Originally posted by NOTurTypical
Originally posted by SaturnFX
and if they can stump a skeptic, that gives them personal confirmation that they may not be totally delusional and wishful.
What if the greatest joy in my life is being 'totally delusional and wishful'?
That is one of the best arguments I have ever come across during my spiritual seeking days.
I used to go into this psychics and spiritualists chat...being the dogmatic skeptic...(really I just wanted someone to amaze me with a impromptu
accurate psychic reading, but the guise was skeptic)
Anyhow, talking for days, weeks, and months with one guy in specific...pretty articulate guy, one of those older super spiritualist types...you know,
like talking to deepak chopra mixed with zen...anyhow, I was going on about truth, understanding, etc...
He totally stopped me one night and made me rethink my whole motivation.
I made an example...about a person whom has daily ghost experiences...sits in a rocking chair, and feels tingles and shivers, coldness, etc...and
thinks its their long lost whomever...well, the reality is that they are sitting underneath an air conditioning vent and are experiencing just a
direct air conditioning feed going on them and associating it...I said who wouldn't want to know the truth..that sort of argument.
He said what does it matter...that illusion makes them happy, makes them feel good about life, and about themself...why point out something that would
only make them unhappy but doesn't actually stop the general belief...it just robs them of something they enjoy, that harms nobody, and replaces it
with nothing.
I felt there was truth to that...people do often feel better if they have a personal belief, especially when it helps them cope with stuff from day to
day...and I do actually feel a bit bad whenever I make an argument that removes some comfort from someone and replace it with nothing. I do wish I
could add something as I take away something, and I do try (you will note I often try to add some different philosophy or token spiritualist take when
talking about some belief that is personal to someone while smashing down their wall).
but ya...that is a very good argument to pose and should at least give pause to anyone attacking whom has a bit of a heart or empathy.