Nagel

This gnu atheist and skeptic finds that Buddhism, whilst Buddha himself speaks as a rationalist, calling for skepticism, Buddhism has its supernatural superstition in finding devas- godings and reincarnation. No evidence exists for either; both contradict science. Now, having no Primary Cause, it is atheistic, but with those devas- adeistic: they don’t impinge on Nature as the Epicurean gods don’t. It matters for us full skeptics to have evidence for claims. Claims for supernature require extraordinary evidence, as William, Kingdon Clifford notes, we should proportion our beliefs according to the evidence. This contrary to Keith Ward and William James doesn’t prevent our acting: we act but take into account new knowledge as knowledge is ever tentative our best , and we build on the conservation-background- of knowledge . Should we be incredulous about a claim, ti’s not because of the argument f rom personal incredulity but rather from this conservation.

We full skeptics find no case for the Hindu caste system. We find no evidence for Hindu miracles and find that the fakirs- magicians dupe others. We find no evidence for reincarnation. The evidence quite simply notes that when our axons and neurons die, our memories die, and we find no evidence for any mechanism Deus ex machina supernatural agency to save our memories.

We find no evidence that Muhammad rose to Heaven on that horse or split the Moon into two. We find no evidence for supernatural inspiration of the Qur’an but rather evidence that he had epileptic fits that caused his beliefs thus I call his superstition Muhammad’s Fits.

We skeptics have open but not credulous minds, proceeding to use our conservation of knowledge. Reason removes mountains of ignorance whilst faith rests on the arguments from personal incredulity and from ignorance. Without its many logical fallacies, supernaturalism could not go ahead! ” Logic is the bane of theists.”

We skeptics find that miracles always have natural causes. Thus, the Vatican and others blaspheme reason and-humanity by declaring miracles!

We find that the paranormal is the twin of the supernatural, what Paul Kurtz,leading skeptic and naturalist, calls ” The Transcendental Temptation,” a must read book! Paranormalists ever rationalize that when we skeptics run tests, that we interfere with the paranormal so that it cannot work! And the superstitious have their rationalizations for prayer. Answered prayers are just post hoc- coincidences whilst unanswered ones let people deny the obvious.

As no sojourn in Egypt and no Exodus happened, then no MOses existed,yet I call Judaism- Moses’s Folly!

What is your take on the supernatural and the paranormal? How do we combat those two superstitions? Any dissent?