NOGO

"chose to believe"
These words are so alien to my way of thinking.
How does one choses to believe?

I could not believe even if I wanted to.
Perhaps what you mean is that you want to believe.

If you want to believe then you don't.
If you chose to believe, it means that you actually had no reason to believe but wanted to so you chose to believe.

I don't get it <img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" /> <img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" /> please explain <img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" /> <img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" />

Vesica

Okay, okay...poor phrasing on my part. Instead of chose substitute personal preferance...I prefer to believe?! Does that work?

Sojourner553

Vesica:

Of course, everyone can "choose" or "prefer" to believe whatever they wish -- this includes "preferring" to believe in fairies, aliens, Atlantians, witches/demons and Zeus. (Hopefully you won't find ALL these beliefs in the same person!)

But if the same individual also "CHOOSES" to engage in a debate -- and on a forum where at least some rationality, objectivity, and observation is stressed --

then don't expect to get any sympathy about not wanting to look under rocks... or pebbles...

Sojourner

[ December 02, 2002: Message edited by: Sojourner553 ]</p>

Vesica

A well deserved point...However didn't this thread use to be about witches and the European witch trials.

As a brief rebuttal: Yes this forum enshrines logic and rationality. Yes I will continue to point out the fact that everyone has 'logic lapses'. And last, just because the forum espouses those aims I was unaware I was required to bow to that in every aspect of my life in order to post anything. Take my belief as you will....I need no sympathy, only an acknowledgement that objectivity only address part of the life experience. Subjectivity has value too.

Sojourner553

I wasn't arguing this belief in witches was rational or something to praise...

As a brief rebuttal: Yes this forum enshrines logic and rationality. Yes I will continue to point out the fact that everyone has 'logic lapses'. And last, just because the forum espouses those aims I was unaware I was required to bow to that in every aspect of my life in order to post anything. Take my belief as you will....I need no sympathy, only an acknowledgement that objectivity only address part of the life experience. Subjectivity has value too.[/QB][/QUOTE]

I'm giving you a harder time than you deserve no doubt. Let me be clear. None of us can be perfectly objective all the time, whether we want to or not. We all come with a certain baggage of culture and biases.

My point was that we should not ASPIRE to anything less than objectivity.

Maybe some examples would be helpful. Love you might say.

I would respond that I have seen girl friends who fell head over heels in love with bums, that eventually hurt them very much after a long disasterous relationship (And there were early signs that this would happen; if only they had chosen to listen to their rational not emotional half....)

If you have a better example, I will of course listen..

Take care
Sojourner