The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #62458   Message #1011641
Posted By: Bill D
02-Sep-03 - 07:29 PM
Thread Name: Thought a Day: The Hammerskold Paradox
Subject: RE: Thought a Day: The Hammerskold Paradox
I can only repeat:
"You & I may differ on whether you do or do not have these experiences, but in order to discuss it much further, we would have to have a common notion of what constitutes 'fact' and 'proof'."
.....you did say ".. in my experience, it is a fact that.... not a mere theory or idea." ....I merely suggested that, since in other's experience, it is not a fact, we cannot debate further without a common notion of 'fact'.

As to my "beliefs"..isn't there a difference between my having a belief and simply expressing doubts about some belief? There are things that, presumably, neither of us would doubt.. "the fire is hot" "the sun rose this morning".., and we can test and 'prove' those. You assert that there are other things that can't BE tested this way, and I have difficulty comprehending how this works. (I did NOT assert that they do not exist, so I do not exactly 'believe' in something.) How can I explain?? "Doubt" is not the same thing as DISbelief....I am not asserting that you are wrong, lying, hallucinating, or even confused...merely that there are other ways to see the issue, and that subjective 'facts' are hard to deal with.

You are reading an awful lot into what I said and finding 'ridicule' where none was intended. I am sorry that I am unable to reassure you about this. It might be easier sitting at a table discussing this face to face so we could clear up points as we go. (or...maybe not...)

(I do babble on after I say we can't discuss this further, don't I?)