Posted on 06/11/2002 10:12:35 AM PDT by thinktwice
Edited on 04/14/2004 10:05:12 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
In your June 7 editorial on the moving of the Ayn Rand Institute to Irvine ["Ayn Rand in O.C.''], you stated that you took issue with some of Ayn Rand's positions, including her ardent atheism. In today's world of terrorism and conflicts fueled by ardent religious beliefs, it would seem appropriate that you would take issue with ardent religious people, not with any atheists.
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
On the contrary. Theists are motivated to speak the truth, since they adhere to a code of ethics that transcends themselves. What code binds atheists? Enlightened self-interest?
The abolitionists staunchly preached that slavery was an affront to God, and that it was a stain on our republic to claim descent from the Almighty while embracing such an appalling institution.
And if abortion is "progress," then cannibalism must be haute cuisine.
The facts are available in the abundant literature.
Those interested in THE TRUTH will seek it out.
QUALITY PEOPLE refers to researchers of skill and integrity who would let the facts speak rather than their traditional biases . . . in contrast to a LOT of sociological research about a LOT of different topics.
One key researcher was M Rokeach. Some of his titles are:
Curvilinear phenomenon can be researched looking at George Kelly's personal construct theory etc. But that's a whole complex world--great fun but not a small or even tidy universe.
Other titles of possible interest to earnest folk:
G.R. Lewis: DECIDE FOR YOURSELF: A THEOLOGICAL WORKBOOK (For people who are tired of being told what to believe)
P. London THE MODES AND MORALS OF PSYCHOTHERAPY
Josh McDowell EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS A VERDICT--written by a son of a violent, abusive alcoholic who claimed as I recall to be a Christian--Roman Catholic variety--I think. So outraged was the son at the mother's constantly being beaten etc. that the son swore he would prove Christianity was a farce. Being brilliant and a diligent person, in his college years he set about learning the ropes, languages of the issues and doing the research. Trouble was, he was more intellectually honest than a lot of researchers. He faced up to his findings and became a believer. His site on the web has many resources of possible interest. . . and can be found at:
G.M. Maranell's RESPONSES TO RELIGION; STUDIES IN THE SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGIOUS BELIEF might still be available.
A.H. Maslow's RELIGIOUS VALUES AND PEAK EXPERIENCES can be of some value.
R. Medvedev & Z Medvedev A QUESTION OF MADNESS is interesting.
As is Karl Menninger's WHATEVER BECAME OF SIN?
And J W Montgomery's HISTORY & CHRISTIANITY
And his CHRISTIANITY FOR THE TOUGH MINDED is great as well.
I also liked his: HOW DO WE KNOW THERE IS A GOD? AND OTHER QUESTIONS INAPPROPRIATE IN POLITE SOCIETY.
Of course F Morison's classic WHO MOVED THE STONE is worthwhile.
J B Phillips YOUR GOD IS TOO SMALL is certainly a short worthy book.
M PHILLIPS THE BIBLE, THE SUPERNATURAL & THE JEWS is great and I wish I could find another copy since mine is long gone.
John Powell's A REASON TO LIVE! A REASON TO DIE! A NEW LOOK AT FAITH IN GOD was wonderful.
As is his WHY AM I AFRAID TO LOVE?
And his WHY AM I AFRAID TO TELL YOU WHO I AM?
D Prince's SHAPING HISTORY THROUGH PRAYER & FASTING is a very timely one.
C Ragan's A REVIEW OF THE MEASUREMENT OF RELIGIOSITY--a paper presented at the meeting of the California State Psychological Assoc, Anaheim, CA Mar 1975 was interesting.
F Shaeffer's works are very worthwhile reading:
</CENTER. Ulrich Shaffer's poetry in LOVE REACHES OUT is the best Christian poetry I've ever read. Very candid, real to life.
I loved S. Shoemaker's EXTRAORDINARY LIVING FOR ORDINARY MEN.
H Silvester's ARGUING WITH GOD has some good insights.
B Spilka's "The Complete Person:" Some theoretical views and research findings for a theological-psychology of religion. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY AND THEOLOGY, 1976, 4, 15-24. . . is worth a look.
Any of Corrie Ten Boom's stuff such as AMAZING LOVE and her biography THE HIDING PLACE, TRAMP FOR THE LORD etc.
Ian Thomas' IF I PERISH, I PERISH would be great to require of every teen and adult claiming to be a Christian in our era.
Paul Tournier--a rich treasure of a Swiss psychiatrist author--Christian:
THE ADVENTURE OF LIVING
. . .
A PLACE FOR YOU
. . .
TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER
. . .
THE STRONG AND THE WEAK
N.C. Warren's "Emperical studies in the psychology of religion: An assessment of the period 1960-1970. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY AND THEOLOGY, 1976, 4, 63-68 is worth a look.
As is VANDER VENNEN, R. E. "Is scientific research value free?" JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC AFFILIATION, 1975, 24, 107-11.
As is:
W. C. Wilson's "Intrinsic religious values and prejudice" JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL & SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, 1960, 60, 286-289.
Of course, there are dozens and dozens of others since then. But the web is an easy place to search. Sorry I don't have time to come up with more. I think
I'm not sure I understand all of this.
We have a brain and data gets into our brain through our 5 senses, yes. There are always going to be events that counter what we know. (For example, sometimes it rains fish and frogs in Europe. It was recently, sometime within this century, that we discovered it was water spouts that went over lakes and then when the clouds moved over land, dropped the fish and the frogs.)We as humans are very limited to what we can process individually, but as a whole we've come a long way. Take the fact that the international space station exists. What questions had to be answered before that could happen? I believe that we don't understand how a lot of things work, we just know they do. But future generations may understand much more than we. I just know that that which exists exists; and if I don't know how or why, it doesn't matter because I'm never ever going to find an answer to that one. I can speculate until I turn blue in the face, but never will I have an answer.
It (the proof you require) will come from Him if you ask Him. Just prepare yourself; answers from God are rarely in the form you expect them to be . . .
There is no such entity that exists outside the laws of identity.
I'm unfamiliar with these laws. They way you are explaining them, it sounds as if one of these laws directly states that God does not exist. Is that so? Or is it by some indirect method, i.e. they do not allow for the existence of God by construction, of the laws that is.
From our short conversation, I wouldn't think you would be one to accept a belief system which denies the existence of things, simply because you are unfamiliar with them. I'm sure you believe in many things for which you have no direct experience.
Perhaps a different approach will help. Would you believe that God exists if he appeared to you, then gave you a vision of the creation of this world, and his role in it?
Why do I feel like I'm not going to get a yes or no answer? :)
Explain 1) what is the definition of faith and 2) why should I implement it as a process when I do quite well with reason.
1) Faith and reason are dependent on each other. Faith is going with what you know, not what you feel. Faith is what makes reason useful. Reason is what justifies faith.
2) Wrong question. Faith is not an implementable process. It is the natural result of an honest search for truth without preconceptions.
Old, but useful analogy: Take the blind fish in a cave at the bottom of the ocean. He has no eyes and that's OK, since Light is only an interesting but useless (to him) concept. He is content in denying the existence of light because it cannot be described by any of his four senses. To him, the idea of sight is metaphysical nonsense.
Awfully arrogant little fish.
Whew! I'm not sure why it took so many posts to get the answer myself, but you seem like a reasonable person to me, so I assumed you would believe what you see.
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