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10/06/2010 09:17:05 PM · #1926 |
A couple more possibly useful links ...
Originally posted by The Philosopher's Magazine Online:
I've put together a couple of new interactive philosophical activities
at my Philosophy Experiments web site. The first is called "Talking
with God" (it's about the Euthyphro dilemma); the second, "Framing the
Epidemic" (about decision framing).
//www.philosophyexperiments.com/euthyphro/
//www.philosophyexperiments.com/framing/
*Sponsor's Note*
"How to Be a Philosopher: or How to Be Almost Certain that Almost
Nothing is Certain", is Gary Cox’s instruction manual for
philosophizing. The ideal gift for those that are interested in
philosophy, but don’t know where to start, it assesses the big
questions that philosophers tackle and teaches you how to think, talk
and argue like a philosopher. It's a light-hearted but absorbing
introduction to philosophy. You can find a preview of the book here:
//bit.ly/9vkDCK
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10/08/2010 12:22:09 PM · #1927 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
Originally posted by Louis:
Well, big surprise. Atheists know more about religion that religious people. |
You can take an abbreviated form of the quiz here. I won't tell you what I got... |
No surprise, really. Religeon for most people is only a set of rules and rites.
I won't tell you what I got, either.
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10/08/2010 07:43:33 PM · #1928 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
Originally posted by Louis:
Well, big surprise. Atheists know more about religion that religious people. |
You can take an abbreviated form of the quiz here. I won't tell you what I got... |
I'll tell y'all what I got since, you know, atheists have no shame...
100%
Boosh!
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10/08/2010 07:47:06 PM · #1929 |
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10/08/2010 08:08:53 PM · #1930 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
Have you no shame? |
Not around being awesome at tests! :) |
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10/12/2010 07:36:45 PM · #1931 |
Originally posted by Louis:
Well, big surprise. Atheists know more about religion that religious people. |
That's what I would expect. Atheists (in this country) usually know what they like and don't like about the various religions that are present in the U.S. Most religious people don't research or experiment with other religions, but stick pretty close to the one they claim is theirs. If you asked a Ford mechanic a bunch of questions about Honda, Chevy, Toyota, Nissan, Dodge, BMW, Volkswagon, Mitsubishi, Jeep, GMC, Buick, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Acura, etc. he/she probably would get a number of questions wrong. Does that make him/her a bad mechanic? |
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10/12/2010 08:56:04 PM · #1932 |
Originally posted by johnnyphoto:
If you asked a Ford mechanic a bunch of questions about Honda, Chevy, Toyota, Nissan, Dodge, BMW, Volkswagon, Mitsubishi, Jeep, GMC, Buick, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Acura, etc. he/she probably would get a number of questions wrong. Does that make him/her a bad mechanic? |
I love your analogies! If the Ford mechanic is a competent, well-rounded, experienced mechanic, then he wouldn't get many questions wrong unless you went into marque specific issues, which would be nit-picking. Ford produces front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, all wheel drive cars & trucks with various iterations of inline, V, gas and diesel engines. The principles apply across the board.
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10/13/2010 02:13:31 PM · #1933 |
Originally posted by NikonJeb:
Originally posted by johnnyphoto:
If you asked a Ford mechanic a bunch of questions about Honda, Chevy, Toyota, Nissan, Dodge, BMW, Volkswagon, Mitsubishi, Jeep, GMC, Buick, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, Acura, etc. he/she probably would get a number of questions wrong. Does that make him/her a bad mechanic? |
I love your analogies! If the Ford mechanic is a competent, well-rounded, experienced mechanic, then he wouldn't get many questions wrong unless you went into marque specific issues, which would be nit-picking. Ford produces front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, all wheel drive cars & trucks with various iterations of inline, V, gas and diesel engines. The principles apply across the board. |
The point is that if you spend 20 years working on Ford vehicles, then you're probably an "expert". You'll know all the specifics of every model. Sure you might know some general things about other brans because certain things are true for all vehicles but you're probably not going to know much about turbodiesel engines, and good luck if someone asks you to work on a bus, tractor, or motorcycle. If you've been a Muslim for 20 years then you're probably going to know a lot of specifics about it, but when it comes to Christianity or Buddhism, you're likely not going to know much beyond the general stories floating around in U.S. culture.
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10/13/2010 02:32:42 PM · #1934 |
Originally posted by johnnyphoto:
If you've been a Muslim for 20 years then you're probably going to know a lot of specifics about it, but when it comes to Christianity or Buddhism, you're likely not going to know much beyond the general stories floating around in U.S. culture. |
Perhaps this shows how much -- or rather how little -- "Christians" know about Islam.
