Will we explore the difference between "there is no scientific proof for that" versus "I haven't seen any evidence for that" because understanding this distinction helps us avoid using an idea of science as a tool of ignorance, fear, and oppression instead of a tool for knowledge, love, and connection?
Many of us, including me for much of my adult life, operated from this weird place where our idea of science acts a religion that we use to force our view of the world upon others. The easy way out of this for ourselves and to love others still thinking this way is to look at the difference between "I haven't seen any proof for that," versus saying, "There is no proof for that." This small crack in logic unlocks the full power of science to us and gives us a way to get back to using science as a tool of hope, faith, and charity!
Thank you for reading about day 195 of Happier People Podcast and I hope you enjoy it!
No Scientific Proof Exists vs We Have Not Seen The Evidence? #195
I used to have a really closed mind about things like UFOs, about things like the afterlife or before life, reincarnation, and I would turn to science and I would say, "There's no proof for that. There is no scientific proof for that."
I have since seen the proof for many things I thought were impossible to prove and I am grateful I am not the only one! So many of us use science against the purpose it was intended for by thinking that because we have not seen the proof or the evidence has not been validated using one specific method that we forget the rest of the world of possibilities!
Science is intended to help us discover and experience the world together. The idea is to observe, measure and report using science in a way that allows us to consistently communicate what we find.
Ironically we have somehow turned science into a tool of fear and oppression where we think our idea of science is the only idea, and what we know about science is all that's known, and that somehow there's only a very limited scope of ways we are allowed to use science and that things can be proven.
Therefore, with this view it's impossible to prove things like God. We can't prove things like telepathy. How would we measure that?
We can't prove things like the afterlife.
I'm amazed how many people I've heard say, "There's no proof for UFOs."
There's a huge difference between not having seen it versus it not existing.
Let's think about it this way.
This is a TV behind me.
I have scientific proof right here that there's a TV.
Now, imagine if you'd never seen a TV before. If no one had ever told you about a TV, you could say that you have never seen proof a TV exists. You could still believe a TV exists if you'd heard other people talk about TVs.
Now, how foolish would the person look who said there's no proof at all in science that TVs exist just because they personally had not seen one?
If that example is easy, let us consider what it would be like if I showed you a TV that looked different?
"Well, that's not a TV. A TV must be exactly 32 inches high, 52 inches wide. That's what a TV is. If a TV doesn't look exactly like this one TV, it's not a TV."
Now, that's easy to do with a physical object and you can see the ridiculousness, the absurdity of it to say that, "Well, I've never seen a proof of a TV. There's no TV."
Now, we do this with things like God.
"There's no proof of God in science. There's no proof of UFOs. There's no proof aliens exist." Go look for it.
Science has proven an unbelievable number of things, and yet are we aware of that? Or do we have faith at least?
I'm not saying you need to believe that science has proven God. At least having an open mind in my experience helps a lot for being happy, for making contribution to the world.
There's a big difference in saying, "I haven't seen the scientific proof of God."
That's honest.
Saying that there's no science that can prove God, saying there's no scientific evidence for it, that's a lie. That is a lie out of simple ignorance because that assumes you know everything all scientists have done everywhere and you are the ultimate judge and jury. You have decided exactly what other scientists have done that's worthwhile. You are the all-powerful. You are God and therefore you shall determine what is and is not science, and you shall decide what evidence is and is not being seen.
Now, feel free if you want to go for that, if you want to live like that. I lived like that a long time and let me tell you what, it was a miserable lonely existence because other people don't tend to like that. It tends to push other people away. Other people don't like being around other people who are closed-minded because it triggers fear.
If you tell me, "Jerry, there's no scientific proof for God," and I come back with you saying, "Absolutely, there is!" There might be no scientific proof for God. The scientific proof I've seen might be invalid.
There might be no proof for UFOs. All the stuff I've seen on UFOs and aliens might all be crap. It could all be a hoax. It could all be made-up. It's possible.
There's a big difference though, when we keep our minds open to possibility versus we close down on the world and say this is how it is, and that because I haven't seen it, it doesn't exist.
The trick is for a lot of us, what we see is all there is. We don't even see the difference in not seeing things and them still existing.
For example, let's talk about an anthill for a minute. Let's say there is an ant hill in the middle of the rainforest and the ants on that anthill have never seen a human being. No ant that's ever lived on that anthill has seen a human being.
