tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11714522.post6658770072592756088..comments2024-03-29T07:36:41.429-04:00Comments on Incinerating Presuppositionalism: A Reply to Matthias on Imagination and Its Role in TheismBahnsen Burnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11030029491768748360noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11714522.post-449354401902211592014-01-20T14:36:58.207-05:002014-01-20T14:36:58.207-05:00Hi Dawson,
Thanks for your comments on the previo...Hi Dawson,<br /><br />Thanks for your comments on the previous thread. It was definitely an interesting experience with those apologists. <br /><br />I've also noticed that in my dealings with a close Christian relative, he now shies away from directly discussing his faith commitment with me, because he knows his premises will be vigorously challenged. I've challenged him in the past, lest he think that I approve of or accept any of the nonsense peddled.<br /><br />When dealing with him now, what often comes to mind is a "neurotic psychology" that you speak of in your current blog entry. <br /><br />Ydemoc<br /><br /> Ydemochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03498165330193613762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11714522.post-75021587210165083672014-01-19T16:52:37.129-05:002014-01-19T16:52:37.129-05:00Hi Robert,
It's good to hear from you. Thanks...Hi Robert,<br /><br />It's good to hear from you. Thanks for your comments. I'm glad you're enjoying my blog still!<br /><br />Appeals to "Divine Aseity" and "Divine Simplicity" do not overcome the Objectivist critique. Such appeals do not address the issue of metaphysical primacy, they do not vindicate theism from the falsehood of the primacy of consciousness, nor do they supply an alternative to the imagination as man's means of "knowing" the Christian or any other god. <br /><br />And you're right, per the quote from Rand regarding the indestructible robot: a god as Christianity describes its object of worship could have no objective basis for valuing one thing over another or choosing one course of action over another. Such a being could sit completely idle for all eternity and it would continue being what it always was. Without any objective basis for interests, goals or values, morality simply would not apply. The notion that the Christian god is the basis or standard of morality is simply a huge bundle of stolen concepts swallowed whole without question or scrutiny by the believer. The inquisitions, heresy tribunals and witch trials which pepper the history of Christianity when it was the dominant worldview in the Dark Ages were no mistake.<br /><br />By the way, I have fixed a few typos in the blog entry above. All quite minor, but refresh your browser.<br /><br />Regards,<br />DawsonBahnsen Burnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11030029491768748360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11714522.post-60474591082436050502014-01-19T12:16:00.818-05:002014-01-19T12:16:00.818-05:00Good morning. Matthias invoked the floating abstra...Good morning. Matthias invoked the floating abstraction Aseity of his God. Ms Rand wrote an interesting related thought about values. <br /><br />"try to imagine an immortal, indestructible robot, an entity which moves and acts, but which cannot be affected by anything, which cannot be changed in any respect, which cannot be damaged, injured or destroyed. Such an entity would not be able to have any values; it would have nothing to gain or to lose; it could not regard anything as for or against it, as serving or threatening its welfare, as fulfilling or frustrating its interests. It could have no interests and no goals." ~ http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/values.html<br /><br />Dawson has pointed out that any being such as described by Ms Rand and the floating abstraction of Divine Aseity would not be capable of having values and hence have no motivations for any action including loving. Matthias fails to understand that his religious faith is directed toward a package deal that includes numerous contradictory ideas like aseity and love. But that's why Christians are to have faith like little children because asking questions leads to disbelief.<br /><br />Thanks Dawson for another excellent blog. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03469718358131331499noreply@blogger.com