Interesting thoughts

Evan has some interesting thoughts about van Inwagen’s modal ontological argument. I plan to comment as soon as I get a second to breathe. Check it out for yourself here and here.

Neurosis of the Holy Spirit

It’s becoming a belief of mine that acceptance of the idea of a Holy Spirit is actually a dangerous notion. I used to just think it was indeterminate, somewhat meaningless, and silly in some of its expressions. However, more and more I think it’s not just silly, but detrimental.

What is (the) Good? – pt 1

This weekend has brought up some interesting discussions about the problem of evil. One of my dearest friends validly, I think, questioned the assumed connection in perfect being philosophy between the all powerful/all good god and its consequent “necessity” to act in all situations so as to avoid impunity. Of course this is where the criticism comes in and the existence of the christian god is denied due to the existence of senseless evil in the world. If the connection is invalid, the “problem” falls flat on its face.

Absent from the body, present with the… Dirt?

Traditionally, Christians believe that once a person dies they are immediately in the presence of Jesus. I have heard some apply the same conclusion to a person in a coma. To a large extent, I think it’s tied to an association between mind and soul. Therefore, if a person is not functional mentally speaking then they must be with Jesus. I mean, “where” else would they be?

Metaphysical Equivocation

Religious language as found in systematic theologies tends to be full metaphysical equivocation. Certain mystical statements are defined by other mystical statements. Even if we leave alone the critiques of positivism cocnerning linguistic meaningfulness, trying to come up with a meaningful explication of some biblical concepts can be very frustrating. One such phrase is “to be in Christ.” I can’t begin to relate the multitude of different interpretations I heard as well as the blank stares I got when I asked, “Yeah, ok, but what does that (original statement or given interpretation) mean?” One way I sought to get out of this trap was to see such metaphysical phrases and statements as linguistic expressions of social or ethical realities that could ultimately be stated and explained without such language. The difference is similar to that between poetry and prose. At the time I began using this method, I was just beginning to doubt the validity of religious metaphysical propositions. I’m not sure that this approach could be used in any traditional hermeneutic, but I’m going to continue and see what happens as my thoughts develop. To illustrate this methodology I want to look at a couple of texts in St Paul’s letter to the Galatian churches and analyze his statements.

Doctrine of Election

This is a concise reason that demonstrates some of the internalist logic and linguistic/metaphysical dissonance I found during my christian days. It’s not conclusive evidence per se, but just an oddity of religious dogma. Anyone who doesn’t accept election as a valid dogma won’t have a problem with this, but I think their exegesis is a bit faulty.

Subjectivity of the “Spirit”

Reason number 5 for my wandering has to do with the doctrine of the “Holy Spirit,” or Pneumatology for you theologians. If there is one thing that would cause a serious 180 degree turn around in my thinking now, it’s this. Thoughts, theories, dogmas, doctrines, uses and abuses about the HS have wreaked havoc on any intelligent form of christianity. The plethora of views and the myriads of claimed experiences are enough to make you think you’ve been “slain in the spirit” and fall down on the ground rolling with “holy laughter” only to get up and “speak in tongues” as you cry out to the Lord in gratitude! Habish-kalacka-gustica-nishtera-blah-blah-blah!! Thank you JESUS!

Linguistic/Metaphysical Dissonance

There’s a ton that could be said in this section, and a lot of it will of necessity overlap with other sections. As a result, this will be short. Briefly, theology is for the most part the exercise of metaphysics carried out within certain boundaries or upon certain presuppositions. In recent days the emphasis on hermeneutics has played a major role on the realm of epistemology, especially in religious epistemology. One of the troubling things for me has been the seemingly narrow focus of traditional Protestant theology. It attempts to make certain assertions of reality that end up being nothing more than textual interpretations.

Silence of God

As I work through the Reasons for Wandering, I’m not going to go through them in any specific kind of order. There isn’t an inherent hierarchy to the list. The topic of god’s silence is an old and oft stated one. But I have some thoughts and experiences with it.

The full title is “Silence of God In a Causal World.” Leaving aside some debates about chaos theories, let’s walk into a room where three persons are sitting around a table with a bunch of books and a blackboard. On the board are a bunch of mathematical equations and some bible verse references. The three men are from obviously different locales and eras. The first is Sir Isaac Newton.