum and making what you think is an obvious moral rule. If you don't back up what you think is obviously morally correct - and demand that they disprove it - you will also meet with strong resistance. How the moderators would act I don't know.
If someone asserts X, they can be challenged on this assertion and whether the other person can prove not X is, basically, another topic.
Are you saying that if I assert that no one can prove or disprove God, if someone else can prove that that is not true, then that guy's proof is another topic? Is that what you are saying?
You were fooled by his post entitled, "Help Me Understand Why I'm An Atheist." That wording alone should have tipped you off.If this is Felix I thought he was generally, if accused, accused of being anti-religious.
If I have the right overview he can use this to defend himself against those claims, at least as anecdotal evidence.
No, I wasn't thinking of that thread. I was thinking of this one...well, you don't have, so there's that.
As far as I can tell, he does challenge religious people to back up their assertions. Though perhaps some bias is present, I haven't read enough posts to judge.
You mean, nobody here at ILP has via posts over the internet proven it so far to FElix? I am sorry but your assertion does not seem sufficiently supported to me. You also seem to be confusing support with proof.Of course! That is exactly what I was trying to get him to see. No matter which way a person goes with whether or not God exists, He says, "Prove it!" And they can't. I kept telling HIM, Prove it! He couldn't. Which is exactly my point. Nobody can!
I am not asking you to shut your mouth and I have no interest in making either of those claims.We are back to you confusing my statement that no one can prove whether or not God "is" with proving God exists or proving God does not exist, and I reiterate, Prove either and I will shut my mouth.
Actually I did understand that, though I can see how using the theist example above might have been misleading. That was a poor choice on my part in an argument against an agnostic position. And yes, in fact, I have come across this type of agnosticism. It is a fairly common one. Usually it is presented as one cannot know whether there is a God or not, but I have seen this version also before. Further for many agnostics they are the same.You are not alone in this, however. Felix also was confusing my statement with the statements, "God exists" and "God doesn't exist". People tend to see what they expect to see. Obviously neither of you has ever run across what I stated before. It was new to you. You couldn't get your head around it, being used to "God exists" or "God doesn't exist."
Well, I can't resist asking for evidence that, "It seems to be the human condition, akin to the common practice of mistreating the helpless."
Here you misquote me and eliminate what I actually quoted from you....you want evidence that that is the way it seems to me? Really?
Directly after you are writing about Felix. That is a claim or terrible writing. Either way your responsibility and either way really slimy posting here, trying to make me look silly by misquoting me and presenting it as if some much smaller quote was the one I was responding to.What I see happening
I don't need to, you already believe it. And sure, I am making a psychic claim.How about you giving me evidence that existence exists?
Misquoting me again. I saidDoesn't seem that way to me, and can you prove that statement ? You did declare, didn't you, that obvious statements can be proved? Well, here's your chance
1) Plenty of obvious things can be very strongly supported by the evidence and in logic some obvious things can be deduced.
Bodhimalik wrote:God is consciousness. Hell, make any definition you like and see if you can still do it.James S Saint wrote:Define what you mean when you say "God" and I will take that challenge.
No logic in your "proof"? No "thus" and therefore "this"? You use obvious incidents to prove that those same obvious incidences exist? I warned you that you can't prove what is obvious. I warned you.James S Saint wrote:Bodhimalik wrote:God is consciousness. Hell, make any definition you like and see if you can still do it.James S Saint wrote:Define what you mean when you say "God" and I will take that challenge.
Oh, I can do it for many definitions.
In your case, given your definition that God == Consciousness, all I have to prove is that consciousness exists.
And to prove that consciousness exists only requires a single incident.
1) Are you conscious?
2) Is anyone conscious?
Bodhimalik wrote:No logic in your "proof"? No "thus" and therefore "this"? You use obvious incidents to prove that those same obvious incidences exist? I warned you that you can't prove what is obvious. I warned you.James S Saint wrote:In your case, given your definition that God == Consciousness, all I have to prove is that consciousness exists.
And to prove that consciousness exists only requires a single incident.
1) Are you conscious?
2) Is anyone conscious?
How about being asked to support the assertion?barcelonic wrote:Im sorry i've not read all these posts but skimmed through.
To me it seems the OP was being very specific about this encounter. And from what I gathered from the info he put out (trying not to make any assumptions on my part), he's absolutely right.
Firstly, someone demanding that the comment "Nobody can prove God exists and nobody can prove he doesn't" require proof is incorrect, irrespective of whether or not they are religious. It is a factual statement and is neither for, nor against, religion.
The OP writer later claims he did meet the demand by saying that no one had proven it either way here.Secondly, I would hope a moderator on here would know better.
Thirdly, I would not expect said moderator to use his position to enforce this impossible demand.
Moreno wrote:How about being asked to support the assertion?barcelonic wrote:Im sorry i've not read all these posts but skimmed through.
To me it seems the OP was being very specific about this encounter. And from what I gathered from the info he put out (trying not to make any assumptions on my part), he's absolutely right.
Firstly, someone demanding that the comment "Nobody can prove God exists and nobody can prove he doesn't" require proof is incorrect, irrespective of whether or not they are religious. It is a factual statement and is neither for, nor against, religion.
And when challenged responding that obvious truths cannot be proven or, it seems, supported.The OP writer later claims he did meet the demand by saying that no one had proven it either way here.Secondly, I would hope a moderator on here would know better.
Thirdly, I would not expect said moderator to use his position to enforce this impossible demand.
I did note your disclaimer, just me tossing off a few things you may have missed in this thread and the other.
barcelonic wrote:Im sorry i've not read all these posts but skimmed through.
To me it seems the OP was being very specific about this encounter. And from what I gathered from the info he put out (trying not to make any assumptions on my part), he's absolutely right.
Firstly, someone demanding that the comment "Nobody can prove God exists and nobody can prove he doesn't" require proof is incorrect, irrespective of whether or not they are religious. It is a factual statement and is neither for, nor against, religion.
Secondly, I would hope a moderator on here would know better.
Thirdly, I would not expect said moderator to use his position to enforce this impossible demand.
But to be clear - all of the above opinions are based on the info provided; the credibility of the OP's statements is a different issue altogether.
So if the OP is speaking the truth, as it were, then I can't help but wholeheartedly agree with the OP on this one.
tentative wrote:The point is that the OP is not a question nor does it leave any room for discussion, which is the reason for a 'discussion' board. No one demanded proof of anything (in the OP) A few people wondered why the OP was ever posted.
Try this: "I'm me." Wow, what a profound statement. I'm not offering proof for or against, I'm just making a statement - a statement that no one can dispute or even discuss. what is the point? There is no point and THAT is the point. The moderator not only should have moved this inane senseless thread, he would have been abrogating his duty to keep the forum open to DISCUSSION had he not moved it. If someone wants to make a flat factual statement, that is what Mundane Babble is for. The idea that there is a bias toward non-religious threads is simply looking for an excuse to whine in the hopes that no one notices that the OP was a lame non-starter to begin with.
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