"You have identified your own personal HAPPINESS to be the thing that functions as your ultimate concern -- the thing you prize, and value most highly at this stage of your life."
This statement is true. It seems to be a restatement of what I already posted, so I do not understand your point.
I also fail to see how my "answer shows [me] to be a very illogical person". I am curious; rather than explaining your viewpoint, why do you say: "If you really aren't illogical, you will be able to see it"? (I could very well make that same statement about you, and it would get us absolutely nowhere.)
I'm beginning to notice a feature of conservatives. They have their beliefs, which they accept as true from the outset. When it comes time to defend those beliefs through reason, conservatives make strange, illogical arguments that cannot be followed, like the Chewbacca Defense.
It is for this reason that us Liberals seem to "blow off" your arguments so much of the time. It's not that we arbitrarily choose to reject your evidence, or disrespect your arguments -- we argue amongst ourselves all the time, and are usually fairly open to new viewpoints. It's that your evidence is not evidence at all, and really makes absolutely no sense. (Defending an argument by quoting from the Bible is one example. Referring to disproven "facts" as truth is another.)
"You said you had no beliefs and no god.
Then you said that happiness is your god at this moment. "
Well, if you assert that me pursuing my happiness is equal to "happiness is [my] god at this moment", then I guess I would agree. Does pursuing my happiness in life really mean that I have "beliefs"? I would say no, but it's a nice topic for discussion.
"To the degree that a person exhibits intellectual dishonesty, that is the degree to which they are emotionally and spiritually immature."
So the fact that I don't consider "pursuit of happiness" to be the same as "beliefs" means that I'm "intellectually dishonest and emotionally and spiritually immature"?
"Tell me, is there such a thing as absolute truth?"
Yes, I think that the Universe we live in (and share) is the absolute truth.
I also think that no human has every known the absolute truth about any topic. Instead, we have models -- some of which are very, very precise and accurate -- but all of which are not "truth".
They have their beliefs, which they accept as true from the outset. When it comes time to defend those beliefs through reason, conservatives make strange, illogical arguments that cannot be followed, like the Chewbacca Defense. Please tell me, do you support abortion but abhor the death penalty?
Innocent babies ought never be killed. That is why we are against abortion. But sometimes war HAS to be fought. It is for the greater, global good. This is much different from a woman saying, "For MY good, I will kill this child."
The same applies to the death penalty. Some people are so unconcerned with the law or rules that they cannot be allowed to live free amoung people. It is right that they be eliminated, then by no chance will they be released, or escape to kill again. Some here, concerned with problems in the judicial system, no longer support the death penalty. IF we could be positively assured that liberal judges would not release dangerous predators onto our streets, even less people would support the death penalty.
To allow dangerous despots to continue torture, to kill innocent babies in the womb, and to allow dangerous killers to walk our streets is hardly a "compassionate" choice.
"You have identified your own personal HAPPINESS to be the thing that functions as your ultimate concern -- the thing you prize, and value most highly at this stage of your life."
FreeRepublicLoginName: "This statement is true. ..I do not understand your point."
Oh, I think you do --- because you deliberately cut out the part where I explained it to you here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/972907/posts?page=85#85 Let's go over that part you cut out again:
M-PI:"You're actually saying that there is nothing in your life that functions as an ultimate concern for you."
FreeRepublicLoginName: "No, that's not what I'm saying at all. ...you are asking me what my "ultimate goal", my "purpose" is. .. My answer is: to be happy. My purpose in life is to be happy".
Once again, your answer shows you to be a very illogical person. Here are the facts:
One of the definitions of god is: something or someone of supreme value -- something or someone that functions as as an ultimate concern in a person's life.
We all care about many things: love of family, the condition of one's home, taxes, war and peace, etc., etc., but for each of us, there can be only one ultimate concern, something so important and valuable that we are willing, at the moment, to sacrifice almost anything for it. (One's ultimate concern can change over time, but that doesn't change the fact that we all have one at all of our stages of life).
You have identified your own personal HAPPINESS to be the thing that functions as your ultimate concern -- the thing you prize, and value most highly at this stage of your life.
You said you had no beliefs and no god.
Then you said that happiness is your god at this moment. ~
These two statements contradict each other.
FreeRepublicLoginName: "I also fail to see how my "answer shows [me] to be a very illogical person". .."
I can't help you there. That's why I suggested to you that you might want to seek treatment for the mental confusion (cognitive dissonance) that results from holding contradictory attitudes and beliefs simultaneously .
FreeRepublicLoginName: "conservatives make strange, illogical arguments that cannot be followed, like the Chewbacca Defense.It is for this reason that us Liberals seem to "blow off" your arguments so much of the time."
Now THAT is rich! You have already proven to those capable of critical thought, that you are in no position to be calling others "illogical". Hahahaha
M-PI: "Tell me, is there such a thing as absolute truth?"
FreeRepublicLoginName: "Yes, I think that the Universe we live in (and share) is the absolute truth. ..."
Wow! In addition to worshipping at the altar of happiness (your current ULTIMATE concern), you even have metaphysical *beliefs* about ULTIMATE reality.
Are you aware that there are others who don't believe there is such a thing as absolute truth, and don't hold your *belief* about it? Are they wrong? How do you know?
If you were to try and convince them that your *belief* about the universe being absolute truth is indeed the truth, how would you go about it? What would you base your argument on?
Would you tell them that absolute truth must be the same for all rational beings?
For instance, each human being makes distinctions beween right and wrong. And isn't it funny that even people who profess to be ethical relativists (each person gets to decide whats right and what's wrong for themselves) act contrary to what they profess when they themselves have been wronged.
When someone wrongs them, like making a promise and then breaking it, their protests make it clear that they believe the other person is inately aware of the same *moral law*.
They appeal to some kind of STANDARD of behavior that they expect the other person to inately know about and adhere to.
And the other person rarely would try to deny knowing about that standard -- rather he would make excuses for not holding to it. Hahahaha