Quote:
Originally Posted by kindlekitten
it is not my beliefs (or lack thereof) that are in question here. it is who gets to decide based on your statement. do you get to decide? for me? for astra? elfwreck, arrdeegee? what makes your beliefs (or lack thereof) completely right and anyone elses completely wrong?
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EVIDENCE is how we know what is real and what isn't. What makes belief in elves irrational and lack of belief in elves rational?.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kindlekitten
if I believe the oak tree in my back yard is the home of a god and worship it, that doesn't cause any harm to anyone. on the other hand if I refuse to maintain that oaktree, claiming it may cause harm to the spirit in the tree and a branch falls off and kills someone, then my beliefs have a direct negative impact on society as a whole and need to be governed/cautioned.
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Unfortunately, religious beliefs have a very bad track record here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kindlekitten
you can certainly decide for yourself what you believe to be rational or not[...]
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Are you claiming there are no objective standards? That accepting the germ theory of disease is no more or less rational than accepting the claim that diseases are a result of evil spells?