Comments for Thinking Critically http://thinking-critically.com We subscribe to no dogmas, respect no sacred cows, accept nothing on faith, and believe “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence“ Sun, 09 Jun 2013 23:23:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ Comment on Beauty and the Beast by Master http://thinking-critically.com/2010/08/23/beauty-and-the-beast/#comment-1675 Sun, 09 Jun 2013 23:23:27 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=652#comment-1675 If you’ve got a cognitive filter looking for some sort of prejudice (such as sexism) then you will see it. Context matters a lot, and I feel that you overlooked a lot of that in your analysis.

]]> Comment on The Believer’s Brain – Fred Burgess by Aprilleigh Lauer http://thinking-critically.com/2010/08/27/the-believers-brain-fred-burgess/#comment-1671 Wed, 29 May 2013 07:24:20 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=1070#comment-1671 As a Christian with a solid grounding in the sciences and some training in informal and formal logic, I know what does and does not constitute “proof.” I wish I could say the same of more of my fellow Christians (or even of people in general), but the dichotomy has led to me identifying myself as an agnostic Christian because I feel the distinction is an important one. You and I will likely never agree on much about religion, but I do agree with you that faith is not proof, science has no proof either (and I am convinced it never will), and that any such “proof” would render faith irrelevant. Seems like a catch-22 to me.

]]> Comment on Questions for theists re: Innocence, Ignorance, and Hell by Aprilleigh Lauer http://thinking-critically.com/2010/08/04/questions-for-theists-re-innocence-ignorance-and-hell/#comment-1670 Wed, 29 May 2013 07:05:09 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=271#comment-1670 I appreciate your thoughtful reply, I’m just sorry it took me nearly three years to see it (it popped up on a Goggle search while I was looking for something else). You covered so much ground that I’m not prepared to answer most of it, but I can address your last question…I do not believe that anyone is deserving of punishment for those reasons. However, my belief in the inherent unfairness of it does not change what will or will not happen, anymore than my belief that young children do not deserve to die from random violence prevents it.

Yes, I am a Christian, but I do not believe the Bible is infallible. I don’t even believe the entire Bible was inspired by God and I certainly stand by my conviction that it was not written by God, but by men who felt they were inspired by God (whether or not that claim is true I have no way of knowing, it’s not like it can be subjected to scientific rigor). My problem with the origins of the Bible, in its various forms, is the decisions about what should and should not be included were made by men. I understand that these various groups of men claim their decisions were led by God, but if that were truly the case why are some books considered canonical by some groups but not others? I refuse to play the fool’s game where every group insists they are the ones that got it right, and everyone else is either mistaken, misled, or willfully misrepresenting things. They can’t all be right, and my personal beliefs acknowledge the possibility that none of them are.

]]> Comment on The tree of knowledge of good and evil by JJ AND sara http://thinking-critically.com/2010/08/19/the-tree-of-knowledge-of-good-and-evil/#comment-1669 Mon, 27 May 2013 10:46:05 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=634#comment-1669 This “ignorance” as you put it, wrote about “you” over 5000 years ago. So how stupid is that? One quick question…. What happens to YOUR soul if it turns out that you are wrong?Because NOTHING will happen to OURS if WE are wrong. comprende???

]]> Comment on The tree of knowledge of good and evil by Charles http://thinking-critically.com/2010/08/19/the-tree-of-knowledge-of-good-and-evil/#comment-1666 Sat, 18 May 2013 23:03:51 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=634#comment-1666 Hello,
1. The tree is the topic.
2. I responded to the original topic of the tree, and how to find the answer about the tree.
3. I used an illustration of a fish in the ocean and a piano player to help see how to find the answer.
4. I would like nothing better on Earth than to help you understand why Jehovah is real.
5. Visit jw.org to read even further information on Jehovah.

]]> Comment on The tree of knowledge of good and evil by stewpidmonkey http://thinking-critically.com/2010/08/19/the-tree-of-knowledge-of-good-and-evil/#comment-1663 Thu, 16 May 2013 22:35:08 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=634#comment-1663 Jeff,
Love the post. At the end of the day, the story, whether literal or not is an immoral example of an egomaniac. Point Blank. I’m about quite done with the mental gymnastics that the average lay person, which btw knows less about bibilical interpretation than most non believers and Aplogists like Willaim Lane Craig or Matt Slick have to go through just to make it should “somewhat Coherent”

Great job! keep up the good work.

I have one for you. Where in the bible does it state that the serpent was Lucifer? And if it was Lucifer wouldn’t god curse of him crawling on his belly in the dust. If it was Lucifer inhabiting the body of the snake, how do you curse an entire species of animal for falling under the power of a spiritual GIANT such as the Arch Angel Lucifer?

