Skip to comments.
Mohler takes on 'theistic evolution'
Associated Baptist Press ^
| January 13, 2011
| Bob Allen
Posted on 01/16/2011 4:09:10 PM PST by balch3
click here to read article
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 1,441-1,460, 1,461-1,480, 1,481-1,500 ... 1,721-1,733 next last
To: D-fendr; James C. Bennett
IMHO, if there is no such thing as inherent value, you have some other problems logically Sorry to be blunt, but is this another reductio ad absurdum, à la uncaused cause?
1,461
posted on
02/16/2011 10:34:00 PM PST
by
kosta50
("Spirit of Spirit....give me over to immortal birth so that I may be born again" -- pagan prayer)
To: D-fendr; James C. Bennett
1,462
posted on
02/16/2011 10:38:17 PM PST
by
kosta50
("Spirit of Spirit....give me over to immortal birth so that I may be born again" -- pagan prayer)
To: kosta50
is this another reductio ad absurdumNo but it is, as alluded some time back, similar to the problem of infinite regress of dependent causes. It's the problem of infinite regress of be-causes. Without inherent value (no because needed), some axiom, self-evident truth, assumed to be true, etc., you have an infinite logical regress.
It's the limit of logic's conditionality.
Not that you have to reach it, but if you claim your values are all *purely* logic based...
1,463
posted on
02/16/2011 11:19:30 PM PST
by
D-fendr
(Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
To: kosta50; James C. Bennett
Oh boy!Now, how did I know that would peg your meter? :)
Of course one can also conclude or act as though life (one's own and life in general) has no meaning; or, as perhaps describes your view, that if it does have meaning, we can't know what it is.
In all cases, I think it a universal question for humans fortunate enough to be able to consider it - beyond mere survival.
1,464
posted on
02/16/2011 11:24:47 PM PST
by
D-fendr
(Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
To: D-fendr; James C. Bennett
Without inherent value (no because needed)... So, what's an inherent value of a Paramecium?
1,465
posted on
02/17/2011 2:22:14 AM PST
by
kosta50
("Spirit of Spirit....give me over to immortal birth so that I may be born again" -- pagan prayer)
To: D-fendr; James C. Bennett
Of course one can also conclude or act as though life (one's own and life in general) has no meaning Or we can assume that is has...and spend a whole life making up feel-good reasons why.
1,466
posted on
02/17/2011 2:29:13 AM PST
by
kosta50
("Spirit of Spirit....give me over to immortal birth so that I may be born again" -- pagan prayer)
To: D-fendr
Life can have meaning because you choose for it to have meaning. Whether you have a theistic or non-theistic worldview you have made a choice. Some people may believe that a deity has spoken to them, but this is an unprovable statement.
I agree with you that we are fortunate that we can consider these things. However, One of the reasons I think there are more cases of depression and or mental illness in humans is because we have so much time to just think.
Over the course of our species evolution I don't think there was as much time to just sit and think. It was a day to day struggle just to live.
To: kosta50
So, what's an inherent value of a Paramecium?I'd say "life."
1,468
posted on
02/17/2011 9:45:41 AM PST
by
D-fendr
(Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
To: kosta50
Or we can assume that is has...and spend a whole life making up feel-good reasons why.Certainly another possibility.
I think if we examine closely, almost everyone either knows, think they know or assumes that their life has meaning and purpose - the reason they get out of bed in the morning.
1,469
posted on
02/17/2011 9:52:34 AM PST
by
D-fendr
(Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
To: armordog99
Thanks for your reply.
Life can have meaning because you choose for it to have meaning.
There's a lot to think about in that statement.
Some people may believe that a deity has spoken to them, but this is an unprovable statement.
For me, when I hear a preacher, for example, say, "God told me that.." my BS meter goes up.
But I do think we have a relationship to or with something that transcends; there's an interaction and communication of a kind. Of course, that's an unprovable statement too. :)
In general, do you think something can be true but unprovable?
1,470
posted on
02/17/2011 10:00:34 AM PST
by
D-fendr
(Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
To: D-fendr; armordog99; James C. Bennett
In general, do you think something can be true but unprovable? How would you know?
1,471
posted on
02/17/2011 10:47:37 AM PST
by
kosta50
("Spirit of Spirit....give me over to immortal birth so that I may be born again" -- pagan prayer)
To: D-fendr
I'd say "life." How about a leaf? It's alive, right?
1,472
posted on
02/17/2011 10:49:21 AM PST
by
kosta50
("Spirit of Spirit....give me over to immortal birth so that I may be born again" -- pagan prayer)
To: kosta50
How about a leaf? It's alive, right?Yep. All life.
1,473
posted on
02/17/2011 11:02:27 AM PST
by
D-fendr
(Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
To: D-fendr; James C. Bennett; armordog99
I think if we examine closely, almost everyone either knows, think they know or assumes that their life has meaning and purpose - the reason they get out of bed in the morning Or maybe it's a habit. What's the purpose of running red lights? Or of dinosaurs? Nothing so far you mentioned proves the "intrinsic value" of anything except what we personally or as a society make up. I love that program "Life after People" that shows how the world and even our pets would do just fine if suddenly the humans were to disappear.
The world existed before us and could continue existing after us just fine. The entire human history is a series of scenarios with faceless players trying to make this world, indeed all of existence, about us.
On a tiny spec of dust in space, a blue dot no one is near enough to even notice, about as notorious as an ant that was hatched last week in my back yard.
Purpose and "intrinsic values" are feel-good constructs.
1,474
posted on
02/17/2011 11:23:53 AM PST
by
kosta50
("Spirit of Spirit....give me over to immortal birth so that I may be born again" -- pagan prayer)
To: D-fendr
Yep. All life And the purpose (or is it just a consequence) is?
1,475
posted on
02/17/2011 11:29:25 AM PST
by
kosta50
("Spirit of Spirit....give me over to immortal birth so that I may be born again" -- pagan prayer)
To: kosta50
Purpose and "intrinsic values" are feel-good constructs.What possible purpose could you have for saying that?
1,476
posted on
02/17/2011 11:47:38 AM PST
by
D-fendr
(Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
To: kosta50
And the purpose (or is it just a consequence) is?If I'm understanding the question correctly:
It means that all other conditions being equal, we shouldn't destroy life. That it's not a coin-flip decision to destroy or not destroy life (all other conditions being equal).
1,477
posted on
02/17/2011 11:51:06 AM PST
by
D-fendr
(Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
To: kosta50
I should add the corollary: All other conditions being equal, we ought act in ways that further life.
1,478
posted on
02/17/2011 11:53:41 AM PST
by
D-fendr
(Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
To: kosta50
How would you know?I think we're looping back to "what is knowing" here. And what is considered sufficient proof.
1,479
posted on
02/17/2011 12:18:05 PM PST
by
D-fendr
(Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
To: kosta50
I appreciate your clarification back on this post. I finally get what you mean, sorry I was slow.
The way I see it, the only way to know the truth, i.e. to know the way the world truly is, and why it is, is to know everything there is to know, and we can't know that.
In very broad terms, I'm in broad agreement. :)
But can't we know the truth more accurately or less accurately?
1,480
posted on
02/17/2011 12:23:10 PM PST
by
D-fendr
(Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 1,441-1,460, 1,461-1,480, 1,481-1,500 ... 1,721-1,733 next last
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.
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson