Let us take an example... I personally believe that- in the future- FTL travel will be possible- I have no proof of this, I dont claim it is a fact, in fact I will say that it seems impossible given the physics we know... Now, If I start flooding the board with posts on how FTL travel is a FACT, well - then I am a liar- I may BELIEVE I am right, but deep down I know that the facts show me wrong.
I DO believe FTL is possible, but at the same time I admit that its just my personal fantasy about the way the universe should be, AND I also accept that physics does not allow FTL in our universe (I wont go into my idea for a sci-fi story that has FTL and doesnt violate too many laws of physics...)
Now, IF I made a claim that FTL travel WAS possible and claimed that I had proof, I would be a liar... my belief is one thing, but when I claim my belief is fact and there are no facts to back it up, then I am a liar....
So, fine- you may not consider the posters of nonsense 'liars', but by your own definition you have to call them 'deceptive'- as I said, it is semantics- it boils down to the fact that they post crap that is easily refuted- they have the ability to use their minds to understand that what they post is garbage, but they CHOOSE not to take advantage of reason.
Hoagland preys on these people, and I dont think he believes a word he says on his website- but even if he does believe that crap, he has chosen - deliberately- to ignore the facts... this makes him a liar.
Do you FINALLY get it?
Flame » in reply to "Semantic"?
Yes, Damn it....
The whole thread (109 posts)
- Symptoms of Pathological Skepticism.
- re: Symptoms of Pathological Behaviour (n/t)
- Just for the record:
- No...
- In Defense of Pathological Skepticism.
- That's not "pathological" skepticism
- Hoagland, the one thing you can't say about him is that he doesn't Believe.
- "Semantic"?
- 'Argument by dictonary definition' isn't an argument
- "And there, bunkie, I got ya: My definition of "lie" can be found in a dictionary. Where in the universe did you get yours?"..... Does the Mirriam-Webster dictionary count? You will, of course apolog…
- Yes, Damn it....
- "Semantic"?
- On the other hand...
- Hoagland, the one thing you can't say about him is that he doesn't Believe.
- re: Perhaps you are not a PATHOLOGICAL skeptic.
- Easter has been cancelled this year. They found the body.
- re: Perhaps I was wrong.
- No, I don't concede that.
- re: "Do you concede that UFO's don't necessarily violate any known physical laws?"
- re: Perhaps I was wrong.
- Easter has been cancelled this year. They found the body.
- That's not "pathological" skepticism
- The burden of proof is, as it has always been, on the most extraordinary claims. (n/t)