Comments for fables agreed upon http://www.dansanders.net building a bias for action Mon, 30 Apr 2012 22:11:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on you just can’t stop it by dan http://www.dansanders.net/2012/04/23/you-just-cant-stop-it/comment-page-1/#comment-23225 dan Mon, 30 Apr 2012 22:11:50 +0000 http://www.dansanders.net/?p=959#comment-23225 Again, that's ultimately fine. If one wants to believe in God-as-asshole/bully, that's what theodicy is for. More power to them (as long as they keep it out of government and politics). Again, that’s ultimately fine. If one wants to believe in God-as-asshole/bully, that’s what theodicy is for. More power to them (as long as they keep it out of government and politics).

]]> Comment on you just can’t stop it by Em http://www.dansanders.net/2012/04/23/you-just-cant-stop-it/comment-page-1/#comment-23221 Em Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:18:40 +0000 http://www.dansanders.net/?p=959#comment-23221 omnibenevolent he is not. nope. wipes out people all over the bible. his creation. free will is free movement within the confines of the natural order of things, which also includes consequences. Free will is simply omni-off handedness of the right to choose. You have the right to choose, just not the right to avoid the consequences of your choices. Cause and effect. That is all. omnibenevolent he is not. nope. wipes out people all over the bible. his creation. free will is free movement within the confines of the natural order of things, which also includes consequences. Free will is simply omni-off handedness of the right to choose. You have the right to choose, just not the right to avoid the consequences of your choices. Cause and effect. That is all.

]]> Comment on you just can’t stop it by dan http://www.dansanders.net/2012/04/23/you-just-cant-stop-it/comment-page-1/#comment-23220 dan Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:24:35 +0000 http://www.dansanders.net/?p=959#comment-23220 Thanks for the praise, Em. The two points I quibble with you on are the definition of "free" in your version of Free Will, and the implicit Deism you espouse. First, any limit on something you wish to do is an inherent limit on freedom. It doesn't matter that no being can do it (and your argument that "Jesus doesn't lazer zap" is baseless :-), if I *want* to do it, and can't, that is an inherent limitation on what I can willfully accomplish. The point is that the Free Will argument is used to defend why an omnipotent (and presumably omnibenevolent) god does NOT prohibit childhood cancer. Take it this way; I can't cure cancer by sheer will alone. That is something (based on the unending claims by religious cancer patients - the ones that survive it, anyway) that Jesus absolutely *can* do. And Jesus - and/or God - could ostensibly do it in a microsecond. And all without forcing those who would otherwise doubt the existence of a god to believe - had childhood cancer simply not been available to our genetics, we'd not know otherwise. (it'd be like saying "what if peoples' heads DID pop off randomly??") But we wouldn't be calling childhood cancer a "natural evil," either, as we do. Secondly, the "god as watchmaker" argument doesn't beget a Jesus. If God wound it all up to start with, there wouldn't be an intercessory saviour. And if is claimed that the "Jesus gear" was included in the initial iteration, then that (a) necessarily effects predestination, and (b) flies in the face of all that the Bible says, which is very clear on what for and how you should pray, and what to expect. To then state that the Bible shouldn't be taken literally, I merely ask again, which parts shouldn't, and why instead the ones about Jesus, since they are the only reason we have "knowledge" of him? Thanks for the praise, Em. The two points I quibble with you on are the definition of “free” in your version of Free Will, and the implicit Deism you espouse. First, any limit on something you wish to do is an inherent limit on freedom. It doesn’t matter that no being can do it (and your argument that “Jesus doesn’t lazer zap” is baseless :-) , if I *want* to do it, and can’t, that is an inherent limitation on what I can willfully accomplish. The point is that the Free Will argument is used to defend why an omnipotent (and presumably omnibenevolent) god does NOT prohibit childhood cancer. Take it this way; I can’t cure cancer by sheer will alone. That is something (based on the unending claims by religious cancer patients – the ones that survive it, anyway) that Jesus absolutely *can* do. And Jesus – and/or God – could ostensibly do it in a microsecond. And all without forcing those who would otherwise doubt the existence of a god to believe – had childhood cancer simply not been available to our genetics, we’d not know otherwise. (it’d be like saying “what if peoples’ heads DID pop off randomly??”) But we wouldn’t be calling childhood cancer a “natural evil,” either, as we do.

