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Critical thinking and evaluating evidence

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We all evaluate different kinds of evidence when it comes to forming our beliefs and conclusions. Some of these types of evidence include:

- Intuition evidence
- Personal experience evidence
- Testimonials
- Appeals to authority
- Personal observations
- Case examples
- Research studies etc.

Would personal experience evidence be enough to alter your spiritual beliefs?

Let’s say hypothetically that you were diagnosed with an incurable terminal illness and after years of suffering you end up meeting a spiritual healer. He tells you that God will heal you if you follow the healing regimen you are presented with. So as a last resort you do the spiritual healing process and it works. Would this be enough evidence to make you re-evaluate your beliefs about God's existence? Would it be enough to alter them?

How much do you trust your personal experience evidence? Which type of evidence do you trust most?
 
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Rachel

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I think personal experience can make you re-evaluate your beliefs because now you have first hand experience of something that previously you only knew as a theory or possibility or didn't believe in at all. But there are also one time events. Personal observations can be valid because you can take in information scientifically through observation - the method of scientific inquiry is based on the use of technology but as a compliment to human faculties. I think intuitive evidence is plausible, although still subject to question/verification, if it is going to be used as proof. For both personal observations and intuitive evidence, there is that element of the personal or subjective which makes the knowledge learned from these methods questionable, since it depends on an individual and all but human perspective. E.g. S and N will take in different types of information and interpret what they see differently, so the information collected will vary.
 

Mole

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How much do you trust personal experience evidence?

We know that personal experience is immensely misleading. For instance, personal experience showed us every day that the Earth went round the Sun. And we believed this for 200,000 years.

But quite recently we have discovered that the Sun goes round the Earth.

And we have made similar discoveries in almost any field we care to name. Chemistry has replace alchemy. Astronomy has replaced astrology. Genetics has replaced creationism. The modern economics of Adam Smith have replaced the economics of usury. Modern medicine has replace sorcery. And liberal democracy has replace absolute power.

But perhaps our greatest discovery is the Scientific Method. And using the Scientific Method we gain reliable evidence, and also we are able to revise that evidence.

However MBTI is based purely on personal experience, and it is immensely misleading. Why, MBTI is even applied to dogs and cats.
 

The_Liquid_Laser

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How much do you trust your personal experience evidence?

Only a fool would dismiss their personal experience. However the interpretation of our experience can sometimes be wildly wrong.

Rather that dismiss our own experience we should be looking for the best possible explanation of our experience. Victor mentions the Earth revolving around the Sun. Copernicus' findings did not invalidate the experience of every person observing the Sun go around the Earth. The experience was exactly the same both before and after Copernicus. The difference is in the interpretation.

So if a person has some type of spiritual or mystical experience it would be a mistake to dismiss it. Instead the person should be examining (and reexamining) what that experience really means. But it can be a lengthy and difficult process to figure out what the meaning behind the mystery really is.
 

SolitaryWalker

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However MBTI is based purely on personal experience, and it is immensely misleading. Why, MBTI is even applied to dogs and cats.

My ISTJ cat thinks that you're wrong.
 

Stevo

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Let’s say hypothetically that you were diagnosed with an incurable terminal illness and after years of suffering you end up meeting a spiritual healer. He tells you that God will heal you if you follow the healing regimen you are presented with. So as a last resort you do the spiritual healing process and it works. Would this be enough evidence to make you re-evaluate your beliefs about God's existence? Would it be enough to alter them?

This situation would be a start. But I would need more, and consistent, evidence of the same sort in order to be convinced.
 

Magic Poriferan

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I put direct experience very low on the latter of relevant evidence.

The evidence I like the best is that which I attempt to draw the most meticulously from the rules of deduction and induction. Mathematical reasoning and scientific reasoning are beautiful things.

I will at times use appeal to authority, in case when I seem to have good reason to believe someone would know more about something than me and I simply lack the capacity for one reason or another to directly examine the subject myself. Appeals to authority can never stand alone as an argument, but they strengthen an argument if they accompany a stronger kind of reasoning.

The scenario you describe is very unlikely to change my mind about anything.
 

Blown Ghost

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Personal experience is the only kind. It sucks, but it's true. Everyone has a little schizophrenia in them, fortunately.
 
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Hi Victor. :)

We know that personal experience is immensely misleading. For instance, personal experience showed us every day that the Earth went round the Sun. And we believed this for 200,000 years.

But quite recently we have discovered that the Sun goes round the Earth.

I see where you're going with this, but can you really count this as personal experience evidence though? Wouldn't this just be more of a miscalculation or incorrect speculation since no one necessarily "experienced" anything that claimed that evidence to be true?

But perhaps our greatest discovery is the Scientific Method. And using the Scientific Method we gain reliable evidence, and also we are able to revise that evidence.

Very true, the Scientific Method is one of the greatest discoveries. I re-phrased the question because I was actually more curious about people's own personal experience evidence and how much they trust it. As oppossed to other people's personal experience in general. So how much do you trust your personal experience?

Only a fool would dismiss their personal experience. However the interpretation of our experience can sometimes be wildly wrong.

Exactly. I believe correct interpretation is key.

Rather that dismiss our own experience we should be looking for the best possible explanation of our experience. So if a person has some type of spiritual or mystical experience it would be a mistake to dismiss it. Instead the person should be examining (and reexamining) what that experience really means. But it can be a lengthy and difficult process to figure out what the meaning behind the mystery really is.

Very well said, couldn't agree more.

This situation would be a start. But I would need more, and consistent, evidence of the same sort in order to be convinced.

Fair enough. So do you think that if you received continuous evidence of the same sort that you would be able to come to a definitive conclusion as to God's existence?
 

Little_Sticks

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As strange as it might seem, I use all of that to evaluate things. And then when I reach a conclusion, I assume I'm wrong and try to prove why. If I can't prove it wrong, then I ask other people if they can find something wrong with my conclusion. If no one can, then I assume it to be true until proven false.

In the case of your example, just one instance or possibility of it not being true is enough to prove to me that such a belief isn't worth utilizing as a philosophy or force of reverence and meaning. Not that it isn't true though, but that because it can be shown to be unknown of whether or not it is true or false, I see no good reason to assume it is true. So I would keep it in mind and wonder, but be undecided in whether or not I believe in God.
 
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