Thought of the day

[Nirvana Starseed]

That many people can't be wrong, can they? Well according to this theory, If you consider how many people buy and smoke cigarettes you have to conclude that smoking is "right" because alot of people do it, so alot of people must be right. I bet many of you could come up with examples of masses of people being wrong. Time and time again. I think we can all agree that the statement "that many people can't be wrong" is false. If this statement is false no one can ever use it against me again! Saying that is what alot of people think, yeah well alot of people clearly can be wrong, And very wrong. This goes for science, religion, history, mathematics, and anything else that we may debate about.

[Lucius]

Its not that smokers think smoking is good for you..they just don't care its bad for you =P But still..you're right in a way, if a majority says something that doesn't make it 'right' or 'true'....then again, what does? However, this doesn't have anything to do with dreaming..and, I don't know exactly where to put it but I'm sticking it in philosofy for now, because I guess you are referring to your debates.. If any other mod things I'm wrong feel free to correct me.

[Merlock]

Well science and religion don't come to exist when "tons of people say the same thing". That was the deal with mythology and such. Religion and science start with some sort of "proof". Like, in religion (apparently) people recieve messages from their god and what not, their prophets recieve them, the people recieve answers to prayers (so they claim) and so on. Thus, many people are religious. In science - likewise. Scientists (we all know the most well known scientists, there are a ton of them from Newton to Einstein and so many more) discover things and "prove" them. Thus, many people adhere to the laws set by science. So, overall, religion and science isn't deemed right because lots of people adhere to it but the other way around: many people adhere to them because of some sort of "proof" or factors that make them do so.

[Revero]

Actually, only science is based on "proof". Religion might start from people having unusual experiences they interpret as divine, but there really isn't any proof behind it. Religions are based on faith instead. If there were such proof, then there would be a set of basic religious theories accepted by the vast majority of the religious community. Instead we see a plethora of mutually incompatible sets of ideas. They can't even agree on the fundamentals of the things that religion is supposed to explain: how many deities there are if any, what if anything happens after death, where the universe came from, etc. The fact that everybody's religious beliefs, and even the beliefs of atheists such as myself, are incompatible with the beliefs of most everybody else, is evidence that the majority of people are just plain wrong when it comes to religion. No matter which religion is right, or if none of them are right, it's evident that most people just can't be right about this. A similar argument could be made regarding political beliefs. And of course we can point to historical examples when most people were wrong about something. There was a time when most people thought that the world was flat, that diseases were caused by evil spirits, that continents didn't move, that societies couldn't function without a monarch, etc.

[AirRick101]

I don't know your exact motivation for posting this, but it has a point. "That many people can't be wrong." You might as well point this to religion. Just because there are so many believers does not make them right, just because they convert millions doesn't mean they are right. Same applies to nonbelievers (who actually believe various things, not just one creed) Now, the interesting example is this....Jesus's resurrection depends heavily on the eyewitness account of hundreds...now, "they can't be wrong, can they?"

[Krrish]

“Are you sure you are right? Quite, quite sure? Being 'right' closes doors On other people's 'rights' Who thinks you are wrong, Even as you believe they Are wrong. There's never just one right. There are as many rights As there are people, And just as many wrongs. Keep the doors of your mind open So the rights and wrongs and in-betweens Can pass through freely. Among such floatsam and jetsam Of knowledge and beliefs Can be found a precious gem Beyond all rights and wrongs The center of cosmic truth.........."

[kimpossible]

That would be stunningly deep if the lie were not provided by objective fact. Fact is fact regardless of the observers point of view or interpretation of the fact.

[Jrels]

It cannot be said that science could be wrong. Sure there are some unproven theories in science, but the doctrines of all sciences can be proven to every man with examples found in the world around us. I think it will forever be fruitless to compare religious faith to conventional science. They are natural enemies which are best left seperate.

[Placebo]

Eat grass - millions of sheep and goats can't be wrong! Yeah, I agree. Time and time again the masses follow the norm, because, well, 'they can't all be wrong!'

[AirRick101]

But this does not mean the minority is correct either. I'd prefer to not be on the side of people who claim to have been abducted by UFO's.

[InTheMoment]

Originally posted by Placebo Eat grass - millions of sheep and goats can't be wrong! Yeah, I agree. Time and time again the masses follow the norm, because, well, 'they can't all be wrong!' LOL...that reminds me of something similiar, I saw once: