14 Mar '05 16:22>
Originally posted by pcaspianHonestly? I'd investigate his claim and assume he probably misinterpreted a non supernatural experience; but, you never know. If he had something I felt was solid I'd listen.
Originally posted by AThousandYoung
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It depends how outlandish the claim is; how trustworthy the person is; and what evidence the person can provide for the claim whether or not I believe the person's claim. If the claims is not true, for it to be a lie there must be intent to deceive and the person must know their claim is not true.
Ok ...[text shortened]... icate it. Is this a shortcoming of science or a failsafe measure to guarantee truth ?
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I guess my perspective is most like your 3, but 'assuming he's deluded' is too harsh. It wouldn't be like when some people I know talk about how the TV is talking to them or anything...unless that was how my friend found God!
I know a lady who found God because her dead mother came back in the form of a cat and started talking to her outside her window. She's taking medication now for her delusional schizophrenia.
I would investigate the leap from evidence to conclusion with skepticism, which is a very legitimately scientific way to approach someone's claim.
I am not sure what sort of evidence I would even want to replicate, as usually it's the leap from evidence to conclusion that I find to be flawed. One of the phenomena that causes people to believe in God, astrology, that they are psychic, that their mother is psychic, or whatever, is selective perception. One may randomly run into various religious figures talking about various parts of the Bible, and one may glance at the Bible now and then and thing about some passage or another, but when the two happen together it MUST be God talking to you! How else could there be such a coincidence, one right after the other?