Sabbath for Skeptics

Jews are religious believers too. At least the ones who are not atheists.

Rumor has it that there are more atheist Jews in Israel than religious Jews.

And thank G-d Jews in the US aren’t allowed to vote.

“The Skeptical Zone” is decidedly anti-Christ.

Is it equally anti-Jewish?

If not, why not?

571 thoughts on “Sabbath for Skeptics

  1. GlenDavidson: It’s more than obvious to the knowledgeable that empiricism isn’t perfectly “founded” at all

    So you chose empiricism to evaluate the truth of a proposition for no reason?

    GlenDavidson: but that it works

    What criteria did you use to determine that “it works” equals it’s true?
    Are you saying that there is no such thing as a noble lie?
    If a myth “works” for a society does that make it true by definition?

    peace

  2. keiths:

    I believe that my truck is in the driveway, and if my truck really is in the driveway, then my belief is true, whether or not I am absolutely certain of it.

    fifth:

    I agree, but that is not remotely the question

    The question is

    How will you ever be able to say you know that your truck in in your driveway?

    I can never be absolutely certain that my truck is in the driveway, and neither can you — not even if you’re looking right at it. You might be hallucinating it, or it might be a similar-looking but different truck, or an alien might be creating a sophisticated hologram of a truck right there in my driveway. We judge the probabilities of these errors to be very small, however.

    When we say we know something, we just mean that we are justified in believing it and that it has a high probability of being true. “My truck is in the driveway” qualifies, which is why I don’t hesitate to say that I know that my truck is in the driveway, even though I am not absolutely certain of it.

    I realize that this stuff is difficult for you, fifth, so take some time and really think it over.

  3. GlenDavidson: Don’t care. it’s commonly understood that the senses can be sharpened, that learning can train the senses as well as can other mental faculties.

    correct,

    So do you agree folks can have different “perceptive faculties”?
    If you perceive something I do not does that make it true for you and false for me?

    peace

  4. keiths: When we say we know something, we just mean that we are justified in believing it and that it has a high probability of being true.

    no that is not the definition of knowledge. Knowledge is justified true belief. Do you agree that in your worldview you can never know if truth actually exists?

    It appears given what we can observe about the physical universe there is a high probability that you are a Boltzmann Brain if that is the case we know your truck is definitely not in the driveway . 😉

    peace

  5. fifthmonarchyman: So you chose empiricism to evaluate the truth of a proposition for no reason?

    No, I chose to answer a blithering ninny when I knew better.

    What criteria did you use to determine that “it works” equals it’s true?

    I explained it, you ignored it, and revert to your mindless “Why?” BS all over again.

    Are you saying that there is no such thing as a noble lie?

    Never encountered one.

    If a myth “works” for a society does that make it true by definition?

    What did I write about perceptions? Either keep up or shut up, your monotonous drone is tedious.

    Glen Davidson

  6. keiths: I can never be absolutely certain that my truck is in the driveway, and neither can you

    Once again
    I can know stuff if God reveals it in such a way that I know it and I know I know it.

    Revelation is not beyond the capacity of an omnipotent God.

    peace

  7. fifthmonarchyman: correct,

    So do you agree folks can have different “perceptive faculties”?
    If you perceive something I do not does that make it true for you and false for me?

    peace

    No, you’re clearly conflating the sharpening of perceptions with the basic ability of people to make concurrent observations in a reliable manner. If it’s about pitch, you’re going to have to bring in people with great pitch perception, while for most of science we’re really talking about basic perceptions of bird bones, acceleration, or the like, that most people can do either without training or with just a little.

    That’s why we have juries, most people can understand what you cannot in your attempts to pretend that some great differences in perception occur in “normal folk.”

    Glen Davidson

  8. GlenDavidson: What did I write about perceptions?

    you said

    quote:

    we just gain knowledge in the usual ways, by perception, example, and by being told something.

    end quote:

    It seems you are saying that perception is the way to gain knowledge. Knowledge requires truth so in your worldview perception must equal truth

    If this is not the case please clarify

    peace

  9. fifthmonarchyman: no that is not the definition of knowledge. Knowledge is justified true belief.

