Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: sitetest
The trend of this discussion that I'm noticing is, though you say you want to know what I think, I'm getting the impression that you want to tell me what I think. Every time I say something, you rephrase it slightly differently, usually changing or essentializing it in some way, and then say "you mean this?"

I'm just trying to find the words that you might use to describe your views, and suggested these two as possibly the right ones.

Why not just let me say it the way I say it? I already had words of my own.

Does this mean that everyone knows the law of gravity who has observed the phenomenon that dropped items tend to fall to earth?

I'm not trying to define the law of gravity, I'm trying to explain the difference between believing something, that is, accepting something on faith, and knowing something, that is, having the right to test a hypothesis until you can verify it. And if one day you come across something that is in defiance of the reality you know, the pursuit of knowledge allows you to begin testing again, backtracking if need be to reverify what you know to ascertain that you did indeed know, and nothing has changed. I'm not sure if I can explain it any better than that. If this is going to turn into an exercise in sophistry, the "how do you know we're even here" business, I'm not trying to be rude, but I'm really not interested.

75 posted on 07/10/2002 7:19:02 PM PDT by Anamensis
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies ]


To: Anamensis
Dear Anamensis,

For a fellow who thinks he goes only where the evidence takes him, you make a lot of assumptions.

sitetest

76 posted on 07/10/2002 7:45:52 PM PDT by sitetest
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson