Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!galileo.cc.rochester.edu!uhura.cc.rochester.edu!dr007d
From: dr007d@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (David Rowland)
Subject: Re: TO BELIEVE OR NOT TO BELIEVE?
Message-ID: <1995May2.201922.8948@galileo.cc.rochester.edu>
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Organization: University of Rochester - Rochester, New York
References: <921@desc.dla.mil>
Date: Tue, 2 May 95 20:19:22 GMT
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In <921@desc.dla.mil> erw2164 (Henry Freeman) writes:



>To whom it may concern,

>	Why not just let people believe whatever they want to believe.  If person
>A does believe in God - fine.  If person B doesn't believe in God - fine, great.
>If person C believes that tiny bits of green paper is king master of the
>universe - even better.  Everyone has their own personal beliefs.  The keyword
>here is *personal*!  It doesn't make you any less of a human being if you
>have views/beliefs different than anyone elses.  

>Best,


	I agree with you here Henry. People do have that right. But, we are
arguing about truth and consistency, etc. If I present an argument that
"God does not exist." that in no way impinges on anyone's right to believe
the opposite. Furthermore, belief influences actions, and seriously strange
beliefs can sound convincing and encourage dangerous and deadly
actions--case in point, Oklahoma City. So, I think arguing over beliefs is
necessary and crucial for functioning in a community that doesn't want to
allow anyone to do whatever they want.

Dave
>Henry Freeman
>(hfreeman@desc.dla.mil)

>---------------------------------
>"Joan of Arc heard voices, too."

>			- Shanti Goldstein
>---------------------------------



>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>erw2164 sends (Henry Freeman)...

