If you are complete skeptics why are you here?

I am starting to wonder why people are such sceptics here on ATS. Is that a conspiracy in it self, are people right about feeling paranoid about such disinformation agents over the internet?

Okay I get a lot of skeptics about God and Christianity, they won't look into it, they completely deny God in everyway and yet with a book like the Bible they have no answers for its supernatural connections or conspiracies.
If I say 'Jesus' some should say he was an 'Alien' or something and the whole story is based on human alien contact.

The problem is that people do not even go down that route of coversation, it is just a typical complete skeptics denial of everything in view.

No problem with that either, aside from some cheeky replies and some near insulting netiquette that needs sorting out.

So obviously they don't have our best intentions either, at least they could say something productive.

So how can people be skeptics without connecting the broad picture of all conspiracies from history to politics to anomolies to ghosts and aliens, spirit guides, religion, God or ancient history. They are all connected but I seem to feel like people here turn up with a complete skeptics view of it all.

Does that not help sower to sort out his seeds?



[edit on 19-2-2010 by The time lord]

[edit on 19-2-2010 by The time lord]

reply to post by The time lord


Being a Skeptic myself, I find it easier and much wiser to approach whatever I am trying to investigate with the opposite of what I believe. Basically, if I were to approach a case about aliens, which I do not believe in, I would start with the mentally that the case was true until I can prove other wise. It helps end personal subjectivity and replaces it with objectivity But that is just me personally. Just because I am a skeptic does not mean that I am looking to get into verbal fights over beliefs or faiths. That is not why I am here, I am here to offer a different point of view. Because lets be honest now:

Without opposing views the truth will never be reached. And it is only through opposing views that the truth can be attained.

Just like you said: "They are all connected." And so are the believers and skeptics

S&F'ed

[edit on Feb 19th 2010 by TheMythLives]

Skepticism is required for ATS.

Some are skeptical about the odd things posted here, some are skeptical about what is sold as reality, etc.

Define what you mean...if there was no skepticism, people would simply accept anything they are told at face value, be it no such thing as UFOs, no conspiracys, to giant frogs live on the moon and eat space bugs...

What is your question anyhow...why do people try to find truth?

What if its all connected to delusion and denial? What if all of your mystical BS was the creation of pitifull ignorant people?

Your point of veiw is that these people knew "something". That because so many people have said mystical magical things that it must be true. Its not possible for billions of people to claim something that isnt true SIMPLY for the comfort it brings.

But yet it is.... and the poor souls on ATS are placed on a treadmill they think will bring them magical powers or the favor of a deity. By all means run untill your legs give out, Your inability to accept the infinite non-mystical reality we live in will lead to your self-destruction.

There are a few people on here who are capable enough to make it out of the candyland of power the deluded offer here. While we watch it all collapse and erode ill be here telling you "i told you so".

I am a skeptic on some topics...and a believer on other topics here on ATS.


If someone is a believer on every topic here on ATS...then how is that any better than someone who is a skeptic on every topic here on ATS? Or someone that believes everything that MSM says?

100% acceptance of anything is not healthy.

The stuff that is discussed here can be interesting to talk about and debate no matter which side of the argument you are on. Why do believers come here? Just to have their unconventional beliefs validated by others? Maybe. But I think ATS is like watching those UFO documentaries on the history channel. You don't have to believe it all to be entertained by it. It's just interesting to think about that talk about.

Also, don't the believers want skeptics? Doesn't make these paranormal phenomena more valuable to know whether or not they stand up to serious critisism? If you want to go somewhere where you can make any claim you want and go completely unchallenged you have some issues, thats like the project camelot crap. All this stuff is only meaningful we can at least try to take it seriously and rule out the obvious hoaxes and BS. If you're not interested in that you are just playing pretend.

I'm a skeptic, but that's because I don't believe in the supernatural because I have no evidence to convince me that it exists. It's not about blindly denying everything paranormal. Nor is being a believer about blindly supporting every paranormal claim. What we are all here for, or at least should be here for, is to take a critical look at whats out there and bring our best cognitive faculties to bear and find out whats really going on. The moto of this site is deny ignorance, not stroke eachothers egos by supporting every paranormal claim unquestioningly.

Edit to add: The short answer is that it is important to differentiate reality from fantasy. If you don't do that - because you are unwilling or unable - you will not able to successfully navigate the world.

