What else do you not believe in?
There's a number of subjects which have plenty of testimonials but no hard evidence. How do you view these topics?
-Alien abductions, UFOs
-ESP, precognition
-Out of body experiences, astral projection
-Human energy fields, chi
-Hypnosis, hypnotherapy
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I want to add to the list.
-Psychics
-Ghosts
-Faith healing
-Goblins
-Frank Walton's brain
-Magicians
-Voodoo
-Witch doctors
-MySpace chain letters
That's about it.
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All of the above, plus
-Most conspiracy theories
-Curses
-Lucky charms
-Astrology
-Numerology
-Phrenology
-Palm reading
-Tarot cards
-Biorhythms
-Faith healing
-Ouija boards
Probably others I can't think of right now
Responsibility: A detachable burden easily shifted to the shoulders of God, Fate, Fortune, Luck or one's neighbor. In the days of astrology it was customary to unload it upon a star. ~Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary, 1911
All of the above, including:
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People do have out of body experiences. That doesn't mean their "self" has somehow actually left their body though. That I don't believe.
I think this goes for most things on your list, Technarch.
I think we should not dismiss the experiences people have. But we need to find out what really caused these experiences.
Why stop with Bush? I think there are much more despicable people in his administration. But I don't even stop there. I don't believe most politicians.
But I understand the sentiment about Bush. I'm ashamed to admit I voted for Bush in 2000, and I had high hopes for Bush. I've learned a thing or two.
I concur with you on this point, Mr. Rage.
"The idea of a personal God is an anthropological concept which I am unable to take seriously." [Albert Einstein, letter to Hoffman and Dukas, 1946]
I've always thought that by the time a politician reaches high office they are no longer qualified for the job.
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creating art ~ creating a new life
MrRage, so did I. And I've learned more than a thing or two. I've gone through a lot of changes since 2000. Bush is just a handy symbol of the ultimate crappola that happens minute by minute. Pththththt
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How about
-Homeopathy
-Free Energy/Perpetual motion machines
-Recycling
-Just about anything associated with cryptozoology (Big Foot, Lochness monstor, el chupacabra)
Realistically this list can go on forever, I think it's safe to say that just about everyone here doesn't believe in anything that doesn't have any evidence for its existence/evidence that it works.
"It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring." - Carl Sagan
One in the news lately:
All of the above and that fucking "the Secret" thing Oprah was pimping a few weeks ago.
Don't forget about retrophrenology (a beautiful term coined by Terry Pratchett referring to the process of changing a person's personality through careful reshaping of the shape of the person's skull by application of small mallets).
I also don't believe getting kicked in the balls is a pleasant experience or that shit tastes good.
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Is hypnosis in the same category? I'm not fully convinced it doesn't work.
If someone has a mental out of body experience isn't that just a hallucination? Same with visitations by ghosts/aliens
The whole cryptozoology thing is a bit tricky. There are probably still thousands of species yet to be discovered and classified.
Something like bigfoot? Unlikely, but plausible.
A giant prehistoric sea creature somehow surviving in a land-locked lake? Utterly ridiculous.
Interesting side note... I remember seeing an archeolgist proposing that mastadon skulls (which can be found in Greece) may have been the inspiration for the cyclops. The ancient Greeks, having never seen anything like an elephant, may have mistaken the giant trunk cavity for an eye socket.
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I'm a believer in Lucky Charms. They're magically delicious!!
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Possible. Unlikely.
Possible. Unlikely.
That's just imagination.
Depends how you define it. All life has energy. But to be able to utilize that energy to throw fireballs or punch through cement is a heck of a stretch.
Hypnosis obviously works on some people. I don't believe it would work on me however.
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
Pants. I don't believe in pants.
I don't believe in sleeping in the nude.
Hmm, I don't believe in not sleeping in the nude...except when it's cold.
Shaun
I'll fight for a person's right to speak so long as that person will, in return, fight to allow me to challenge their opinions and ridicule them as the content of their ideas merit.
Shaun, just get another blanket. There's something wonderfully cozy about wrapping up in several big fluffy blankets when it's cold.
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I'm quite skeptical about alien abductions, though not the existance of ET life itself.
Calling UFOs "supernatural", or refering to them in similar fassion to gods, demons, unicorsns, etc is a pet peve of mine, though. Any Oject you see Flying in the sky, if you don't know what it is (ie: it is Unidentified) is a UFO.
feng shui
chupacabra
time travel
past life regression
back masking
reverse speech (if you've never heard of this, it's awesome! It's where people are supposed to tell what they're really thinking if you play their speech backwards at the right speed.)
demons
demon possession
and finally, terror threat level magenta.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
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I've got another one:
From what I have seen from the members of the group they are certainly not "moral".
I think it's totally bunk too, but it's so facinating!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB-EnbakGdA
Hmm, the link doesn't work.
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I'm deeply offended by this. I clearly remember that in a previous life I traveled back in time, arranged some furniture, and traveled the Mexican countryside devouring goats.
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