Posted by Bob - the Alien on December 04, 2003 at 19:14:05:
In Reply to: Re: I am channelling all the great philosophers now... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Only $19.95! posted by greg chaplik on December 04, 2003 at 18:59:01:
"Any other thoughts?"
Tons of them. :)
But as I said in an email to Steve... I am done posting on them. I think my views are well covered at this point, and I am going to bow out of the discussion now. Not that I do not have more to add, but if it goes any farther, I am either preaching to the choir, or writing on topics on which people disagree and I will not change that. So I have said enough and will stop now.
My last response to all of this is really not to your post, but to Steve's, when he said:
"The shoddy scholarship represented in some of these "answers" is impossible to defend in a scholarly environment, where people really KNOW things that can be proved without reference to faith claims, and the church just calls the opposing views the deception of the devil. It is a tragic comedy (a comedic tragedy?)"
By following this concept too far, nothing will ever be accepted as true. This has gone so far down the 'scholarly' path, that all belief systems will be rejected without scholarly proof. So I am wary of taking it too far. Because there is no such thing as faith when there is proof. And if you require proof before you will believe, then you have no faith. I don't care to live that way.
(Steve, insert opposing response here. You know you want to.) :)
That being said, my beliefs have been rigorously researched by scholars, philosophers, scientists, archaeogists, etc. You know what? There IS proof of all the tangible beliefs. And some non-tangible ones. But because of the above point, they are normally not presented when talking about our beleifs. Faith is more important than any scholarly work. They both should be pursued, but faith must come first. And I think it does for everyone here.
OK, I had told Steve that I would not post again, and he should put in the last word. Sorry 'bout that. I'm really done now.
Steve, please jump in and have the last word. :)
With Love,
Bob - the Alien