Comments on: Real men are skeptics

By: hrw

hrw — Sun, 25 May 2008 17:07:39 +0000

Ockham’s razor — why ask difficult questions when they are not necessary? The simplest statement is usually the correct one.

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By: StuBob

StuBob — Fri, 23 May 2008 11:46:54 +0000

Actually, hrw, agnosticism is the perfect non-position. It declares that Truth cannot be known and scoffs at those who seek to answer the difficult questions. It’s the perfect position for those who are arrogant, lazy, or both.

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By: hrw

hrw — Fri, 23 May 2008 04:08:24 +0000

I glance through the article but was skeptical if it was worth my time since the excerpts seem to indicate a lack of respect for the agnostic position. I view the atheists position as similar to the theistic position, they have decided on an answer to a question they asked themselves. However, neither asked themselves if they had asked the right question to start. They can start with why they need to ask questions in the first place.

Agnosticism is the perfect skeptical position. Open to different positions but in the end Hume’s fork is in constant use.

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By: Flaming Icarus

Flaming Icarus — Fri, 23 May 2008 03:21:06 +0000

From the article: Evidence is just not available to demonstrate the existence of God, said Pascal, who called himself one of those creatures who lack the humility that makes a natural believer.

Surely a “natural believer” is one who is equally devoid of truth-seeking skepticism. It’s someone who also packs up their bags and goes back to how they want the world to appear when challenged by further investigation.

I know Tingley is saying that many atheists and agnostics are not truly skeptical at all, despite claiming skepticism as their virtue, and that they are simply committed to their position, but the same lack of skepticism is present in the theistic crowd.

It seems that, according to Pascal, if an atheist fails to inquire further, it’s a failure to apply true skepticism. If a theist does it, it’s humility.

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By: CCC

CCC — Fri, 23 May 2008 02:34:30 +0000

Take it from Harry: A man’s got to know his limitations. – Harry Callahan, Magnum Force, 1973

Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, (Rom 1:22)

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By: Peter Leavitt

Peter Leavitt — Thu, 22 May 2008 23:23:47 +0000

The problem with modern atheists has to do more with a lack of wisdom than skepticism. They have confined themselves to a procrustean bed of logical positivism and scientism where truth is limited to some sort of materialism that that can be measured.Wise scientists, including Francis Collins and Charles Townes, are well aware that there is more to heaven and earth than modern science, which of course still allows for its brilliance.

It is true that it takes a certain strength and even courage for religious and broad minded people to counter the illusions and pieties of modern scientific atheists and skeptics, though this was true back in the day that Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle countered the cynics and sophists.

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By: llama

llama — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:45:23 +0000

Make it Man,

No, bipolar people find twice as much truth by going two different directions at one time. But their meds take the edge off of their truth finding efforts slowing them down – so it is best that they skip the meds and tell us the truth – twice as fast, twice as often or even twice as strangely.

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By: Make it Man

Make it Man — Thu, 22 May 2008 22:29:10 +0000

So bipolar folks can’t find truth?

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By: Spinoza

Spinoza — Thu, 22 May 2008 21:28:24 +0000

I’m skeptical of Tingley’s conclusions.

#7 Yes if you seek you will find the truth: Pascal was bipolar.

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By: Xion

Xion — Thu, 22 May 2008 20:46:42 +0000

It doesn’t take much thought at all to be skeptical. Just find an idea and scoff at it.

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