tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post112376790398709427..comments2023-10-10T08:02:18.073-04:00Comments on Rationally Speaking: UFO abductions like religious experiences?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-1125649537633014152005-09-02T04:25:00.000-04:002005-09-02T04:25:00.000-04:00On the subject of aliens etc, I would recommend Ca...On the subject of aliens etc, I would recommend Carl Sagan's book: "The Demon Haunted World - Science a Candle in the Dark". He explores this topic really well and adds a great chapter about the state of science education and critical thinking in general.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-1125479237336327072005-08-31T05:07:00.000-04:002005-08-31T05:07:00.000-04:00Alien abductions are, indeed, analogous to a relig...Alien abductions are, indeed, analogous to a religious experience and I use that fact to make a point about faith in my debates with theists, who employ the word ‘faith’ in so many deceitful ways. <BR/><BR/>I say to them, ‘suppose I claim to have been abducted and subjected to sexual and medical experiments by extra-terrestrials, and I work very hard to convince you. I talk passionately for a long time and occasionally you ask pointed questions. Finally, your eyes glaze over and you say, “I’ve listened to you for a long time, but you haven’t given me any logical reason, any shred of evidence in support. How can you expect me to believe such a crackpot story?”<BR/><BR/>In reply I pull out my trump card from the world of theism and I say, “But the very lack of logical proof and material evidence is called faith, which is considered sufficient reason to believe anyway.”<BR/><BR/>My example forces them to confront, probably for the first time, their fraudulent use of the word ‘faith’, which flips logic on its head. They use the word ‘faith’ to change INSUFFICIENT reason to believe to SUFFICIENT reason to believe.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-1123899531927246182005-08-12T22:18:00.000-04:002005-08-12T22:18:00.000-04:00Sorry, no RSS feed available for this blog, at lea...Sorry, no RSS feed available for this blog, at least not yet.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09099460671669064269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-1123864399123401942005-08-12T12:33:00.000-04:002005-08-12T12:33:00.000-04:00"Anonymous",I think that you got it right when you..."Anonymous",<BR/><BR/>I think that you got it right when you said that "secularists can obviously be extremists too".<BR/><BR/>Meaning that the balance of extremes is as close to truth and reality as you can get. Which isn't the same thing as neutrality, it just means that the middle of the road defines the actual path that diametrically opposing belief systems derive.islandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16774086177497447408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-1123861520459057212005-08-12T11:45:00.000-04:002005-08-12T11:45:00.000-04:00MP: "Clearly, we ought to take the delusions of so...MP: "Clearly, we ought to take the delusions of some people (religious fanatics like Bin Laden and George Bush come to mind) very seriously, because they have consequences for all of us.."<BR/><BR/><BR/><BR/>Yes thy do. BUT extremism is an individual problem, and secularists can obviously be extremists (or enablers of extremism) too. Note the huge missteps of various secular societies. Germany would come quickly to mind, of course.<BR/><BR/>How can one actually believe that there are only consequences for the actions of so-called extremists, when we know good and well that amorality and neutrality has consequences that are just as profound? Actually, that lack of action makes way, or clears the field, for extremism. <BR/><BR/>There is something out-of-whack about your deductions, M. <BR/><BR/>-cAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-1123858924659852152005-08-12T11:02:00.000-04:002005-08-12T11:02:00.000-04:00Hi Massimo,This is a bit off topic, but I was wond...Hi Massimo,<BR/><BR/>This is a bit off topic, but I was wondering if you had a rss or atom feed for your blog. I looked for it, but I couldnt find it. It would be helpful if there was one.<BR/><BR/>Otherwise, great site !!<BR/><BR/>SuperStofAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-1123841492546471902005-08-12T06:11:00.000-04:002005-08-12T06:11:00.000-04:00Hi Massimo,I'm sorry to get off of the subject, bu...Hi Massimo,<BR/><BR/>I'm sorry to get off of the subject, but I am interested in discussing "design in nature" with you, since you seem to have the same basic fellings about it that I do... from what I've read.<BR/><BR/>If you feel inclined, then I'd appreciate it if you could post your four types of design for discussion.<BR/><BR/>Thanks!islandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16774086177497447408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-1123779405374516082005-08-11T12:56:00.000-04:002005-08-11T12:56:00.000-04:00For reference...The mad gasser.This is a recent 20...For reference...<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.prairieghosts.com/gasser.html" REL="nofollow">The mad gasser.</A><BR/><BR/>This is a recent 20th century account of SP becoming a form of mass hysteria including witness accounts and evidnece from nothing more than this same dream state.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15005476.post-1123779148647156012005-08-11T12:52:00.000-04:002005-08-11T12:52:00.000-04:00I experience a mental state called hypnopompic hal...I experience a mental state called <A HREF="http://watarts.uwaterloo.ca/~acheyne/S_P2.html" REL="nofollow">hypnopompic hallucinations</A> and let me tell you, as well as being terrifing they are very real to the person having them. Fortunatly I have experinced them all my life and I have ways of controlling and waking my mind from this state. For you that may not have experienced it, just close your eyes and think back on the most terrifying thing you have ever experienced and then think of being paralized as well it just feeds on itself! It's a very vivid experience that even after I wake can leave me disturbed for hours. They most often happen when I am over tired or because of stress.<BR/><BR/>Because I have the experience of knowing what these are and where they come from I don't attribute them to anything supernatural. For the longest time I though it was sleep apnia(sp?). I can see how someone of a less aware background or experiencing this for the first time could see it as a visit from demons, aliens, or the devil. Because it most happens to me when my situation is already bad a, I would not doubt that others would face similar problem when they are stressed or having a life crisis. When you wake, if you are givin the wong information you could easly latch onto that explination and go with it.<BR/><BR/>Life crisis + horrifing semi consious dream state + bad explination = Raped by gods / Deamons / UFO / "the gaser" / insert any mass media craze here<BR/><BR/>http://watarts.uwaterloo.ca/~acheyne/S_P.html#tabconAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com