Things you believed all your life that turned out to be wrong.

[blindthrall]

what I get offended at is people that say God is a lie (despite there being as much proof that he DOES exist)

I really have to ask for a source on this one. God, until the concept is further defined, is a proposition that can nether be proven nor disproven. Even if It physically came down from the heavens, some people would still consider It mass hallucination or an alien. And you can't prove a negative, because there's always the possibility that It's out there and we just can't see It. Humanity has neither the perception nor the information to determine whether there was intent behind the creation of this universe. I used to be an atheist, but I think you cannot rule out such a nebulous concept as God entirely. It's presumptuous.

You cannot prove that He doesn't exist as much as you cannot prove that He does exist.

Yes. That's exactly what I just said. You said there was proof of God existing. I would love to see a source.

OT: That female hyenas didn't have penises.

Wait..you mean it's true that female hyenas do? ...That is disturbing.

Indeed they do. I don't really think of them as female, rather "the larger ones with more estrogen that give birth...through their penises." They don't have external vaginas, you see.

Also, most birds only have dicks during mating season. After that, they FALL OFF. It cuts down on their weight, which is necessary for flight. Hell of a tradeoff. Isn't biology great?

 

[ejb626]

Apparently one of my most beloved childhood dinosaurs (behind T-rex of course) brontasaurus never existed.

 

[TJF588]

Also, most birds only have dicks during mating season. After that, they FALL OFF. It cuts down on their weight, which is necessary for flight. Hell of a tradeoff. Isn't biology great?

Mind. blown. I've been meaning to look into the "how" of bird sex, but damn, the "how" of not-bird sex is...whoa. Think I mighta (Mighteyna?) read/heard the hynea thing somewhere, but totally forgot.

 

[Calatar]

what I get offended at is people that say God is a lie (despite there being as much proof that he DOES exist)

I really have to ask for a source on this one. God, until the concept is further defined, is a proposition that can nether be proven nor disproven. Even if It physically came down from the heavens, some people would still consider It mass hallucination or an alien. And you can't prove a negative, because there's always the possibility that It's out there and we just can't see It. Humanity has neither the perception nor the information to determine whether there was intent behind the creation of this universe. I used to be an atheist, but I think you cannot rule out such a nebulous concept as God entirely. It's presumptuous.

You cannot prove that He doesn't exist as much as you cannot prove that He does exist.

And here is where the obligatory mention of Russel's Teapot comes into play.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. God is an extraordinary claim with an extraordinary lack of evidence. It is still possible to believe that such a being exists, but without the proof required, you are taking it on faith.

We can disprove specific religious claims, and do at times (the power of prayer, miracle healings, etc.) We can take a look at the evolution of religion through history and its roots in human behavior, as well as human behavior's roots in other primate behavior. We can see that there is no requirement for a God-being to exist, and that natural law alone is sufficient for what we observe. This does not preclude any existence of such a being, but given all that, is there any reason to believe in its existence with such fervor?

We cannot rule out entirely the existence of a deist, creator-style deity, but the modern fashionings of religion treat God as far more than that: an active and personal deity involved with the day-to-day affairs of man, yet whose activities are unnoticeable.

So, to be completely accurate, I don't find it impossible that God exists, I just find it far more probable that such a being is a human invention, which explains God's very human-like descriptions and behaviors, and belief in a God is due to a variety of factors, such as authority-teaching, ease of explanation, and personal comfort in the idea that you are being looked after.

I lost faith in God the same way I lost faith in Santa, there was no evidence for his continued existence and involvement in my life. All his supposed actions were actually due to the actions of others, and his supposed accomplishments were physically impossible. I therefore concluded that there was insufficient reason to believe in such a being. If I was later presented with extraordinary proof, as often occurs in Christmas movies, then I would believe again, but until that time, I will continue to hold that Santa Claus in the modern sense is a myth and a meme.

OT: "Alternative" medicine. My mother was(/is?) a believer in homeopathic remedies and acupuncture, among other things. The alt med "doctors" were fluffed up in a rather impressive array of accomplishments and study, and I assumed that they were legitimate doctors. I was later dismayed to find a startling lack of proof for all of it.
I was also dismayed to find that altmed also lashed out against vaccines, and furthermore that my parents had bought their argument. I hypothesize that poor reasoning is infectious.

