There is no real proof that logicians and scientists accept that these creatures exist: ghosts, spirits, fairies, dragons, Bigfoot, Loch Ness Monster, gods, angels, devils, demons, ET's, etc. There is also no reason to believe that Atlantis, UFO's, etc. exist(ed) either. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wanted to believe in spirits, fairies, etc. and became angry at his pal Harry Houdini for exposing many mediums as frauds. Many people become angry at anyone who disputes that such things exist, and if one proves it, they may want to kill the one who proved such a thing. I hope I do not need to report anyone who loses his temper here. I have done that many times. I warn everyone too that there are laws about defamation. I am an author, and I have sued men who went to far in what they said about me and my books. Please, try to answer the question logically. If it arouses emotions, move on to other questions. I have some theories, and I want to see if anyone has other ideas about this matter.
2007-09-25 06:14:02 · 11 answers · asked by miyuki & kyojin 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Mythology & Folklore
Someone acts as if he is a martyr being picked on by scientists for his beliefs. It is paranoid to have delusions of grandeur and of persecution. It is more soothing to a childish ego to believe one is a martyr than to ralize he is deluded into believing nonsense. SCIENCE AND LOGIC ARE OUR ONLY RELIABLE TOOLS FOR FINDING TRUTH! This person has no real argument to refute them. He does not say which pet belief I am refuting...but I can guess.
2007-09-28 03:18:14 · update #1
I see a UFO fancier takes issue about his pet belief. UFO's become IFO's if all of the facts can be gathered...when we eliminate crude hoaxes and look at real data. I do not see any real reason to say UFO's are anything but misidentified natural things. Distances between any planets that may have intelligent life are much too great for ET's to visit us, and they cannot come from inside the Earth. There is no way to explain them but to say they are delusions. I suggest that UFO lovers give equal time to the idea that such things are not real.
2007-09-28 03:25:23 · update #2
Aha, the 2012 stuff again. I am willing to bet much that nothing unusual will happen in 2012. Did you people forget so soon the silly predictions about 2000? You are going to look like fools in 5.25 years, whether you are a witch or not, when nothing much happens in 2012.
2007-09-28 03:29:31 · update #3
They believe in those things the same why people believe in anything that can't be proven. I think its the mystery of it. It gives the world a little excitement and wonder. This world is bad enough as it is.
They feel threatened when their beliefs are disputed because they want so badly to believe in them because without them the world really isn't wonderous or exciting.
At least that's my opinion, I don't think that it really matters whether or not these things exist.... I think what matters is if it helps people to believe in them.
2007-09-25 06:41:28 · answer #1 · answered by peace_by_moonlight 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
There is no "proof" because science does endorse such a concept in the first place. Science is a method of inquiry (better suited to some situations than others) not a body of knowledge. Any subject can be explored (including Bigfoot, Ghosts, etc.) using the scientific method. Science uses experiments to test hypothesis and finds evidence to support the hypothesis or fails to find evidence to support the hypothesis. If a hypothesis is supported and other researchers can duplicate positive results over a period of time it may become generally accepted at least until a different experiment comes along and continues to not find evidence in support of a hypothesis. Some subjects will be resisted more strongly than others because it challenges beliefs systems or prior knowledge. For instance when something is established by common statistical requirements say at 95% certainty then people will yell such things as "Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Proof" yet this is not part of the the scientific method or any principle of science. How extraordinary does it have to be is 99% certainty good enough? How about one in a 10 million chance? believe me ESP researchers would like a threshold set because they have already exceeded all normal criteria required in science.
I suspect many people believe in such things because they have seen a ghost, or Bigfoot. I have not heard of any recent sightings of dragons or gods but perhaps you could share your source of information with us on those reports.
Other people probably believe in such things only as being possible. Certainly a UFO (it stands for Unidentified Flying Object) is real even if it's a unknown weather phenomena or a secret spy plane and some reports (about 5% defy rational explanation).
