Delusions (exodus, virgin, beliefs, verse)

[Jayhawker Soule]

Originally Posted by lilithu

b) delusion - maintainence of a belief in something despite strong evidence to the contrary.

... does lack of evidence justify calling people who do believe delusional?

Sometimes. And sometimes the application of that term will be appropriate, while at other times it will be an error. In neither event would it necessarily constitute an ad hominem.

Please, given your definition, would you deem someone delusional who believed in ...

• the Daoine Sidhe?
• alien abduction?
• Noah's Ark?
• the Exodus/Conquest?
• the Virgin Birth?
• the resurrection?

[Kungfuzed]

Perhaps there are degrees of delusion. Someone who believes in alien abduction may not be as delusional as someone who believes they have superpowers, like the ability to fly. The former may have no evidence to support it but the latter should have strong evidence against it. Besides, there probably are aliens being abducted as they run accross the border.

[lilithu]

Originally Posted by Jay

Please, given your definition, would you deem someone delusional who believed in ...

• the Daoine Sidhe?
• alien abduction?
• Noah's Ark?
• the Exodus/Conquest?
• the Virgin Birth?
• the resurrection?

No.

(Sorry that it took me almost two years to respond. This is the first I've seen this thread.)

[Buttercup]

Originally Posted by Jay

Sometimes. And sometimes the application of that term will be appropriate, while at other times it will be an error. In neither event would it necessarily constitute an ad hominem.

Please, given your definition, would you deem someone delusional who believed in ...

• the Daoine Sidhe?
• alien abduction?
• Noah's Ark?
• the Exodus/Conquest?
• the Virgin Birth?
• the resurrection?

The definition of delusional according to Miriam Webster is somewhat different than the definition posted in the OP.....

Main Entry: de·lu·sion
Pronunciation: di-'lü-zh&n, dE-
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin delusion-, delusio, from deludere
1 : the act of deluding : the state of being deluded
2 a : something that is falsely or delusively believed or propagated b : a persistent false psychotic belief regarding the self or persons or objects outside the self that is maintained despite indisputable evidence to the contrary; also : the abnormal state marked by such beliefs
- de·lu·sion·al /-'lüzh-n&l, -'lü-zh&-n&l/ adjective
- de·lu·sion·ary /-zh&-"ner-E/ adjective
synonyms DELUSION, ILLUSION, HALLUCINATION, MIRAGE mean something that is believed to be true or real but that is actually false or unreal. DELUSION implies an inability to distinguish between what is real and what only seems to be real, often as the result of a disordered state of mind

What are my thoughts on the mental processes of those who hold beliefs about the veracity of:

• Noah's Ark?
• the Exodus/Conquest?
• the Virgin Birth?
• the resurrection?

All of the above happened so long ago (supposedly) that we cannot ascertain one way or another if the events are true therefore someone who believes they occurred isn't delusional, they are simply believing an account they read in a book.

The Daoine Sidhe is another matter being that a "sidhe" is a fairy or elven type creature and not even human. Odds are that belief in any type of Sidhe is delusional although I wouldn't go so far as to call someone delusional who believes in these creatures. I'd probably amiably smile and listen to the story with an open mind but be prepared to not believe.

Alien abduction I'm afraid is delusional at this point in time. I have never seen, read, heard or watched once shred of evidence that aliens exist let alone believe someone was abducted by an alien. I'm not sure I'd even be able to sit through someone telling me a story as such. I'd be smiling and snickering all the while. But, I will be the first to say that I would like to be taken on a ride around the universe just in case some aliens are reading this.

[Jayhawker Soule]

Originally Posted by Buttercup

The Daoine Sidhe is another matter being that a "sidhe" is a fairy or elven type creature and not even human. Odds are that belief in any type of Sidhe is delusional ...

Remarkable ...

[Willamena]

Originally Posted by Buttercup

The definition of delusional according to Miriam Webster is somewhat different than the definition posted in the OP.....

...Odds are that belief in any type of Sidhe is delusional although I wouldn't go so far as to call someone delusional who believes in these creatures. I'd probably amiably smile and listen to the story with an open mind but be prepared to not believe.

...is delusional at this point in time. I have never seen, read, heard or watched once shred of evidence that aliens exist let alone believe someone was abducted by an alien. I'm not sure I'd even be able to sit through someone telling me a story as such. I'd be smiling and snickering all the while. But, I will be the first to say that I would like to be taken on a ride around the universe just in case some aliens are reading this.

No offense, but it seems, from your examples, that the definition of delusional is "something other people believe that I don't want to believe."

[Ozzie]

You are both wrong. The decision criterion for "delusion" is parametrically external to the believer. How convincing is your delusion Jay?

[Buttercup]

Originally Posted by Willamena

No offense, but it seems, from your examples, that the definition of delusional is "something other people believe that I don't want to believe."

Hmmm. Well, what I thought I was doing was comparing those examples to the definition of delusional that I included in my post. Mostly though my response was meant to be a light one....a feature Jay seems to have missed.