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jberryhill

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38. But that's not really the claim

Thu Jul 16, 2015, 11:56 PM

Jul 2015

The claim is one of relative expertise.

Now, I have never read the Harry Potter novels.

There are people who are completely absorbed in them. They certainly know, much better than I, the rules of the non-existent game of quiddich.

There are people who have an extensive knowledge of the Klingon language. Do you?

Neither Harry Potter nor Klingons are real - they are entirely imaginary. However, there are certainly people with advanced expertise in those subjects, just as there are experts in any number of fictional things.

Who is better to understand the character of MacBeth? You or a chair of Shakespeare studies at some university?

Now, on the subject of Tibetan Buddhist faith and practice, the Dalai Lama is certainly the highest authority.

It's like arguing with Bob Dylan over the meaning of the lyrics to one of his own songs.

One can certainly be an expert in something fictional or otherwise the product of human imagination.

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This message was self-deleted by its author [View all] uhnope Jul 2015 OP

No one "knows about reincarnation" DavidDvorkin Jul 2015 #1

Faith doesn't require base. tymorial Jul 2015 #2

True. gcomeau Jul 2015 #4

Yeo claiming superior understanding... zeemike Jul 2015 #12

There is only one reality DavidDvorkin Jul 2015 #13

So you know what reality is then? zeemike Jul 2015 #16

The understanding of reality that science has built DavidDvorkin Jul 2015 #18

Solid evidence of the big bang? zeemike Jul 2015 #20

It is a model used to explain the data DavidDvorkin Jul 2015 #21

And reincarnation is the model that explains their data. zeemike Jul 2015 #24

Reincarnation is the model that explains their faith. Not data. progressoid Jul 2015 #28

That's my point, you are unaware. zeemike Jul 2015 #43

There is no data Gore1FL Jul 2015 #88

Well known by who? zeemike Jul 2015 #89

There is supportive data or there is not. Gore1FL Jul 2015 #96

Well there is more supporting data for the theory of reincarnation zeemike Jul 2015 #98

Please provide a credible link to an example of some of your data on reincarnation. Thanks. Gore1FL Jul 2015 #103

And the key word is credible. zeemike Jul 2015 #105

There is no credible data Gore1FL Jul 2015 #117

huh? Warren Stupidity Jul 2015 #119

It is not an argument it is skepticism that we know all about things. zeemike Jul 2015 #120

What is your evidence? Some dude remembers being King Tut in a previous life? Arugula Latte Jul 2015 #123

Like I said in this same subthread, ridicule does not shame me like you think it does zeemike Jul 2015 #128

Again, you've provided zero evidence. Arugula Latte Jul 2015 #129

And that is all you will get from me. zeemike Jul 2015 #131

Huh, there's plenty of supporting evidence of black holes. cemaphonic Jul 2015 #149

That's a theory not a fact. zeemike Jul 2015 #150

Ah, the "just a theory" argument cemaphonic Jul 2015 #156

Well we know a theory is not the same as a fact. zeemike Jul 2015 #157

you sound like the Chinese Communists during the rape of Tibet uhnope Jul 2015 #25

I guess this childish response is the best you can do. DavidDvorkin Jul 2015 #32

that's it? That's the response of the supposedly rational atheist? uhnope Jul 2015 #34

Sometimes, dismissal is the only reasonable response to irrational nonsense. DavidDvorkin Jul 2015 #37

Sometimes, dismissal is the only reasonable response to irrational nonsense. AlbertCat Jul 2015 #45

then you're dismissed uhnope Jul 2015 #69

It's pretty pathetic that you dismiss the well-studied expansion of the universe Arugula Latte Jul 2015 #122

Well what to me is pathetic is group think and hero worship. zeemike Jul 2015 #126

Wow. Arugula Latte Jul 2015 #127

The big bang is nonsense people pulled out of their ass to create a myth of creation zeemike Jul 2015 #130

I observe that your response is to criticize data presented on the Big Bang brooklynite Jul 2015 #136

The data is not evidence of the big bang. zeemike Jul 2015 #139

The fact still remains... brooklynite Jul 2015 #140

I keep telling you, I am not trying to prove reincarnation. zeemike Jul 2015 #142

A trite cliche brooklynite Jul 2015 #146

And yet the extraordinary claim of the big bang and black holes. zeemike Jul 2015 #147

