How much are you willing to believe without proof?

Question

That God exists?
That a voice you are hearing in the middle of the night is God?
(see my last question: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtHVti8nhWsYKbsUzD92L0Lsy6IX?qid=20060807083117AAZtCSn)
That unicorns exists?
That people are being abducted by aliens?
That the horoscope is a good guide for living?
That there is intellegent life on other planets?

I think a lot of people have selective skeptisism when it comes to unproven claims.

If you believe some of these without proof, but not others, why?

Answer 1

I pretty much need proof for everything.

Example - I love the lady I'm with, she is the love of my life but this love is not blind. I feel this way about her because she has shown me that I can trust and respect her and that is why I love her. She's also hot but that's just icing on the cake. If she did things that proved to me I could no longer trust and respect her I wouldn't have that love anymore. To me real love is based on proof. If you say you love someone you cannot trust or respect, that's not love, it infatuation and lust.

I think there is other life in the universe because there is proof that life can exist in this universe. We are life and we are in this universe, so life will be elsewhere.

I don't believe in god because no one has ever shown any credible proof and most believers will grudgingly admit that.They say you must believe on faith. They admit faith is the most important thing to have. Faith is believing in something that has no proof, that is the definition of faith. So there is no real proof, so I don't believe.

Same thing with alien abductions. No real proof, not one little piece of a ship or an alien, no universally accepted video.

Carl Sagan said "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence". I think that's sound advice and I follow that same path. it hasn't let me down yet.

Answer 2

Without proof only fools believe. That you see the earth and the stars it`s not proof of God(not under the actual definition). If you here voices is proof that you are nuts. About the rest...well , maybe i`m a little to pessimistic , but in the real world ...trust me , they are no unicorns , no aliens ( not for now) , horoscope sucks , and about intelligent life on other planes, its a definite maybe.

Answer 3

Well, I believe in the POSSIBILITY of such topics as these, but, like yu say, there may not be sufficient proof.
however, whne it ocmes to the existence of God, there is much proof, in an individual's own life. For instnace, they may see miracles doen in the name of God, or, they have an active relationship with God where they pray and he answers. in any case, the proof in themsleves is enough to satisfy. Just like, in the same way, popel who have been abducted by aliens believe it without question, but someone else will think they are crazy.

Answer 4

Not much.
Which god?
Voices!? What voices?!
Unicorns are magical.
Aliens abducted Cartman.
You mean horror scope.
We can't possibly be the only ones in the entire universe, can we?
I don't need a whole lotta proof, but it has to be feasible.

Answer 5

Ask yourself 'what is proof?' Do you believe in science? Why then do scientists reject results which are off the scale when testing a theory if they don't affirm that theory? Anomalies exist throughout life and are frequently dis regarded because they don't 'prove' anything.
The only truth that you can believe is that which you have tested for yourself, so your truth and mine could be worlds apart.
Nobody can prove anything to me if I do not have the capacity to understand the theory of it's existence in the first place.
I do not base my life on wishful thinking so choose to test my belief system all the time.
(no body needs to prove to me that enlightenment is possible, I am on a mission to find out for myself!).

Answer 6

do you actually believe that the human population knows everything? that eventually we will find all the answers and be able to prove them? we have gotten smarter and smarter over the ages, but there will always be unknowns. that's why some of us have faith and believe things with our hearts. you can't physically SEE love, but you know it exists. have you actually set foot on the moon? but you will believe a video camera and a bunch of people that say it's possible. well people over centuries have believed in jesus and god. that's why that so many people still do.

Answer 7

It is a bit hypocritical, is it not? How exactly does one pick and choose the stories they'll believe as truth? I mean a guy who thinks government satellites are stealing his thoughts? Nutter. Guy who thinks an invisible man can read his thoughts, is all-powerful, created the universe, exists everywhere at the same time, rules over an invisible kingdom in the sky, and created us to please him. Perfectly sane. What?! Why?!

Answer 8

I don't believe much without proof, but we all make leaps of faith from time to time. If you tried to find the proof for everything without making a few assumptions here and there, you'd have time for little else.

Answer 9

Because of reason. I personally believe in all of this, but that is because I have an open mind to the possibility of the existance of things I cannpt see. Others, howeverm what to protect their minds by closing them and believing in only what they see.

Answer 10

You forgot:

That bigfoot exists?

That Elvis and TuPac are still alive?

That George Bush had nothing to do with 9/11?