8.1.3 Weak Points and Counterarguments

Argument: What if someone is able to accurately predict the future?

Rebuttal: While there may be some instances throughout history where it has seemed that one is able to predict the future, further investigation finds that it is always due to chance.

Argument: How do you explain intuition?

Rebuttal: Intuition is an instinctive feeling based on our surroundings; an evolutionary trait from our animalistic ancestors. Scientists have yet to prove that this is a psychic ability.

Argument: What about mediums? How do they talk to the dead?

Rebuttal: It has been proven that mediums and others who claim ESP to talk to the dead or predict the future have no real supernatural abilities. The perceived ability to talk to the dead or hear supernatural voices can stem from traumatic experiences, control issues, mental illness, or hallucinations (Powell and Moseley, 2021).

Rebuttal: The one million dollar paranormal challenge was conducted in which a sum of 1 million dollars was offered to anyone who could prove their paranormal ability. In thousands of applicants, no one was able to prove it in a way that was scientifically sound (Taylor, 2022).