Wiki is not a mechanical device so your analogy is a poor one. If you choose not to read footnotes and follow links and explore the edits that is your choice.
In reference to the article on “Flew” I’d say he thought about his position quite long and hard. Maybe that doesn’t make him average or ordinary, but the original premise is that thinking and reason can lead one away from atheism and towards theism
How do you know this hypothetical is correct?.
Fire…Ready…Aim…Why couldn’t man create a “God-figure” who likes humans who pursue an objective inquiry into His nature?
Colleges won’t accept Wiki as a quote source because it’s notoriously inaccurate.Wiki is not a mechanical device so your analogy is a poor one. If you choose not to read footnotes and follow links and explore the edits that is your choice.
Do you read footnotes and sources for any books or articles you read or do you just take them as factual because you agree with the opinions expressed? Just wondering.
Sure. Agreed. Whatever. But still, where reason will ulimately lead a reasoning person is as non-specific as “transportation implement.”
That’s awfully skeptical of you
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Does this mean I successfully converted you to the High Heirarchal Hovel of Skepticism! It should not be used as a source, but as a point of departure to sources, that is why one reads the footnotes, follows the links, checks the edits. If a college kid used it as a tool to find sources on a specific topic, it wouldn’t be a problem. But the reader must be active, not just a passive drone being spoon fed information.Colleges won’t accept Wiki as a quote source because it’s notoriously inaccurate.
“Any student that does not understand the fallibility of the popular website should not even be held responsible enough to write a proper college paper, much less attend college.”
xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/editorials/008032.html
Here’s the quote againIt should not be used as a source, but as a point of departure to sources, that is why one reads the footnotes, follows the links, checks the edits. If a college kid used it as a tool to find sources on a specific topic, it wouldn’t be a problem. But the reader must be active, not just a passive drone being spoon fed information.
How many inaccuracies do you think are in the average book written by any author? This is why students are expected to do research from more than one source. This is why grad students are expected to go to source documents such as letters, birth and death records, etc.
I encourage you to use Wiki as a jumping off point. Now if there is a specific inaccuracy in the article I posted, then by all means tell me about it.
That’s a pretty strong statement wouldn’t you agree?
Okay, and I respect your right to question it.
Now if you’d like, explain your reasoning…
The majority who are unfamiliar with theology, apologetics, and the reasoning behind most of the Church’s (or any denomination’s) stances.
Between being bound for heaven and being bound for hell, I think there’s a difference.
According to what I’ve heard here, the RCC and its sacraments are the *surest *ticket to heaven. Why should an ordinary (and yes ignorant) Catholic going through the sacraments have a surer ticket to heaven than the Deist Dude who doesn’t even believe in a personal God and yet spent his life examining the issue?
IMO, apologetics is a good thing in that it means you’re prepared to give an answer for what you believe and why you believe, and can do it under cross examination. But it is not the height and summit of one’s existence as a Christian. There are lots of great Christians who certainly wouldn’t be called rocket intellects in the theology department. St Francis had a saying, go out and preach the Gospel and use words only if you have to.
IOW, a lived faith is better than a said faith.How do you see yourself in that department
I’m not trying to dodge your questions, but I haven’t spoken with you before, so I don’t know you, but I’m curious,about what answers you’ve been given so far on this
the deist who honestly spent his life searching, but didn’t understand, might have a type of ignorance as well.
If you don’t mind, Let’s save this for later.
I don’t understand why you can’t concede, that man in the totality of his history, has established moral absolutes; it can be conceded from a totally secular viewpoint; and, I don’t think it advances your argument to deny the obvious.
Believe me. I’m not berating Francis for his ignorance. If anything, that’s the sort of lifestyle I’d like to see more of in people – where actions preach louder than words.IMO, apologetics is a good thing in that it means you’re prepared to give an answer for what you believe and why you believe, and can do it under cross examination. But it is not the height and summit of one’s existence as a Christian. There are lots of great Christians who certainly wouldn’t be called rocket intellects in the theology department. St Francis had a saying, go out and preach the Gospel and use words only if you have to.
). Some people will believe hard things for harder reasons than others, but why must *this *be the measure of a man?, and even if they rear an ugly Bin Laden once in a while, without their jihadist sensibilities we’d still have a Soviet Union. It wasn’t just the saintly Catholic JPII that helped bring down the “evil empire”, it was the dirty rag-headed Islamic Mujahadeen, too. But who cares if it was an army spineless agnostics like me ?
Yep, it’s pretty fun here on Sunday Afternoons, and yes, I am 16. I was hesitant about posting my age for a while, but the cat sort of left the bag so now I let all the 20-60 year olds here have the perfect fall-back argument against me. You’re welcome
.What store are we in?
Where is the path of reason ultimately supposed to lead us? When is enough searching enough searching? What Robert Frost forgot to mention in his famous little poem is where we were headed to in the first place that we came across “two diverging paths in a lonely wood”.
I’ll do my best to read them, but my past enthusiasm for finding my truth in the Church has since faded away.
It’s hours now since you said this. Later is now.
I’d like to have not just a cordial discussion, but a productive one as well.I have been trying to understand faith and belief.
Late-term abortions are quite rare, and none of your business unless you are the woman having one.
Deuteronomy 20:9 is in err, or YOU are.
I think that under the catholic belief system, free will does not exist. It is more like you are free to love Jesus, or burn forever while he tortures you. Not very free.
I don’t know that all atheists are against killing humans.
No one chooses pure evil. Man chooses what he perceives as good.
Peter our first pope said we are to increase our knowledge in increasing amount. And here’s why
Actually, Gorbachev credits JPII for bringing down the Soviet union. Even though it was a collaborative effort between Pres Reagan and JPII. Polish solidarity instigated by JPII, started a workers movement in Eastern Europe and the USA out spent Russia purposefully on star wars, to the point it bankrupted the Soviets. They couldn’t math us economically, dollar for dollar. Those factors Together, and Gorby and the boys folded like a house of cards. And not a shot was fired
The reference was to your comment about people going to heaven or hell. I merely asked you what path do you see yourself on
In the quote from Peter above, he doesn’t set a time limit. Neither did Paul. He said we are to be persistent till the end. It’s not a popular message but it’s true.
Yes, the road less traveled is the one scripture mentions.
Faith is alot like a muscle. Neglect it and don’t evercise it, and it gets flabby and atrophies.
Thanks.
I don’t know why wiki validity is such an issue in this thread. Sure, people can and do edit with misinformation, but you also have the benefit of having scientists, health care professionals, etc, edit it and give accurate information right from the source, of which you would not find elsewhere. Like notself said, it should be used in conjunction with other sources. Really, that should apply to all research anyways. And your “strong” quote, is from an opinion editor. They are paid to make “strong” statements to ruffle feathers.