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A few thoughts in response...
Posted on: October 12, 2017 at 20:38:00 CT
JeffB MU
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raskolnikov: And you might consider defining Pagans.
Ok, though I don't see the point really:
Wikipedia: Paganism is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christianity for populations of the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, either because they were increasingly rural and provincial relative to the Christian population or because they were not milites Christi (soldiers of Christ).[1][2] Alternate terms in Christian texts for the same group were "hellene" and "gentile".[3]
raskolnikov:Comments are meaningless.
Ironic comment there, no?
raskolnikov:And that you think Darwin or evolution would per force deny a strong Spiritual underpinning is just silly. I would put great faith in a God smart enough and secure enough to set up evolution.
Thou doth protest too much, methinks. Neither Kenneth Hensley, the author of that article, nor myself claimed "Darwin or evolution would per force deny a strong Spiritual underpinning". Darwin was only mentioned in a quote of atheist philosopher, James Rachels who wrote:
As Darwin clearly recognized, we are not entitled—not on evolutionary grounds, at any rate—to regard our own adaptive behavior as ‘better’ or ‘higher’ than that of a cockroach, who, after all, is adapted equally well to life in its own environmental niche.
What he is admitting is that if you are looking at things from an atheistic perspective and using evolution as a means of explaining how man, the animals & other life forms got here that explanation gives no reason to believe that man has some inherent worth over and above any of the other animals.
raskolnikov: First of all, Atheist only deny or reject Deism (primarily as you define it)
That is not how most people define atheism (again from Wikipedia):
Atheism is, in the broadest sense, the absence of belief in the existence of deities.[1][2][3][4] Less broadly, atheism is the rejection of belief that any deities exist.[5][6] In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities.[1][2][7][8] Atheism is contrasted with theism,[9][10] which, in its most general form, is the belief that at least one deity exists.[10][11][12]
raskolnikov: and Pagans have Gods coming out their ears.
Some do, but the issue here would be what do the individual pagan religions teach about the place and role of human beings in the world, and what is their inherent worth and dignity as members of the human race.
raskolnikov: The idea that this is all an accident is ludicrous.
Wow, I didn't know you could be so judgmental of people, rask. ;)
raskolnikov: But that people don't line up to the ONE WAY that Christians lay out is OK too.
You seem to be of the opinion that religions are semi-irrelevant... that one is pretty much as good as another. I disagree. I think that the truth matters... and The Truth most certainly matters.
Religion is our fundamental belief system, the foundation, if you will, for all the rest of our beliefs, and ultimately our actions and how we live our lives. If that foundation is twisted or distorted, it has major ramifications for everything that we do, and major ramifications for society, no?
Ok, though I don't see the point really:
Wikipedia: Paganism is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christianity for populations of the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, either because they were increasingly rural and provincial relative to the Christian population or because they were not milites Christi (soldiers of Christ).[1][2] Alternate terms in Christian texts for the same group were "hellene" and "gentile".[3]
raskolnikov:Comments are meaningless.
Ironic comment there, no?
raskolnikov:And that you think Darwin or evolution would per force deny a strong Spiritual underpinning is just silly. I would put great faith in a God smart enough and secure enough to set up evolution.
Thou doth protest too much, methinks. Neither Kenneth Hensley, the author of that article, nor myself claimed "Darwin or evolution would per force deny a strong Spiritual underpinning". Darwin was only mentioned in a quote of atheist philosopher, James Rachels who wrote:
As Darwin clearly recognized, we are not entitled—not on evolutionary grounds, at any rate—to regard our own adaptive behavior as ‘better’ or ‘higher’ than that of a cockroach, who, after all, is adapted equally well to life in its own environmental niche.
What he is admitting is that if you are looking at things from an atheistic perspective and using evolution as a means of explaining how man, the animals & other life forms got here that explanation gives no reason to believe that man has some inherent worth over and above any of the other animals.
raskolnikov: First of all, Atheist only deny or reject Deism (primarily as you define it)
That is not how most people define atheism (again from Wikipedia):
Atheism is, in the broadest sense, the absence of belief in the existence of deities.[1][2][3][4] Less broadly, atheism is the rejection of belief that any deities exist.[5][6] In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities.[1][2][7][8] Atheism is contrasted with theism,[9][10] which, in its most general form, is the belief that at least one deity exists.[10][11][12]
raskolnikov: and Pagans have Gods coming out their ears.
Some do, but the issue here would be what do the individual pagan religions teach about the place and role of human beings in the world, and what is their inherent worth and dignity as members of the human race.
raskolnikov: The idea that this is all an accident is ludicrous.
Wow, I didn't know you could be so judgmental of people, rask. ;)
raskolnikov: But that people don't line up to the ONE WAY that Christians lay out is OK too.
You seem to be of the opinion that religions are semi-irrelevant... that one is pretty much as good as another. I disagree. I think that the truth matters... and The Truth most certainly matters.
Religion is our fundamental belief system, the foundation, if you will, for all the rest of our beliefs, and ultimately our actions and how we live our lives. If that foundation is twisted or distorted, it has major ramifications for everything that we do, and major ramifications for society, no?
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MESSAGE THREAD
A few thoughts in response... - JeffB MU - 10/12 20:38:00RE: They dont break down, they just all give the same answer - Butcher of Bakersfield STL - 10/13 03:27:06