Posted on 07/15/2008 4:27:28 PM PDT by SkyPilot
Tony is going to be buried on Thursday.
Bush will attend Tony Snow's funeral Thursday
I am not sure that everyone on FR is aware of Tony Snow's membership and contribution to this wonderful forum.
I am posting the link in the hopes that more people read his posts, and get a sense of what an incredible guy he was.
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:tonysnow/index?brevity=full;tab=comments
His last post on Free Republic was May 29th, 2008.
I know you are with God Tony.
See ya.
Lordy!
He was one classy guy.
I wish everyone had his enthusiasm for life.
I’ve visited his “in forum” page.
Lovely, lovely man.
Thank you for the ping.
We will miss him; maybe more than we know.
It was my pleasure to take up the daily thread after prairiebreeze. I posted for at least six months- I forget, time sure goes by quickly. Then when I couldn’t do it anymore, a team of Snowflakes took over.
“Snowflakes UP!!!”
I respectfully disagree.
I think it is wonderful that we are able to still read posts like this one.
_______________________________________________________________________
We’re talking past each other, which often happens in such matters. You have personalized a simple argument, and larded it up with expressions of hurt and outrage that reflect your personal feelings — not the arguments I have advanced.
The argument in the original piece was pretty simple: If one claims that life has no meaning, one lacks the tools to console — or even to justify such things as moral rules. If you can provide the syllogism by which meaningless translates into meaning, I want to see it.
You imply that I am acting as the vengeful judge here. Wrong: The piece deals merely with the contradictory nature of atheism — its implicit acceptance of moral truths (as opposed to ethical conventions, which shift with the tastes and times), and thus its tacit embrace of the fundamental principles of natural law. There’s no attempt to berate, belittle or condemn.
Nor do I claim “unique” powers to provide solace. I merely point out that the atheist view — life is arbitrary, without inherent meaning, and ends with one’s expiry — leads one toward moral anarchy on one hand, and personal despair on the other.
To repeat: The purpose of the piece was to review a good book — I commend it to you — and outline some of the major arguments in the debates raging about whether God exists. The basic thesis was that atheism is mired in contradictions that it cannot reconcile. That’s it. No kids crackling in hell; no vengeance or judgment. You have supplied those touches.
I’m sorry religion enrages you. But it does so because you have adopted a caricature of faith — a grisly one at that — and made it into a pinata. If I thought of religion as you do, I would share your anger and disgust.
Final point: My “secular” description of consolation was less secular than you might imagine. The simple impulses to practice compassion make absolutely no sense in a world shorn of meaning, guided by mere caprice, and eventuating in a dusty casket. There would be no reason to feel empathy, sympathy or love. But we do, whether we consider ourselves believers or not. And the pertinent question to ask once we grant to one another our shared humanity is: Why do all generations of mankind share the same basic precepts, same feelings of compassion, the same altruism — especially toward the young — despite wild changes in the natures of societies themselves. Governments have evolved radically over the last two milennia. Basic moral precepts have not. And the overwhelming question — the one that led me, at least, back to faith is: Why?
45 posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 9:52:21 PM by Tony Snow
________________________________________________________________________
This is a mirror into his heart and soul, and goes into depths that the MSM could not begin to understand.
Yet - here it is, right here at our fingertips.
It also demonstrates that he was a very capable writer and Freeper - and more than held his own here.
He obviously put a great deal of thought and passion into writing that response here. Why did he do that? I believe it was because he felt that the subject was something he truly believed in, and something he wanted to defend.
His God.
Moreover, the words he used are evidence (to me at least) that he is with the God he loved so much.
bttt for Tony
I haven’t book-marked a thread in a long time. Thanks for making this thread. Tony Snow will be missed by all
I’m sorry. I must have missed something. What book are you talking about? Thanks.
Thank you~
The only topics the poster to whom Tony replied so eloquently, posts about seem to be creationism, atheism, evolution etc.
Bump
Wow, thanks for posting that. I had NO IDEA he posted here. Clearly I’m hanging out in the wrong threads! God Bless him and God bless his family.
susie
PING!
Rest in Peace, Tony.
Don’t know if you have seen this or not... If you follow the link, there is a comment that Tony made on one of your show threads.
Thanks SkyPilot. It was a sad day to hear of Tony’s passing. There are very few people that I mourn over not being able to hear their opinions or commentary on things.
Godspeed and comfort to his family.
Especially after that dead lizard Scott McClellan set a precedent so low you had to dig below the basement to raise it.
Thanks for posting that link. I had no idea!
^ bump
tx for the ping
Thanks for the ping.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.