On Mon, Sep 06, 2004 at 05:10:41PM -0500, Dan Minette wrote: > Let me give a personal counter example. We took a homeless young > women into our house for a year. When we did it; I realized that > there was the potential for tremendous risk; we didn't know her _that_ > well and it was possible that she would try to blackmail me with > claims that I made advances on her; that she would bring unsuitable > folks in the house; use drugs; etc. > > But, I asked myself if I was a real Christian or not; and took the > risk. It was a matter of me believing in the unprovable; my belief > that her life was just as important as my own. > > I realize to many, this would be an example of how I am irrational.
Not to me. What if you had hosted three such women, had disasters with all three, causing successively greater difficulties for you, your family, and each woman, despite your having taken increasing precautions with each succeeding woman due to past experience? Would you host a fourth? If so, would you take the same approach you took before? > Yet, beliefs in ideas that are subject to emperical testing are > undaunted in the face of contradictory evidence. Is there no empirical evidence that could cause you to reconsider the existence of a god? > You mean the fact that we grow in understanding is a point against > religion? I don't think so. That would be a point in its favor. So, you seem to admit that religion is subject to empirical investigation? Otherwise, how do "we grow in understanding"? Mental masturbation? If you do admit that religion is subject to empirical investigation, then what empirical evidence could cause you to reconsider the existence of a god? > Look at the atheistic (or a-religeous) philosophies developed in the > last 150 years. Most of them have had a rather sorry track record in > providing meaning and support for human rights and the self-worth of > humans. You almost seem to assume that one must adopt an ideology. -- Erik Reuter http://www.erikreuter.net/ _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
