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Aswad -> RE: Why Atheism Scares People (5/20/2012 7:39:58 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: vincentML
I think the question existed well before the institutionalization of the church. It was never exclusively a Christian question. Nor is it today.
I agree.
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What boundaries bother you so?
For instance, the discussion in conventional theology proceeds from assumptions that introduce paradox. When you hold two or more assumptions to be factual, while they are mutually exclusive, then you end up with a paradox that must be resolved. The dicussion without the conventional boundaries will resolve the paradoxes by asserting one or more assumptions probably have to go, or at least be reinterpreted. The discussions with these boundaries, however, mut construct a complex scaffolding of ideas that serve no function but to avoid the paradox and have no basis in the source material or even common sense.
One example of a way to resolve the paradox, is to discard the assumption that God is what modern humans would consider good, and in particular ultimate good. That's a simple solution. A more complex solution is to say that "well, we're here to learn something, which requires a universe with cause and effect, as well as challenges to overcome.", as this is true of human learning generally. More complex again, you can posit that this is purgatory, and that reincarnation occurs. And so forth.
As a sidebar, plenty of scifi series have used the idea of virtual reality as a way to rehabilitate criminals. Since we are limited by our perceptions, we cannot determine what is real, only what is shared. When we get adequate computational power, we will without a doubt create simulated universes. And someone will get the bright idea of using a "massively multiplayed virtual reality" for rehabilitation (it's a reasonable assumption that sensory replacement will be in place by then). Shortly thereafter, some people on a board in that simulation will be discussing this very same question, unaware that they are experiencing a simulated life for the purpose of rehabilitation. And someone will assert that this notion is patently absurd, and keep thinking so until they come out of the simulation and the prison staff bring them back to their cell in order to evaluate whether or not to send them back in or let them go. The sadist in me would like to see the prisoner's face at that point (not that I'm positing this to be the case; I'm not).
The notion that we can't fully grasp God is functionally equivalent to the notion that we can't fully grasp reality.
Maybe this reality is precisely what we need?
IWYW,
- Aswad.
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