RE: Can anyone provide an argument for a necessary being?
April 22, 2014 at 10:13 pm
(This post was last modified: April 22, 2014 at 10:14 pm by Metalogos.)
Whateverist wrote--I will note that you have only responded to the part of my post to which you took offense. I guess you don't want to defend your rush to judgment. You would like to characterize your willingness to adopt a position on the arcane question of prior causes as making an effort and praiseworthy. And that my friend makes you a poseur.
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It is heartening, W, to know that you consider me amongst one of your friends. I think I hardly deserve the honor.
You accuse me of rushing to judgement but it is I who have spent a great deal of time so far on this site (during the very recent days that I have joined you and your illustrious company) politely and arduously laying out my position, defending it when challenged, and answering more or less point for point the questions and objections that have been put forward. You, on the other hand, seem to be the one who is happy to pass quick judgement on my character by accusing me of grandstanding and of affecting a particular manner so as to impress. I ask you again, sir, be civil and kind. If ever you hope to win the admiration and acceptance of your position by either me or anyone who is not in your camp, attacking their character without due regard is not the way to go about it.
I do not claim to have any kind of absolute knowledge concerning the origin of the universe. I am not defending a faith in a deity. I simply have not seen any argument yet, either here on this site nor in the larger world that convinces me sufficiently that the origin of this universe we all live in did not come about due to the will of an initial agent for it to do so. I defend the position I have taken, be it have been first formulated some 2300 years ago by Aristotle, because as a philosophical argument to explain the origin of the universe, for me, essentially, it works. When you or anyone else can provide an explanation that is better than Aristotle's I will be very willing to listen openly and, if it works better for me at that time, adopt it.
I have no great problem with atheists or the great service they do and have done to challenge the unfounded beliefs and dogmatic positions that abound and clutter the collective mind. Indeed, sir, go about your worthy business and slay those nasty dragons but do not accidentally stab your friends on the way. Peace.
[/quote]
It is heartening, W, to know that you consider me amongst one of your friends. I think I hardly deserve the honor.
You accuse me of rushing to judgement but it is I who have spent a great deal of time so far on this site (during the very recent days that I have joined you and your illustrious company) politely and arduously laying out my position, defending it when challenged, and answering more or less point for point the questions and objections that have been put forward. You, on the other hand, seem to be the one who is happy to pass quick judgement on my character by accusing me of grandstanding and of affecting a particular manner so as to impress. I ask you again, sir, be civil and kind. If ever you hope to win the admiration and acceptance of your position by either me or anyone who is not in your camp, attacking their character without due regard is not the way to go about it.
I do not claim to have any kind of absolute knowledge concerning the origin of the universe. I am not defending a faith in a deity. I simply have not seen any argument yet, either here on this site nor in the larger world that convinces me sufficiently that the origin of this universe we all live in did not come about due to the will of an initial agent for it to do so. I defend the position I have taken, be it have been first formulated some 2300 years ago by Aristotle, because as a philosophical argument to explain the origin of the universe, for me, essentially, it works. When you or anyone else can provide an explanation that is better than Aristotle's I will be very willing to listen openly and, if it works better for me at that time, adopt it.
I have no great problem with atheists or the great service they do and have done to challenge the unfounded beliefs and dogmatic positions that abound and clutter the collective mind. Indeed, sir, go about your worthy business and slay those nasty dragons but do not accidentally stab your friends on the way. Peace.
