What is your justification for believing in the supernatural?

Forums: Supernatural, Religion, Philosophy, God, Spirituality
Email this Topic • Print this Page

While this discussion is meant for those who believe in gods, ghosts, and the like, this discussion is (of course) open to anyone who wants to participate.

Topic Stats
Top Replies
Link to this Topic

Type: Discussion • Score: 24 • Views: 35,029 • Replies: 607

[+5] - farmerman - 04/29/2012You have to understad Spendi is all excited about ladies foundation garments. Hes somewhat of a stylish transvestite
[+4] - farmerman - 05/08/2012[quote] Stoke have very little to play for, they've already achieved what teams like that focus on, and that's survival. Mid table finish is nice, but secondary to survival. Bolton will be going...
[+3] - Lustig Andrei - 04/29/2012The only thing wrong with a belief in the supernatural is the use of the word 'supernatural.' It somehow implies hat there is something 'unnatural' about conditions which we, with our limited...
[+3] - Cyracuz - 04/29/2012[quote]What is your justification for believing in the supernatural?[/quote] I do not believe in the supernatural. I do however think that we don't yet fully understand the natural.
[+3] - failures art - 05/01/2012[quote="Frank Apisa"] [quote]Nothing is "unexplainable,' but certainly our observational and linguistic ability to communicate is a limitation on what can be currently...
[+3] - igm - 05/03/2012If you take the entirety of Art's posts he has explained his position. If you choose to take parts of what he said out of context then that suits your position but it is mere sophistry. You on...
[+3] - Setanta - 05/03/2012I did not say it was wrong or "underhanded"--i'm pointing out that there is no functional difference. There's no question of where the word "goes," Frank, that's just more of...
[+3] - reasoning logic - 05/04/2012[quote]I am agnostic always...about everything.[/quote] Are you still agnostic about the invisible flying spaghetti monster? :shock:
[+3] - InfraBlue - 05/07/2012[quote]I was raised Catholic. Became an agnostic at about age 25 or so (I'll be 76 in August)...although I really did not use the word "agnostic" to describe myself until I began formally...
[+3] - reasoning logic - 05/09/2012[quote]You are fond of wimpy assertions aren't you Cyr. [/quote] What makes you so sure that he is fond of your assertions?

@Tapout89,

Perhaps you can lead off here with what you believe?

3 Replies

@Ragman,

Maybe he's met Mrs. Battersby.

0 Replies

@Ragman,

It does look like an ambush thread, doesn't it?

1 Reply

@Setanta,

Sniffing now

0 Replies

@Tapout89,

not a big fan of the christian god, but if the pathetic beings we call humans are all there is to existence, then, imho, existence sucks

bring on the gnomes and the unicorns

2 Replies

@djjd62,

Casper is pretty cute for a guy that gives a sheet, huh?

0 Replies

@Tapout89,

I think every phenomenon can be explained by natural laws the only things that
lead people to believe in supernatural is lack of human knowledge. If we
(science) can explain all the experiences that people have about ghost, God ...
So they consequently become part of nature! If i want to just answer your
question : Till now I couldn't find any acceptable explanation for God
existence. All the things that people usually refer for existence of God is
just based on random behaviors of the world. Some accidental events (called
miracle) conduct them to believe in God. Ghost is usually refered for explaining
unknown forces in the universe which I hope will be discovered later.

1 Reply

@messier3184,

But if everything can simply be explained away as you say, then why do people persist in their belief's even when they are presented which such information?

4 Replies

@Tapout89,

Tapout89 wrote:

But if everything can simply be explained away as you say, then why do people persist in their belief's even when they are presented which such information?

Because many, many people have a lot more sense than messier.

1 Reply

@Tapout89,

There are various reasons for people's beliefs. It might be analagous to why people believe in leaders and politicians who are demonstrably barbaric and corrupt and show only self interest? If logic was the sole guide, they'd relinquish their belief in such leaders and discard it (and the leaders).

Some people do so, for the same reason they cling to religion in general --
'cause they NEED to for the sake of belonging to something or some group that seems larger than them. Some do because they haven't really thought it out...as they've been bound by family beliefs and/or ancestral tradition. It is an act of faith...not logic.

None of these are reasons basically based on any set logic. Any discussion to attempt to sort out why this is ...is akin to comparing apples with kumquats.

1 Reply

A lot of people find the alternative hard to take.

And a lot of people are so focussed on ridiculing a belief in the supernatural that it allows them to escape thinking about the alternative.

1 Reply

The only thing wrong with a belief in the supernatural is the use of the word 'supernatural.' It somehow implies hat there is something 'unnatural' about conditions which we, with our limited understanding, cannot explain. In the final analysis, there are no 'miracles,' nothing is 'supernatural.' There is, however, a large body of unexplained (and perhaps unexplainable) phenomena.

5 Replies

@Lustig Andrei,

what do you mean?

1 Reply

@messier3184,

See above.

0 Replies

@Tapout89,

I agree with Ragman answer, People need their believes because they are
grown up with them and it has a historical explanation. If you empty them
from their believes they can not find any substitute for them. Believing in God
and ... most of the time helps people and of course can explain a lot of strange
things in human life. God is the MOST SIMPLE ANSWER people can say for
their questions. Most of the people do not have logical explanation for their
believes , They just follow their society and family culture.

My idea about strange things that people usually relate to ghost or God ...
is that history shows us it can be a scientific explanation for them that discover
in future. For example some time in the past people thought rain have a God
who control it but now science have an answer for how it rains and when it rains.
Actually the idea of existence of God was for the phenomena that people
could not explain them. And now we inherit them but I can not accept them.

0 Replies

@Lustig Andrei,

Yes, I think the only question here is how we can explain things which LOOKS
supernatural by nature laws.

0 Replies

@Lustig Andrei,

Lustig Andrei wrote:

The only thing wrong with a belief in the supernatural is the use of the word 'supernatural.' It somehow implies hat there is something 'unnatural' about conditions which we, with our limited understanding, cannot explain. In the final analysis, there are no 'miracles,' nothing is 'supernatural.' There is, however, a large body of unexplained (and perhaps unexplainable) phenomena.

Are you implying that people who believe in what we call the "supernatural" are simply misinterpreting natural phenomena or are you saying that their accounts could be accurate but that we just haven't found a better way to explain it?

1 Reply

@spendius,

spendius wrote:

A lot of people find the alternative hard to take.

And a lot of people are so focussed on ridiculing a belief in the supernatural that it allows them to escape thinking about the alternative.

What alternative would you be referring to?

1 Reply

@Tapout89,

Tapout89 wrote:

Lustig Andrei wrote:

The only thing wrong with a belief in the supernatural is the use of the word 'supernatural.' It somehow implies hat there is something 'unnatural' about conditions which we, with our limited understanding, cannot explain. In the final analysis, there are no 'miracles,' nothing is 'supernatural.' There is, however, a large body of unexplained (and perhaps unexplainable) phenomena.

Are you implying that people who believe in what we call the "supernatural" are simply misinterpreting natural phenomena or are you saying that their accounts could be accurate but that we just haven't found a better way to explain it?

"There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy, Horatio."
Wm. Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act III.

0 Replies

What is your justification for believing in the supernatural?

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know