Makes you think huh? ;)

]]> Comment on The tree of knowledge of good and evil by stewpidmonkey http://thinking-critically.com/2010/08/19/the-tree-of-knowledge-of-good-and-evil/#comment-1662 Thu, 16 May 2013 22:31:18 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=634#comment-1662 The problem with your fallacy of equivocation is that most people do not like picking on others. For instance. I have trained in Martial Arts since I was seven. Now ask me to fight a weaker, smaller opponent and unless that opponent is an actual threat, then my answer will be no. I don’t pick on weaker people.

You interpretation (even tough you copied and pasted. I am positive there is a scripture about bearing false witness or speaking incorrect things. wonder if plagerism is apart of that) would then leave that Yahweh knowing that he is superior in every way still can be “prickled” by little old Lu. On top of that, in his righteous anger, he puts the immortal souls of every human being on earth into jeopardy just to prove a point.

You see, your two examples are not equal. Personally, any father that puts his family/children in direct danger is worthless and is not a father but a piece of *ish.

IMHO

and no. I don’t believe in your sky daddy. He is immoral.

]]> Comment on The tree of knowledge of good and evil by stewpidmonkey http://thinking-critically.com/2010/08/19/the-tree-of-knowledge-of-good-and-evil/#comment-1661 Thu, 16 May 2013 22:27:12 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=634#comment-1661 charles,

First let’s get to the topic at hand, then we can discuss the validity of your deity.

]]> Comment on The tree of knowledge of good and evil by stewpidmonkey http://thinking-critically.com/2010/08/19/the-tree-of-knowledge-of-good-and-evil/#comment-1660 Thu, 16 May 2013 22:26:11 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=634#comment-1660 please. Matt Slick is ridiculous.

]]> Comment on OUTFOXED : Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism by reputation management http://thinking-critically.com/2010/09/04/outfoxed-rupert-murdochs-war-on-journalism/#comment-1655 Fri, 03 May 2013 06:42:08 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=1146#comment-1655 I have fun with, cause I discovered just what I used to be looking
for. You have ended my four day lengthy hunt! God Bless you man.
Have a nice day. Bye

]]> Comment on Is there a punishment worse than hell? by Samuel Ciraulo http://thinking-critically.com/2010/08/09/is-there-a-punishment-worse-than-hell/#comment-1654 Thu, 02 May 2013 05:47:19 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=273#comment-1654 There was more mixing of world views in there, than a dissolving of an antacid in a glass of water… First of all the universe is not 13.7 or 18.9 or 40 billion years old, that is ridiculous, The Universe does not appear to be godless, in fact it appears logically evermore to need god, You think stars can just form form Helium and Hydrogen, you think Helium and Hydrogen can be formed out of pure energy? You think atoms are so simple? You think Heavy elements are formed in stars? And you honestly think that Star formation = star death, We have only observed 60-200 Super Novae, You’d think that if we could see galaxies at this point, which from a secularist ideology would take billions of years to form, then that we would see millions if not trillions of Super Novae, and Nebulae forming stars, that however is simply not the case, And do you honestly think it would take more than 10 Billion years for the Galaxy rings to disappear or even millions of year? We rarely if ever see a galaxy without rings… Don’t you think if black holes existed that they wouldn’t consume an entire galaxy in 10 billion years? You think that this bull shit big bang just Magically created space, time, dimension, and energy? And that Energy just MAGICALLY formed atoms? You do know that Atoms have thousands of times their area worth of energy inside of them depending on the atom… and that the actual matter inside of an atom is only 1/60,000,000 of the matter? that’s 59,999,999/60,000,000 pure energy… Yea seems real feasible that random chance creatures super energy structures from nothing to energy to atoms.
And that is nothing to say of life… Life is of the utmost creation, it in every facet shows intelligence. Going from is there something worse than hell to there is no god is complete stupidity, keep you’re nonsense away from a good conversation.

]]> Comment on The tree of knowledge of good and evil by chuks http://thinking-critically.com/2010/08/19/the-tree-of-knowledge-of-good-and-evil/#comment-1644 Mon, 29 Apr 2013 18:41:27 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=634#comment-1644 Guys (Jeff rendall& bdrex) before discrediting the bible, consider this. You will all agree with me that the book of Genesis changes or no changes is ATLEAST a thousand years old. Now, this book says that Eve, the woman was created from Adam’s side by taking a part of him ( some say bone, others say flesh or both).
I don,t know if anyone is following but, that story of creation seems similar to a scientific feat known today as cloning. Think of it ! This very old book, written Long before the discovery electricity or even the microscope, is talking of advanced cloning ! Think of how many generations of people before the modern times and it’s discovery of cloning, who thought the creation of eve story ABSURD.
Prior to our time, an educated person my tell you that he ore she do not believe in angels. Today, it is common belief that extra-terrestrial life more advanced than us probably exists. Furthermore, the book of Genesis theorized that human beings were the most (should i say) advanced creatures on earth. Created in God’s image. The author of the book of genesis probably didn’t know that the Earth is a sphere; for all they may have known, Green goblins could live somewhere far far away. Yet they were able to say confidently that humanity is the most advanced being on earth (which science confirms by the way) . And many more things time wouldn’t allow me to bring up.
All i am saying is maybe, just maybe, those little bible stories weren’t lies. Maybe humanity just needs to catch up !

