Wads4

I presume you are referring to the belief in some quarters that we only use a small percentage of our brain? This is an urban myth, and one which is assiduously cultivated by Creationists,-from the comments I have gleaned from real neurologists, and my own knowledge as a Doctor, we use all of it. In any case your assertion is vague and incomplete because you do not describe what functions our brains perform, nor demonstrate which 8 % of it we use, and for precisely what, and which 92% of it is functionless,-and how, as a despiser of logic and science you know this as a fact.
I cannot understand why you object to us using logic, when you are attempting to use logic itself in order to discredit it. Please explain.

Julian

What does this mean? Can you define it? What other kinds of understanding are there, other than human, that we can define?
Wrong, wrong, wrong. What a silly assertion which is obviously untrue.
Poisoning the well. Nice.
Please define spiritual discernment.
Well, if 'spiritual understanding' is logical then you should be able define it exactly. If it is not, then it must be illogical. A third option is, of course, that there is no such thing and that your reasoning is merely pompous nonsense. Guess which one I think it is...
It's called examining the evidence and drawing supportable conclusions. As opposed to ad hoc, strained apologetic excuses and calling it 'spiritual discernment.'
Define whole being and partial being. Use only elements that are supported by evidence.
So, would these be spiritual ears? Aren't ears part of a physical being? Or do we have another set, a purely spiritual set?

You come across as highly arrogant, especially for someone who has posted nothing of substance in this thread.

Julian

Julian

I see. So god is far above human understanding yet humans can follow his directions which is only possible when one understands them. Do you even stop to consider what you are posting?

For someone who is far above human understanding he sure does have a whole lot of basic human thoughts and responses, like jealousy, anger, regret, vindictiveness, and many others...

Julian

Nuwanda

Wow!!! I've been on IIDB for a few months and it never ceases to amaze me how many post can shoot back at a dissenter. To attempt to respond to dozens of replys which only perpetuate a hundred more would mean unemployment and divorce due to the time required to do so. How bout this, I'll start a thread discussing the philosophical implications of man ruled by logic alone in another forum and see how that goes. It seems that those who have responded so far are using the modern, mathmatical application of "logic" where I am speaking in terms of understanding life. Two very distinct trails.

Kosh

So are we.... but we use logic to do so. ;-)

Amaleq13

The response tends to be relative to the amount of nonsense in the original post and you packed yours full.

I think such a thread would best belong in the Philosophy forum.

Yes, the former is a specific trail while the latter is a vague gesture toward the countryside. :thumbs:

Wads4

OK I'll look forward to it. Do you not see that every time you try to use logic to discredit logic, you are hoisting yourself upon your own petard,-so to speak. The best thing you can do is to resort to meaningless illogical irrational psychobabble and speak in tongues to try and persuade us that this is in some way superior to critical and logical thinking.

Nuwanda

Julian, do you have children? Can you direct them without them achieving your level of understanding? I don't understand how simple things like this escape the logic masters of IIDB.

For all the replies asking me for a definition of "spiritual discernment" how bout this: dicerning truth through the spirit. Ha. Yes, yes I know, save yourself some carpal tunnel and don't bother telling what a blind, ignorant, illogical fool I am. I understand that a spiritual concept, for the atheist debator, is not even considered a concept. So, I'm dumb and you're dumb, whatever.

This whole discussion began over how to interpret Biblical prophesy. I suggested that a person using only their natural reasoning is at a disadvantage when trying to understand words from a book that declares itself to be a spiritual work.

My only contention is this: if the words in this book are spiritual then it would follow that humans have a capacity to understand through both their physical brains (logical processes) and through an area that is not sported in academia - the spirit. You can argue that the book is not spiritual and that the spiritual does not exist, that's fine, but understand that this is the gulf between believers and non-believers - a philosophical one, not a purely logical one. Logical arguments cannot disprove or prove the existance of a spiritual reality; if this is false please educate me. Attacking a believer's logical facilty is no more logical than for a believer to attack the unbeliever's lack of spiritual discernment.

In light of this, I believe that my first contention is still intact: to understand a spiritual book one must approach it with both the mind and the spirit.

Doug Shaver

Your contention may be intact, but that doesn't mean you have defended it. I see nothing in your post to imply that the word "spirit" refers to any real entity, aside from your question-begging assumption that it does.

voodoomage

Logical arguments can disprove some spiritualities, but perhaps not to the believers. You seem to through spirituality into the mix because it trumps logic - as long as you're spiritual, reality doesn't have to play by the rules.

Unfortunately, without playing by the rules, there isn't anything that can be accurately defined as true. Christians disagree about biblical prophecy in a huge number of ways, even following all your guidelines. When is Jesus coming? Who/what is the anti-christ? Will there be a rapture? These aren't even things an atheist needs to debate about because Christians have been fighting about these things for centuries.

You can't talk about right or wrong without logic, even with spirituality, the ability to reason should NEVER be compromised, otherwise people wind up drinking the "special" kool-aid.