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philosophy rey's a point

The Cause of Depression

Depression is not imaginary. Well, not always. It’s not always simply physical either. You ask google what causes depression and you get all sorts of answers, but they mostly seem to indicate there is an answer.

Society’s Limited View on Depression

Society has an extremely limited view of the human person. Non-theists hearing that will shake their heads waiting to hear something about spiritual components of persons (they’d be right to expect it but still fall woefully short of the full picture); Christians hearing this will offer a resounding “no duh”.

But in this society, you’ll find non-theists denying any aspect to a human being that is non-physical. The most important problem facing the hungry and homeless is that they are hungry and homeless, full stop, look no further beyond that present state.

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current affairs history philosophy

Did Nye and Ham Really Debate Creation?

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I recently watched a debate, aired from the Answers in Genesis Creation Museum in Kentucky, between Ken Ham (degreed in Applied Science with an emphasis in Environmental Biology) and Bill Nye (degreed as a Mechanical Engineer and pupil of Carl Sagan).  The topic for the debate was “Is Creation a viable model of origins in today’s modern scientific era?” This is important.

To make his case, Bill Nye would have to show that creationism is not a viable model at all; Ken Ham would have to show that creationism is just as viable as any model because the scientist is working in God’s world.

Mind you, right off the bat, I’m surprised that Bill Nye would agree to this topic. Any debater would simply have to show that there was no inconsistency between science and any creationist religion to win the debate.

Indeed, Bill Nye, during the Q and A session, admits that there is absolutely no inconsistency between modern science and the belief in a creator God. He does make claims about how you don’t need God for the process of evolution (calling it a process that leads to complexity from the bottom up instead of a process that leads to complexity from the top-down) but he admits no inconsistency.

On that ground, Nye would have lost the debate.

Unfortunately, from the start, the debate had nothing to do with the debate topic. Indeed, the topic strayed so far that proponents (on either side) would clamor that their position won. 

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philosophy pray

Does God Hear Sinners?

hearsinners-01

This is one of those questions that, at first blush, have an easy answer. Some folk might automatically say, “Yes, surely God hears sinners. God loves his children!” Others might respond “Of course not: God is holy!”

The question “Does God hear sinners” is actually very complex not because of the terms (we’ll look at that in a second), or hidden assumptions in the question, but because of the unknown baggage carried in by the questioner.  Who knows what’s the theological ideas behind it and, nowadays, theological common ground can’t be assumed.

All that being the case, I want to look at the large network of ideas that undergird this issue by addressing it in at least three levels: philosophically, Biblically, and theologically.

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apologetics current affairs philosophy

Philosophy Fridays: Jewish Humans vs the Authority of the State

You. Yes, you: I’m speaking to you. Chris T.N, come here.

Yes, Herr Nacht C.?

Do not be afraid. I just wish to speak. Why is it that you seek to impose your religious values on the politics of the State? Do you not believe in the separation of Church and State?

That’s a lot to respond to, Herr. May I ask, good Herr, what is the context of the question?

Nein. I’ll ask you simple questions and I will proceed to show how you demand your religious values over the State.

Okay, that is fair…

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philosophy

Philosophy Fridays: Slippery Slopes

philosophy

Every now and then, on a Friday, I’ll step into the deep waters of Philosophy, ramble away on some idea and maybe even interact with something I might be reading. Most of the time, a real philosopher could probably read my drivel and speak into it offering a corrective—but for now I’ll speak from ignorance. After all, it is Friday; what better way to have fun than with philosophy. In this post I’ll answer the question “Are slippery slope arguments always fallacious?”  in under 700 words. Heh.