The Problem of Evil (XXVII)

[Neo-Scholastic]

Fuck you. ;-). Seriously though. I was insulted and treated like shit from day one. Maybe I've become a bit jaded. And I really did make every effort to debate with gentleness and respect. Many atheists it seems know the literal meanings of the bible but I must say their grasp of theology is pretty simplistic. Maybe their objections stump your average evangelical but those objections don't really pose serious theological problems. It saddens me to think that people settle for the arguments that satisfy their own preconceptions rather than explore the limits of their philosophy.

Why would any God trying to send the message of His Word to His People make said message so complex and layered that only the elite and studied few could ever possibly grasp the full meaning of it? Just more arrogance on your part. Less educated, "average evangelicals" aren't true Christians ether, apparently.

"More arrogance on my part" - It is the common opinion of many scholars, including both Swedenborg and Aquinas, that Scripture contains meanings on many layers. This is so that it can serve as a guide to all men and women regardless of their education. Jesus spoke to the masses in parables and revealed their deeper significance to his close followers. It would be false humility for me to deny my own education and learning. At the same time I do not make arguments from authority. I state my reasons as plainly as I can but even then sometimes that requires me to use theological nomenclature and philosophy term that may not be common. I do not think it is wrong to expect that people who want to debate philosophical issues at least try to familiarize themselves with basic concepts that have direct bearing. So yes. I do lose my patience with people that lightly dismiss and mock things they don't understand and do not even try to understand. These forums are a rough place for theists. It is very difficult to stay gracious in an environment of open hostility to what you value in your life above all other things. I get that many people have been mistreated by church leaders or beaten down by overly judgmental doctrines. I try to take that into account. Lately I posted my agreements with some atheists only to have them misconstrue what I wrote just to disagree with me because of my belief. I know I can be an ass myself. I'm not that oblivious. At the same time I try to go with the rough and tumble by trading barbs with some I consider old friends.

I don't know. In the last couple of months I've been very disappointed with the philosophy forums. The people I most respect haven't been posting much and the level of discourse has gone way down it seems. Maybe we understand each other too well to bicker over intractable differences.