Sorry about being gone so long…I’ll be back for good (for now) on Thursday, so perhaps you can expect some new stuff then. Until then, a picture from my vacation at Myrtle Beach…
Your neice is beautiful… looking forward to your next entry! =)
I read “And a trial of a new feature…”, and thought you were referring to your niece (when I thought she was your child or something). Made me smile because I thought it was a cute phrase to talk about a new baby in the family…. new feature. -smiles-
Have a great day!
–Andrea
Hey was passing through. You can add South Africa to your list of visitor locations now. africa looks a bit bare.
nice picture…
Emily is beautiful. My cell broke.
Thanks for visiting my site. I didn’t realize Cain had cancer. I guess that is why he did not run for lieutenant governor in Georgia this year.
Cool!
HAPPY FLIPIDYDIPADY NEW YEAR!!!
that is a gorgeous pic of your niece
have you considered getting it blown up and framed for her parents??
hey i really liked your comment. i want to post it in one of my entries. like your opinions are sooo umm i dont really know the word. well w/e i just liked what you said but i dont think ill post b/c ppl might get bored and think of it as preachy. well take care. btw nice pictures.
<3 k8
i had sprite, we drank all the sparkling grape juice at Christmas
i love the pics…but especially of your neice…and welcome back…missed your comments
Happy New Year Caleb
awwww! she’s so cute! I was a cute baby too…I wonder what happened. lol
She is soo cute!!
heyyy youuu. glad you enjoyed the post…
14 year old boys are weird. yup.
your niece is adorable.
that’s all.
how was your new years?
what did you do?
ur so gay this is bess!!! and u no what caleb ur ugley and fat!!! u turned down my sexy friend kasey!!! ur so gay u fag!!!! ur gf is probably not even close to as hot as kasey is!!! ur loss!!! so fuck off!!!
hate u,
bess
glad your back
Thank you so much for your comment. It meant a lot that someone would take the time and effort to convey his beliefs to me. :}
About “gambling with eternity”: This is a huge, looming question to all of us, Christian or not. Some say that by belief is “insurance bought against eternal damnation”. But that sounds fishy: belief for fear’s sake?
Simply stated: If I’m going to believe in God, I want it to be a relationship of love and understanding, not a parachute to be opened “IN CASE OF HELL.”
Lately, I’ve been seeing some folks around me using religion as an excuse for their misdoings, losing sight of that wonderful human essence in us that allows mistakes, but also encourages room for improvement. Christianity dictates that God ultimately is caring for his people, but people cannot allow Him to become an alibi.
“this crazy juxtaposition between sovereignty and free will” -No comment on this phrase. Brilliantly thought out, brilliantly said.
Again, thank you for your comment. And your niece is a gorgeous little gal. :}
no, seriously, what did you get. are you talking about Passion conferance with my sister? Ralph called me about played guitar tomorrow.
Oh wait, everything else will kill you, too…breathing these days is probably one of the leading causes of cancer, you know?
Lame-ness???
Your original comment on Dan’s site was so thoughtless that I didn’t think it deserved a reasoned rebuttal. My comment of “lame-ness” was actually one of incredulity.
“Regarding your post, I would like to ask what atheism’s basis for morality might be. Mustn’t you admit, as Hume, that you really have no basis for logic or reason at all in atheism?”
You’re holding “atheism” to unreasonable burdens.
Atheism, as is theism, describes only the state of one’s belief: A one sentence, “No, I don’t believe in God or Yes, I believe in God” Atheism isn’t an elaborate beleif system with reasoned corollaries. “Atheism” itself doesn’t explain the basis of secular humanism nor does it provide reasoned support for its own correctness. Arguments external to “Atheism” is seeked to explain how a morality can be adopted sans “God” or how atheism seems more probable than the alternatives.
Summarizing arguments: Atheism’s support lies in the idiocracy of religion. As the evidence stand, theism is so improbable and so shoddly supported that there very most likely isn’t a God. It’s hard for me to argue using the absence of good proof to the contrary. If you’d like to discuss this point, you can try to provide positive arguments for God’s existance and I can shoot it down in turn.
“Again, thank you for your comment. It was absolutely enlightening. Where do you come up with such brilliant commentary?”
You’re welcome, but it’s really hard to do so without good fodder.