I personally don't think the people at SETI are anything other than intelligent, rational scientist that have devised a way to test a hypothesis (that advanced civilizations will broadcast radio signals) and think it important enough to look even if they turn out to be wrong. Pulsar stars were discovered by this work so it has some side benefits from time to time.
Since you can't prove a negative (non existence) I think skeptics are safe from the angry believers.
Lastly, David Hume said "Reason is and always ought to be a slave to the passions" so despite my emotional response (with logic and reason) I chose to respond to your question mostly for the benefit of others since I do not expect you to be receptive to anything other than your already established ideas albeit I would very much like to be wrong about that.
2007-09-25 09:36:13 · answer #2 · answered by psiexploration 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I am a Witch and I know things that only we Witches know...
Science does not know how we can "raise a cone of power" out of the seemingly nothingness, but we can, and the more of us the more power we can summon...
That is a fact, as it has been recorded many times...
Can you imagine the power the ancient Druids had at Stonehenge ?, the mind boggles...
We live in a multidimensional universe, and just because we don't understand it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist...
Our science knows absolutely nothing outside of the 3 dimensional universe our material bodies exist in...
Even Einstein believed that time was 3 dimensional, meaning that, past, present and future were all happening at once, and who am I, or you in fact, to argue with him !!
As 2012 approaches, I can say, that all the skeptics will be singing another tune, as more about our purpose in the universe is revealed...
Blessed Be... )O(
2007-09-27 03:10:30 · answer #3 · answered by Bunge 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Theres also no real proof that EVIL exists. You see When you said that theres no real proof of UFO's, that just breaks my leg man, seriously. We ufologists spend so much time debating and bringing more evidence to the table but more and more skeptics ask questions. This has gone long enough and one day theres going to be march to the pentagon to gain access to classified material of UFOS in order to prove that they have come and had a huge impact on technology such as aviatics and reverse-engineering. You see just because we can't prove that something isin't there doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. Sort of like evil. we can't see evil, but we know that it exists in our world everyday, same as UFOS just because we don't have solid evidence doesn't mean they don't exists. BUt oneday you see they will make contact with us, and that day is nearing, trust me, we are reaching the point of contact and it is time our gov revealed all the secrets it has kept for over 100 years, including the beings recovered from crashes.LET THEM GO!!!!! they are here to examine our research not harm us.
2007-09-25 18:46:05 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think that your question fails because it tries to make the subject black/white. The subject of many men believing is a sliding scale. To focus on the men who desire to believe in all of the things on your list cries out just as strongly to wonder why so many would be on the other end of the scale and refuse the possibility of all of the things on the list. I think that you would find that the two groups have alot in common and the reasons for their extreme beliefs does also.
As with any subject, extreme fanatism is basically automatically wrong. Dont both wondering about the people at either end of the scale as long as you arent one of them.
2007-09-27 07:39:36 · answer #5 · answered by Gandalf Parker 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Consider Charles Taylor's recent work entitled "A Secular Age" which examines what he postulates as the conditioning elements which make possible a vision of the world that includes supernatural entities.
2007-09-25 06:40:32 · answer #6 · answered by Timaeus 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The very fact that others wish to challenge my beliefs, without any prompting from me, i.e they instigate the subject, tells me that they are not as strong in their dis-belief as I am in my belief.
I also gain comfort when science tries to disprove the intangible. They hold logic up as a means of proof, as if logic itself is an exact science. Logic can only express what is commonly known, and has little bearing, when we actually know so very little about this universe we live in.
2007-09-25 06:33:55 · answer #7 · answered by Dilligaf 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Belief is a very strong thing. We see throughout history that people will endure torture, die or willingly sacrifice themselves for their beliefs - sorry Christians this is true for other beliefs as well.
I would hazard that in accepting a belief it becomes more true to you than truth and to challenge it is to challenge your reality.
2007-09-25 06:22:16 · answer #8 · answered by Pirate AM™ 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
They are Meaning Junkies.
2007-09-25 07:25:19 · answer #9 · answered by Babyshambles 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You've got to believe in something, Sparky .
2007-09-25 07:56:34 · answer #10 · answered by Ray H 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