Posted on 01/02/2007 5:08:42 AM PST by shrinkermd
Francis Bacon?
The main weakness in God's creation of man is that He gave us free will.
It sure looks that way...
NIV Genesis 2:16-17
16. And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;
17. but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
NIV Genesis 3:17
To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, `You must not eat of it,' "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
Well, you know Dr. Wegner, there's something out there if you'd just consider it. Only it's a person, not a *system*. Jesus can do what you think needs to be done. Problem is, it includes dying--- to self--- but it's not real popular and some people just can't handle that.
Claims of morality is sophistry without some singular higher power defining what it is...
Morality and all of its associated ideals are rooted entirely in the presupposition some higher power defines what is correct for human behavior.
But, since we are all properly obeying the * modern interpretation * of the First Amendment, good & evil isn't the question... Good & bad, right & wrong, etc., etc., ad nausea; are all inherently religious ideals.
The modern interpretation of the First Amendment (according to the liberal-tarians) says government must exorcise all traces of religion and theism from itself. Therefore, government must never consider issues of morality and right and wrong.
So, it becomes a question of benefits versus costs. Fetus killing has its benefits to society, especially if you like to sleep late on Saturdays. But it also has its costs as well. Society (by which I mean, whoever manages to seize power) needs to evaluate these costs and decide accordingly.
The mythical rights of men and women are also meaningless. The very concept of rights is also founded in religion. Since the enlightened person is freed from any superstitions about some "God," they are free from having to worry about "rights." Only raw power counts and humans are just meat puppets for the powerful...
Claims of morality is sophistry without some singular higher power defining what it is...
Morality and all of its associated ideals are rooted entirely in the presupposition some higher power defines what is correct for human behavior.
But, since we are all properly obeying the * modern interpretation * of the First Amendment, good & evil isn't the question... Good & bad, right & wrong, etc., etc., ad nausea; are all inherently religious ideals.
The modern interpretation of the First Amendment (according to the liberal-tarians) says government must exorcise all traces of religion and theism from itself. Therefore, government must never consider issues of morality and right and wrong.
So, it becomes a question of benefits versus costs. Fetus killing has its benefits to society, especially if you like to sleep late on Saturdays. But it also has its costs as well. Society (by which I mean, whoever manages to seize power) needs to evaluate these costs and decide accordingly.
The mythical rights of men and women are also meaningless. The very concept of rights is also founded in religion. Since the enlightened person is freed from any superstitions about some "God," they are free from having to worry about "rights." Only raw power counts and humans are just meat puppets for the powerful... Excuse my sarcasm...
The mere fact that they are even considering this question proves we are more than 'sophisticated meat machines.'
LOL Perhaps Dawkins is the only proof they've got of the 'meat machine' theory.
Wonderful; he knows what it feels like?
What a doofus!
The NYT is not telling you that you have no free will. They are quoting Michael Silberstein, a science philosopher at Elizabethtown College in Maryland.
It makes no difference. Those two things are not mutually exclusive.
Sure it does. It's not free will if you're forced.
The last statement lost me. God may have created everything.
One can believe in an intelligent design behind evolution.
I choose to have it.
Fear of punishment doesn't rob anyone of free will. It merely informs them of the likelihood of unpleasant consequences if they do break the law, are caught and punished. They still have free will to disregard the risk of unpleasant consequences.
Many of them do. The prisons are full of such people. The really celver ones, like Bill Clinton, finds way to cheat the risk.
You absolutely have free will and you absolutely have no free will, both. This seems impossible, and our minds cannot grasp it.
Just another sign of God's super-intelligence.
I just thought this up, but it sounds like something others may have invented before.
ping
>>...how much more will they freak if scientists and philosophers tell them they are nothing more than sophisticated meat machines...<<
I FIRMLY believe we are sophisticated meat machines. Or, to put it bluntly, the MOST sophisticated meat machines on the planet.
But to be more clear, I believe we OCCUPY the most sophisticated meat machines on this planet. And these machines are designed to drastically enhance our experience and brief time here.
I am to my "meat machine" what a pilot is to his airplane, or a crane operator is to his crane.
I don't see the problem here. It is what I have believed about half my adult life. The body (including the brain) dies, for crying out loud.
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.