 

[blindthrall]

Also, most birds only have dicks during mating season. After that, they FALL OFF. It cuts down on their weight, which is necessary for flight. Hell of a tradeoff. Isn't biology great?

Mind. blown. I've been meaning to look into the "how" of bird sex, but damn, the "how" of not-bird sex is...whoa. Think I mighta (Mighteyna?) read/heard the hynea thing somewhere, but totally forgot.

Except ducks keep theirs, and they fly fine. Not only that, but the biggest comparative dick among vertebrates belongs to the wood duck (Heh). It looks like a goddamn corkscrew. This sounds like the outcome of some Native American creation myth, where birds were forced to make a difficult decision, but the wily duck outsmarted the gods.

 

[blindthrall]

And here is where the obligatory mention of Russel's Teapot comes into play.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. God is an extraordinary claim with an extraordinary lack of evidence. It is still possible to believe that such a being exists, but without the proof required, you are taking it on faith.

We can disprove specific religious claims, and do at times (the power of prayer, miracle healings, etc.) We can take a look at the evolution of religion through history and its roots in human behavior, as well as human behavior's roots in other primate behavior. We can see that there is no requirement for a God-being to exist, and that natural law alone is sufficient for what we observe. This does not preclude any existence of such a being, but given all that, is there any reason to believe in its existence with such fervor?

We cannot rule out entirely the existence of a deist, creator-style deity, but the modern fashionings of religion treat God as far more than that: an active and personal deity involved with the day-to-day affairs of man, yet whose activities are unnoticeable.

So, to be completely accurate, I don't find it impossible that God exists, I just find it far more probable that such a being is a human invention, which explains God's very human-like descriptions and behaviors, and belief in a God is due to a variety of factors, such as authority-teaching, ease of explanation, and personal comfort in the idea that you are being looked after.

I lost faith in God the same way I lost faith in Santa, there was no evidence for his continued existence and involvement in my life. All his supposed actions were actually due to the actions of others, and his supposed accomplishments were physically impossible. I therefore concluded that there was insufficient reason to believe in such a being. If I was later presented with extraordinary proof, as often occurs in Christmas movies, then I would believe again, but until that time, I will continue to hold that Santa Claus in the modern sense is a myth and a meme.

OT: "Alternative" medicine. My mother was(/is?) a believer in homeopathic remedies and acupuncture, among other things. The alt med "doctors" were fluffed up in a rather impressive array of accomplishments and study, and I assumed that they were legitimate doctors. I was later dismayed to find a startling lack of proof for all of it.
I was also dismayed to find that altmed also lashed out against vaccines, and furthermore that my parents had bought their argument. I hypothesize that poor reasoning is infectious.

It's like Occam's Razor - If the concept of a deity isn't needed for an explanation, why use it?

I look at the possibility of god like the Hindu Trinity- Creator (possibly), Preserver (no), Destroyer (who can tell?)

I thought there was a German study that showed acupuncture to be effective? Not well understood, but with definite benefits.

OT: I used to think the undertow at the beach was the "Undertoad" and it sucked swimmers out to be devoured.

 

[Calatar]

I thought there was a German study that showed acupuncture to be effective? Not well understood, but with definite benefits.

There's been a fair bit of testing on it. There were benefits, but no greater benefits than a placebo effect. Being placed in a calm room and lying down for a while makes you relax. That's a benefit.
For the placebo test, they poked patients with needles in places that acupuncture doesn't tell you to poke people, and they found the same improvements in the patients. Kinda diminishes the whole field if you can just stick needles anywhere you feel like and get the same result.

 

[blindthrall]

I thought there was a German study that showed acupuncture to be effective? Not well understood, but with definite benefits.

There's been a fair bit of testing on it. There were benefits, but no greater benefits than a placebo effect. Being placed in a calm room and lying down for a while makes you relax. That's a benefit.
For the placebo test, they poked patients with needles in places that acupuncture doesn't tell you to poke people, and they found the same improvements in the patients. Kinda diminishes the whole field if you can just stick needles anywhere you feel like and get the same result.

So the needles themselves aren't bullshit, but the charts are? Huh. I kind of figured the charts were just where you could poke people without them feeling it.

