TED Community » Francois Boisvert

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I'm passionate about

Magic, Psychology, Education, Philosophy, theology, astronomy

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Anything you feel you know something about.

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• TEDCred score: +4.00 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• A reply on Theme: Is There a God?

  Aug 27 2010: Indeed not Kathy, but when you explicitly claim «if you have questions, have at it» It does tend to imply that you are willing to answer questions, which you have not thus far. I would also like to know on what grounds you hypothesize all this unknown mysticism in the world.
  
  Making statements like «My truth is my own» puts you in a very bad place epistemologically. How is it that reality differs for you than for others? What grounds do you have for even speaking of a soul?
  
  By the way, with regards to your last sentence. I doubt Harald is laughing at you for what you know. He is laughing at you for what you PRETEND to know, often in spite of evidence to the contrary. Telling a neurochemist you have emotions in your heart is not a very good way to establish credibility or be treated seriously. You have a poetic disposition of life, and I applaud that. But that won't serve you very much in a factual discussion.
  Is there a God or not? And how do you know?
• +4

  A reply on Talk: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy: Inside a school for suicide bombers

  May 26 2010: «When you say "Muslims" isn't that generalizing the whole issue.»
  I often disagree with this comment, but in this case I think it's absolutely right. In fact, I found very little to disagree with in the statements you made. Except for the Genocide one: What about East Timor? The Armenian Genocide? Mao? Pol Pot?
  But yes it`s clear the bible and Christianity in general probably prolonged the Dark Ages, much like the Qu'ran is being used to keep the people of the Middle East from fully embracing science and modernity.
  It's also clear that women have been and are still victimized by Christianity just as they are by Islam and probably most religions, which is a testament to their human origins. The point is not to say «oh! but he did it too!», as if someone else's crime excused my own. The point is to ask «Is this right?». If it isn't, then I shouldn't be doing it and I don't see why I would be defending the people who do it.

• A reply on Talk: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy: Inside a school for suicide bombers

  May 26 2010: Finally, regarding «Can we please look into our own societies...». Sharmeen is Pakistani, she IS looking into her own society, fighting for the rights of the people in her own society. So isn't what she's doing fair game even according to your own rules?
  
  Further are you an American yourself? If you are not, according to your logic, what right do you have to criticize American society?
  But I'll even one up you on that, and I think you might even agree with me about the following : Increasingly, our civilization is globalizing. As such what goes on in the US directly affects me in Canada, just as what happens in Tehran tomorrow could impact peoples lives in a different city across the planet. We are becoming one society because of television and the internet and aviation and economic benefits and son on. Given this logic, these kids are from your society. Now are you willing to help them, or do you think what is happening to them is ok?

• A reply on Talk: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy: Inside a school for suicide bombers

  May 26 2010: Ben - Yes, you`re right Ben, what right do we have to tell people they shouldn't kidnap kids and brainwash them to blow them up?
  The message you're trying to get across (clean your own house first...) is one that I agree with. In this context however I think it's profoundly irresponsible, given the multitude of Human Rights violations.
  As for your comment about Americans being exactly as bad in the same way, if you seriously think the problems in American politics are just as bad as kidnapping kids and beating them and denying them food and education and then sending them to blow themselves up in a crowd of innocent people then you're free to think that. It's just hard to take that kind of opinion seriously.
  The US has plenty of things we can criticize, but you're not comparing like with like.
  
  (continued)

• A reply on Theme: Is There a God?

  Nov 15 2009: 1. Had your parents been Muslim, do you think you would also be a Muslim?
  2. This makes this a bit more complicated, the purpose of that question was to narrow down your beliefs regarding certain peripheral doctrines (immaculate conception and such). I guess we'll get to those if they pertain to the discussion.
  5. I'm not familiar with any Biblical passages claim Jesus to be God, could you point me to some? What about the 'Father why have you forsaken me?" line? I think this will be the source of many questions on my part.
  6. The story is immaterial? What does that mean? It occurred outside the material universe?
  7. Not if you don't want to, no. There is a point to the question though I assure you.
  8. Hurray!

• A reply on Theme: Is There a God?

  Nov 13 2009: 1. How similar are your religious beliefs to those of your parents?
  2. What kind of Christian are you and do your beliefs depart from those of your denomination in any way? If so, how?
  3. What do you know about the origins of the Bible?
  4. Does your God intervene in the world? If so does he do so directly or indirectly?
  5. Is Jesus the Son of your God or is he God or is it something in between?
  6. Do you believe the story of Adam and Eve to be true or fictional? If you believe it to be true, whenabouts in historical time did it occur?
  7. If we ever encounter alien life, do you think Christ will also have gone to their planet?
  8. Finally, (for now), you claim that this God has spoken to you personally. I'd love to hear you expand on this, can you describe the voice? Was it male? How loud was it? Did anyone else hear it? How can you be sure it was in fact a God? What did it say? How can you be sure the origin of that voice is also responsible for creating the universe?

• A reply on Theme: Is There a God?

  Nov 13 2009: Wesley, I asked you to present the reasons why you believed a God called Yahwheh had created the Universe. If the reasons you stated earlier are irrelevant to your beliefs, why are we discussing them?
  
  And why is it that when you say 'we are in agreement' and I respond by highlighting how we are actually not, you go on to repeat that we do agree? I don't know what, if anything, happened before the Big Bang, furthermore, I claim you couldn't possibly know either, and yet you claim you do. I'd say that's a pretty fundamental disagreement.
  
  Setting that to one side, I'll ask some questions. Now I don't want to make you uncomfortable so don't feel bad if you'd rather not answer a specific question.

• A reply on Theme: Is There a God?

  Nov 13 2009: Wesley, i'm afraid Morgan is correct, he is under no burden to prove anything for the simple reason that you are the one making the positive claim. The burden of proof is ALWAYS on the person making the claim that something exists. Replace God with any other mythical concept and you will quickly realize why this is so.
  You're saying something exists, you demonstrate its existence.

• A reply on Theme: Is There a God?

  Nov 2 2009: I hope you're still around Wesley, Ted sort of slipped out of my mind for a while and I forgot about this conversation.
  
  If you're still here and willing to continue this conversation, perhaps you would be willing to answer a few questions for me. I would be glad to extend you the same courtesy if you have any questions for me, especially if you're willing to discuss your religious experience.
  
  I simply wanted to close the topic of origins first by stating that I'm not so sure we're in agreement. I would say 'we currently can't explain what happened before or even exactly at the big bang'. At first glance you might be tempted to agree with my position, but then if we don't know, why are you saying you do?
  
  Anyway, i'm happy to move on to a different topic. Shall it be questions or did you want to mention something specific?

• A reply on Theme: Is There a God?

  Nov 2 2009: Alright Teru, let's look at your 'logical proof'. You should be aware that the very argument you give is often used to illustrate a logical fallacy of structure. Let's replace your statements by different statements with the same structure.
  4. All living things have living tissues
  4'.All chickens have feathers
  
  5. The earth has living tissues
  5'.Arrows have feathers
  
  6. Therefore the earth is a living thing
  6'.Therefore arrows are chickens
  
  Does 6 really follow from 4 and 5? This is one of several problems with your syllogism, items 1, 3, 7 and 9 are either undemonstrated or false. I'm sorry I think you'll have to go back to work on this one, this 'logical proof' is actually not one, at all.