Define "Evidence"

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Shem Yoshi
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Define "Evidence"

Post #1

Post by Shem Yoshi »

Define "evidence"

Ill give a start.

Evidence is anything used to support a claim.

Bonus question.
What is the defining factors of "no evidence" for something?

Does your definition of evidence, and no evidence, hold up to all things objectively?
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Re: Define "Evidence"

Post #21

Post by Shem Yoshi »

Compassionist wrote: Thu Mar 02, 2023 11:58 am
Shem Yoshi wrote: Fri Dec 09, 2022 11:05 pm Define "evidence"

Ill give a start.

Evidence is anything used to support a claim.

Bonus question.
What is the defining factors of "no evidence" for something?

Does your definition of evidence, and no evidence, hold up to all things objectively?
Please see https://www.dictionary.com/browse/evidence
Actually that is directly taken from a Wikipedia definition
"evidence is anything used to support a claim."
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Re: Define "Evidence"

Post #22

Post by Kylie »

Shem Yoshi wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2023 12:12 am
Compassionist wrote: Thu Mar 02, 2023 11:58 am
Shem Yoshi wrote: Fri Dec 09, 2022 11:05 pm Define "evidence"

Ill give a start.

Evidence is anything used to support a claim.

Bonus question.
What is the defining factors of "no evidence" for something?

Does your definition of evidence, and no evidence, hold up to all things objectively?
Please see https://www.dictionary.com/browse/evidence
Actually that is directly taken from a Wikipedia definition
"evidence is anything used to support a claim."
That doesn't mean it is right.

If I say, "I had a dream last night that it was raining in my bathroom because a fairy danced on my shower, and when I woke up, the showerhead was angled up so when I washed it sprayed all over the wall instead of down into the shower," then I could claim my dream was evidence that there really was a fairy who moved my showerhead.

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Re: Define "Evidence"

Post #23

Post by Compassionist »

[Replying to Shem Yoshi in post #21]
Quoting from: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/evidence
See synonyms for: evidence / evidenced / evidencing on Thesaurus.com
🍎 Elementary Level
noun
that which tends to prove or disprove something; ground for belief; proof.
something that makes plain or clear; an indication or sign:
His flushed look was visible evidence of his fever.
Law. data presented to a court or jury in proof of the facts in issue and which may include the testimony of witnesses, records, documents, or objects.
verb (used with object), ev·i·denced, ev·i·denc·ing.
to make evident or clear; show clearly; manifest:
He evidenced his approval by promising his full support.
to support by evidence:
He evidenced his accusation with incriminating letters.

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Re: Define "Evidence"

Post #24

Post by Shem Yoshi »

[Replying to Compassionist in post #23]

[Replying to Kylie in post #22]

I am looking for a working definition to understand the nonbelievers claim that there is "no evidence" for Christian God.

What is evidence, what isnt evidence? If it is dependent on proving a claim, in skepticism nothing is proven... So we have a problem.
“Them that die'll be the lucky ones.”

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Re: Define "Evidence"

Post #25

Post by Compassionist »

Shem Yoshi wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2023 10:27 am [Replying to Compassionist in post #23]

[Replying to Kylie in post #22]

I am looking for a working definition to understand the nonbelievers claim that there is "no evidence" for Christian God.

What is evidence, what isnt evidence? If it is dependent on proving a claim, in skepticism nothing is proven... So we have a problem.
There is no evidence for any God, not just the Christian God. Some things are proven e.g. I am a sentient being. This is proven to me by my experience of being sentient. However, you could argue that I am a philosophical zombie. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_zombie I have no way to prove to you that I am not a philosophical zombie. The same applies to you and other sentient beings. You could argue that the world we perceive through our senses is not actually real. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation_hypothesis You could say that it is simulated or is an illusion or is a hallucination or dream. There is no way to test such claims. If you assume that the world we perceive through our senses is actually real, then you can prove other things with our perceptions e.g. you can prove that humans can't breathe underwater the way fish can.

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Re: Define "Evidence"

Post #26

Post by Shem Yoshi »

Compassionist wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2023 2:11 pm
Shem Yoshi wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2023 10:27 am [Replying to Compassionist in post #23]

[Replying to Kylie in post #22]

I am looking for a working definition to understand the nonbelievers claim that there is "no evidence" for Christian God.

What is evidence, what isnt evidence? If it is dependent on proving a claim, in skepticism nothing is proven... So we have a problem.
There is no evidence for any God, not just the Christian God. Some things are proven e.g. I am a sentient being. This is proven to me by my experience of being sentient. However, you could argue that I am a philosophical zombie. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_zombie I have no way to prove to you that I am not a philosophical zombie. The same applies to you and other sentient beings. You could argue that the world we perceive through our senses is not actually real. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation_hypothesis You could say that it is simulated or is an illusion or is a hallucination or dream. There is no way to test such claims. If you assume that the world we perceive through our senses is actually real, then you can prove other things with our perceptions e.g. you can prove that humans can't breathe underwater the way fish can.
I dont understand how you can say there is no evidence for God. By definition an eye witness testimony is evidence. You also appeal to your "sentient being" our personal perception, and some people experience God through there personal experiences. How is it you can claim there is no evidence for God?
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Re: Define "Evidence"

Post #27

Post by Kylie »

Shem Yoshi wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2023 10:27 am [Replying to Compassionist in post #23]

[Replying to Kylie in post #22]

I am looking for a working definition to understand the nonbelievers claim that there is "no evidence" for Christian God.

