Reply #35: Yeah, that tactic was never going to go well for you.

[Random_Australian]

Me: "Evidence for those claims.

Got any?"

You: I know a guy who lost his arm. He changed.

Me: How is that evidence for "suggestion creates illness"? It sounds a lot like someone had a life-changing experience and their life changed. You know, like happens all the time. In fact, given that it was also supposed to be evidence that suggestion creates illness, the lack of an illness that someone recovered from seems a bit odd, to tell the truth....

You: I believe we create our own reality.

And I'll admit you managed to skip the next installment of "evidence for that claim: got any" and go straight to the bit why I ask you "why do you consider that evidence?" by saying

"For evidence all you need to do is gaze upon my smiling face"

And since you wanted to discuss what makes a claim rational, I'll show you the method of showing that someone's standards of proof and evidence are poor by using their standards to come to false conclusions.

Like this:

I henceforth believe that trees make us happy and heal us and lack of trees causes all illnesses.

For evidence, all you need to do is gaze upon my smiling face.

Question 1: Do you think that I provided sufficient proof that lack of trees is the root cause of all illnesses, or do I have to also make the claim that trees cause all illnesses with the same evidence for you to see that taking "someone smiling" as evidence is insufficient to support the claim?

Question 2: Is there any fundamental difference in the standard of proof and evidence used to say that lacking trees cause all illnesses and the one used to say "I believe we create our own life and death. Sufficient proof is that I smile"

In other words, your standards of proof and evidence were insufficient.

I don't think I need to point out the obvious but I shall do so anyway. You've not managed to support any of your claims thus far, unless you can show that either your stories or the fact that you have at some point smiled is evidence for what you say. This means that your claims are not rational.