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Subject: 
Re: Problems with Christianity
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Fri, 22 Dec 2000 20:30:23 GMT
Viewed: 
1065 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Dave Schuler writes:
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Steve Chapple writes:
It's not simply a matter of refusing The Bible; what Tom is (and others
are) asking is that The Bible not be taken as proof of God, since The Bible
is only valid as such proof if one accepts it as the Word of God, which is
circular.

_Somewhat_ circular, yes, but the Bible isn't the sole "proof of God".
The most obvious evidence of the Creator being His creation.

It is *entirely* circular to say that The Bible is proof of God at all.
Now we're just sound-byting each other, but asserting that "creation" at
large is proof of Christianity's God is circular again and hardly
conclusive.  I am willing to assume that the Universe exists, but the nature
of its "creation" is not sufficient proof of any single deity.  Why not
Uranus and Gaea?  Why not The Cosmic Egg?  How can the Universe be claimed
in itself to "prove" one God and not another (without resorting to The Bible)?

Correct me if I'm wrong Steve, but I think the argument goes something like:

'God will show Himself to you if you are faithful/willing to listen. You,
posessing free will may not be open to His presentation of Himself, and even
if you are open, may not believe that which you are shown.'

And it is that experience or feeling of revelation of God's holy spirit that
shall prove beyond all doubt that God is the one true god. Other things such
as creation and the Bible may suggest a God (they may suggest other things
as well), but it is only that connection to God that God shall initiate to
those who are worthy that shall "prove" His existence and consequently prove
the Bible and its teachings.

But again, we've reached subjectivism. As I mentioned earlier:

Objectivism: Something is true if it is falsifiable, supported by the
evidence, not contradicted by any evidence and logical.

Christian Subjectivism: Something is true if God says it is true.

The objectivist point OBVIOUSLY isn't true because the statement ITSELF
isn't falsifiable. But it doesn't need to be. It's a subjective definition
in and of itself. Nice that way, huh?

The Christian subjectivist perspective, however, is 100% circular. Does God
say something is true if He says it is true? Yes? Ok. Circular. The only
question left is to find what it is that God says or does not say.

Can we base something on either of these two assumptions about truth more
'correctly' than the other? No. But I'll take the non-circular arguement,
thank you. And a coke. Biggie sized, please.

DaveE



Message has 2 Replies:
  What Would It Take? (was:Re: Problems with Christianity)
 
David Eaton wrote: <snip> (...) <snip> Hey Dave, Dave! et al. You are absolutely correct. And while I find these discussions interesting (when I am able to squeeze in the time), they are a bit unsatisfying, because we usually talking apples and (...) (24 years ago, 22-Dec-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
  Re: Problems with Christianity
 
(...) Nitpick, for things in general, that's only sufficient to show that they are "likely" to be true. We used to think that indivisible atoms were likely to be true. They gave good predictions and were a good tool. Now we know they're not, but we (...) (24 years ago, 22-Dec-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Problems with Christianity
 
(...) It is *entirely* circular to say that The Bible is proof of God at all. Now we're just sound-byting each other, but asserting that "creation" at large is proof of Christianity's God is circular again and hardly conclusive. I am willing to (...) (24 years ago, 22-Dec-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)

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