Imagine one day an ant comes in from a faraway anthill and says, "There are these gigantic creatures called human beings cutting all the rainforests down. They are coming for us."
Now, if the ants trusted that other ant, they would be able to see and experience something even though they have never experienced it for themselves. They would be able to at least perhaps say, "Maybe there are these human beings, maybe there aren't." Now, if the ants who simply didn't believe that said, "There's no proof for human beings," all of the ants saying that would be ignorant of the truth that humans beings do exist.
One human being having seen an actual alien is scientific proof that aliens exist. That person's testimony is scientific within the scope of qualitative research.
Many of us have limited our idea in science lots of times that qualitative, in other words, the testimony of one person is not scientific, that only quantitative or things that measure in a certain way with numbers, with certain types of studies, that only these are scientific and that is a hell of a bias.
Once we see beyond thinking science must be done a certain way by certain people that act (and probably look) a certain way, then we see the possibility of proving things just requires one person's honest testimony. One person's honest testimony can prove almost anything, and then we see the world is a really big place full of infinite possibility, and that's kind of scary for some of us. We like to think we know how everything is and we are afraid of things that question that.
A lot of us, and I've done it for a lot of my life, created this little fantasy world where "I'm God. I know everything that goes on in this world and I simply then disagree with anything that doesn't fit my world view," and that's an unhappy lonely prison to be in. Now, for those of us who want to stay in there, feel free, live in your own prison. Go ahead and say that there is no scientific proof for that. Doing that allows you to live with the results of that.
I personally find that's a miserable way to live, and I believe in things today like UFOs, God, telepathy — I even believe people can teleport without any technology. I think it is possible for one body to teleport into another position. I hear that Buddha did that. The Buddha teleported across the river. I might be wrong about that. It might not be possible. I'd rather have an open mind and be wrong about some things that are possible than be ignorant to a world of possibility.
The greatest stupidity I've experienced in my life is closing my eyes and saying that nothing outside of what I can see exists, being blind to the big beautiful universe we live in, and then blaming other people for that as if somehow it's everyone else's fault that I closed my eyes and can't see anything.
I'm grateful today that the courage of sharing from others has motivated me and has given me the courage to open my eyes and look around and see I know a very small percentage of the whole, and me not seeing scientific proof for something is a lot different from it not existing at all.
What I consider scientific proof today might be different from what I will consider scientific proof tomorrow. I consider scientific proof today one person's honest testimony like the anthill example. If one ant honestly reports back having seen a human, that's scientific. That's an observation measured and reported back.
That's the foundation of science, to communicate our knowledge and to allow us to be god-like in knowing and the first step is to have an open mind, to say, "You know what? I know very little. I will let my fellows help me learn more about what there is to know," and to see that there is a lot of possibilities within science, that it doesn't just have to be measured in a laboratory by a researcher with a white coat, on counting beans using an exact method for it, to be scientific and for it to be true.
I appreciate you giving me the chance to share this message today. I hope this is helpful especially to have love and tolerance with those of us that still have our eyes closed and pretend that nothing else exists. I love you. You are awesome. I hope you have a wonderful day today.
Thank you for reading this. I hope this day 195 of Happier People Podcast was helpful. If you found this post helpful on Steem, would you please upvote it and follow me because you will then be able to see more posts like this in your home feed?
Love,
Jerry Banfield with edits by @gmichelbkk on the transcript from @deniskj
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Very helpful write up and a logical thought process. I agree just because we can't prove something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I believe atheists are the craziest people because they are so stuck to a belief that has no evidence. Also, I really like your TV example which is practical.
I use a similar example with my friends comparing to God. I use the Sun as an example. I basically say "What if you couldn't see the sun, but I told you it was responsible for all life on earth and was the center of our universe (galaxy)." Most people would say "Huh, I see what you're saying, that's a great point."
People are quick to jump to conclusions when the answers aren't obvious or it is complex. Sometimes it's not the answers that we should be looking for, but it's the questions that we should be asking.
Quantum Physics has once again proven that there's infinitely more than what meets the eye. We need to be aware of our blindness before we can begin to attain vision and enlightenment.
I enjoy your articles. Thank you.
I like to say: This is our current understanding.
The history of science is replete with examples such that our understanding of a physical model required a better experiment and better measurement.