    Since when?

    Do you agree that in your worldview you can never know if truth actually exists?

    Do you agree that in your worldview you don’t even begin to found your truth in a manner that makes sense to others who nevertheless manage quite well without your presuppositionalism? That you would be considered delusional (possibly harmlessly, though) if this was simply your own belief, rather than a shared delusion?

    Glen Davidson

  10. GlenDavidson: That’s why we have juries,

    So you are saying that if a jury believes it it is true? What if the the jury is tone deaf and you are the only one who can hear the difference in pitch?

    peace

  11. fifthmonarchyman: you said

    quote:

    we just gain knowledge in the usual ways, by perception, example, and by being told something.

    end quote:

    It seems you are saying that perception is the way to gain knowledge.

    Oh, was it that simple?

    Hint: No.

    Knowledge requires truth so in your worldview perception must equal truth

    Why don’t you show that knowledge requires truth, then tell us what “truth” is to you (or vice versa), and then try your best to justify the nonsense that in my “worldview” perception equals truth.

    You won’t.

    Maybe you need to give up on simple-minded reinterpretations of what others write.

    If this is not the case please clarify

    Please learn the difference between perception and judgment of that perception. It’s not that hard, actually.

    Glen Davidson

  12. GlenDavidson: Do you agree that in your worldview you don’t even begin to found your truth in a manner that makes sense to others who nevertheless manage quite well without your presuppositionalism?

    no I disagree
    It appears to me that what you call “managing” is actually just stealing truth from my worldview and then pretending to be innocent of the crime.

    This conclusion is just a hypothesis on my part and would be falsified as soon as some one can tell me how you know stuff in your worldview.

    I’m waiting

    peace

  13. fifthmonarchyman: So you are saying that if a jury believes it it is true?

    So you are saying that you don’t understand simple English?

    What if the the jury is tone deaf and you are the only one who can hear the difference in pitch?

    They call in experts, maximum density, and today can also utilize machines. If I’m truly the only person on earth that can hear the difference in pitch, and the corresponding signature isn’t apparent in an appropriate audiograph, then the claim I make about pitch is doubted.

    See, there are answers, you’re just not good at getting to them, yet quite good at repeating your ill-founded tripe.

    Glen Davidson

  14. GlenDavidson: Why don’t you show that knowledge requires truth,

    You can’t know something that is not true.

    GlenDavidson: hen tell us what “truth” is to you (or vice versa),

    truth is what God believes.

    GlenDavidson: then try your best to justify the nonsense that in my “worldview” perception equals truth.

    I’m not claiming this is the case I’m trying to understand what truth is in your worldview.

    If you disagree that for you perception equals true then tell me exactly how you know stuff in your worldview

    peace

  15. fifthmonarchyman: no I disagree
    It appears to me that what you call “managing” is actually just stealing truth from my worldview and then pretending to be innocent of the crime.

    Oh, OK, you just tell us how this is done, and how “stealing truth” really makes a difference to science, and you might finally have something other than repetitious fantasy.

    This conclusion is just a hypothesis on my part and would be falsified as soon as some one can tell me how you know stuff in your worldview.

    OK, your claptrap is falsified, since you’ve been told–never mind your obtuseness, not our problem.

    I’m waiting

    And incompetent at dealing with views other than your own dogma.

    Glen Davidson

  16. GlenDavidson: They call in experts, maximum density, and today can also utilize machines.

    can experts and machines be wrong?

    GlenDavidson: If I’m truly the only person on earth that can hear the difference in pitch, and the corresponding signature isn’t apparent in an appropriate audiograph, then the claim I make about pitch is doubted.

    sure it’s doubted but what if it’s true? Are you saying that things that are doubted are never true?

    peace

  17. fifthmonarchyman: You can’t know something that is not true.

