I did a big no-no!
I compared belief in the Christian god to belief in square circles.
I know, you're probably wondering, "How dare he!" right?
Well, it's true: I admit that I did in fact do this, and I'm happy to report that I have good reason for doing so. You can read all about it in the latest addition to Katholon, my personal website:
For those who hath understanding, they can now say:
by Dawson BethrickI don't believe there are any gods for the same reason I don't believe there are any square circles.
5 comments:
I read it, can't say I understood all of it. But I get the bit about "internal inconsistencies" or "internal incoherences".
Claiming that an almighty mind exists which keeps everything going, is a little like claiming that if you close your eyes, trees cease to exist.
But don't listen to me, I have very little knowledge of epistomology or philosophy.
Everything willed into existence by a conscious mind? Everything willed out of existence by an unconscious one?
Many theists I have spoken to have a different idea of the definition of the universe.
I have always thought that the universe is the totality of everything, so the notion that something can exist outside it, seems bizarre and contradictory to say the least.
Personally, I think that many theists have cross referenced god with the universe. Of course they will not admit to this, but I think they see the universe as an entity which has a discrete mind.
And of course the early christian idea of the universe was quite absurd, and DID depict god as living in heaven outside of "the known universe."
The known universe was at that time pretty small. Consisting of a couple of planets, the sun and the moon and the constellations of the zodiac.
Actually, when believers talk about god existing outside of the universe, this image always comes to mind. It is from the Nuremberg Chronicles and depicts god and the happy people in heaven living OUTSIDE the known universe.
http://www.beloit.edu/~nurember/book/images/Old%20Testament/index.htm
(Click on the image called UNIVERSE to see what I mean.)
Beep I think you know more about philosophy than you give yourself credit for (perhaps you don't know the terminology, but you know the concepts). Let me show you how much you know!
"Personally, I think that many theists have cross referenced god with the universe. Of course they will not admit to this, but I think they see the universe as an entity which has a discrete mind."
This is called Pantheism (basically). The idea is that everything (To quote a book I know you've read, Live, the Universe, Everything!), is God. That tree in your front yard? God. The sidewalk? God. Pantheism is from Greek, and it basically means 'God is All', or in other words Everything is God. You just described this concept perfectly, so now you can put a name to it! ;) To read more, go and do a google on Spinoza. He's perhaps the main philosophical thinker in pantheism (in my opinion), though there are certainly many more.
Anyway, Dawson I really liked this piece. As someone who's never been religious, it's hard for me to understand sometimes how people DON'T see that a belief in a deity and belief in, say, Unicorns, amount to the same thing.
-olly
nice work dawson...a good way for me to spend some down time while on the road!
Thanks olly :)
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