Posted by J.H. [JH] on November 28, 1999 at 10:39:10 {hcnmikA.FkwxcT1WLj/AHR5JhS9/hc}:
In Reply to: **Basic ? for Athiests posted by chappy on November 28, 1999 at 10:19:04:
: Of coarse any sane person knows the answers. However if you or I even suggested the idea 500 years ago; would we appear insane and probably drawn and quartered.
Sure. But as I said, one cannot jump from uncertainty about certain issues to any random conclusion. It can just as well be anybody elses "insane" idea that is true as your own. It is also a certain sign of crackpotism to appeal to such arguments :-)
Sure, some seemingly "wild" predictions turned out correct in the end *, but the vast majority did not. The fact that some few people do win in lotteries does not prove it's a viable pension plan. Quite the opposite.
The progress over the last, say, 500 years has also been in the opposite direction, away from supernaturalism. That fact doesn't "prove" this trend will continue, but you'd need a very good reason to assume the opposite.
[* - I can't think of any good examples, though. On the contrary, the reason good ideas were labeled wild and insane was that the Powers That Be were immensed in supernaturalism and irrationality. Those who want to claim current wisdom about origin is wrong, will have to use rational arguments, like Galilei (mostly) did. Creationists and religionists generally wouldn't know a rational argument if you hit them in the head with it.]