The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #132417   Message #2996142
Posted By: Crow Sister (off with the fairies)
29-Sep-10 - 12:03 PM
Thread Name: BS: U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey
Subject: RE: BS: U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey
Amos: 'I would say there definitely is a scrap of evidence.'
Steve Shaw: 'Well show me your evidence.'

The language being used in these discussions is important. I'm sure Amos will be able to go into this more eloquently than I. But in discussions of this sort it's worthwhile identifying the various types of evidence that one might draw upon when coming to a rational conclusion regards one's belief or otherwise in the existence of God or Gods or what-not. Scientific evidence (the kind that is objective and reproducible) is only *one* of many types of evidence one might draw upon. As Wiki says, other kinds of evidence might include the testimony of others, direct personal experience, intuition, and anecdotal evidence. It might also be worth considering that testimony is extensively used as 'evidence' in respected disciplines like law, even though it might not be 'scientific'.