One also cannot prove that they themselves exist. But that does not mean we cannot prove anything to exist. We can prove deductive facts exist even more so then we ourselves exist. We can prove something exists, deductively. We can prove that math facts exist and therefore math must exist, for instance. We can prove that nothing doesn’t exist. And we can prove that if one thing exists another thing must also exist and hence can prove causation.
Physical matter and energy is the sticky bit. We can infer with great certainty they exist, but we cannot prove it deductively. But the probability of existence is really high.
As far as the Yeti, I am agnostic, I just don’t really care if it exists or not. And even if evidence was provided, I still wouldn’t care. I don’t know where you are going with this part.
What about their hospitals (Scottish Rite)? What I mean is are they worthy causes or is there something behind them? You do not seem to have a great affinity for them.
No, I literally have no opinion on it. The only way I would care is if one were descending upon me trying to eat me. Then I would believe and care. But if one does or does not exist is irrelevant to me. And that’s about as much as I care to think about it.
And I apologize for even starting with that style of inquiry, perhaps I do get wrapped up in the philosophical part of things.
This is how I approach the problem of solipsism. If I start getting evidence that it is only me, then I will believe a bit more and care. No faith required now.
You don’t care if you exist? Fair enough. It’s probably a good position for posterity. Perhaps I shouldn’t care if I exist… Actually, I like it.
Do I exist?
“Does it matter?”
No, I really guess it doesn’t.
I understand them to be excellent children’s hospitals. And I don’t know much about the Scottish Rite, except they have a massive drunk fest in Lubbock once a year with the Shriners.
Since getting married, I really haven’t had time to go to the lodge (and I got kicked out of the Knights of Columbus, which has a high overlap of membership).
So, while in good standing at the Blue Lodge and York Rite (I paid lifetime dues), I don’t go anymore.
I could put it this way: After being a Mason for about 10 years, the first time I ever heard about Albert Pike was someone on the Internet claiming Albert Pike was the grand stone cutter poo ba of all Masons. After asking around at the Lodge at breakfast, no one had heard of him or his books either. And several were Scottish Rite. Couldn’t find his book at the Lodge library.
Subsequently, the only time I hear about him is from non-Masons on the Internet in discussion like this.
Says a site that sells Masonic books. There are plenty of articles on other Masonic sites about him too, that was just one quote that said it plain and simple. While I accept that I could be wrong, I didn’t just come up with this idea out of nowhere.
I have to say, the religious people (primarily some Protestant religion, but also plenty of Catholic) on the Reservation are the ones who get their act together and have a life. But I don’t know if that is correlation or causation. It’s true, though.
We’re Ying-and-Yang. I was raised VERY Roman Catholic* (as in, I have a close relative who is a Bishop), not white, but married a modern orthodox Ashkenazi (white, in my book) Jewish woman and we’re raising our very Jewish.
Heck, even our adopted kids (niece and nephew, almost full blood Apaches) are converting.