Secondly, the “god as watchmaker” argument doesn’t beget a Jesus. If God wound it all up to start with, there wouldn’t be an intercessory saviour. And if is claimed that the “Jesus gear” was included in the initial iteration, then that (a) necessarily effects predestination, and (b) flies in the face of all that the Bible says, which is very clear on what for and how you should pray, and what to expect. To then state that the Bible shouldn’t be taken literally, I merely ask again, which parts shouldn’t, and why instead the ones about Jesus, since they are the only reason we have “knowledge” of him?

]]> Comment on you just can’t stop it by Em http://www.dansanders.net/2012/04/23/you-just-cant-stop-it/comment-page-1/#comment-23219 Em Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:06:22 +0000 http://www.dansanders.net/?p=959#comment-23219 I like the "misogyny..." line.That cracked me up. I don't particularly subscribe to not being given lazer vision as being = to no free will. Uh, no one and nothing on earth or in heaven (jesus doesn't lazer zap) has that. So I'm cool with it. I subscribe to "free will" as being given leave to follow a basic cause and effect senario without being separated from the love of God. But God isnt a Genie. He started a key and the world just goes. He is a place of peace and focus not an invader of circumstance. Prayer may tip the scale, but only just. That's just my take. But bully good POST! I like the “misogyny…” line.That cracked me up. I don’t particularly subscribe to not being given lazer vision as being = to no free will. Uh, no one and nothing on earth or in heaven (jesus doesn’t lazer zap) has that. So I’m cool with it. I subscribe to “free will” as being given leave to follow a basic cause and effect senario without being separated from the love of God. But God isnt a Genie. He started a key and the world just goes. He is a place of peace and focus not an invader of circumstance. Prayer may tip the scale, but only just.
That’s just my take. But bully good POST!

]]> Comment on the things we believe in by Emily http://www.dansanders.net/2011/07/25/the-things-we-believe-in/comment-page-1/#comment-22823 Emily Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:57:16 +0000 http://www.dansanders.net/?p=950#comment-22823 YES! YES!

]]> Comment on if I could do by Emily http://www.dansanders.net/2011/07/21/if-i-could-do/comment-page-1/#comment-22822 Emily Mon, 08 Aug 2011 13:55:08 +0000 http://www.dansanders.net/?p=942#comment-22822 Yeah, that's pretty freakin' awesome. Yeah, that’s pretty freakin’ awesome.

]]> Comment on if I could do by Deb http://www.dansanders.net/2011/07/21/if-i-could-do/comment-page-1/#comment-22803 Deb Fri, 22 Jul 2011 02:57:59 +0000 http://www.dansanders.net/?p=942#comment-22803 I like it. You knew I would. I like it. You knew I would.

]]> Comment on at least once in your life by dan http://www.dansanders.net/2011/05/29/at-least-once-in-your-life/comment-page-1/#comment-22795 dan Wed, 13 Jul 2011 15:43:20 +0000 http://www.dansanders.net/?p=841#comment-22795 People say I should believe in ghosts. In Santa Claus. In Planet Nibiru. In psychic readings. In the evils of sugar substitutes. And in God. I have no reason to believe in any of them. And it's people - whether on the Internet, or in person, or through a 2000-year old book - that ask me, directly or indirectly, to do so. So, maybe it's wiring that I can't believe in these things and other people can. If that's the case, then I'm okay with it. I either grew this way, or a designer did it, in which case he/she/it can undo it if it's really a desire. People say I should believe in ghosts. In Santa Claus. In Planet Nibiru. In psychic readings. In the evils of sugar substitutes. And in God. I have no reason to believe in any of them. And it’s people – whether on the Internet, or in person, or through a 2000-year old book – that ask me, directly or indirectly, to do so. So, maybe it’s wiring that I can’t believe in these things and other people can. If that’s the case, then I’m okay with it. I either grew this way, or a designer did it, in which case he/she/it can undo it if it’s really a desire.

]]> Comment on endless and proper by tabitha http://www.dansanders.net/2011/07/11/endless-and-proper/comment-page-1/#comment-22789 tabitha Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:43:15 +0000 http://www.dansanders.net/?p=901#comment-22789 I like. I like.

]]> Comment on endless and proper by Emily http://www.dansanders.net/2011/07/11/endless-and-proper/comment-page-1/#comment-22788 Emily Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:50:56 +0000 http://www.dansanders.net/?p=901#comment-22788 NICE! NICE!

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