[edit on 2/19/10 by OnceReturned]

Everyone is skeptical with something. You can't sell me on the fact that you believe in every single piece of opinion posted at ATS. If you areable to find something that knocks you off your feet b.c it is so ludicrous then you should have the ability to speak up and let people know how come-It would be your right to add your own opinion on the subject. That wouldnt mean that another post just as out there will not grab your attention and be something you can accept and believe in. Soa skeptic in one thread may be a believer in another thread...nothins black and white.

Truth is relative, even if you believe something is truth, does not mean it is. Just because someone does not agree as you do on something, does not mean they are wrong. I would bet you are very skeptical of some topics - therefore, you are a skeptic.

See how that works?

And I feel sorry for those who believe everything and question nothing. For how does one judge what is truth or not ? One must take a skeptic stance until truth is found - if it can be found


[edit on February 19th 2010 by greeneyedleo]

reply to post by The time lord


There's no such thing as a complete sceptic. How can you disbelieve something until you've look at the supposed evidence in a thread? And nobody believes every single claim, otherwise they'd be delusional, so most people are a sceptic to some extent, and everyone is an athiest of some religious belief or god.

Anyway scepticism is healthy and necessary otherwise we'd all be lemmings walking off bridges hoping to fly.

[edit on 19-2-2010 by john124]

I Believe everything is related, even things that contradict because it is part of the same process to eliminating, the people who believe in God can be just as skeptical in approach with all other subjects. I for example think Aliens or UFOs are demonic in nature, some maybe good in nature so I won't make too many judgments but I can always use the Bible to cross reference the scope of subjects because it covers so much. Others may use a scientific or mathamatical approach which is fine too, but they may not have the tools to decode the world of its mysteries because somethings go outside our mental logic, somethings we have not even discovered yet by science of today alone. It is like how many places in the Bible have been found today by archeologists but without it many would never have been found. To discredit a mystery because you think it is a myth is not investigation it is just a belief like any other. If I say no Aliens exist then why does science try and look for them, why bother. To say that something like the Bible that covers these issues in written text and then to say it has nothing in common with investigative thought and inspiration to find out is just an oxymoron and I feel either people are in denial or people are just batting for the devils.

A skeptic is not someone who just does not believe and wants everyone else to not believe (we are not all atheists and could really care less what you think or believe in). A skeptic is open to the idea just waiting for proof now the bar for what can be seen as proof is higher than it is for some. Someone who is a "believer" already "knows" and calls everything proof including the hoaxes. Without skeptics UFOlogy would be nothing but a new age movement that watches CGI UFO videos on youtube with bad trance music in the backround.

[edit on 19-2-2010 by zaiger]

Just to add the spelling of Skeptic or Sceptic is different from the British spelling but I think it is all okay.

I agree that not all can believe in everything but I find it strange that some do not give answers or clues to what they think. Maybe the science minded say this or that is logical while other parts are not, but at the same time I find their sense of universe a bit plane and hard to understand to view because either they believe in something or they don't or they try to avoid the Alien UFO subject because it can lead down the religious path which I feel they are being stubborn viewed about maybe out of spite.


Skeptic or Sceptic?

"Why do you spell skeptic with a 'K' when the English version is spelt with a 'C'"? is a frequent query.

Well the fact that (British) people notice and remember is one reason!

Skeptics in the USA, and in many other countries throughout the world, have a stronger identity than we have here in the UK thanks to the input of James Randi, Michael Shermer, and Stephen Barrett, to name but a few. Spelling skeptic the same way as they do helps with continuity, as the skeptic community is a world-wide one.

Also, using skeptic rather than sceptic, helps with search engine results as the vast majority of people searching use the American spelling.

The issue is not an important one as both spellings of the word mean exactly the same thing. Some people, however, do try to make a distinction between the two spellings as if they have different meanings: they do not.


[edit on 19-2-2010 by The time lord]

skepticism is required when we walk out into the unknown, but it CANNOT be your eternal point of view. sure you'd make a great modern scientist for some lobbyist group and probably make them a lot of money by not investigating anything agains their agenda, but skepticism simply can't be your only way of viewing the world.

to me, skeptics (as in anyone who calls themself a skeptic) are basically philistines. they start out not wanting to believe, and end up not believing, no matter what. they don't want to enjoy the romantic journey for something, and even when they look a room filled with treasures up and down, come back and say it was all chocolates (which didn't taste to their standards). there is absolutely no growth, or point in remaining skeptical, ESPECIALLY if you refuse to look and continue searching for that which you are skepitcal of.

skepticism is the term cognitive dissonance uses to defend it'self from being cognitively dissonant.
also they most likely get off on telling people they're wrong. elitist snobby types who found that that seemed to impress quirky girls when they were coming of age and such. doesn't really have much value in the real world. but whatever, they can spend their weekends getting off by telling people they are wrong, and sit in their la-z-boyz and do nothing else with their time.

so yeah, in case you skipped all my text: skepticism is a temporary point of view and has no value as a permanent perspective. debunking something doesn't make you king dick of skeptics, either.

