----- Original Message ----- From: "Marvin Long, Jr." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "BRIN-L" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, September 25, 2002 10:19 AM Subject: Re: how religious fanatics attack free speech
> On Wed, 25 Sep 2002, William T Goodall wrote: > > > Belief in a deity. There are three main philosophical views regarding the > > existence of a deity. Atheists believe that no deity exists. Theists > > believe in a deity or deities. Agnostics say that the existence of a deity > > cannot be proved or disproved. > > If we expand "philosophical" to include the world's religious and > spiritual and religious views, it seems to me that there must more than > just the three "biggies" common to the arguments of modern westerners, > which are shaped by the presumption that the only God worth debating is > the monotheistic Judeo-Christian-Islamic deity. > > Instead of just the yes/no/maybe options that presume an argument about a > single possible God, one should also be prepared to wonder about: God or > gods? Character of God or gods? Personal or impersonal? Moral or > amoral? Authority or archetype? Linear or cyclical time? Duality or > unity of spirit & matter? Illusion or non-illusion of existence? > Duality or unity of god(s) & humans? Divinity or nondivinity of nature? > Subjectivity or nonsubjectivity of being/nonbeing? Exoteric vs. esoteric > belief? Faith vs. experience? Faith as definitive goal or as > stepping-stone? What is "spirit" anyway? I'm sure there are more. > > In a way, the atheist vs. theist debate as we've had it here on > Brin-L is like arguing over whether the front cover or the back cover of > _Moby Dick_ is better while ignoring all the pages in between.... > All the questions you raised are interesting, Marvin. But, I do disagree with your metaphor. I think the theist/atheist debate is over the existence Moby Dick. Theists can debate what's inside. :-) Dan M. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
