I Prefer Living In Doubt

[fmdog44]

Rather than living a life of claiming I know the truth I prefer doubting much of which some folks profess to be the truth. When asking how I know something if I can't answer then I chalk it up to the ignore closet. The bad thing about claiming one knows something is they beg to pass it to others! My two favorite words might be "Prove it."

 

[HoneyNut]

My two favorite words might be "Prove it."

Way back in the old days, my sister was dating a medical student. He was very nice but he would quote sources for the things he would say, and he would be very disconcerting to talk with because if I said something as if it was a fact, he would ask me for my sources. He was before his time I think!

 

[Chet]

Rather than living a life of claiming I know the truth I prefer doubting much of which some folks profess to be the truth. When asking how I know something if I can't answer then I chalk it up to the ignore closet. The bad thing about claiming one knows something is they beg to pass it to others! My two favorite words might be "Prove it."

Religious beliefs apply here.

 

[Irwin]

Rather than living a life of claiming I know the truth I prefer doubting much of which some folks profess to be the truth. When asking how I know something if I can't answer then I chalk it up to the ignore closet. The bad thing about claiming one knows something is they beg to pass it to others! My two favorite words might be "Prove it."

Yep, I'm not able to accept anything on faith alone or just because it fits my world view. I need legitimate reporting to back up my beliefs. Other people get around that by claiming that you can't trust any news sources and then they'll post something from some conspiracy website.

Some of the things I believe, I would prefer not to be true. I would prefer it if global climate change wasn't real, I'd prefer it if politicians in the U.S. weren't actively trying to subvert our democracy, I'd prefer it if we weren't in the midst of a deadly pandemic, I'd prefer it if fascism wasn't taking hold around the world... But I've seen too many legitimate reports that back up those claims to believe that they're all just conspiracy theories created so the government can control us.

 

[Paco Dennis]

If evidence is the criteria, I can think of at least 3 different ways we determine evidence. Physical...acceptance...and personal experience.

 

[Paco Dennis]

My two favorite words might be "Prove it."

I do not think you can prove anything 100%. So do we accept the preponderance of the evidence. Well that too changes, and even can be wrong. Here is a good video on this subject.

 

[Mr. Ed]

I don’t live in doubt, I am a skeptic

 

[Geezerette]

My way of thinking kind of lines up with Irwin’s. Agreeing with Paco Dennis about 100% proof unlikely ( with the possible exception of the proverbial Death and Taxes).
And that learning just has to go on.
.

 

[Michael Z]

As a professing Born Again Christian I would put forth Pascal's Wager. In short, if Pascal was incorrect in his everlasting hope in Christ, he would simply rot in the ground with everyone else. If he was correct, however, he would live in eternal glory and avoid the hell fire for eternity. His skeptics, however, stood to lose greatly should they not be correct.

Now you might say, "I don't want to live this holy life - I want to have fun". I can not speak for any of you here, but I can speak for myself. I had my "fun" years, and truthfully they were not much fun. My drinking and carousing were harmful to me and many around me. In fact, it was misery. And self-doubt constantly haunted me. Turning to Christ truly did make me a new creation. Although I did not turn into some perfect person, my desire to get intoxicated (i.e. drunk as a skunk) was immediately taken away where as previous attempts to curb my excessive drinking always failed. I have a happy marriage of 31 years, 5 children, and 3 grandchildren - no things are not perfect, but I know for a fact they are far better then they ever could be without my saving faith.

 

[Capt Lightning]

There's a village in Derbyshire, England called 'Hope'. I've always thought it must be great to say, "I live in Hope"

As a professing Humanist, I believe that we are responsible for our own futures. I've had my fun, mischief and days of drinking, but I didn't let it get out of hand, and as I grew older, I found fun in better ways. Whatever Pascal thought, my belief is that when you're dead, you're dead. No Heaven, No Hell, no God, no Satan. Perhaps there was an itinerant preacher whom we call 'Jesus', but that was 2000 years ago. Perhaps some find his words are still relevant, but that's not going to give anyone 'eternal glory'.