So either there are complete skeptics here or there are people who believe in something but don't believe the majority of it.

I believe in most things being related, some believe most things are related to delutional thinking which I think causes the most arguements.

I wish there was a list that ticks what people believe in or don't believe next to their avatar like a survey or something.

I like it when skeptics offer alternate explanations for peoples' experiences. It gives another way to look at things without denying their experience.

I don't like it when skeptics make jokes that demean people without adding anything useful to the thread. They are not as funny as they think they are.

My skepticism here on ATS comes from two different sources:

1. Exhuastive research via books and documents
2. Personal physical experience

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In the case of the first, I read everything I can get my hands on concerning a plethora of topics on this board. I have the Holy text of most major religions (Bible, Quran, Tao Teh King, Tibetan Book of the Dead, Noble Eight-fold Path, Egyptian Book of the Dead, Bhagavad Gita, Mesopotamian mythology anthology, Greek mythology anthology and more). At the same time I possess a majoity of the metaphysical/theosophical/spiritual works of diverse people (Aleister Crowley, Israel Regarie, Mathers, the Aurum Solis, the Golden Dawn, Rosicrucians, Madame Blavatsky, etc). I also read all the books by notable paranormal investigators (John Keel, Coleman, Clarke, Jacques Vallee, Bud Hopkins, etc). As well I study conspiracy theories, follow movements, read the Disinformation series, participate in group meetings and the like.

So my personal knowledge of these subjects is intense. That being said, when someone says something that disagrees with ALL of the previous information concerning a topic (like something about Theosophy against the teachings of all those British magicians) then I have a right to be skeptical. Either this random person on the internet has undone a century of technique, study and practice - or they don't know what they're talking about. Hence I am skeptical until they prove their claim which goes against all the known research of the subject matter.

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Concerning the second, I am a spiritual person myself. I practice meditation, am on my way to fulfilling my bodhisattva roles; I astrally travel, I perform theosophical magick. I do witchcraft and spells and shamanism. I've done paranormal investigations - as an investigator, a researcher, and a spiritual consultant. I've met, befriended, and work with psychics. To top it all off, I also spend free summer nights out in the countryside looking for UFOs and strange occurences. I've seen, videotaped, and photographed some odd things in the night sky.

I don't have all the answers though. But what I do have is my own extensive personal experience, compounded with exhaustive physical research. So if my experiences have been the opposite of yours - and mine agree with the physical research - then I am going to be skeptical of your claims because I know them to be false in my personal experiences. Once again, this is when I ask for some evidence of your claims, so that I may witness them, or try to duplicate them myself.

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So, am I a skeptic? Oh yes.
But am I a blind skeptic? No, quite the contrary.

I just don't like when lies and misinformation are spread as truth and enlightenment.

Some are here to follow, some to lead, some are just plain lost... A few are here to open your eyes and their counterparts to throw sand in your eyes when opened.

There is a game afoot. where are you?

I am here to communicate that which only 5 can follow.

This thread is like asking some people why they believe in Santa while other people don't.

To each his own.

I have seen some strange things with my own eyes and have glimpses of them via photographs or video. Then add the things that can not be explained through media resources then the picture becomes personally larger. Somethings I rather keep them my self anyway, but then add faith spiritual experiences revelations and such and then try and see the world for what it is, on a grand scale of things, from politics to religious fighting, dark forces and God's karma effect on certain people or nations and curses and prophecies.

I then have to ask how people have become so blunt in this knowledge and against it all then the answer is in a greater conspiracy to keep people asleep and their only use is to out number those who are on the more awakened side of the spectrum to be made into scapegoats. While this happens their power is to further oppress such information and even outlaw it to the point of outlawing free speech while allowing it to happen becomes all part of the same demonic picture which goes all hand in hand.

The greatest conspiracies are the coverups, the more they condition people into not believing the truths the more they are part of this great comming deception.