Subject:
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Re: Heads up, atheists
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Wed, 21 Sep 2005 17:47:16 GMT
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Viewed:
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1122 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Dave Schuler wrote:
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In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Thomas Stangl wrote:
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Right back atcha - WHY does it have to eminate from a Superior Being?
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Good question. Additionally, it must be stated that if our notion of “good”
emanates from some entity, then we have no means of objectively assessing that
entity’s “goodness” or “evilness.”
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Good is not defined by religion, no matter what you seem to stubbornly
think.
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This would be a good time for us all to review Plato’s Euthyphro.
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Having done just that, I have a few observations:
First, some of Socrate’s initial arguments would have to be reworked assuming a
single God. But I’m sure that wouldn’t be a problem for Plato;-)
Overall, this discussion simply reiterates to me how arguments involving God and
logic are doomed. The concept of an omniscient, omnipotent God is illogical. I
mean, how much further need I go than to ask “If God is omnipotent, can He
create a stone that He can’t lift?” Therefore, it isn’t hard to attack such
concepts using logic, but merely an exercise in proving the illogical illogical,
as Plato so masterfully does.
But Plato is correct-- can we ever know what is good, what is pious or impious?
We are trapped in a finite world of relativism, unable and ill-equipped to
grasp an Objective Truth. But isn’t that precisely what God is (by
definition)? Interestingly, when Jesus is approached by a person addressing Him
“Good teacher”, Jesus replies, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God
alone.”
As to your statement: “...we have no means of objectively assessing that
entity’s ‘goodness’ or ‘evilness’”, Dave!-- I readily admit that that is
certainly true, but I approach the concept of God from the other direction. I
start with the givens that God exists, that God is omniscient, omnipotent,
immutable, and (perhaps most importantly) unknowable. We cannot assess God
beyond what He reveals to us about Him. I believe that God has revealed to
creation that He is one, and that He is good. Those are (literally) givens, and
we can only proceed from there.
JOHN
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Message has 1 Reply:
Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: Heads up, atheists
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| (...) Good question. Additionally, it must be stated that if our notion of "good" emanates from some entity, then we have no means of objectively assessing that entity's "goodness" or "evilness." (...) This would be a good time for us all to review (...) (19 years ago, 21-Sep-05, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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