    Back up that claim, meaningfully.

    truth is what God believes.

    Back up that claim, meaningfully.

    I’m not claiming this is the case I’m trying to understand what truth is in your worldview.

    Learn to read properly, for once.

    If you disagree that for you perception equals true then tell me exactly how you know stuff in your worldview

    Have done it in a cursory manner, and am not interested in jumping the hoops that incompetence and dogma insist that I leap. Or in teaching a course to someone not even willing to consider what others say about the matter.

    Glen Davidson

  18. GlenDavidson: Oh, OK, you just tell us how this is done

    It’s simple you rely on truth but you say you don’t.

    GlenDavidson: and how “stealing truth” really makes a difference to science, and you might finally have something other than repetitious fantasy.

    1) Does making “a difference to science” equal true in your worldview. and not making a difference to science equal fantasy?

    2) Science is about knowledge or should be. Knowledge requires truth (among other things).

    peace

  19. GlenDavidson: How are you dimwitted enough to get such a dumb idea from anything I wrote?

    because we are talking about knowledge and you brought up machines and experts and juries as if that is how you know stuff in your worldview.

    If it’s not about machines and experts and juries and perception how do you know stuff in your worldview?

    peace

  20. fifthmonarchyman: It’s simple you rely on truth but you say you don’t.

    You didn’t back up that claim. And I didn’t say that I don’t rely on truth. Quit making up stuff.

    1) Does making “a difference to science” equal true in your worldview. and not making a difference to science equal fantasy?

    Did I say that it does?

    I told you to back up your claims, and you didn’t. You’re a waste of time.

    2) Science is about knowledge or should be. Knowledge requires truth (among other things).

    Back up that claim, meaningfully. Oh right, you can’t back up any of your dull, plodding assertions.

    Glen Davidson

  21. fifthmonarchyman: because we are talking about knowledge and you broughtup machines and experts and juries as if that is how you know stuff in your worldview.

    Why don’t you ever respond properly? It’s very stupid and wrong to suggest that I even hinted that something that is doubted can’t be right. You really ought not to make up armies of strawman to fit your dull and ill-informed expectations of those making sense, against your nonsense.

    If it’s not about machines and experts and juries and perception how do you know stuff in your worldview?

    I didn’t say that it’s not about machines and experts, you just jumped to an improper “question” that didn’t follow from what I wrote, then did so again above. You don’t have the courtesy to actually deal with what people write.

    You could try for once to have some sort of capacity for thought beyond your pathetic dogmas.

    Glen Davidson

  22. keiths:

    I can never I can never be absolutely certain that my truck is in the driveway, and neither can you — not even if you’re looking right at it. You might be hallucinating it, or it might be a similar-looking but different truck, or an alien might be creating a sophisticated hologram of a truck right there in my driveway. We judge the probabilities of these errors to be very small, however.

    When we say we know something, we just mean that we are justified in believing it and that it has a high probability of being true. “My truck is in the driveway” qualifies, which is why I don’t hesitate to say that I know that my truck is in the driveway, even though I am not absolutely certain of it.

    fifth:

    Once again
    I can know stuff if God reveals it in such a way that I know it and I know I know it.

    To know something, you merely have to know it.

    You are asking for something different, which is to know that you know something. But like other forms of knowledge, that also doesn’t require certainty.

    I know that my truck is in the driveway, though I’m not absolute certain of it. Likewise, I know that I know that my truck is in the driveway, but I’m not absolutely certain of that, either.

    Get it through your head, fifth. Knowledge does not require absolute certainty, and that includes knowledge of knowledge.

    Finally, you are invoking God as a magical solution to your desire for absolute certainty.

    You can assume that you have the ability to fly by flapping your arms, but that doesn’t make it so. Iif you jump off the roof and flap, you’ll end up hitting the ground with an ignominious thud.

    You’re assuming that God can magically grant you absolute certainty, but there’s no reason to think that your assumption is true.

