[lbo-talk] RE: An Appeal to Ignorance

Dennis Perrin dperrin at comcast.net
Tue Jun 14 11:35:45 PDT 2005



> But why ascribe any of those feelings to something supernatural?


> John Thornton

I'm not. Quite the opposite. I said that it was very *natural.* Which makes sense given that I'd ingested something that grows naturally on the Earth. Whether or not we were meant to discover this link as an evolutionary tool I can't say, though many seem to believe this is the case. Your chemical breakdown on how psychedelics work (which I'm familiar with) doesn't negate anything I said. Chemicals are part of nature. As Einstein supposedly said while dying, "Look deeply into nature and then you'll understand." That's the point I'm trying to make.

In other words, one needn't necessarily believe in the supernatural in order to understand or accept that our lives are deeper and more complex than mere slabs of meat. What the ultimate answer is, I don't know. I'm still exploring this question. But I believe there are currents that many atheists either overlook or simply dismiss, and I think this is short sighted.


> you are making gross generatlization about atheists. get concrete. who
> here
> are you talking about. joanna claims that people here are hostile to this
> topic. so do you. who here is hostile and point to exactly the passages
> that you perceive as hostile. if you can't or won't do this: then put a
> sock in it because you're not serious.


> kelley

I said that if my statements don't apply to you, then why care about what I say? But it seems that you feel they do apply to you, and thus you insist that I name names or "put a sock in it." Gee, that's not hostile at all. Nor is the following at all angrily defensive:

"The air of superiority you take in this conversations is extraordinarily annoying. It's as if because you say you're spiritual that you have a corner on the experiences you describe. Without a religiou or spiritual bone in my body, I have those same experiences and thoughts. Alas, I'm a sicko, twisted by capitalism atheists.

"Must go back to beating my kid, having abortions right and left and engaging in twisted sexual practices -- coz that's the same explanation given for why people do those things too."

I missed Joanna saying anything of the kind to you, or even suggesting such. Since you're in a naming names mood, could you please produce the post that inspired your response?

Dennis



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