You do know that Muslims, like you, are decendents of Abraham, and accept all of the Old Testament and New Testament Prophets as inspired messengers of God, right? They are your brothers, and a war on Islam would constitute fratricide.
The basic difference between Islam and Christianity (as it is largely with Judaism and Christianity) is whether Jesus was the Son of God and Redeemer of souls or "just" another of His inspired messengers, and the belief that Muhammad, too, was a True Prophet, and that the Holy Q'uran is an addition to, not a subsitute for, the Bible.
Message edited by author 2010-10-13 14:33:26. |
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10/13/2010 02:36:51 PM · #1935 |
| Question -- if the conflict between Islam and Christianity is so d****d important, why aren't God and Allah capable of duking this out between themselves instead of wasting our time, treasure, and lives with this stupid proxy war? |
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10/13/2010 04:14:08 PM · #1936 |
I have not watched this yet so I have no idea what it contains, but I thought I'd pass it along. I'm sure it is interesting.
Hitchens brothers debate whether civilization can survive without God
I didn't realize there was another Hitchens...a good Hitchens... :D (I am soo kidding here) |
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10/13/2010 04:29:16 PM · #1937 |
According to the report I heard this morning, since Christopher has been undergoing treatment for cancer they've pretty much decided it isn't worth arguing over anymore ... |
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10/13/2010 05:16:32 PM · #1938 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
You do know that Muslims, like you, are decendents of Abraham, and accept all of the Old Testament and New Testament Prophets as inspired messengers of God, right? They are your brothers, and a war on Islam would constitute fratricide. |
Both descendants? Yes, but not in the same way.
The Islamic view is that the Bible is inspired, but it is also corrupted and not suitable for teaching. My guess is that Muslims read the Bible about as often as Christians read the Quran.
There are radical "Christians" that would like to start a war against Islam, just as there are radical "Muslims" that would like to start a war on Christianity. I, however, am not a radical and have no interest in starting a war. Just because Christians and Muslims claim the same spiritual/physical ancestor does not mean that they are brothers. |
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10/14/2010 10:19:22 AM · #1939 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
You do know that Muslims, like you, are decendents of Abraham, and accept all of the Old Testament and New Testament Prophets as inspired messengers of God, right? They are your brothers, and a war on Islam would constitute fratricide.
The basic difference between Islam and Christianity (as it is largely with Judaism and Christianity) is whether Jesus was the Son of God and Redeemer of souls or "just" another of His inspired messengers, and the belief that Muhammad, too, was a True Prophet, and that the Holy Q'uran is an addition to, not a subsitute for, the Bible. |
Do you make this stuff up as you go along?
Many Muslims would argue the Bible contains contradictions and the Qur'an is pure. At least with Judaism, Christianity shares the Old Testament.
Christians in Islamic Lands are put under dhimma status and are forced to pay jizya and be subdued. Muslims in Christian lands can't wear their full body outfits and build a Mosque near ground zero.
Which would you rather be? |
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10/14/2010 10:39:35 AM · #1940 |
Originally posted by johnnyphoto:
Just because Christians and Muslims claim the same spiritual/physical ancestor does not mean that they are brothers. |
Of COURSE they're brothers; all men (and women) are brothers (and sisters). It is our curse and our doom, basically, that so few of seem to understand this, and it is to our undying shame, collectively, as a race (humankind) that we allow our religion(s) to drive wedges between us by by exacerbating our genetic predisposition towards xenophobia.
One might expect, in the best of all possible worlds, that the core goal of religion would be to bring peoples together, not to keep them apart.
R.
Message edited by author 2010-10-14 10:40:01. |
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10/14/2010 10:57:13 AM · #1941 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
You can take an abbreviated form of the quiz here. I won't tell you what I got... |
Bah! I always thought the Jewish Sabbath was on a Saturday. So bang goes my perfect score. |
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10/14/2010 11:10:30 AM · #1942 |
Originally posted by JH:
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
You can take an abbreviated form of the quiz here. I won't tell you what I got... |
Bah! I always thought the Jewish Sabbath was on a Saturday. So bang goes my perfect score. |
It starts at sundown on Friday and goes until about an hour after sunset Saturday. So Saturday is, in fact, the "day" of Sabbath...
R. |
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10/14/2010 03:25:34 PM · #1943 |
Originally posted by Nullix:
Originally posted by GeneralE:
You do know that Muslims, like you, are decendents of Abraham, and accept all of the Old Testament and New Testament Prophets as inspired messengers of God, right? They are your brothers, and a war on Islam would constitute fratricide.
