US... the day is coming, please

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by queequeger

Things we CAN'T know are precisely are what we need to avoid making definite decisions about.

As opposed to the things we CAN know... because historically, we've got such a good track record with all the things we thought we knew for sure, right? Making "definite decisions" should not be the immediate goal for either science or religion (though obviously not everyone agrees with me as many faiths are more obstinate and foolishly dogmatic in the face of evidence.) It's about striving to understand. Humans ultimately don't know shit, through science or faith. We do the best we can. A person who is completely unwilling to consider seemingly unlikely possibilities for the unknown (how's that quantum mechanics thing working out?) is no better than a fundamentalist who puts an ancient book on the same pedestal.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

A person who is completely unwilling to consider seemingly unlikely possibilities for the unknown...

But what is there to consider when the subject is unknowable? What criteria do you use to choose among the countless premade possibilities and the uncountable ones yet to be made up?

Most people pick the one their parents picked, most of whom did the same, and so on. Some pick one that makes them feel good. Some, in response to guilt, pick one that makes them feel bad in the right way. Some pick one based on friends. Some pick one based on a charismatic spokesman. Some make up their own.

Before you can "consider seemingly unlikely possibilities for the unknown", you have to decide what criteria you have available that actually indicates truth. None of the above criteria are considered to be particularly accurate for anything but religion, and I see no need to consider them more accurate in another area, just because in that area they can't be proven wrong.