Well theism isn’t the only side making a claim. Atheism is making a claim as well; thus, the burden of proof is equally great. Only the agnostics get off the hook with no need for defending their beliefs.o
Come on, in the absence of a starting point, I know you’re smart enough to understand how this isn’t possible. For instance, if we were given the quest of proving that invisible pink unicorns don’t exist, we both would be equally lost for words (They simply don’t makes perfectly good sense as an answer, but is not very “logical”). The burden of proof, therefore, falls on the side making the positive assertion. In the “God debate,” that would be the theist.
itunes money? you don’t have an ipod. do you? no you have that mp3 player that has Animal I Have Become on it along with other assorted songs.
oh really well i forgive u!!! so wanna be friends??? and i totally understand what u mean!!!
“So you’re throwing out my argument based solely on common sense, and acknowledge that your position has no logical backing? Dang. I really expected more of a debate before you conceded like that.”
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PROVE THAT SOMETHING DOESN’T EXIST. (thus, the burden of proof falls on the side making the positive assertion– that the entity or entitites in question exists).
I am entirely willing to debate points of theism/atheism, but you’ve been entirely unwilling (or unable?) to put forth positive arguments for theism (or Christianity, as it seems your position). Your burden is to present X, Y, Z; my burden is to show how X, Y, Z can’t hold.
“I’m sure a character in Plato’s allegory of the caves might use a similar argument to yours to assert that light doesn’t exist.”
You’re flinging around these big names at the the wrong context.
“Basically, my point is that you can make no claim, positive or negative, without having a burden of proof.”
Do you even understand “burden of proof?”
In the court of law, say a murder trial, the burden of proof falls on the prosecution and the prosecultion early. The prosecution’s position is a positive one: that a murder has indeed been committed by the defendent. The defense’s position is a negative one: that the murder has not been committed by the defendent. The sides can’t both have the burden of proof.
Analogously, the theist is the prosecution and the atheist is the defense.
“You can never prove that God isn’t somewhere out there, just like you can’t prove aliens are or aren’t. Because of that, it’s just as reasonable to believe in these things as it is for you not to — more reasonable for me if you include personal experience as evidence!”
Finally, an argument of sorts!
Several responses: 1.) As I understand it, you’re claiming that no empirical evidence exists for God’s existance. In the absence of evidence, it seems that the best (and default position) is one of atheism…
2.)… since it woudl be ridiculous to say that any claim of the existance of any entity (faries, trolls, the boogey-man, god) must be held in the affirmation just because the proposition of its existance can be presented. In the absence of convincing evidence, the default position is that it doesn’t exist.
3.) Rarely can we be absoutely sure of anything– either 100% for the existance of something or 100% against the existance of that thing. In that case, we must consider the gradients inbetween. Although in the Atheist’s position, he can’t claim with 100% conviction that God doesn’t exist (after all, he hasn’t looked after every rock), he can make a conclusion of liklihood– that based on known facts, it is 95% or whatever percent unlikly that “God” can fit in a known understanding of the world.
My position, is that a high percentage of certainty can be assigned to atheism due to the lack of positive arguments/evidence for God. And clearly, you’re unable or unwilling to argue this point.
oh haha.. thanks for reminding me..
Allow me to explain, not why my theistic view explains the universe, but why yours can’t.
The explanatory power of an given idea has absolutely no bearing on its correctness. The critical issue are the foundational support for the idea.
Let’s start with the universe. Did the universe begin? If so, how? If not, in what way is it sustained to infinity? Given the law of entropy and the inability of science to defend the only plausible universe theory that I’m aware of, how do you propose that the universe became ordered?
I don’t see how secular science’s ability to answer these questions have any bearing on atheism’s correctness.
Also consider that the universe is not neutral. You obviously believe that morality does exist as something objective. Sure teleological argument don’t usually go very well at all, but you must see that the world is bent, I think. There must be some defining order. Where did that order come from, and in what form does it exist?
You’re going to have to be specific as to the sort of “ordering.” If you mean life on earth, then Evolution & Natural Selection. If you mean astronomical phenomenons, then Cosmology.
P.S. The reason I insist on not using arguments specifically for theism is because I believe your conception of burden of proof to be problematic. If we were debating the existence of the atmosphere instead of God, and you said it did exist and I said it didn’t, we could both explain why we didn’t suffocate or burn from radiation.
Let me use a diferent anology: Debating Santa Claus’ existance, with me defending his existance and you insisting on his inexistance. In the absence of knowing anything about Santa Claus, you would have no point in arguing his inexistance. However, if I were to make positive assertions about Santa Claus, you’d have a starting point. I may argue, “Santa Claus exists as there are sightings in the North Pole.” From this, you may argue the absence of human life in the North Pole and the sheer implausiblity of any sightings at such an unpopulated locationale.
