Comments on: The Reasonableness of Weird Things http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/07/26/the-reasonableness-of-weird-things/ The official blog of the Skeptologists Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:44:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jackweline http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/07/26/the-reasonableness-of-weird-things/#comment-27102 Jackweline Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:25:06 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=9196#comment-27102 What's your evidence they didn't? What’s your evidence they didn’t?

]]> By: Jackweline http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/07/26/the-reasonableness-of-weird-things/#comment-27101 Jackweline Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:09:01 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=9196#comment-27101 Evolution is not a linear process, there is no 'further' along an evolutionary trail, there is no 'more evolved'. Those, like you, who think there is, just aren't as evolved as the rest of us. Evolution is not a linear process, there is no ‘further’ along an evolutionary trail, there is no ‘more evolved’.

Those, like you, who think there is, just aren’t as evolved as the rest of us.

]]> By: Jackweline http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/07/26/the-reasonableness-of-weird-things/#comment-27100 Jackweline Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:07:26 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=9196#comment-27100 It's not your fault, you made the assumption that your audience wasn't stupid enough to deliberately miss the point. It’s not your fault, you made the assumption that your audience wasn’t stupid enough to deliberately miss the point.

]]> By: Jackweline http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/07/26/the-reasonableness-of-weird-things/#comment-27099 Jackweline Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:04:49 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=9196#comment-27099 Testable and verifiable, I think. But the example you give is not testable - no religion states that God will answer prayer on time, in a detectable manner that obviously relates to the problem at hand - since you never know <i>when</i> He's supposed to answer these prayers you can't test <i>whether</i> he does. Testable and verifiable, I think.

But the example you give is not testable – no religion states that God will answer prayer on time, in a detectable manner that obviously relates to the problem at hand – since you never know when He’s supposed to answer these prayers you can’t test whether he does.

]]> By: Jackweline http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/07/26/the-reasonableness-of-weird-things/#comment-27098 Jackweline Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:02:42 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=9196#comment-27098 Cool. What's your evidence that it's creator had to be more complex? Yeah. How about your evidence that complex entities cannot exist eternally or outside of time? Yeah. Good that you have faith though. Cool. What’s your evidence that it’s creator had to be more complex?

Yeah.

How about your evidence that complex entities cannot exist eternally or outside of time?

Yeah.

Good that you have faith though.

]]> By: Jackweline http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/07/26/the-reasonableness-of-weird-things/#comment-27097 Jackweline Mon, 13 Sep 2010 13:53:34 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=9196#comment-27097 Yeah, other people being wrong is pretty damn offensive. Hell, every time I read anything you write it seems so mind blowingly offensive I'm not sure how you can operate something as complex as a keyboard. If you want dying people to make the best of the time they have left how about not trying to upset them by attacking their long held beliefs and their only comfort. Moron. Cause, y'know, finding out that you've been wrong your entire life and that eternal life does not wait for you round the corner, is not something that is going to make a dying person happy. Yeah, other people being wrong is pretty damn offensive. Hell, every time I read anything you write it seems so mind blowingly offensive I’m not sure how you can operate something as complex as a keyboard.

If you want dying people to make the best of the time they have left how about not trying to upset them by attacking their long held beliefs and their only comfort. Moron.
Cause, y’know, finding out that you’ve been wrong your entire life and that eternal life does not wait for you round the corner, is not something that is going to make a dying person happy.

]]> By: David http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/07/26/the-reasonableness-of-weird-things/#comment-25335 David Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:18:39 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=9196#comment-25335 Phil seriously, at what point do anecdotes become evidence? "Some people are questioning the existence of these “dickish” skeptics. They exist, as attested by the *hundreds* of people coming up to me after my speech and thanking me since they had seen others act that way, or had done so themselves. There were also several very emotional people who were distraught over their treatment by fellow skeptics; they believed in something themselves and were derided for it." Your speech implied that there is a rising tide of dickish behavior in the blogosphere and the skeptic community. If that is the case don't give me another anecdote show me an example. I'm not trying to be a denialist about this. I honestly want an answer and its getting very frustrating. If your claim is true it should very well be self evident just by going to some prominent skeptic/atheist blogs but its just not. It infuriates me when I'm told asking for evidence on this is wrong or somehow disingenuous. Phil seriously, at what point do anecdotes become evidence?