The reason to use the scientific method of course is that it is much more efficient for progress to look at things we've already shown to be true and proceed from there. If we begin with a assumption of something we cannot test rigorously by experiment then we have philosophy and this is not very efficient. The leap from pure thinking to testable, repeatable, controlled observables was a giant one. We observe that usually the simplest explanation is best.
I actually gain more of an appreciation for nature in knowing more about it. It doesn't destroy the beauty of it because I know more about it. It makes me enjoy it even more. If I can imagine all the cells dividing in my body and proteins and cell membranes or cell signaling. Those things are more incredible than say a UFO.
Having said this, I enjoy science fiction if done in a clever way.
Both scientists and non-scientists should have a sense of wonder about the natural world.
I would never fault anyone for wondering. We could all use more of that!
It would be incredible to discover "intelligent" life out there. As the character Ellie Arroway from the movie Contact stated: So if it's just us... seems like an awful waste of space.
Very interesting post Jerry! As a scientist I can affirm that there is more proof for God than just about anything else. In fact my very first dissertation in University on evolution concluded that God must exist if you actually look at the scientific facts.. and I got the highest mark in the year..
The thing is, denial is SO powerful.. that most people choose to live in the world of denial.. due to emotional grievances.. isn't it intersting that when people are faced with severe life challenges or near death experiences they suddenly start asking G-d for help.. Lol!
We have to let the evidence touch us..
We have to be open
We have to really look and open our eyes
And then we discover the proof is ALL around us, in every spec of dust, and every grain of sand..
we all all that
and much more..
Intelligent design is what science has agreed to call G-d.. it's the closest science can get because science is below the mind, whereas spirituality is beyond the mind.. And science can not touch it.. yet!
Om!
We should always keep our mind open for new innovations and theories. This is the reason our ancestors in the past century made so many technological advancements. For sure we shouldn't be ignorant towards new ideas.
Well explained post.
But their are still some scientific proof exist.
First to comment
Well said , there is a huge difference and people are fast turning everything to science
thanks for upload this post. It comes to understand a lot of things!
As usual, your posts well explained and well organized . You're post is rich.
Science isnt always right and there are many secrets hidden from us as well. Nasa and the gouvernments want things to stay hidden, but it is very difficult now a days. People became aware of area 51 and other things. Millions of people taking photos or videos of UFOs in every continent. It is not more a secret even if the most of them dont want to believe what they see.
If we look at our ancient history that we dont learn in the schools, we will see evidence everywhere in paintings, books, stories and caves. Everything says that we are not alone. And yes we are super humans and telepathy exists. We lack the knowledge and the right techniques, but everything is in us and around us. We need to believe in it and discover ourselves.
What’s up bro, after your “back pain” video I like you even better, I see you more natural 🤘😎👍
Most of the times I have argued "The existence of God" with so called "Atheist" and Pagans" they turned out to be Close-minded people reasoning just the way you have explained.
Closed-minded people don’t want their ideas challenged. They are typically frustrated that they can’t get the other person to agree with them instead of curious as to why the other person disagrees. So for example instead of saying: "I have not found any scientific proof of the existence of God.." they instead say something like: "there is no scientific proof whatsoever of the existence of God"
But the irony is that Science itself cannot give a proper comprehensive definition of who is God!
But you see, Closed-minded people are more interested in proving themselves right than in getting the best outcome. They don’t ask questions. They want to show you where you're wrong without understanding where you’re coming from. They get angry when you ask them to explain something. They think people who ask questions are slowing them down. And they think you’re an idiot if you don’t agree.
Closed-minded people would never consider that they could actually be closed-minded. In fact, their perceived open-mindedness is what’s so dangerous.
Awesome.
Thank you friend for sharing this excellent information! ¡¡
very interesting @jerrybanfield 239 votes and only 2 replies. I haven't seen any evidence that more than 3 people (including) me actually read the articles - and I agree with you. Science has been used as a brute force stick to stifle inquiry and most people don't really understand the difference between what constitutes evidence and proof anyway or the subtle difference between subjective and objective. Science did a good job of wiping out thousands of years of superstition and make believe, but it also inadvertently kill of most inquiry into any and all preternatural, or paranormal matters. As you'll know, (my true account of a poltergeist experience) submitted to your paranormal story contest is just anecdotal evidence. It was also witnessed by multiple persons, so becomes a vessel which reliably holds more water.
