tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1899606766246433608.post2257226494003662175..comments2023-11-08T12:09:20.020-05:00Comments on Prove Me Wrong: Challenging Theistic ArgumentsJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10530680372103907969noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1899606766246433608.post-71733202785479139542010-03-30T15:45:07.250-04:002010-03-30T15:45:07.250-04:00What a jejune argument that nature gave us the God...What a jejune argument that nature gave us the God-notion as it no more gave it to us than it gave belief in slavery! <br />We do indeed have an evolved moral sense that we ever have to refine and make into a planetary ethic as the ethicist Paul Kurtz ever is admonishing us. <br /> We can live that more abundant life without any religions whatsoever! <br /> That so-called God-gene is less credible than a government-gene, sicne we do need government.<br /> Of course,I mean Homo habilis [ There is Homo Martinus!]<br /> As PZ notes, because we don't trust our faculties too much we use aparatuses to aid us. <br /> Plantinga begs the question of intent! He is a sophisticated sophist of silliness!Ignostic Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00840974074283188834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1899606766246433608.post-36585426061906133722010-03-29T23:38:51.483-04:002010-03-29T23:38:51.483-04:00Hi Jon - in this regard some good reads include:
...Hi Jon - in this regard some good reads include:<br /><br />Naturalism, by Stu Goetz 7 Charles Taliaferro<br /><br />Plantinga's "Evolutionary Argument Against Naturalism" (in the Phil of Religion text I use - Pojman)<br /><br />I really like J.P. Moreland's recent The Argument from Consciousness for the Existence of God<br /><br />Take care,<br /><br />JohnJohn Piippohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10629118383980527338noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1899606766246433608.post-33063929283633855662010-03-25T14:13:53.927-04:002010-03-25T14:13:53.927-04:00Jon -
you wrote to me
"Think of this Paul....Jon -<br /><br />you wrote to me <br /><br />"Think of this Paul. Look how widespread religious belief is. Nature apparently selected for it. It must have enhanced reproductive capacity."<br /><br />I think this is plausible. <br /><br />My hypothesis is that with a greater cognitive ability (which in a sense means greater ability to problem solve) comes along the desire to ask the question "why" and to be *aware* of one's eventual death. These two things (and probably other factors - primitive times, etc) is (or was) what gave rise to religious belief.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14278834635241999491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1899606766246433608.post-41042783997304002082010-03-25T11:36:12.391-04:002010-03-25T11:36:12.391-04:00Richard Carrier's Hono habilis
sorry for th...Richard Carrier's Hono habilis<br /> sorry for the typo and the silly termIgnostic Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00840974074283188834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1899606766246433608.post-47495556419341026872010-03-25T10:02:14.594-04:002010-03-25T10:02:14.594-04:00Jon, for a real answer to this challenge study Ri...Jon, for a real answer to this challenge study Richard arrier's @ the library of FRDB.<br /> Homo austalopithicus, by trial and error learned to trust generally her faculties. This and evolution account for the general trust but sometimes errors.<br /> Would the overrrated sophist maintain that Satan makes for the errors? His abstruseness and modal logic don't make him any more sensible than any paranormalist. By the way, there is telepathic Yahweh, and clairvoyant prophets. T'is no wonder Paul Kurtz calls the two twin superstitions " The Transcendental Temptation," a must reading,sir.<br /> Oh, check out my blog here under rationalist! I' appreciate feed back there.<br /> I'll advertise your worthy blog.<br /> Thanks!Ignostic Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00840974074283188834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1899606766246433608.post-14446303349050520952010-03-25T09:59:10.761-04:002010-03-25T09:59:10.761-04:00Can a god see an optical illusion?Can a god see an <a href="http://holtz.org/Library/Images/Illusions/Best/optical-illusion-wheels-circles-rotating.png" rel="nofollow">optical illusion?</a>DagoodShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04557451438888314932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1899606766246433608.post-37500560718013271692010-03-24T20:26:48.434-04:002010-03-24T20:26:48.434-04:00Think of this Paul. Look how widespread religious...Think of this Paul. Look how widespread religious belief is. Nature apparently selected for it. It must have enhanced reproductive capacity.Jonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10530680372103907969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1899606766246433608.post-34810260531441858962010-03-24T20:02:27.313-04:002010-03-24T20:02:27.313-04:00I find the following curious
"The argument go...I find the following curious<br />"The argument goes like this (more details here if you're interested). Let's assume naturalism is true. Our brains are the product of natural selection. So why do we have cognitive capacity? Is it because our cognitive capacity leads to truth? No. That's not what nature selects for."<br /><br />I don't quite agree with that last sentence. Seems more probable to me that with a a greater capacity for the truth one's chances of survival increases over that which is of lower capacity. So yes in a sense nature would "select" for it.<br /><br />I am simplifying because if take for example: a virus has a great ability for survival and yet it has no cognitive ability. But I think you get my point.<br /><br />Also - I would pose the theist a like question back.<br /><br />If cognitive ability is the product of a creator. Why do you trust the truth capacity of this creator. It cannot be accounted for. Thus while the theist may find the naturalist reasoning lacking the theist position is worse yet.<br /><br />PaulPaulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14278834635241999491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1899606766246433608.post-69185472087876805662010-03-24T17:16:48.228-04:002010-03-24T17:16:48.228-04:00Thank you Jon for the interesting analysis of huma...Thank you Jon for the interesting analysis of human behavior. I learned science leads to the betterment of the human condition as well. To me truth is to be sought in does and doesn't. Hopefully we learn to perpetuate healthy adaptive behavior as I learned this benefits us all. I will keep my fingers crossed:), but your right time will tell.Xrayspexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10652453994468482350noreply@blogger.com