Irrational beliefs

YOU CAN'T PROVE A NEGATIVE

Scientists have long been frustrated with religious beliefs because the very concept of “faith” requires believing something regardless of “evidence”. No matter how much evidence is presented regarding the gradual evolution of species from common ancestry, science cannot prove to bible believers that there is no God. It's a little like the problems with proving that there is no life on Mars to scientists … even landing a robot to send back live pictures will not satisfy those who truly “believe.” If they have found no evidence, it must be because the robot is not sensitive enough so another robot will have to be designed. Or perhaps the whole concept of life-form will have to be redefined! The truth is that a negative statement cannot be proved – only doubted or believed. This is the reason that humans can be deceived over and over and over again. Anyone can claim the existence of the most bizarre imagination and no one can prove them wrong.

Reality, on the other hand, exists regardless of belief or doubt. Science itself is a constant investigation of physical reality, using impartial evidence and rigorous testing of any theory before it is commonly accepted, much like what is supposed to happen in a courtroom trial. What truly exists, what truly happens, and what truly causes the myriad interactions in the universe adds up to Reality, and there can be seven billion different opinions about what is true, but the truth doesn't change. In my opinion, false and misleading statements are the root of all human confusion, and people who rewrite history, lie under oath, teach absurdity to innocent minds or use others as scapegoats to hide their own avarice and greed should be convicted and silenced. The whole concept of free speech is to allow everyone access to information and understanding, and people who have quiet wisdom to share are being drowned out by the noise of gibberish and hate.

The world today is being threatened by a financial system that is trying to borrow its way out of debt, governments that insist on peace by military conquest, nuclear power regulators that claim that Fukushima is under control (no harm done), and a host of religious peacocks strutting the stage and anticipating a triumphant appearance of a savior. I think that they are all wrong, but there is no way to prove a negative.