There's no proof of a subjective experience but therein lies one of the fundamental problems with all non material experiences.. they generally don't leave much of a physical trace and so can easily be labeled as entirely imagined. This leads me to question the extent of our understanding of what reality really is. If we can ignore collective, empirical evidence of precognition, telepathy, OOBE's and a hundred other (probably quantum and dimensional anomalies) well documented over hundreds of years, then how can we say with any real conviction that we know what is and what isn't real ? I've had dreams which come true. often quite mundane but sometimes quite extraordinary. Try telling me that my mind hasn't experienced a timeline outside of the ordinary constraints of reality! I made my own conclusion that my sleeping mind had travelled into the future.
in regards to UFO's a good friend of mine Gary Heseltine who is a retired Police officer in the UK force, reckons he could win a court case on the purported existence of UFO's with the mountain of evidence available.
He is an interesting person to listen to. As a trained detective with many years experience he has a formidable skill set for investigating such ephemeral matters. He also ran PRUFOS which details many sightings of UFO's by police officers over many years, often corroborate my multiple witnesses. check him out, he gave testimony at the Citizens Hearing in 2013
apologies for hogging the thread.. It just caught my eye !
make that THREE people who read this ;-)
the bottomline is there are 4 possibilities/realities:
I'd rather choose the 3rd or 4th reality/possibility, it's just the safest option in my opinion..
Kind of a silly rant. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. Just because you experienced a prison in your earlier world view doesn’t mean others are in a prison...they can be and are equally happy with their perspective. Certainly people believe what they want. But if you claim something is true you best have some proof.
A great article. I am so in resonance with all the points you made. It is liberating to live with an open mind, and believe anything is possible. We each have our own personal experiences, and no one can take that away from us. Those who share their experiences are a blessing for the rest of us to learn new things. True, some of it may be false, misleading, etc. But we as individuals can often perceive deception. At least to a degree. From my point of view, the world is indeed an exciting place these days with so much new information coming out, some it from scientific research and validation, and much from hearing of others' personal experiences. It is an amazing world, universe, cosmos that we live in.
Am happy you did prove that somethings may not be physically presentable but that does not change the fact that they exist. Your illustrations were very great I love it. Thanks
"...a person's honest testimony can prove almost anything.." very true..but what qualitative measures could be used to determine honesty? There's been a long age clash between science and philosophy.. They tend to get to the same destination but from different angles..Philosophy tends to build ones knowledge on logic..science prefers a more pragmatic approach.. In all I believe there are UFO's out there..I believe there is God..haven't seen them but the honest testimony of others and my philosophy gives me reason to believe in their existence..
I agree, and I think that this is a major travesty of our society. We allow corporations to use science for a purpose opposite of the intended purpose of science. Corporations use science as a tool for ignorance, fear and oppression.
Jerry you are def a little crazy but I love you, but your central point is valid.
Just because we dont have proof doesnt mean there is no proof.
Saying otherwise is the peak of hubris.
Agreed. Science is not about knowing it's about thinking. But schools don't teach thinking. They just have you "know" whatever they want you to "know." I have recently become much more open minded to the possibilities around us and am much happier as a result.
Science cant explain everything.. some things science just cant explain.. you must truly be a believer in God..
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Hi @jerrybanfield after watching some of your content on YouTube i wanted to give you a mention in my latest post check it out here thanks for your time
I listened to the vid, read it, and re read it again. There is just so much knowledge contained. I get that the absence of proof does not mean it isn’t there. E
Congratulations @jerrybanfield!
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Hi Jerry,
Thank you for sharing this. Indeed this is a very mind bending topic.
Feel free to check my interpretation of the debate in this short writing: https://steemit.com/life/@kanemomar/belief-god-vs-nogod-a-never-ending-battle
I think it will add a bit of perspective.
Nice one, I just resteem this post
Please Stop - @cryptocheta
You just said "nice one","resteem this post" and in your your last 100 comments you used 86 phrases considered to be spam and you made this exact same comment 1 times. You've received 1 flags and you may see more on comments like these. These comments are the reason why your Steem Sincerity API classification scores are Spam: 66.10% and Bot: 6.20%
Please stop making comments like this and read the ways to avoid @pleasestop and earn the support of the community.
the irony is.. you have also said Please Stop etc over 100 times in your last comments! Mmmmm
I've spoken to this point several times and will not continue commenting at this pace indefinitely.