Sunday, November 4, 2007

the bias that proves God exists

Many of people's experiences, particularly of the overwhelming forces of creation, cause them to feel humility. This is good. Many of people's experiences cause them to appreciate beauty. This is good, too. Many of people's experiences cause them to desire a dramatic, deeper meaning to life, a larger narrative than they can create. Good.

However, they shouldn't make a mental leap from these sentiments to the proposition "a god must exist". When they do, they end up looking like fools. The implication is simply not there, or if it is, it is more like a tiny, circumstantial clue than a definite argument.

To someone who is predisposed to believe in a god, "mountains are big" seems to indicate "god's vastness". To someone not so predisposed, "mountains are big" seems to indicate "cumulative geological effects occur on a large scale". Bias plays such a pivotal role in obtaining the right "conclusion" from the "evidence".

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