 

[escapistraptor]

I used to agree with Hobbes and think that all humans were naturally evil, until I met my fiancee. The girl is too nice for her own good; she's wracked with guilt over everything bad she does and everything bad other people do. She's in grad school studying to be a minister right now (in a socially liberal hippie church, it's Obama's denomation, they marry the gays, so I'm alright with it despite my deism) and just went for mandatory psychological testing. In one of her tests she answered so selflessly to all the questions, that the computer program indicated that she was probably a criminal lying to try to seem like a good person.

 

[Wildrow12]

I once believed in journalistic integrity, that the truth in reporting matters more than simple circulation numbers.

Then, I looked around and now, much like Diogenes, I am desperately searching for an honest soul.

 

[Lonan]

There is right and wrong, there is good and bad, and there is God. Also, something you can justify is more true than if you can't find the words at the time (everyone else).

 

[Calatar]

I thought there was a German study that showed acupuncture to be effective? Not well understood, but with definite benefits.

There's been a fair bit of testing on it. There were benefits, but no greater benefits than a placebo effect. Being placed in a calm room and lying down for a while makes you relax. That's a benefit.
For the placebo test, they poked patients with needles in places that acupuncture doesn't tell you to poke people, and they found the same improvements in the patients. Kinda diminishes the whole field if you can just stick needles anywhere you feel like and get the same result.

So the needles themselves aren't bullshit, but the charts are? Huh. I kind of figured the charts were just where you could poke people without them feeling it.

The charts are not based on neurology, but on meridians. It has little bearing on where it will or won't hurt.
You misunderstand the study as a vindication of poking people with needles to make them feel better. It serves as an elaborate placebo. Perhaps actual physical stimulation does draw the mind away from other pain. But you cannot conclude from the study.
Other studies have shown it no more effective than prodding with toothpicks. So it likely is not the "needle" factor.

 

[deleted_scifidownbeat]

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[escapistraptor]

Oh! My dad recently found out that grapefruits were called that instead of "greatfruits". We asked him why he thought they were called greatfruits and he said "Because they taste great....."

He's 49

 

[Wildrow12]

I used to agree with Hobbes and think that all humans were naturally evil, until I met my fiancee. The girl is too nice for her own good; she's wracked with guilt over everything bad she does and everything bad other people do. She's in grad school studying to be a minister right now (in a socially liberal hippie church, it's Obama's denomation, they marry the gays, so I'm alright with it despite my deism) and just went for mandatory psychological testing. In one of her tests she answered so selflessly to all the questions, that the computer program indicated that she was probably a criminal lying to try to seem like a good person.

There are good people out there, Commander. The kind of people that seem to represent the best in human nature, and seem to be almost supernaturally endowed with compassion and empathy.

Some of us will have spent the sum total of our lives seeking such an individual. You are fortunate indeed.

 

[deleted_scifidownbeat]

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[WhoaItsBrett]

I went from Kindergarten, all the way up to 11th grade thinking Japan Was spelled "Japhan"
Because that how I was taught to spell it.

That, and I also Thought MTV actually played Music Videos.
That was until I finally got Cable and went to that channel.

Damn you Jersey Shore.

 

[Tdc2182]

I used to think I was the only real person in this world, and that the people around me were merely faulty cyborg AI's.

Same but I thought everyone was aliens, not robots.

God.

Oh wait, I never believed

Religion in the second post, Didn't think it would spark up that fast. If you are merely on here to troll religion than you can GTFO.

 

[Tdc2182]

what I get offended at is people that say God is a lie (despite there being as much proof that he DOES exist)

I really have to ask for a source on this one. God, until the concept is further defined, is a proposition that can nether be proven nor disproven. Even if It physically came down from the heavens, some people would still consider It mass hallucination or an alien. And you can't prove a negative, because there's always the possibility that It's out there and we just can't see It. Humanity has neither the perception nor the information to determine whether there was intent behind the creation of this universe. I used to be an atheist, but I think you cannot rule out such a nebulous concept as God entirely. It's presumptuous.

You cannot prove that He doesn't exist as much as you cannot prove that He does exist.

Easy... Religious stuff like this will get flamed really quick even though blindthrall phrased his comment in a very good way. Just best to leave it off the internet.