    In fact, the opposite is true. Any “revelation” you receive might be a hallucination or a deception. The fact that you think it’s emanating infallibly from God doesn’t prove that it is, any more than your “I can flap and fly” assumption means that you really can fly.

    This shouldn’t be that hard to understand, fifth. Why not take some time to think about it before shooting off another ill-considered response?

  23. GlenDavidson: It’s very stupid and wrong to suggest that I even hinted that something that is doubted can’t be right.

    So how do you know if something is right in your worldview?

    GlenDavidson: Why don’t you ever respond properly?

    What is the proper response in your opinion? I honestly want to understand what your presuppositions are. You seem to be dancing around the question without actually answering it.

    Why don’t you just tell me how you know stuff. It should be easy.

    I’m not particularly interested in a process but in your grounds for knowledge.

    If you don’t have any grounds that’s ok just say so. If you think the process is your grounds for knowledge that is ok as well you just need to explain how that process can discover truth.

    peace

  24. fifthmonarchyman: I can know stuff if God reveals it in such a way that I know it and I know I know it.

    Yet, as you agreed above, you could believe that God revealed stuff to you in a way that you know it and know you know it and yet be mistaken.

    Perhaps that is the case for all of the “revelations” you have experienced, and therefore all of the stuff you believe you know due to revelation.

  25. keiths: You are asking for something different, which is to know that you know something.

    No that is not what I’m asking

    keiths: Get it through your head, fifth. Knowledge does not require absolute certainty, and that includes knowledge of knowledge.

    I agree I never said it did. It however does require truth (among other things)

    keiths: You’re assuming that God can magically grant you absolute certainty, but there’s no reason to think that your assumption is true.

    No that is not what I’m assuming, I’m only assuming that God can reveal stuff. There is reason to think that assumption is true. It is part of the definition of God after all

    keiths: Any “revelation” you receive might be a hallucination or a deception.

    No a revelation can not ever be a hallucination or a deception by definition.

    I might be mistaken and think a hallucination or a deception is a revelation but that is a problem with me not with God

    Do you see the difference between the two sentences?

    keiths: This shouldn’t be that hard to understand, fifth.

    Judging from your complete inability to address my question or even fathom what I’m asking I would say it is difficult for you to understand.

    If you have questions just ask and I’ll try to help

    peace

  26. fifthmonarchyman: So how do you know if something is right in your worldview?

    Not through a made-up bunch of nonsense like you claim to do. And do try to keep up with the answers you’ve been given. If you ever intelligently deal with those, we can move on. Until then, your mindless demands are unworthy of consideration.

    What is the proper response in your opinion?

    Look, you’re older than 12, aren’t you?

    Then you don’t have any excuse to play the schoolkid game of asking “what’s the proper response?” Man up, and quit making up stuff.

    I honestly want to understand what your presuppositions are.

    I’ve mentioned some, so try to keep up, dolt.

    You seem to be dancing around the question without actually answering it.

    You seem to be unable to understand anything not comporting with your preconceptions.

    Why don’t you just tell me how you know stuff.

    Did, quit making up stuff to hide your inability to answer a damned thing about how you supposedly know things via God.

    It should be easy.

    Well that’s another amazingly stupid claim. It isn’t even slightly easy to really cover how we know things, although, like I wrote, I have given cursory answers to your uncomprehending mental powers.

    I’m not particularly interested in aprocess but in your grounds for knowledge.

    Well it is a process, so keep up or shut up.

    If you don’t have any grounds that’s ok just say so.

    If you’re too dense to understand how it happens, just say so. Even better, I’ll note that you’re too dense to understand how it happens.

    If you think the process is your grounds for knowledge that is ok as well you just need to explain how that process can discover truth.

    Oh, right, when are you going to explain how God supposedly revealing something to you explains knowing truth? I have answered your question, you just asked non sequiturs in response, in your usual churlish, plodding, and unwitting fashion.

