Posted by Robert O'Brien on July 10, 1998 at 02:18:23:
In Reply to: Appeal to authority posted by Not an authority on July 09, 1998 at 12:32:04:
: : Heisenberg, Bohr, and Schrodinger et al were theists to the last (odd how all the greatest thinkers have been theists, isn't it?)
: An appeal to authority is a lame argument even if you had your facts right. All the greatest thinkers don't believe in your personal god.
First of all, while I would say that appeals to authority do not win arguments, they are not "lame." The reason why atheists like to pound on this one so much is because they lack what we have in the way of great thinkers. So, of course they are rabid when it comes to this "fallacy." Also, I fully realize that not all of the greatest thinkers believed or believe in a personal God, but that was not my point. I used the term theist in the sense of anyone who believes in a "Higher Power" and not in the conventional sense. Finally, if I truly believed that these men were the know all and end all of knowledge, I would choose the greatest mind among them (Newton) and adhere to all of his beliefs. Clearly, that is not the case, as I have shown with my faith declarations. I realize that these men, however great, were still men just like us.
: : If I'm wrong (which I'm not) concerning the existence of God, then at least I'm in good company.
: Sounds like you have your mind made up and wouldn't change your opinion if the facts dictate otherwise.
You better believe it. Liefer had I die than abandon my belief in God. However, the evidence rests on my side of the fence, so I have nothing to fear.
Robert O'Brien