In the words of the song.....

Hey, everybody, let's have some fun
You only live but once
And when you're dead you're done, so
Let the good times roll, let the good times roll
I don't care if you're young or old
Get together, let the good times roll

 

[David777]

Numbers of people communicate rarely using relative terms because it makes them sound more believable. That is especially true of politicians, others in public media, and religious authorities. Actually, it shows an agenda or lack of education or wisdom and is rather obvious to some like this person that makes what they relate suspect. That noted, there is much in our existence we can state as fact, so those of the opposite small thinking that everything is relative are even more illogical. For instance, that we exist on the planet Earth is absolute fact while that the New England Patriots will win this year's Super Bowl is only a relatively likely possibility. Some such people tend to have problems with anything in science considered a "theory", that actually rather indicates how ignorant they are about use of that narrower meant term and instead use the term as in everyday loose conversation.

 

[fuzzybuddy]

I'm a realist, and atheist. Do I believe everybody in the world should be just like me? Oh, God! NO! We live in a real universe, which can be measured, tested and proven. We have no choice, but to live by those physical laws. We do have a choice to believe in non--physical ideas- deities, life after death, etc. This is a uniquely individual thing. It's whatever floats your boat, because that is exactly what works for you.

 

[Warrigal]

There's a village in Derbyshire, England called 'Hope'. I've always thought it must be great to say, "I live in Hope"

As a professing Humanist, I believe that we are responsible for our own futures. I've had my fun, mischief and days of drinking, but I didn't let it get out of hand, and as I grew older, I found fun in better ways. Whatever Pascal thought, my belief is that when you're dead, you're dead. No Heaven, No Hell, no God, no Satan. Perhaps there was an itinerant preacher whom we call 'Jesus', but that was 2000 years ago. Perhaps some find his words are still relevant, but that's not going to give anyone 'eternal glory'.

In the words of the song.....

Hey, everybody, let's have some fun
You only live but once
And when you're dead you're done, so
Let the good times roll, let the good times roll
I don't care if you're young or old
Get together, let the good times roll

Humanist, bordering on Hedonist?

 

[Warrigal]

I'm a realist, and atheist. Do I believe everybody in the world should be just like me? Oh, God! NO! We live in a real universe, which can be measured, tested and proven. We have no choice, but to live by those physical laws. We do have a choice to believe in non--physical ideas- deities, life after death, etc. This is a uniquely individual thing. It's whatever floats your boat, because that is exactly what works for you.

We are all living walking contradictions, aren't we, Fuzzy.
My proof, you ask? In your first line you claim to be a realist and an atheist while at the same time capitalising the word 'God". A contradiction if ever I saw one.

Just teasing you because your post is otherwise very logical.

 

[oldpop]

I believe nothing is written in stone and I prefer to keep an open mind about things.

 

[Irwin]

I'm a realist, and atheist. Do I believe everybody in the world should be just like me? Oh, God! NO! We live in a real universe, which can be measured, tested and proven. We have no choice, but to live by those physical laws. We do have a choice to believe in non--physical ideas- deities, life after death, etc. This is a uniquely individual thing. It's whatever floats your boat, because that is exactly what works for you.

According to covid studies, atheists are most likely to get vaccinated while Evangelical Christians are least likely. Sometimes living in reality can save your life.

 

[fmdog44]

Even seeing is believing is troubling. I witnessed an accident last year and the person at fault drove away. I saw it ll so I chased him to get his plate number. Then I headed back to the scene and temporarily forgot which intersection it happened. Add to a show on this type of thing a couple of years ago the subject was proving what we claim we saw is often not what happened. It was very revealing but filled me with a new self-doubt of my own senses.

 

[fuzzybuddy]

We are all living walking contradictions, aren't we, Fuzzy.
My proof, you ask? In your first line you claim to be a realist and an atheist while at the same time capitalising the word 'God". A contradiction if ever I saw one.

Just teasing you because your post is otherwise very logical.

Thank you for noticing "God". Yeah, I thought it was ironic a confirmed atheist would use that term.

 

[Nathan]