Same with theism and atheism.
I could perfectly well come up with complex theories about how the world exists and life is sustained with no atmosphere. I could then say that because you couldn’t prove to me that the atmosphere really does exist and isn’t just an illusion of your mind, my default position would be that it doesn’t exist. Does that make sense to you? It doesn’t to me.
Certainly, the facts surrounding a given proposition may be so ambigious that its truthity or falsity seems very up for grabs. But this isn’t the case with “God.” Many attributes and feat have been attributed to him. There are sufficient amounts of “tests,” that, in my opinion,the argument can be easily settled one way or another.
But I won’t go around making assumptions on your belief of God or the arguments you’d like to present. I’d happily comment on them once to do, however.
very true…the meaning of life,….in a way
Ha, so much lurking!
hey how was ur christmass. my was pretty painful lol got a tattoo on my lower bk and ooch did it hurt summit shockin!
wat ya at wae urself hunz?
lora x x x
thanks man! I’ve been feeling poetic lately lol.
1. Favorite devotion or prayer to Jesus. Devotion to Jesus means like how are you devoted to Jesus, and how do you exhibit that in your prayer life and extentuation of your relationship with Him. So, when I wrote the Sacred Heart of Jesus, it’s in the sense that Christ loves us as His creation, friend, and brother/sister; He is both God and Man. That He would so love us that He’d die for us. Isn’t that a sacred heart? there’s Eucharist Adoration, too. 2. Favorite Marian devotion or prayer. How do you express your devotion to Mary, the Mother of God: Rosary, Memorae, Salve Regina, Ave Maria, etc. 3. Do you wear a scapular or medal? Yes, these are Roman Catholic questions. Scapular is a front and back square of wool, so it’s like having one big necklace with two “pendants” on it. They’re also devotions to Mary, which she has promised, through her Son Jesus Christ, salvation from eternal damnation, brief time in Purgatory, graces, mercies, and so forth. Medals … I suppose you’d call them graven images? A crucifix on a necklace; an image of Mary, or some other noted Saint. Usually patron saints. Like a man in a seminary could have a medal to St John Vianney, who is the patron saint of priests. The Saints intercede and pray on our behalf; we don’t worship them, just ask for their intercession. We ask for their help and guidance through prayer. 4. Do you have holy water in your home? Holy water. It is blessed by the priest (as an intercessor and representative of Christ). http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07432a.htm (more info at the Link to the left) 7. Do you go to Eucharistic Adoration? How Frequently? Transubstantiation — the belief, and fact, that in the blessing of the Bread and Wine, it spiritually (and at times physically) becomes the living body and blood of Christ. It is not a simple re-inactment of the Last Supper; but the bread becomes the Flesh of Christ, the wine, the Blood of Christ. So, if Christ were to be in the bread and wine, and you have left over hosts after a Mass, we put it in the Tabernacle. Christ said, “I will be with my church until the end of time” and , He is there for us in the Sacrament, and we are able to come to Him. At the Adoration we do not petition Him, but rather communicate and praise Him. If you want to foster a relationship, do you not spend time with that person? Same too with Christ. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05573a.htm#3 8. Are you a Saturday evening Mass person or a Sunday morning Mass person? I think the differences are seen in the Masses. Saturday vigil Masses tend to be more solemen, reverent at times. The Sunday Mass is on the Sabbath day (Let us not get into the fight of when the sabbath actually is; It was made for man, not God, so squabbling over saturday versus sunday is a minor matter). I think this can matter on your parish. 10. Favorite saints. Jesus is the Son of God; He is not a saint. A saint is a person who does ordinary things extraordinarily. So, they are people who can feed the poor with one basket of bread one century ago; they’re the apostles; the martyrs; the miracle workers, the levitators, the ones bearing the Stigmata, and so forth.
Homos and masochism.
Dammit, I’ve been in Ithaca too long.
Scapulars and medals are not superstitions. From the Catholic Catechism:
The characteristics of sacramentals
1668 Sacramentals are instituted for the sanctification of certain ministries of the Church, certain states of life, a great variety of circumstances in Christian life, and the use of many things helpful to man. In accordance with bishops’ pastoral decisions, they can also respond to the needs, culture, and special history of the Christian people of a particular region or time. They always include a prayer, often accompanied by a specific sign, such as the laying on of hands, the sign of the cross, or the sprinkling of holy water (which recalls Baptism).