The basic difference between Islam and Christianity (as it is largely with Judaism and Christianity) is whether Jesus was the Son of God and Redeemer of souls or "just" another of His inspired messengers, and the belief that Muhammad, too, was a True Prophet, and that the Holy Q'uran is an addition to, not a subsitute for, the Bible. |
Do you make this stuff up as you go along?
Many Muslims would argue the Bible contains contradictions and the Qur'an is pure. At least with Judaism, Christianity shares the Old Testament.
Christians in Islamic Lands are put under dhimma status and are forced to pay jizya and be subdued. Muslims in Christian lands can't wear their full body outfits and build a Mosque near ground zero.
Which would you rather be? |
Neither.
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10/14/2010 04:54:45 PM · #1944 |
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
Originally posted by JH:
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
You can take an abbreviated form of the quiz here. I won't tell you what I got... |
Bah! I always thought the Jewish Sabbath was on a Saturday. So bang goes my perfect score. |
It starts at sundown on Friday and goes until about an hour after sunset Saturday. So Saturday is, in fact, the "day" of Sabbath...
R. |
Which is why the "week" starts on Sunday, and ends on Saturday, the "seventh" day ... of course, the days themselves are named after non-Christian gods, so who knows ... when a Christian refers to "Saturday" are they violating the Commandment to only believe in the one and only God? |
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10/14/2010 04:56:17 PM · #1945 |
Originally posted by Nullix:
Do you make this stuff up as you go along? |
Why not? How do you think the original scriptures came to be? ;-) |
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10/14/2010 05:48:27 PM · #1946 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by Nullix:
Do you make this stuff up as you go along? |
Why not? How do you think the original scriptures came to be? ;-) |
There was this guy. He started a movement and had a bunch of followers. For 3 years, he traveled around is local area teaching and preaching. Then the local leaders got pissed at him and had the government kill him.
Those brief 3 years of work created a belief that spread across the globe.
You know of anything that lasted 2000 years from 3 years of work?
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10/14/2010 06:04:02 PM · #1947 |
Originally posted by Nullix:
You know of anything that lasted 2000 years from 3 years of work? |
Haven't had time to do any research on the matter, but would the Roman Baths in Bath and the Roman aqueducts count?
Ray |
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10/14/2010 06:30:50 PM · #1948 |
Originally posted by Nullix:
You know of anything that lasted 2000 years from 3 years of work? |
The Parthenon took all of eight years, but has lasted almost 2500 years -- not bad for a bunch of heathens doomed to Hell ... oh, and it's better-documented than the Scriptures -- there's a parts/price list posted right on the building (modern democratic governements take note!).
Oh, and Jesus had the Old Testament and some centuries of Jewish tradition to guide his teachings, no? The New Testament came afterwards, so, AFAIK, we have not a single word actually written by Jesus to document what he actually said or believed -- only a bunch of other people's various interptretations of what he said/meant.
I don't know how long it took Muhammad to write down the Q'uran, but that belief system's still going strong.
Prince Siddhartha spent only six years in acetic contemplation and meditation before achieving enlightenment. That belief system has also lasted quite a while (2400 years), and is notable in its contrast with the Abrahamic religions regarding the degree to which they actually practice their declared commitment to peace and justice and brotherhood towards all ...
Message edited by author 2010-10-14 18:45:52. |
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10/14/2010 07:31:06 PM · #1949 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Oh, and Jesus had the Old Testament and some centuries of Jewish tradition to guide his teachings, no? The New Testament came afterwards, so, AFAIK, we have not a single word actually written by Jesus to document what he actually said or believed -- only a bunch of other people's various interptretations of what he said/meant. |
I think you are coming up with an unreasonable standard here. I do not believe we have a single word actually written by Plato, Aristotle, Homer, but nobody is raising much of a beef about their authenticity.
We've been down this road before so we don't need to repeat, but I am just standing up and saying, "objection, your honor". |
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10/14/2010 08:15:54 PM · #1950 |
Originally posted by DrAchoo:
I think you are coming up with an unreasonable standard here. I do not believe we have a single word actually written by Plato, Aristotle, Homer, but nobody is raising much of a beef about their authenticity. |
I haven't heard to many people propose that we base our laws regarding marriage or sexual behavior on those authors' works either ... it is relatively irrelevant to modern day-to-day life whether any of the words attributed to those guys was actually said by them. If you want the US to adopt the laws and customs of ancient Greece, then by all means a close and skeptical examination and analysis of those writings would be in order, but otherwise your comparison is meaningless. |
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