I see you've been introduced.... /bow
Hello Vesta 
Because the evidence I've seen convinces me that these things are not real in my experience. Am I making the absolute claim these things don't exist? No, when I see sufficent evidence, I will believe them, until I will continue to be skeptical.
Yes, but there is TONS of evidence for the existence of dinosaurs. So far as dragons, I have seen nothing that would lead me to believe that dragons that talk and breath fire, are real.
I never claimed that I was making a decision for anyone.
How much proof I need for something is in direct relation to the consequence of that thing. If you told me you stood on top of the church bell tower and threw a basketball into a hoop 130ft below, I might call you full of crap, but if you insisted I may or may not concede you may have done it, because whether it's true or not has no bearing or consequence on my life. The video in the link shows that it's possible (though video can be doctored)
And how does that belief affect your actions? If you say not at all, then your belief does not affect me at all. If you tell me that an alien has made you the supreme ruler of the earth and that I should bow before you, I'm gonna need a little more evidence (see how this works?)
This reminds me of the "Black Swan". I can't remember the exact year, but there was a time when it was a "fact" that all swans were white. To say that swans came in other colors would be a false statement. When settlers went to Australia black swans were discovered. We simply integrated that fact and expanded our knowledge.
The question is, if someone made the statement that black swans existed prior to their discovery, would that have made them right? Should anyone thatmakes a claim that might be true be taken seriously?
Think about the implication. I promise you the implication is inversely proportional to the consequences.
I think what you're describing is a horse with a metal spike strapped on it's head, but I'd agree that the belief in a creature that is born and grows naturally to have a spkie on it's head was probably inspired by the stories you've just described (but again, my acceptance of your explanation is proportional to the consequences, which in this case are small to not at all).
But you can see evidence of germs and Bactria without "special equipment". Try this experiment. Take a piece of bread, cut it in half. Put 1/2 in the freezer and the other half on the counter. Or boil chicken broth and pour 1/2 of it in a jar and seal it and the other 1/2 in a bowl on the counter. Now watch watch what happens to the bread and broth on the counter. We see evidence that something, something has begun to happen. Now of course eventually we see the mold, but we never "saw" it approch the bread. We know it must have approached the bread, because the soup in the jar and bread in the freezer aren't changing.
My beliefs have nothing to do with popularity as science is not a democracy.
Where the heck did you get that idea Uncommon, Science is indeed a democracy, An argreement amoung the main line scientests on what is or is not true. Allong comes an up start Liberal scientist and off with their heads if the Church or so be the scientists of the time are proven wrong.
Allot of fun in a dark way to watch how the majoriety of scientists PooPooed Patsture and refused to believe in his studys, Doctors that went from one patient to another refusing to wash their hands.
Democracy, rule by the masses, being the law of the day. In the 1700's not one woman going into a hospital to give birth in London came out alive. NOT A ONE. Doctors were going from the vicection tables straight to the with blood on their hands to woman in child birth, one by one and wondering why the mothers and children died.
The Home birthed by midwifes lived as did the mothers, Science and Doctors just could not understand why. Mean while those that believed in unseen germs, voodoo to the time, were pelted with rotten tomatoes and fled to America.
Today Jack Horner has set off a fire storm about Egypt for one thing, he has found the Spinks has been been built and under weathering by climate change way before the Egyptians ever arrived.
Democracery in as the majoriety of scientests agree, get all bent over the new ideas that show them they may be mistaken or fooled as the Pilthdown man. Last thing a democeracy of scients need is to have an outsider show they were fools at best or being too lazy to think outside the box for themselves.
Give me a break Uncommon, 120 years ago had you a neighbor that was nothing but two brothers that made their living repairing bicycles, they came to you to ask for 24 cents to help them build something that could fly, would you say, sorry Jack just don,t have a quarter on me. ?????
90 % of the stuff I have in my home is because the people went out side the box of the ordenary scientists
People that threw out the book and experimented, found by accident or as in DNA awoke from a dream of snakes intertwining.
Science is found by accident, in a dream or by observation. If a 15 year old kid in a family shed finds a cure for Cancer, The walls come up, the Pharmacidual Companys , then the laws, zoing Laws ETC.
You need to grow up and find life is not all Strawberry fields forever .
Nice to meet you uncommon, -----I have a few years under my belt, tell me what todays life is about about.