What is evidence, what isnt evidence? If it is dependent on proving a claim, in skepticism nothing is proven... So we have a problem.
Evidence is some information that supports a particular claim. Importantly, in order to be considered valid evidence, this information must be objective. In other words, any person can, in theory, at least, be able to gather information which will lead to the same conclusion.

There is no evidence for the Christian God (or any other God) that I have seen that meets this condition.

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Re: Define "Evidence"

Post #28

Post by Shem Yoshi »

Kylie wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2023 11:55 pm
Shem Yoshi wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2023 10:27 am [Replying to Compassionist in post #23]

[Replying to Kylie in post #22]

I am looking for a working definition to understand the nonbelievers claim that there is "no evidence" for Christian God.

What is evidence, what isnt evidence? If it is dependent on proving a claim, in skepticism nothing is proven... So we have a problem.
Evidence is some information that supports a particular claim. Importantly, in order to be considered valid evidence, this information must be objective. In other words, any person can, in theory, at least, be able to gather information which will lead to the same conclusion.

There is no evidence for the Christian God (or any other God) that I have seen that meets this condition.
So a person that witnesses something real, alone, isnt evidence of something true they experience? Surely people can experience true things that will never be experienced by anyone else.

I think you guys just want to assert that there is no evidence for God, but really cant come to a good conclusion about what evidence can determine all truth and exclude God....

How is it we can get a definition that can encompass all things that are true? I dont think you can do it and come to the conclusion there is no evidence for God.
“Them that die'll be the lucky ones.”

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Re: Define "Evidence"

Post #29

Post by Compassionist »

Shem Yoshi wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2023 5:51 pm
Compassionist wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2023 2:11 pm
Shem Yoshi wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2023 10:27 am [Replying to Compassionist in post #23]

[Replying to Kylie in post #22]

I am looking for a working definition to understand the nonbelievers claim that there is "no evidence" for Christian God.

What is evidence, what isnt evidence? If it is dependent on proving a claim, in skepticism nothing is proven... So we have a problem.
There is no evidence for any God, not just the Christian God. Some things are proven e.g. I am a sentient being. This is proven to me by my experience of being sentient. However, you could argue that I am a philosophical zombie. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_zombie I have no way to prove to you that I am not a philosophical zombie. The same applies to you and other sentient beings. You could argue that the world we perceive through our senses is not actually real. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation_hypothesis You could say that it is simulated or is an illusion or is a hallucination or dream. There is no way to test such claims. If you assume that the world we perceive through our senses is actually real, then you can prove other things with our perceptions e.g. you can prove that humans can't breathe underwater the way fish can.
I dont understand how you can say there is no evidence for God. By definition an eye witness testimony is evidence. You also appeal to your "sentient being" our personal perception, and some people experience God through there personal experiences. How is it you can claim there is no evidence for God?
Testimony can be false. How would I know who is telling the truth and who is lying unless I have evidence that proves the claim? I already told you that I can't prove that I am not a philosophical zombie because my personal experience of being sentient is real only to me. I can't use that as evidence to prove to someone else that I am sentient. I am aware that people claim to have seen Jesus or seen angels but these claims are not evidence. These people could have been hallucinating or dreaming or lying. Why would an all-knowing and all-powerful God communicate using ancient books? Why not just show up in front of all living things and speak to us directly and simultaneously and demonstrate to us that he is indeed real and all-knowing and all-powerful?

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Re: Define "Evidence"

Post #30

Post by Compassionist »

Shem Yoshi wrote: Sat Mar 04, 2023 12:48 am
Kylie wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2023 11:55 pm
Shem Yoshi wrote: Fri Mar 03, 2023 10:27 am [Replying to Compassionist in post #23]

[Replying to Kylie in post #22]

I am looking for a working definition to understand the nonbelievers claim that there is "no evidence" for Christian God.

What is evidence, what isnt evidence? If it is dependent on proving a claim, in skepticism nothing is proven... So we have a problem.
Evidence is some information that supports a particular claim. Importantly, in order to be considered valid evidence, this information must be objective. In other words, any person can, in theory, at least, be able to gather information which will lead to the same conclusion.

There is no evidence for the Christian God (or any other God) that I have seen that meets this condition.
So a person that witnesses something real, alone, isnt evidence of something true they experience? Surely people can experience true things that will never be experienced by anyone else.

I think you guys just want to assert that there is no evidence for God, but really cant come to a good conclusion about what evidence can determine all truth and exclude God....

How is it we can get a definition that can encompass all things that are true? I dont think you can do it and come to the conclusion there is no evidence for God.
Yes, people can experience things that will never be experienced by anyone else. I have met people who claimed to have been abducted by aliens. They had their testimonies only. They could not provide any evidence to prove that aliens indeed came and abducted them and took them onboard their spaceships. Were these people telling the truth? Were these people lying? Were they dreaming? Were they hallucinating? I don't know. If you can prove that God exists, please do so with evidence. Testimonies don't count as evidence.

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