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RE: Occam's Razor, atheism, theism and polytheism.
February 7, 2017 at 8:22 am
(This post was last modified: February 7, 2017 at 8:22 am by Huggy Bear.)
(February 6, 2017 at 10:09 pm)Jehanne Wrote: Your above statements would not contradict polytheism; it would only mean that there were "lesser" gods versus greater ones. For instance, we can imagine a pantheon of gods where one was omnipotent but not omniscient and another was omniscient but not omnipotent, etc.
The Bible actually makes the distinction between God (capitalized) and god (non- capitalized), but not in the sense of polytheism. A prophet was made a god, not in the context of worship, but because he spoke for God.
And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet -
Exodus 7:1
Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; - John 10 34-35
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RE: Occam's Razor, atheism, theism and polytheism.
February 7, 2017 at 4:47 pm
(This post was last modified: February 7, 2017 at 6:17 pm by Lek.)
(February 4, 2017 at 5:19 pm)Jehanne Wrote: Some say that we should reject polytheism because Occam's Razor says that "we ought not to multiply entities beyond necessity" (or, something like that). But, if we are going to reject polytheism via Occam's Razor, why shouldn't the same argument apply to theism or deism? After all, if naturalism offers plausible explanations for everything (including, "Why there is something rather than nothing?" Answer: The Cosmos is beginningless and endless), why, per Occam's Razor, appeal to anything beyond naturalism which would be to "multiply entities beyond necessity?"
I don't care what Occam's Razor or any other philosophy says. I just want to know God, whether he exists as one or as many gods. Naturalism doesn't offer plausible explanations for everything, so I can't fall back on it for answers to all my questions. If someone is healed overnight from a terminal disease I can think that even though science can't explain it there is a natural explanation that we haven't discovered yet, which is one possible explanation. I can also think that there might be a supernatural explanation and pursue that, but I'm not going to limit myself to not exploring all avenues.
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RE: Occam's Razor, atheism, theism and polytheism.
February 7, 2017 at 6:19 pm
(This post was last modified: February 7, 2017 at 6:19 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
Exploring all avenues would include the avenue of god not existing at all, as one -or- many gods. Do you doublethink or just doublespeak, morbid curiosity?
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Occam's Razor, atheism, theism and polytheism.
February 7, 2017 at 6:35 pm
(February 5, 2017 at 8:55 pm)Neo-Scholastic Wrote: You AF members seem to attract the strangest apologists.
Indeed.
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RE: Occam's Razor, atheism, theism and polytheism.
February 7, 2017 at 7:09 pm
(February 7, 2017 at 6:19 pm)Khemikal Wrote: Exploring all avenues would include the avenue of god not existing at all, as one -or- many gods. Do you doublethink or just doublespeak, morbid curiosity?
I'm exploring that avenue. Why do think I'm here?
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RE: Occam's Razor, atheism, theism and polytheism.
February 7, 2017 at 7:22 pm
(February 7, 2017 at 7:09 pm)Lek Wrote: (February 7, 2017 at 6:19 pm)Khemikal Wrote: Exploring all avenues would include the avenue of god not existing at all, as one -or- many gods. Do you doublethink or just doublespeak, morbid curiosity?
I'm exploring that avenue. Why do think I'm here?
But you just said naturalism can't be the answer because it doesn't claim to have all the answers, including all the ones that no one can independently vouchsafe. If you'd care to elaborate I'd be interested to know why you think human beings are capable of and entitled to answers to all the big-picture questions? I'd only expect that in a story book, not in RL.
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RE: Occam's Razor, atheism, theism and polytheism.
February 7, 2017 at 7:28 pm
(This post was last modified: February 7, 2017 at 7:31 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
(February 7, 2017 at 7:09 pm)Lek Wrote: (February 7, 2017 at 6:19 pm)Khemikal Wrote: Exploring all avenues would include the avenue of god not existing at all, as one -or- many gods. Do you doublethink or just doublespeak, morbid curiosity?
I'm exploring that avenue. Why do think I'm here?
I can only go by the contents of your posts, and they don't exactly scream "exploring all avenues"..particularly when you reliably and explicitly rule out a particular avenue as the pretense for a long running argument from ignorance..in support of your initial, non exploratory omission of the avenue you're so..totally...here to consider....
You did just tell us that you didn;t care what any philosphy says, that you just wanted to know god. Suddenly you're doubting thomas at af?
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Occam's Razor, atheism, theism and polytheism.
February 7, 2017 at 7:31 pm
Maybe he only means to set a good example of keeping an open mind and actively exploring every avenue because as an internet apologist missionary that is what he wants us to do.
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RE: Occam's Razor, atheism, theism and polytheism.
February 7, 2017 at 7:33 pm
I'm just trying to determine whether or not it's an issue of lying for christ or honest skullfuckery that someone's pulled over on him.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Occam's Razor, atheism, theism and polytheism.
February 7, 2017 at 7:35 pm
(February 7, 2017 at 7:22 pm)Whateverist Wrote: (February 7, 2017 at 7:09 pm)Lek Wrote: I'm exploring that avenue. Why do think I'm here?
But you just said naturalism can't be the answer because it doesn't claim to have all the answers, including all the ones that no one can independently vouchsafe. If you'd care to elaborate I'd be interested to know why you think human beings are capable of and entitled to answers to all the big-picture questions? I'd only expect that in a story book, not in RL.
I look to science for many answers, but I recognize that it doesn't have the answers to all the questions. I don't know if we are capable of finding or entitled to all the answers, but I'm still searching.
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