Its not just seen, cannot be detected by any known means. Our world has hundreds if not thousands of physical properties we can detect and measure. Ghosts, healing crystals, psychics, telekenetics, dowsing, have all consistently failed to perform under controlled circumstances.
Note the second line on the top of this page, right under the words “The Straight Dope”. Some of us take it more seriously than others. Seeking information about something that we cannot prove exists sets off alot of flares especially if someone phrases it like a factual concept.
Just as an example, I am an athiest. I have no problem with the concept that there was a man named Jesus, from Nazareth, who had alot of mostly good ideas about how we should treat our fellow man. This would require little imagination or proof, good people are all over, some of them have good ideas.
When you start on the son of god/is god/heaven/hell/fire and brimstone/judgement day/carved his story on some gold plates/chosen people stuff you lose me unless you have some pretty convincing evidence.
With the evidence available, just about everyones oddball idea can suddenly become credible and a well developed and presented story could be confused with reality like the old “war of the worlds” panic.
Illogical and or poorly supported beliefs are often signs of poor decision making and critical thinking skills.
It hurts me when people like that run for mayor, get hired as my boss, become my accountant, babysit my children, perform surgical procedures on me, defend me in court, write my insurance policies, etc.
Not everyone has good decision making skills. Would you vote for a mayor who claimed he regularly holds council with 3 previous mayors whos ghosts regularly visit his office when his “psychic advisor” visits. Many people who share a belief in ghosts would consider this a sign that he is somehow more “attuned” to the spirit world and would be a superior candidate for mayor, when in reality the mayors “psychic advisor” is making more policy than the mayor is.
Poor decision makers affect all of us avery day, car accidents, bounced checks, bankruptcies, fires, business failures, spreading contagious disease, the list goes on.
What’s your point? Nobody’s beliefs are interfering with your life, either, yet you seem to be investing considerable time and energy into debating them.
It is harming *me *because she is teaching it to school children in North Carolina, and I *live *in North Carolina. I have a vested interest in the next generation of citizens not being superstitious idiots. She should be ashamed of herself.
You obvioulsly haven’t been paying attention. I have not debated anyone’s “beliefs”. I just wanted, (and am still waiting), for someone to tell me why it has to be black or white? Why can’t there be a grey area?
Contrapuntal, you are correct. I must have missed where she said she was teaching about ghosts. Beliefs should not be taught in schools, no matter what the subject.
I’m just guessing here, because I don’t know her. But, judging by the tittle of the thread, she wanted opinions on ghosts. Not, on her or anyone else’s chatacter, mentality, intelligence or lack of critical thinking skills.
As a teacher, I am wary of telling pupils to ‘believe’ about things. There is evidence for gravity, Moon landings and the existence of aliens somewhere in the Universe.
The reason that I and other sceptics are concerned about teaching things like ghosts, UFOs and dowsing is that there is no evidence.
I would believe in anything there is evidence for.
I believe I can press keys on my computer and that my message will be sent around the world at the speed of light.
I believe I can stick food in a microwave and invisible rays will heat it.
I believe the longest forced win in chess takes 243 moves.
However whenever a ghost is investigated scientifically, there is nothing to be seen.
I am not going to add ghosts to my belief system until evidence turns up.
Similarly I don’t believe in dragons, despite the fact they appear in many cultures worldwide.
Do you believe in dragons? If not, why not?
It does upset me when people make money out of psychic readings, homoeopathy, perpetual motion machines, exorcisms etc.
Well there certainly are grey areas.
We don’t know the exact fundamental structure of matter, or where ‘dark matter’ in the Universe is, or how exactly the brain functions, or how fast computers can eventually be made to work.
However we have some knowledge of all these subjects. We can make successful predictions nd know where to investigate next.
The problem with ghosts is that none has ever been observed under scientific conditions. There are many reports, but whenever they are investigated, nothing appears.
The same is true of alternative medicine and dragons.
How long do you wait when something has always failed to turn up before deciding it probably doesn’t exist?
Which is exactly why I don’t believe in ghost. But, I’m willing to consider the possibility that one day, someone will have proof either of the exitence or non-existence. Hence, the grey area.
All she got was opinions on ghosts. The “skeptics” in this thread are not the ones who started accusing people of being closed-minded and making insinusations about character.
Because it’s impossible. It’s not about something that MIGHT exist but just hasn’t been found. It’s about something that cannot POSSIBLY exist in accordance with natural laws. Do you think that people can fly by flapping their arms? Do you think there’s any possibility at all or do you think it’s a question with a “grey area?”
Ghosts, if anything, are even more impossible than that.
My first post was not criticizing anyone specificly. As far as I know, this is the first time I’ve encountered any of you, so how could I have been referring to YOU?
Diogenes the Cynic to call yourself a skeptic is wrong. I am a skeptic. YOU are a non-believer.
Unless I have completely misread all of your posts, there is not an ounce of doubt in your opinion, on this subject.