Not, no evidence...evidence you appear to disregard. brooklynite Jul 2015 #148

There can be no evidence of something that happened many billion years ago. zeemike Jul 2015 #153

The big bang theory was first proposed by a Jesuit priest cemaphonic Jul 2015 #151

No I think he was trying to explain the creation myth. zeemike Jul 2015 #154

Ah, yes...the "you weren't there" argument...lately espoused by the scholarly Ken Ham... brooklynite Jul 2015 #155

"Science has become dogmatic and lost the ablity to discover." Wouldn't it be more correct to say Cal33 Jul 2015 #143

Well I stand corrected...of course you are right. zeemike Jul 2015 #145

your dreams won't make sense except in the dream world bjobotts Jul 2015 #47

Everyone has their 'own' reality. Sunlei Jul 2015 #55

Only in the sense that DavidDvorkin Jul 2015 #67

... Surya Gayatri Jul 2015 #57

You're confusing the limits of presence knowledge DavidDvorkin Jul 2015 #66

Only one reality? My laugh for the day. Bishop Berkeley would beg to differ. Hekate Jul 2015 #93

I have Jonathan Swift on my side DavidDvorkin Jul 2015 #95

The great satirist never claimed there was only one reality, nor that he knew it. Hekate Jul 2015 #97

Do you have reason to think that he thought otherwise? DavidDvorkin Jul 2015 #99

Berkeley was a freaking nut job. Warren Stupidity Jul 2015 #102

Nope. gcomeau Jul 2015 #14

What evidence would you consider empirical in reincarnation? zeemike Jul 2015 #19

You have a really low standard for evidence wheniwasincongress Jul 2015 #40

Well it is their standard of evidence that matters not mine. zeemike Jul 2015 #46

Is that you, Jeb Bush? wheniwasincongress Jul 2015 #60

Ah yes, the inevitable you must be one of them. zeemike Jul 2015 #62

Like the monks haven't thought of that. So easily fooled huh bjobotts Jul 2015 #48

I love how people are as emphatic about this being hooey as supporters are that its true. roguevalley Jul 2015 #56

The party making the claim wheniwasincongress Jul 2015 #58

I don't love how people never seem to comprehend burden of proof. gcomeau Jul 2015 #65

I love how people are as emphatic about this being hooey as supporters are that its true. AlbertCat Jul 2015 #83

Yes. wheniwasincongress Jul 2015 #59

Which is precisely what's wrong with it FiveGoodMen Jul 2015 #72

Then it wouldn't be faith. tymorial Jul 2015 #75

Which is why faith has nothing to do with truth FiveGoodMen Jul 2015 #78

Linking faith with psychological disorder. how original. tymorial Jul 2015 #144

But that's not really the claim jberryhill Jul 2015 #38

Fair enough DavidDvorkin Jul 2015 #44

A post where one sentence contradicts the other. former9thward Jul 2015 #84

In related news... gcomeau Jul 2015 #3

Hah! DavidDvorkin Jul 2015 #6

Why anyone listens to this guy, I'll never know. arcane1 Jul 2015 #5

Because china is trying to hijack their faith christx30 Jul 2015 #9

Not hijack, modern day destruction of a culture. like a 21st century Rape of Nanking or Formosa Sunlei Jul 2015 #53

i agree - people say 'The Dali Lama says' like the guy's EF Hutton HFRN Jul 2015 #77

can you atheists who mimic the Communist rapers of Tibet please go away from this thread nt uhnope Jul 2015 #7

Good luck with that Peacetrain Jul 2015 #11

IMO, I do not think ithelps any 'cause' to make 'atheists' into a Disparagement word Sunlei Jul 2015 #54

not all atheists... the bitter and irrational ones on this thread. uhnope Jul 2015 #70

mimic the Communist rapers AlbertCat Jul 2015 #82

Mimic in words. The same things said by the Communist Chinese that invaded Tibet uhnope Jul 2015 #86

It's a really shitty place for the atheists to make a stand. AlbertCat Jul 2015 #87

