My current opinion is that the doctrines of the Mormon church are wildly ridiculous, pernicious, and manifestly false. In other words, these are extraordinary claims. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
I don’t think calcsam can provide anything like the necessary degree of extraordinary evidence. I think it’s much more likely that I’d be struck by lightning while winning the lottery. This isn’t sporting of me, but then again, it’s not a sport. Calcsam is the one who chose LDS, not me.
I agree that my personal beliefs don’t amount to evidence, at least not to a rationalist. But the Mormons value converts. As a rationalist, I am convinced by evidence. I offer the prospect of my conversion as motivation for a Mormon to offer rational evidence for Mormon beliefs. And not just my conversion—if calcsam can win over LessWrong, calcsam can win the souls of the world to the True Faith. That’s motivation!
So, now we’ll see what evidence is forthcoming.
ETA:
And if some really convincing evidence is not forthcoming—as I suspect it will not be—then, in light of the aforementioned reasons to produce such evidence, I suggest it will be reasonable to assume that calcsam has no such evidence.
I suspect that calcsam is unusually intelligent and hardworking and probably is friendly and pleasant to meet in person. This describes a lot of modern Mormons, and as far as I know none of them have come up with anything like a decent demonstration of the truth of Mormonism.
My current opinion is that the doctrines of the Mormon church are wildly ridiculous, pernicious, and manifestly false. In other words, these are extraordinary claims. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
I don’t think calcsam can provide anything like the necessary degree of extraordinary evidence. I think it’s much more likely that I’d be struck by lightning while winning the lottery. This isn’t sporting of me, but then again, it’s not a sport. Calcsam is the one who chose LDS, not me.
My point is that your declaration and subsequent failure to convert is not itself in any way evidence against Mormonism or for Atheism.
I agree that my personal beliefs don’t amount to evidence, at least not to a rationalist. But the Mormons value converts. As a rationalist, I am convinced by evidence. I offer the prospect of my conversion as motivation for a Mormon to offer rational evidence for Mormon beliefs. And not just my conversion—if calcsam can win over LessWrong, calcsam can win the souls of the world to the True Faith. That’s motivation!
So, now we’ll see what evidence is forthcoming.
ETA:
And if some really convincing evidence is not forthcoming—as I suspect it will not be—then, in light of the aforementioned reasons to produce such evidence, I suggest it will be reasonable to assume that calcsam has no such evidence.
I suspect that calcsam is unusually intelligent and hardworking and probably is friendly and pleasant to meet in person. This describes a lot of modern Mormons, and as far as I know none of them have come up with anything like a decent demonstration of the truth of Mormonism.
Well, they are very weak evidence.