Why would you not instead use your skills to "get people into" reading books that have actual verifiable truth, that advance their knowledge about the world, that educate them about history, mathematics, philosophy, logic, reason, etc?

framing accusations as questions is so last millennium.

What accusations am I making? Pretending that you can read someone’s mind is pretty dishonest as well.

This is such a dumb comment on so many levels lol

lol care to elaborate or are you just here to sling insults?

Care to support your silly insults and claims with serious data points that would scientifically prove and “verify” that help researching civilizations shaping scriptures is worthless?

I guess not, therefore it was a comment from personal resentment and ignorance, aka “dumb”.

I made no claims or insults. The person I was replying to said nothing about “researching civilizations shaping scriptures.” They are making an app whose primary purpose is to quote Bible verses to the user.

Are you sure you’re replying in the right thread?

Now you’re acting stupid again. intentionally?

Your question contains an insulting implication. Accurate quoting of scriptires is obviously aiding research, either personal spiritual or academic and everything in between (why else would you care about accuracy?).

And you showed obvious disrespect to this work, now trying to reframe yourself as if you didn’t mean anything.

Have at least some decency to own and stay your ground.

Please don't fulminate or post snarky comments on HN.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

> Your question contains an insulting implication

What is the insulting implication? I do apologize if you're insulted by the fact that there doesn't appear to exist any way to verify the non-mundane or supernatural claims in ancient religious texts, but that is a fact. In the case of the Bible specifically, it is evidenced by the fact that no one in ~2000 years has done it. And in the case of certain Biblical claims, e.g. that there was a global flood, that everything in existence was created in seven days and in a specific (nonsensical) order, and that it's possible for someone to be resurrected from the dead, there is overwhelming scientific evidence against them. If you think I'm wrong, I would welcome published and peer-reviewed citations. I'm completely open to changing my view.

> Accurate quoting of scriptires is obviously aiding research, either personal spiritual or academic and everything in between

Your previous reply implied that I was claiming that "help researching civilizations shaping scriptures is worthless." I took this to mean something specific: anthropological research regarding human civilizations that were involved in shaping religious texts. Now you appear to be widening your claim to any research of any sort (including "personal spiritual," which is definitely not research in the academic sense of the term). I apologize if I misunderstood your original point, but if I didn't, it's dishonest to change it mid-argument.

> And you showed obvious disrespect to this work, now trying to reframe yourself as if you didn’t mean anything.

First, let me apologize for being unclear on one thing in my reply: I said "I made no claims or insults." When I said "claims", I meant "claims regarding researching civilizations shaping scriptures" (the thing you accused me of making claims about).

Second, I'll be crystal clear: if you're referring to the Bible, I don't believe it's a text worthy of respect. As an undoubtedly influential text, of course it's worthy of study, and it's worthy of analysis, but I believe study and analysis show that it's a book full of vile things like how to own human beings as property, how to commit genocide, how to physically and sexually abuse others, etc. I am happy to provide citations of specific bible verses that support those claims, including citations in the original Hebrew/Greek for words that might have gotten changed in different translations (e.g. עבד being translated as "servant" vs "slave"). But I'm not sure HN is the place for such detail.

> Have at least some decency to own and stay your ground.

I would gently advise you to do the same, or at least be clearer about what you mean.

You’re strawmanning the bible here, essentially. That shows the level of your ignorance. These days only ignorant and lazy people stick to purely literal and surface level interpretations of the bible. Just saying. But you are here to assert your “dawkins” grade of atheism, I get it. No worries. Just don’t pretend being objective when imposing your belief system and doubting someone’s hard work.

I applogize for not being perfectly clear with my words.

> You’re strawmanning the bible here, essentially.

No, I don't think I am. What, specifically, do you think I am strawmanning?

> These days only ignorant and lazy people stick to purely literal and surface level interpretations of the bible.

I think it is clear from my previous response that I have done more than "literal and surface level interpretations" of the bible. But if you believe I haven't done enough, then it's on you to somehow show that, for example, Exodus 21 isn't actually telling the story of how God himself gave specific instructions for the proper way to do chattel slavery, and that it means something other than what countless scholars who have come before us agree that it says.

Also, in the future, please be specific about which of my statements are wrong and why, and stop throwing around baseless insults.

> But you are here to assert your “dawkins” grade of atheism

I have no idea what you mean by this.

> Just don’t pretend being objective when imposing your belief system and doubting someone’s hard work.

I genuinely believe I am being objective. Please don't assert that you know things about my mental state when you don't.

I don't have a "belief system" other than that I believe things that can be empirically shown to be true with a level of evidence commensurate to the claim. If you think that is something that can be "imposed" on others via an internet comment, I can only say in response that I support your right to believe whatever you want to believe, but you also need to suck it up if people call out those beliefs as illogical or unfounded.

I was not doubting anyone's hard work.

Can you empirically show that your consciousness exists? How can you then be so confident it is objective?

Or prove that objective laws of math and logic exist?

So you’re just going to mostly ignore my response and change the subject to something different, and philosophy 101-level questions at that. Very typical. Regardless, I’d be happy to answer them as soon as you address the questions and comments in my reply.

“Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an account of the hope that is in you”

1 Peter 3:15

I'm not interested in debating you.

Just showing that your main belief is at least as irrational and arbitrary as your implied cartoon version of the bible based belief system (because you can't possibly prove or justify it by your own "evidence" standards).

And your comments do impose (even if unintentionally and subtly) this belief system as something more worthy of someone's time.

Which is a) not rational => not objective as I just showed b) therefore it looks very arrogant and ignorant (if you don't like word "dumb", I apologize).

Case closed.

> I'm not interested in debating you.

Then don’t reply to my comment.

> Just showing that your main belief is at least as irrational and arbitrary as your implied cartoon version of the bible based belief system

What is my “main belief,” and what does it have to do with consciousness and whatever other unrelated topics you raised?

I did not imply any “cartoon version of the bible based belief system.” If you disagree, please show where I did, and specifically what I implied that is a “cartoon version.”

Case closed.

> What is my “main belief,”

couple comments before:

> I don't have a "belief system" other than that I believe things that can be empirically shown to be true with a level of evidence commensurate to the claim.

This is not a "main belief" or a belief at all, it's my methodology for determining what to believe. And if you're going to reply, please answer the whole question:

> and what does it have to do with consciousness and whatever other unrelated topics you raised?

You've been incredibly dishonest and haven't answered most of the questions I've asked (and none of the important ones), so I'll just assume you just replied only to lob unfounded insults at me and that we're done here.