    Glen Davidson

  27. GlenDavidson: when are you going to explain how God supposedly revealing something to you explains knowing truth?

    It’s beyond simple

    The Logos is truth by definition
    If the Christian God reveals it it’s true by definition.
    By definition God has the ability to reveal something in such a way that I can know it .
    If the Christian God reveals it to me I know it by definition.

    see,

    No big philosophical production. No long chain of difficult logic no obscure inferences just simple straightforward definitional statements.

    peace

  28. FFM:

    If the Christian God reveals it it’s true by definition.
    By definition God has the ability to reveal something in such a way that I can know it .

    Problem is, as you admit above, you can be mistaken about whether you’ve experienced a revelation – believing that you have, when you haven’t.

    I wonder if that doesn’t describe you.

    The Logos is truth by definition
    If the Christian God reveals it it’s true by definition.

    This must be the reasoning in tight circles to which you earlier referred.

  29. keiths:

    Any “revelation” you receive might be a hallucination or a deception.

    fifth:

    No a revelation can not ever be a hallucination or a deception by definition.

    Did you miss the quote marks around “revelation”? You can think that something is a revelation and be wrong about it.

    I might be mistaken and think a hallucination or a deception is a revelation but that is a problem with me not with God

    Yes! You’re very close to (finally) getting it, fifth.

    You, being fallible, can mistakenly identify something as a revelation when it isn’t one. This applies to all of the things that God has supposedly revealed to you. You can’t be absolutely certain of a single one.

    You’re in the same boat as the rest of us. Absolute certainty is impossible for you, and you can only know things to the same extent that we do.

  30. keiths: Did you miss the quote marks around “revelation”? You can think that something is a revelation and be wrong about it.

    FMM has admitted exactly that:

    RB:

    Is it possible for a person to believe that they know something by means of revelation, and to believe that they know it because God revealed it to them in such a way that ensured he knows it and knows that he knows it, and be wrong?

    Of course it is.

    FMM:

    Sure but that is not at issue.

    I wonder if that doesn’t describe FMM.

  31. He even confirmed it here:

    I might be mistaken and think a hallucination or a deception is a revelation but that is a problem with me not with God

    He just doesn’t see the implications, apparently.

  32. fifthmonarchyman: It’s beyond simple

    Yes, it’s all the way to ridiculous.

    The Logos is truth by definition

    The Logos cannot exist by definition. Enormous hole in your “logic.”

    If the Christian God reveals it it’s true by definition.

    So what if you (or your authority) make up that definition? Doesn’t mean there’s a speck of truth in it.

    By definition God has the ability to reveal something in such a way that I can know it .

    And nothing shows that this actually obtains.

    If the Christian God reveals it to me I know it by definition.

    Not if you use a different baseless definition.

    see,

    I see that you have a fiction and nothing else.

    No big philosophical production.

    Right, you could never reason from sound premises to anything that simplistic, you just have to make up your definitions and pretend that they have something to do with reality.

    No long chain of difficult logic no obscure inferences just simple straightforward definitional statements.

    Right, it’s one prime example of how a person can reason without a single sound premise, hence end up at a conclusion that isn’t worthy of consideration in the slightest.

    So you’ve shown that you reason without reference to reality. Sort of the problem, actually.

    Glen Davidson

  33. ffm,
    Can you describe this process of “revelation” whereby new information is revealed to you?
    What actually happens? Do you ask for specific knowledge, or do you just get what you are given?

  34. OMagain: Can you describe this process of “revelation” whereby new information is revealed to you?

    mostly by observing, reasoning, hypothesizing, predicting, testing, replicating, sharing, challenging, revising, modeling, and onward.

    Do you ask for specific knowledge, or do you just get what you are given?

