Good will to all men? Not from the grumpy atheists! (Thank God not all atheists are grumpy but there sure seems to be a lot of them)
Why is it that so many in the atheist community cannot bring themselves to get past their anger whenever they engage in discussions? The language of many of their contributions in public debate is laced with invective and dripping with sarcasm and bile. There are exceptions of course, but they tend to fall more into the category of being the 'exception that proves the rule' when compared to the hostility of many of today's atheist posters. Comment offered by the theists in the public square is often depicted as being 'malicious' or 'venomous' and intended to enslave the 'feeble minded and weak' by those who post. Nothing could be further from the truth. Venom is something that is oriented to death. Christians are oriented in a 180 degree different direction. We speak not to the culture of death that grips our world but rather for the culture of life and light which ends with the gift of eternal life. For example, the Catholic Church in its hum...
"Atheist: there’s no such thing as free will. Everything you do is already predetermined."
ReplyDeletePredeterminism is more the domain of Calvinism, not atheism. Sam Harris in his recent monograph (less a book) details some of the recent findings in neuroscience where our consciousness appears to be not the cause of our own volition. Indeed in some cases decisons being made by subjects can be discerned before the subject is aware of them.
The jury is still out on the science, being such a new field, but it is appearing that our concept of free will is an illusion of our minds where as the decisions are made in our brain outside of our consciousness.
Rationalist, You are as full of it as usual. IF FREE WILL does not exist, then you do not exist. You are just the result of my bad imagination !
DeleteGib Quinn - That's solipsism (a word I can never spell but fortunately others have compiled dictionaries so I can look up the spelling).
DeleteMy point, and I did say the jury is still out on this is that the agent of free will may not be us, our consciousness, but exists deeper than that in our brain.
To make this observation and then be attacked in such a way is telling on who strongly you must cling to the concept of free will. Bit then perhaps you don't have a choice in the matter.
You should change your handle to the Irrational one- that would be more accurate.
DeleteMy free will allows me to say this, and my brain agrees with my free will. Both, I believe, are pleasing to God!
The two of you and your over-the-back-fence conversations are getting even more laufable ! Try Immodium to block it !
"Atheist: there’s no such thing as free will. Everything you do is already predetermined."
ReplyDeletePredeterminism is more the domain of Calvinism, not atheism. Sam Harris in his recent monograph (less a book) details some of the recent findings in neuroscience where our consciousness appears to be not the cause of our own volition. Indeed in some cases decisons being made by subjects can be discerned before the subject is aware of them.
The jury is still out on the science, being such a new field, but it is appearing that our concept of free will is an illusion of our minds where as the decisions are made in our brain outside of our consciousness.
Interesting article.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/19/us/historian-says-piece-of-papyrus-refers-to-jesus-wife.html
Very speculative. Maybe I should read Dan Brown's Da Vinci code after all.