Philosophy Now Forum

Dalek Prime wrote:Well Doc, I don't believe God was trying to teach man anything, because I reject the divine inspiration of all religious texts. It's man that messed up, believing he was divinely inspired in the writing, and then putting it down on paper. The texts obviously exist, there's no denying that. What is deniable is the assignation of authority.

I can accept that, but if you believe that God exists, why do you reject that God tried to teach man anything?

Rell's responding to the the same item you responded to, Doc, regarding my questioning of Immanuel.

thedoc wrote:

Dalek Prime wrote:Well Doc, I don't believe God was trying to teach man anything, because I reject the divine inspiration of all religious texts. It's man that messed up, believing he was divinely inspired in the writing, and then putting it down on paper. The texts obviously exist, there's no denying that. What is deniable is the assignation of authority.

I can accept that, but if you believe that God exists, why do you reject that God tried to teach man anything?

As a former deist, I believed he could not do so. As a present dystheist, I believe he does not want to, if he could.

Dalek Prime wrote:Rell, I'm not about to study parapsychology before I dismiss the idea that my outhouse is infested with ghosts, and not Raccoons. So, no, some things really are that obvious.

Be careful, sometimes Raccoon's carry rabies. Ghosts usually only scare you. I'd look for Ghosts, maybe they could tell you something about death, I don't think the Raccoon will carry on much of a conversation.

I think death is an eternal fugue state. But yes, I'll watch for raccoons.

Btw, Doc, I thank you for your pleasant and patient mode of discourse.

Dalek Prime wrote:

thedoc wrote: I can accept that, but if you believe that God exists, why do you reject that God tried to teach man anything?

As a former deist, I believed he could not do so. As a present dystheist, I believe he does not want to, if he could.

Could you explain your understanding of the difference between Dystheism and Satanism?

I'll be honest with you Doc. I don't know much about Satanism. I'm told LeVay took many of his selfish ideas from Rand, and her from Neitzche. And I have no love for their conclusions. As for dystheism, I'm still working my disposition between thinking of God as uncaring, if not malevolent. Perhaps maltheist is a better term for me. Or perhaps misotheist. Either way, I reject my reason for being brought here, no matter what it is. And thus I reject my creator.

If I may point to my intro again, and my original first few posts on the forum, it may help clarify how I perceive things. I try not to talk about my views, because I don't want to spread them, as strange as that may sound. It's my burden, and I wouldn't wish them on anyone.

Hypothetical: I accept a religious text's divine inspiration. My disposition is still to reject the life-system, it's creator, and the reason he put me here.

DP wrote:

My disposition is still to reject the life-system, it's creator, and the reason he put me here.

Because...?

Dalek Prime wrote:I'll be honest with you Doc. I don't know much about Satanism. I'm told LeVay took many of his selfish ideas from Rand, and her from Neitzche. And I have no love for their conclusions. As for dystheism, I'm still working my disposition between thinking of God as uncaring, if not malevolent. Perhaps maltheist is a better term for me. Or perhaps misotheiest. Either way, I reject my reason for being brought here, no matter what it is. And thus I reject my creator.

If I may point to my intro again, and my original first few posts on the forum, it may help clarify how I perceive things. I try not to talk about my views, because I don't want to spread them, as strange as that may sound. It's my burden.

Fair enough, I don't say everything I believe either. I really don't know much about Satanism and I had not heard of Dystheism at all, hence my question.

My mistake. Dystheism is a new term for me as well. The gist is that God is neither wholly good, and may be bad. Maltheism is the concept of the evil God, something akin to a demiurge. The Gnostics of early Christianity held this view, generally.

If my definitions are off, please forgive me. It's from memory, which is often, humanly, faulty.

Dalek Prime wrote:Rell, I'm not about to study parapsychology before I dismiss the idea that my outhouse is infested with ghosts, and not raccoons. So, no, some things really are that obvious.

And on what epistemic grounds do you base your knowledge of this obvious state of affairs? Is it really obvious? (If it were, wouldn't children have no trouble with ghosts in the closet?) Or are you relying on a rather robust legacy of rational inquiry into this particular matter? That is to say, you're trusting that those who have come before you have done the work I.C. suggested is so critical, no? And what, then, of knowledge of God, when those who have come before overwhelmingly support the conclusion opposite what you appear to hold?

All that to say, when you choose to reject the knowledge of those who have gone before you, not ensuring that you properly understand the thing you reject is, indeed, ridiculous.

EDIT: For example, I am inclined to reject the existence of ghosts, but I have spent enough time in study to know that I properly understand them in order to reject them. Of course, that study has also made it clear to me that to reject their existence is a probabilistic endeavor, and that it is by no means obvious that they do not exist.

Immanuel Can wrote:DP wrote:

My disposition is still to reject the life-system, it's creator, and the reason he put me here.

Because...?

Because I can. Because I do. I owe God nothing.

Reli, don't edit your post to change your mind on the existence of ghosts, when you've already claimed that children are troubled by them in the here and now, in their closets, no less.... Especially when you have hordes of knowing dead people who would back those claims! I am am defenseless against such odds, and yield....

Oops... Duplicate post.