]]> Comment on The tree of knowledge of good and evil by xear818 http://thinking-critically.com/2010/08/19/the-tree-of-knowledge-of-good-and-evil/#comment-1643 Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:34:41 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=634#comment-1643 Now days advertisers are so good at presenting their message they can get a lot of people to do almost anything and these are people that are used to having others constantly trying to persuade them. In this story God is such a poor communicator, has such poor skills in persuasion that even with direct talking he is unable to convince an obvious rube like Adam to avoid the tree.

Also consider that human nature is such that if you tell someone, “don’t go in my sock drawer,” it is the first place they will go. Did God not think this one through?

]]> Comment on The tree of knowledge of good and evil by thewhyman http://thinking-critically.com/2010/08/19/the-tree-of-knowledge-of-good-and-evil/#comment-1641 Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:01:45 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=634#comment-1641 See also: http://carm.org/god-satan-garden-sin

]]> Comment on The tree of knowledge of good and evil by thewhyman http://thinking-critically.com/2010/08/19/the-tree-of-knowledge-of-good-and-evil/#comment-1640 Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:58:13 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=634#comment-1640 I see that Jeff (and his sycophantic acolytes) misses the point entirely, and knocks down a number of strawmen while doing so.
The following summation isn’t the best answer, but it’s vastly superior and factual than the above:

http://www.gotquestions.org/tree-knowledge-good-evil.html

]]> Comment on The tree of knowledge of good and evil by xear818 http://thinking-critically.com/2010/08/19/the-tree-of-knowledge-of-good-and-evil/#comment-1632 Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:50:15 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=634#comment-1632 Adam your comment was perfect. I am shocked so few people can see it. The story is an allegory. We are kicked out of paradise the moment we define something as “bad” or “evil”. I could be in paradise all day and if someone comments my hair looks bad and I believe them, I have been kicked out of paradise and suffer. It’s the judgement of good and evil that kicks one out.
It is amazing that some genius created the Garden of Eden story something like 7,000 years ago and through editing and translations generation after generation it still holds up.

]]> Comment on Beauty and the Beast by A Disney Culture: The Good, The Bad & The Princess-y | alanamercante http://thinking-critically.com/2010/08/23/beauty-and-the-beast/#comment-1631 Sat, 06 Apr 2013 00:41:45 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=652#comment-1631 [...] and appreciation of literature, Mulan’s refusal to accept traditional gender roles) are often completely negated in the end when their stories all end roughly the same way: they live “happily ever [...]

]]> Comment on Why I support Fred Phelps by texasbaptist54 http://thinking-critically.com/2010/08/25/why-i-support-fred-phelps/#comment-1628 Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:59:04 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=1038#comment-1628 Fascinating. Liberals simply fascinate me.

If and where Phelps is wrong, why not engage his positions? Why grandstand on the civil right of free speech? By the way, before you chase down a bad trail, I have nothing to do with Phelps, his church – nor do I live in that area. And if I did, I would not even for a second consider darkening their doorway. That said – how and why is the “free speech” issue the one transcendent concern, and not those points of worldview that Phelps advocates for? I came here hoping for a reasoned discussion of the Phelps doctrine, what I got was the standard “I hate all he says, but I respect his right to say it.” (…yawn…)

]]> Comment on The tree of knowledge of good and evil by Jonathan http://thinking-critically.com/2010/08/19/the-tree-of-knowledge-of-good-and-evil/#comment-1626 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:50:01 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=634#comment-1626 Hey Jeff, I really liked your post. I just wanted to offer another viewpoint for you to consider. I can’t speak too much to the discussions on allegory and other things that have since evolved in the comments section, so please forgive me if I’m skirting back to the OP ;)

I think these questions are extremely important ones as I am of the opinion that the Bible is predominantly literal in its stories. From what I can tell, this is the posture you took in the post. I think God actually WANTED us to gain the knowledge of good and evil. However, he could not give us that knowledge from the get-go. Instead, he instituted a command and allowed us to be tricked. It fits very well into the rest of the Bible but doesn’t bode so well with most churches/doctrines that exist nowadays.

I wrote a short piece outlining this view if you’re interested. https://dl.dropbox.com/u/14968488/ToKoGaE.pdf

Cheers!
Jonathan

]]> Comment on Morality is objective. What does this really mean and why should we buy it? by Mark Whitehead http://thinking-critically.com/2010/07/03/morality-is-objective-what-does-this-really-mean-and-why-should-we-buy-it/#comment-1625 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:53:02 +0000 http://thinking-critically.com/?p=91#comment-1625 Sarah, thank you for this excellent piece summing up the case for moral objectivism with great clarity. I will be drawing from it in the philosophy circle I have recently joined here in London UK. Our facilitator wrote in his weekly email that we had all agreed we were moral relativists – to which I have replied that I am certainly not! I will read some more of your blog posts with great interest.

]]>