    I suppose it can work both ways. However asking is no guarantee sometimes it must be accompanied by seeking and the answer might be delayed and elusive

    peace

  35. GlenDavidson: The Logos cannot exist by definition. Enormous hole in your “logic.”

    The Greek word logos can be translated logic. Please explain (using logic) how logic can not exist by definition

    GlenDavidson: Right, it’s one prime example of how a person can reason without a single sound premise, hence end up at a conclusion that isn’t worthy of consideration in the slightest.

    Presuppositions are not the result of reason they are the basis by which you reason.

    Presuppositions are not conclusions to consider they are the basis by which you consider conclusions.

    We have already covered this.
    The Logos is my presupposition what is yours?

    peace

  36. fifthmonarchyman: mostly by observing, reasoning, hypothesizing, predicting, testing, replicating, sharing, challenging, revising, modeling, and onward.

    So, the same as everyone else then. What a surprise.

  37. fifthmonarchyman: However asking is no guarantee sometimes it must be accompanied by seeking and the answer might be delayed and elusive

    What is the number of the beast? It’s a simple question with a simple answer that can be found in the bible.

  38. keiths: You’re in the same boat as the rest of us. Absolute certainty is impossible for you, and you can only know things to the same extent that we do.

    This is not about certainty so your comment is way beside the point. But I would not necessarily grant that absolute certainty is impossible. Maybe we can discuss that at some point.

    However right now you need to demonstrate that any knowledge at all is possible in your worldview.

    Keep in mind that knowledge is justified true belief. So you can’t have knowledge with out truth.

    peace

  39. OMagain: What is the number of the beast? It’s a simple question with a simple answer that can be found in the bible.

    I already answered this please keep up

    peace

  40. fifthmonarchyman: However right now you need to demonstrate that any knowledge at all is possible in your worldview.

    It’s the same as you

    observing, reasoning, hypothesizing, predicting, testing, replicating, sharing, challenging, revising, modeling, and onward.

    Nothing there involves God does it?

  41. OMagain: So, the same as everyone else then. What a surprise.

    Yes in my worldview everyone knows stuff the same way by revelation. It’s the only way you can know anything. You however deny that revelation occurs so you need to explain how you can know anything

    peace

  42. fifthmonarchyman: You however deny that revelation occurs so you need to explain how you can know anything

    I did not see the word revelation in your list of how you know things. If I need to explain how I can know anything then so do you!

  43. OMagain: I did not see the word revelation in your list of how you know things.

    You asked how things were revealed to me.

    If I said they were revealed by revelation my response would be non responsive and vacuous. My list was what I do, my side of the equation God’s side of the process is to reveal

    OMagain: If I need to explain how I can know anything then so do you!

    I can know stuff if God reveals it to me.,,,,,,,,,,,
    Your turn

    peace

  44. OMagain: Can you describe this process of “revelation” whereby new information is revealed to you?

    fifthmonarchyman: mostly by observing, reasoning, hypothesizing, predicting, testing, replicating, sharing, challenging, revising, modeling, and onward.

    You forgot “poaching.”

    We are making progress. In this discussion we have learned a great deal directly from FMM:

    – We’ve learned that the application of his presuppositions is circular.

    – We’ve learned that it is possible for him to be mistaken about whether he has experienced revelation – believing that he has, when he hasn’t. Perhaps he has never experienced revelation.

    – And now we’ve learned that the methods I suggest enable me to know things in my worldview (observing, reasoning, hypothesizing, predicting, testing, replicating, sharing, challenging, revising, modeling, and onward) do, in fact, yield knowledge, even as FMM defines it.

  45. Reciprocating Bill: You forgot “poaching.”

    I think I have been pretty consistent in saying that your worldview is a parasite to mine

    Reciprocating Bill: And now we’ve learned that the methods I suggest enable me to know things in my worldview (observing, reasoning, hypothesizing, predicting, testing, replicating, sharing, challenging, revising, modeling, and onward) do, in fact, yield knowledge, even as FMM defines it.

    Again it’s not about the methods it’s about the grounds for knowledge. Mine is revelation from God what is yours?

    peace

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