CCC comments on How to Convince Me That 2 + 2 = 3 - Less Wrong

52 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 27 September 2007 11:00PM

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Comment author: Lauryn 22 March 2013 06:32:43PM 0 points [-]

Well, I should have specified- those are the first examples that jumped to mind. I mean a whole lot more by saying that I am a Christian, I suppose I would define it as I believe that all the Bible says is true- that God created the universe, Jesus is our Saviour, and we exist to glorify God (I know, cached thought, but that one I have thought about.).

I really do mean that I do not want to believe in anything that is wrong, but I have yet to see anything that is definitive evidence that my beliefs are incorrect. (And I also admit that I do not want to give up my current beliefs, and I'm going to be heavily biased against any information shown me, but I will try.)

Comment author: CCC 22 March 2013 07:46:19PM 2 points [-]

I suppose I would define it as I believe that all the Bible says is true

Literally, to the last decimal point, or do you make some allowances for figurative language, imprecise measurement and/or unmarked parables?

Comment author: Lauryn 23 March 2013 01:50:45AM 2 points [-]

The problem with going there is that it's easy to go to far, to a point where the Bible isn't true anymore and it's just your interpretation of bits and pieces of the Bible. Anyways, I don't really think of figurative language as something you need to make allowances for, it just is how it was written- and most of the time is fairly obvious too. I've never seen one instance of imprecise measurement, but if you know of one, fire away, and unmarked parables are also fairly easy to spot.

Comment author: Kingoftheinternet 23 March 2013 06:48:55AM *  1 point [-]

And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one rim to the other it was round all about, and...a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about...

1 Kings 7:23

Comment author: CCC 23 March 2013 08:01:45AM 1 point [-]

The problem with going there is that it's easy to go to far, to a point where the Bible isn't true anymore and it's just your interpretation of bits and pieces of the Bible.

Yes, true. But it's possible to go too far the other way, too, which causes a lot of problems (see: the creationist movement in America).

I've never seen one instance of imprecise measurement, but if you know of one, fire away

2 Corinthians 4:2:

He also made a round tank of bronze, 7½ feet deep, 15 feet in diameter, and 45 feet in circumference.

I consider it more probable that the measurement is imprecise than that pi is three for that tank.

I mean, it's a minor detail, but it's there.

unmarked parables are also fairly easy to spot.

That's what I thought, too, but apparently some people take the Garden of Eden literally.

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