God or no God?

[The Anabaptist Jacques]

Okay. I understand your point and also don't have the history of the other thread activity. I was being a bit of a purist in my detection of hypocrisy because even if you got your Platonic ideas (helping to then shape your own thoughts) from some cosmic invisible wave that hit you in the head, it still would have come from outside yourself but I assume you really got those ideas from books.

A great ability of yours is that you managed to read and assimilate that information without the need, now, to point it out to someone else by showing him or her a passage in a book -- a passage that you find profound or that really communicates truth in a deeply authentic way to you. Is it not possible that when something truly speaks to you that you, yourself, had those thoughts all along but had not yet articulated them?

If you still needed that book though -- to make your point -- showing it to another would not at all diminish the reality that this passage was truth to YOU. It would also communicate that truth to another and the other person would understand you better. The fact that you can now take those concepts and speak eloquently about them makes you a good writer. It makes you a good communicator. It does not necessarily make the information more true or even more original and one could even argue that the posting of a video to get a concept across is actually kind of original (if it wasn't done by this particular poster so very often).

Some people have communication barriers. Those barriers do not necessarily stop original thought. If you want to truly aid another in one's thinking and help that individual to form original thought, you don't do that by insulting the person, calling the person a Fascist or goading and prodding the person, right? Sometimes a little jousting is fun and possibly effective, but you get my point. Afterall, we are talking about god here!

Guilty as charged.

Very nice post.

Just so you know, I called him a fascist because I knew he has a button on it and would go away.

He was just trolling.

But I agree with what you wrote.

I do read a lot, and I feel that if I can't explain what I read to another then I haven't grasped it completely.

Sometimes though, simple explanations are inadequate.

The Anabaptist Jacques

 

[Panda Termint]

Meanwhile, Terry said,

“His philosophy was a mixture of three famous schools -- the Cynics, the Stoics and the Epicureans -- and summed up all three of them in his famous phrase, 'You can't trust any bugger further than you can throw him, and there's nothing you can do about it, so let's have a drink.”

“That's why it's always worth having a few philosophers around the place. One minute it's all is truth beauty and is beauty truth, and does a falling tree in the forest make a sound if there's no one there to hear it, and then just when you think they're going to start dribbling one of 'em says, incidentally, putting a thirty-foot parabolic reflector on a high place to shoot the rays of the sun at an enemy's ships would be a very interesting demonstration of optical principles.”

“What's a philosopher?' said Brutha.
Someone who's bright enough to find a job with no heavy lifting,' said a voice in his head.”

That's all I have from Terry Pratchett... don't tempt me to delve deeper!

 

[The Anabaptist Jacques]

Meanwhile, Terry said,

“His philosophy was a mixture of three famous schools -- the Cynics, the Stoics and the Epicureans -- and summed up all three of them in his famous phrase, 'You can't trust any bugger further than you can throw him, and there's nothing you can do about it, so let's have a drink.”

“That's why it's always worth having a few philosophers around the place. One minute it's all is truth beauty and is beauty truth, and does a falling tree in the forest make a sound if there's no one there to hear it, and then just when you think they're going to start dribbling one of 'em says, incidentally, putting a thirty-foot parabolic reflector on a high place to shoot the rays of the sun at an enemy's ships would be a very interesting demonstration of optical principles.”

“What's a philosopher?' said Brutha.
Someone who's bright enough to find a job with no heavy lifting,' said a voice in his head.”

That's all I have from Terry Pratchett... don't tempt me to delve deeper!

A philosophy professor of mine once told the class that the best philosophy students he had were all cab drivers. (Taxis for those down under)

He didn't know it at the time, but I was also driving a cab.

I told him I was a cab driver, and he said to the class "See!"

I was honored.

But philosophy is a path for some, just as music, art, and sports are for others.

Or raising a family is for others.

That's what makes the world such a great place.

The Anabaptist Jacques

 

[Panda Termint]

Just as an aside, I find Sir Terry Pratchett to be one of the best ever at detailing the human condition in the most entertaining and delightful way. I highly recommend his writings, the guy is a genius at cutting thru the bullshit and seeing the truth of it all. If Sir Terry had been running scientology, none of us would be here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Pratchett

 

[Panda Termint]

A philosophy professor of mine once told the class that the best philosophy students he had were all cab drivers. (Taxis for those down under)

He didn't know it at the time, but I was also driving a cab.

I told him I was a cab driver, and he said to the class "See!"

I was honored.

But philosophy is a path for some, just as music, art, and sports are for others.

Or raising a family is for others.

That's what makes the world such a great place.

The Anabaptist Jacques

I love it!

 

[Sindy]

Has anyone here read this book:

Philosophers without Gods: Meditations on Atheism and the Secular Life

A Description:

Atheists are frequently demonized as arrogant intellectuals, antagonistic to religion, devoid of moral sentiments, advocates of an "anything goes" lifestyle. Now, in this revealing volume, nineteen leading philosophers open a window on the inner life of atheism, shattering these common stereotypes as they reveal how they came to turn away from religious belief. These highly engaging personal essays capture the marvelous diversity to be found among atheists, providing a portrait that will surprise most readers. Many of the authors, for example, express great affection for particular religious traditions, even as they explain why they cannot, in good conscience, embrace them.

None of the contributors dismiss religious belief as stupid or primitive, and several even express regret that they cannot, or can no longer, believe. Perhaps more important, in these reflective pieces, they offer fresh insight into some of the oldest and most difficult problems facing the human mind and spirit. For instance, if God is dead, is everything permitted? Philosophers Without Gods demonstrates convincingly, with arguments that date back to Plato, that morality is independent of the existence of God. Indeed, every writer in this volume adamantly affirms the objectivity of right and wrong.

Moreover, they contend that secular life can provide rewards as great and as rich as religious life. A naturalistic understanding of the human condition presents a set of challenges--to pursue our goals without illusions, to act morally without hope of reward--challenges that can impart a lasting value to finite and fragile human lives. Collectively, these essays highlight the richness of atheistic belief--not only as a valid alternative to religion, but as a profoundly fulfilling and moral way of life.

It's an e-book collection of essays. We could get it, bring it here and discuss. That would be fun, no?

 

[The Anabaptist Jacques]

Has anyone here read this book:

Philosophers without Gods: Meditations on Atheism and the Secular Life

A Description:



It's an e-book collection of essays. We could get it, bring it here and discuss. That would be fun, no?

I won't get around to reading it, but if you brought some of the points up I would be glad to discuss them.

The Anabaptist Jacques

 

[ILove2Lurk]

Just as an aside, I find Sir Terry Pratchett to be one of the best ever at detailing the human condition in the most entertaining and delightful way.

Do you have a favorite or must-read title for a dabbler, like me?

 

[Panda Termint]

Small Gods is excellent in keeping with the tenor of this thread, Wyrd Sisters has some astonishing insights but so do almost all of his Discworld stories. I'd recommend that anyone who starts at the beginning and follows his line of thought will be the better for it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discworld

An appreciation of Terry Pratchett is one of the things which Mark A Baker and I have in common, I'm can't help but have affection for anyone who appreciates Terry.