“Some people are questioning the existence of these “dickish” skeptics. They exist, as attested by the *hundreds* of people coming up to me after my speech and thanking me since they had seen others act that way, or had done so themselves. There were also several very emotional people who were distraught over their treatment by fellow skeptics; they believed in something themselves and were derided for it.”

Your speech implied that there is a rising tide of dickish behavior in the blogosphere and the skeptic community. If that is the case don’t give me another anecdote show me an example.

I’m not trying to be a denialist about this. I honestly want an answer and its getting very frustrating. If your claim is true it should very well be self evident just by going to some prominent skeptic/atheist blogs but its just not.

It infuriates me when I’m told asking for evidence on this is wrong or somehow disingenuous.

]]> By: David http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/07/26/the-reasonableness-of-weird-things/#comment-25333 David Fri, 20 Aug 2010 17:06:47 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=9196#comment-25333 "Yes, the talk served a purpose – because there *are* people out there in the skeptical community who really do tend towards the dickish side in their ‘public outreach’. I don’t see how the speech was a pep talk – it was about modifying our behavior in such a way as to have the best results. For people who already agreed with Plait, perhaps it didn’t make a difference – but quite a few of the people in *my* skeptical circle thought that it was needed commentary." Ive been waiting and waiting for the location of where I can find these dickish skeptics who are the problem. perhaps someone anyone could post a link instead of just repeating over and over "oh they're out there" or "trust me I've seen it". “Yes, the talk served a purpose – because there *are* people out there in the skeptical community who really do tend towards the dickish side in their ‘public outreach’. I don’t see how the speech was a pep talk – it was about modifying our behavior in such a way as to have the best results. For people who already agreed with Plait, perhaps it didn’t make a difference – but quite a few of the people in *my* skeptical circle thought that it was needed commentary.”

Ive been waiting and waiting for the location of where I can find these dickish skeptics who are the problem. perhaps someone anyone could post a link instead of just repeating over and over “oh they’re out there” or “trust me I’ve seen it”.

]]> By: Daniel Loxton http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/07/26/the-reasonableness-of-weird-things/#comment-25313 Daniel Loxton Fri, 20 Aug 2010 04:36:34 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=9196#comment-25313 I raised a similar concern <a href="http://skepticblog.org/2010/07/02/science-of-honey-and-vinegar/" rel="nofollow">here,</a> urging skeptics to move the discussion beyond "a debate between competing intuitions" by citing studies in support of their positions. A bit of a stunt, but I wanted to focus attention on the empirical question. The upshot of that thread is that psychology does support the argument for civility. I raised a similar concern here, urging skeptics to move the discussion beyond “a debate between competing intuitions” by citing studies in support of their positions. A bit of a stunt, but I wanted to focus attention on the empirical question.

The upshot of that thread is that psychology does support the argument for civility.

]]> By: Mike McRae http://www.skepticblog.org/2010/07/26/the-reasonableness-of-weird-things/#comment-25309 Mike McRae Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:40:16 +0000 http://skepticblog.org/?p=9196#comment-25309 I've said much the same thing. Fortunately I went and did some homework on the matter: http://tribalscientist.wordpress.com/2010/07/15/a-ridiculous-essay-on-rational-outreach/ It's not a definitive end answer, but is more than speculation and rhetoric, and provides a sound basis from which to argue. I’ve said much the same thing. Fortunately I went and did some homework on the matter:

http://tribalscientist.wordpress.com/2010/07/15/a-ridiculous-essay-on-rational-outreach/

It’s not a definitive end answer, but is more than speculation and rhetoric, and provides a sound basis from which to argue.

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