However, the religious don't follow these, what I assume are, rational principles. They simply infer God/supernatural from so-called miracles. From a scientific standpoint that's jumping to conclusions. — TheMadFool
So, strictu sensu, there is indeed no pressing need to perform miracles while transmitting messages of transcendental origin. The prophet of Islam certainly did not feel the need to do that. — alcontali
You mean to say anyone can be a prophet? — TheMadFool
If we remove miracles from the metric what's the difference between a prophet and a very imaginative, resourceful and eloquent story teller? — TheMadFool
Do you mean to say miracles aren't the pillars that hold up religion? — TheMadFool
If Jesus hadn't done his set of miracles and Moses his would people have believed? — TheMadFool
If Jesus hadn't done his set of miracles and Moses his would people have believed? If you watch TV it won't be long before there's a report on how a statue was weeping blood or a cancer patient is cured by faith alone. Are these small snippets of human thought not evidence for miracles --> God? — TheMadFool
The ancient texts are deemed to appeal to the otherwise unknown mental faculty. — alcontali
The hitherto unknown mental faculty that miracles in ancient texts seem to appeal I call "gullibility to the max". — god must be atheist
We believe that God has invented all the laws already, and that politicians are not allowed to further restrict our freedom. — alcontali
For example, is there anything more gullible than paying more taxes, because politicians have increased the tax rate? — alcontali
We do not believe that we should pay — alcontali
What to think of people who believe that politicians are allowed to invent and enforce any new law to their liking? — alcontali
This is one thing I don't believe. Speak for yourself. 1/2 of the world's entire population don't believe this. — god must be atheist
Taxes, at their most basic, much like laws, are necessary to alleviate the fatal fractures that would be caused and created by social forces. Why, do you think that law courts should be abolished, and let criminals run free? Or that schools be closed to the common people's children? Or that roads ought not to be built? You are a fool if you think taxes are wasted money. — god must be atheist
Islamic law does not allow for liberally inventing new extensions. Read the page on Sharia. The consensus of religious scholars will never defend the view that politicians would have the authority to extend Islamic law. That is unthinkable. — alcontali
You don't believe that politicians are allowed to invent laws? — Terrapin Station
So we'd need to clarify what "allowing" amounts to there. — Terrapin Station
Politicians are obviously physically able to create new laws. They do this all the time. — Terrapin Station
Nothing happens to them in response to creating new laws that would amount to, say, "If you do x, you'll be arrested/imprisoned/etc." — Terrapin Station
So you're basically talking about practical nullification? What would be an example of this--a law is put on the books, but not only the citizenry, but the law enforcement arms of the government in question ignore the law so that it's the same as if it didn't exist? — Terrapin Station
So I take it there are no examples of this? — Terrapin Station
That's not very specific, unfortunately, and it looks like it's saying that politicians are creating laws that politicians aren't caring about, which isn't the same as them not being allowed to make laws. — Terrapin Station
Even if that were the case, it wouldn't be a matter of not being allowed to make a law. You could argue that it's not being allowed to enforce a law that was made. — Terrapin Station
We should also clarify that you weren't saying that politicians can't invent laws period, but that there are particular laws they'd have a problem either getting approved, recognized or at least that they'd maybe not bother to enforce. — Terrapin Station
In my impression, miracles are not necessary in religion. — alcontali
Buddhism appeals to the rational aspect — TheMadFool
That said, what if we were to purge scripture of miraculous material and instead emphasize the reasonable parts? — TheMadFool
Would there be anything left to instil or maintain faith? — TheMadFool
Now that I brought it up, what about "faith"? Isn't that belief despite lack of evidence? — TheMadFool
I'm afraid the "unknown mental faculty" is NOT rationality. — TheMadFool
I have no clue as to how that mental faculty works. It just seems to be there. — alcontali
A standard definition of miracle would be an out-of-the-ordinary event. — TheMadFool
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