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Comment on About Me by Sue

Sue — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:16:51 +0000

It’s wonderful and really interesting.

Comment on Proofs of God’s Existence, the Argument of Degree by Isaac Gouy

Isaac Gouy — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 03:49:36 +0000

… there is a very strong sense of ultimate goodness, justice and authority …

Here’s the problem, that assertion is general and unqualified.

If we take it to mean you have a sense of ultimate authority then fine that’s your opinion.

If we take it to mean your neighbours have a sense of ultimate authority then maybe we’ll take your opinion as a surrogate for your neighbours.

If we take it to mean everyone in your city has a sense of ultimate authority then we should start to doubt how much you know about people in your city.

If we take it to mean everyone in the world has a sense of ultimate authority then we should ask how you think you know.

Comment on Preface 3: Fundamentalist Dawkins by Isaac Gouy

Isaac Gouy — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 04:10:10 +0000

Dawkins says, ‘I will believe if there is evidence’, then closes his eyes. His willingness is quite illusory.

That is an empty attack on Dawkins character – show that he has ignored evidence!

please read the original posting

As you certainly understand, I have.

Kurt Wise is saying that when it comes to creationism, he simply will not consider evidence that he knows to exist.

(Perhaps that includes evidence about how scripture was created.)

Comment on Proofs of God’s Existence, the Argument of Degree by Isaac Gouy

Isaac Gouy — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 03:09:30 +0000

… there is a very strong sense of ultimate goodness, justice and authority …

That’s just an assertion – it’s true because I say it’s true.

Comment on Preface 3: Fundamentalist Dawkins by Gordon

Gordon — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:09:30 +0000

No, no fossil rabbits. But plenty of other evidence that we can discuss in another blog when we get to that subject.

Dawkins says, ‘I will believe if there is evidence’, then closes his eyes. His willingness is quite illusory.

As far as Wise is concerned please read the original posting.

Comment on Preface 3: Fundamentalist Dawkins by Gordon

Gordon — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:05:25 +0000

I stand corrected, I did get Newton in Hugens place. But it does add Newton as an example of gut feeling opposition to the zeitgeist.

Comment on Proofs of God’s Existence, the Argument of Degree by Gordon

Gordon — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:53:45 +0000

Since we are discussing the argument by degree we need to start of by looking at what it is, and then see if it makes sense today. The starting point is archaic, but we need to examine it and place the argument in today to see if it carries weight today. I am not interested in its weight in its time and original formulation, but its weight now and how we can formulate it now since that is where we are.

It is for this reason we need to consider the idea of degrees. It was obvious to Aquinas being an Aristotelian thinker. It is not obvious to us but needs to be examined. In examining it I think we find that the argument holds even more strongly now since there is a very strong sense of ultimate goodness, justice and authority but these degrees do not exist in the same way for other concepts.

Comment on Preface 3: Fundamentalist Dawkins by Isaac Gouy

Isaac Gouy — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:10:55 +0000

… to deny any contrary evidence (and there is a lot) even exists is clear blinkered thinking

Any fossil rabbits in the Precambrian?

“… my belief in evolution is not fundamentalism, and it is not faith, because I know what it would take to change my mind, and I would gladly do so if the necessary evidence were forthcoming.”
The God Delusion, chapter 8.

Compare and contrast with –

“… if all the evidence in the universe turns against creationism, I would be the first to admit it, but I would still be a creationist because that is what the Word of God seems to indicate.”
The God Delusion, chapter 8.

Comment on Preface 3: Fundamentalist Dawkins by Isaac Gouy

Isaac Gouy — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:55:00 +0000

… withheld their acceptance of the wave nature of light, even though such a great scientist as Newton clearly demonstrated it

Newton was against Huygens’ wave theory!

Newton put forward a particle theory!

Comment on Proofs of God’s Existence, the Argument of Degree by Isaac Gouy

Isaac Gouy — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:37:36 +0000

… basing our dicussions of reasons on our discussions today …
If you were engaged in discussions of today rather than discussions of the 1200s you hopefully wouldn’t have “found it quite hard reading to start with until you get into the archaic style”!

When you ask – “Why is it that there is a ubiquitous idea around the globe that goes well beyond our natural experience?” – you’ve changed arguments mid-stream and are no longer discussing Aquinas’s fourth way.