You're starting to sound kinda bitter and irrational Major Nikon Jul 2015 #106

see post #104 AKA WIYFP? uhnope Jul 2015 #107

I already did and it was hilarious Major Nikon Jul 2015 #108

good. keep yr hate on yr own thread uhnope Jul 2015 #109

You are proving the point brilliantly Major Nikon Jul 2015 #116

He lost me when he became a media darling. ananda Jul 2015 #8

Like you followed him before that huh. lol bjobotts Jul 2015 #49

He's doing that for a reason. christx30 Jul 2015 #85

Hmm ananda Jul 2015 #100

If you are speaking about the Dalai Lama truebluegreen Jul 2015 #111

interesting that he suggests the title might end when he dies Chiquitita Jul 2015 #10

How can there be TWO Dalai Lamas? Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2015 #15

Easy!... TeeYiYi Jul 2015 #17

Surprised you didn't go with this... Spitfire of ATJ Jul 2015 #23

Kicked and recommended. Uncle Joe Jul 2015 #22

I suppose you didn't know the Buddha, himself, was an atheist. Warpy Jul 2015 #26

You sound like a Chinese Communist! progressoid Jul 2015 #30

How absurd. DavidDvorkin Jul 2015 #33

It's the expectations I tell you.What did u expect bjobotts Jul 2015 #50

The Chinese won't choose the new DL directly candelista Jul 2015 #27

his full message is very interesting restorefreedom Jul 2015 #29

Kind of hard to not talk about religion in a post about religion. progressoid Jul 2015 #42

true, but i got the impression restorefreedom Jul 2015 #61

The buddist system of reincarnation is rather opressive Lordquinton Jul 2015 #31

The idea of "deserves" completely misunderstands the concept. uhnope Jul 2015 #36

It simplifies it Lordquinton Jul 2015 #79

spoken like the Lord of the Rats. Sunlei Jul 2015 #52

So you don't want china out of tibet? Lordquinton Jul 2015 #80

If you read the OP, I'm not seeing where reincarnation is oppressive - you are in control Hestia Jul 2015 #63

Ok, but Auschwitz Lordquinton Jul 2015 #81

Anyone pretending to know about reincarnation is pretending. Throd Jul 2015 #35

Anyone who knows about Harry Potter is likewise pretending jberryhill Jul 2015 #41

Thank you! LokiandMala Jul 2015 #39

I wish China would get out of Tibet & the Dalai Lama could go home, that is their homeland Sunlei Jul 2015 #51

Yeah, their mindset is generations, where we think decades. They play the long game n/t Hestia Jul 2015 #64

I gotcher next Dalai Lama right here ... JustABozoOnThisBus Jul 2015 #68

ROFLMAO at the update snooper2 Jul 2015 #71

tenets of atheism uhnope Jul 2015 #73

Oh please... uriel1972 Jul 2015 #90

Have you noticed that people who believe in reincarnation... brooklynite Jul 2015 #74

Have you ever been to India? NobodyHere Jul 2015 #91

Yes. brooklynite Jul 2015 #110

if he's claiming copyright infringement, he'd better get in line HFRN Jul 2015 #76

China is enacting cultural genocide on the Tibetans, without a doubt. I don't understand how... Hekate Jul 2015 #92

THANK YOU ntt uhnope Jul 2015 #94

Bitter atheists are the best! Warren Stupidity Jul 2015 #101

would you slam Judaism as a religion on a thread about the Holocaust? uhnope Jul 2015 #104

your thread is about reincarnation. Warren Stupidity Jul 2015 #113

With Karma, you may come back next time ... JustABozoOnThisBus Jul 2015 #114

I suppose we are bitter atheists because of some horrible misdeeds in former lives. Warren Stupidity Jul 2015 #115

Vermin! Vermin, I tell you! Arugula Latte Jul 2015 #124

Just a couple things, or maybe three... truebluegreen Jul 2015 #112

It's one thing to recognize there are a lot of things we don't yet know. Arugula Latte Jul 2015 #125

According to current scientific knowledge. truebluegreen Jul 2015 #134

To The Dalai Lama Wolf Frankula Jul 2015 #118

truly sucky post uhnope Jul 2015 #132

China Freed Tibet Wolf Frankula Jul 2015 #133

... NuclearDem Jul 2015 #135

so genocide = freedom uhnope Jul 2015 #141

No one knows about reincarnation ozone_man Jul 2015 #121

Now WAIT a minuite... brooklynite Jul 2015 #137

That dime was Hitler in a previous life. NuclearDem Jul 2015 #138

Tibet is being occupied for its natural resources. It is a good the the U.S. wouldn't think of still_one Jul 2015 #152