1669 Sacramentals derive from the baptismal priesthood: every baptized person is called to be a “blessing,” and to bless.174 Hence lay people may preside at certain blessings; the more a blessing concerns ecclesial and sacramental life, the more is its administration reserved to the ordained ministry (bishops, priests, or deacons).175
1670 Sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacraments do, but by the Church’s prayer, they prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it. “For well-disposed members of the faithful, the liturgy of the sacraments and sacramentals sanctifies almost every event of their lives with the divine grace which flows from the Paschal mystery of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. From this source all sacraments and sacramentals draw their power. There is scarcely any proper use of material things which cannot be thus directed toward the sanctification of men and the praise of God.”176
Various forms of sacramentals
1671 Among sacramentals blessings (of persons, meals, objects, and places) come first. Every blessing praises God and prays for his gifts. In Christ, Christians are blessed by God the Father “with every spiritual blessing.”177 This is why the Church imparts blessings by invoking the name of Jesus, usually while making the holy sign of the cross of Christ.
1672 Certain blessings have a lasting importance because they consecrate persons to God, or reserve objects and places for liturgical use. Among those blessings which are intended for persons – not to be confused with sacramental ordination – are the blessing of the abbot or abbess of a monastery, the consecration of virgins and widows, the rite of religious profession and the blessing of certain ministries of the Church (readers, acolytes, catechists, etc.). The dedication or blessing of a church or an altar, the blessing of holy oils, vessels, and vestments, bells, etc., can be mentioned as examples of blessings that concern objects.
1673 When the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called exorcism. Jesus performed exorcisms and from him the Church has received the power and office of exorcizing.178 In a simple form, exorcism is performed at the celebration of Baptism. The solemn exorcism, called “a major exorcism,” can be performed only by a priest and with the permission of the bishop. The priest must proceed with prudence, strictly observing the rules established by the Church. Exorcism is directed at the expulsion of demons or to the liberation from demonic possession through the spiritual authority which Jesus entrusted to his Church. Illness, especially psychological illness, is a very different matter; treating this is the concern of medical science. Therefore, before an exorcism is performed, it is important to ascertain that one is dealing with the presence of the Evil One, and not an illness.179
Popular piety
1674 Besides sacramental liturgy and sacramentals, catechesis must take into account the forms of piety and popular devotions among the faithful. The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in various forms of piety surrounding the Church’s sacramental life, such as the veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross, religious dances, the rosary, medals,180 etc.
1675 These expressions of piety extend the liturgical life of the Church, but do not replace it. They “should be so drawn up that they harmonize with the liturgical seasons, accord with the sacred liturgy, are in some way derived from it and lead the people to it, since in fact the liturgy by its very nature is far superior to any of them.”181
1676 Pastoral discernment is needed to sustain and support popular piety and, if necessary, to purify and correct the religious sense which underlies these devotions so that the faithful may advance in knowledge of the mystery of Christ.182 Their exercise is subject to the care and judgment of the bishops and to the general norms of the Church.
At its core the piety of the people is a storehouse of values that offers answers of Christian wisdom to the great questions of life. The Catholic wisdom of the people is capable of fashioning a vital synthesis. . . . It creatively combines the divine and the human, Christ and Mary, spirit and body, communion and institution, person and community, faith and homeland, intelligence and emotion. This wisdom is a Christian humanism that radically affirms the dignity of every person as a child of God, establishes a basic fraternity, teaches people to encounter nature and understand work, provides reasons for joy and humor even in the midst of a very hard life. For the people this wisdom is also a principle of discernment and an evangelical instinct through which they spontaneously sense when the Gospel is served in the Church and when it is emptied of its content and stifled by other interests.181
1677 Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church. They prepare men to receive the fruit of the sacraments and sanctify different circumstances of life.
1678 Among the sacramentals blessings occupy an important place. They include both praise of God for his works and gifts, and the Church’s intercession for men that they may be able to use God’s gifts according to the spirit of the Gospel.
1679 In addition to the liturgy, Christian life is nourished by various forms of popular piety, rooted in the different cultures. While carefully clarifying them in the light of faith, the Church fosters the forms of popular piety that express an evangelical instinct and a human wisdom and that enrich Christian life.
oh by the way ur neice is so cute i bet ur excited to have her!!!
RYC:
hahahahaha
Man do I have too much to do today. Did you get your sleep finally?
Comments (38)
Your neice is beautiful… looking forward to your next entry! =)
I read “And a trial of a new feature…”, and thought you were referring to your niece (when I thought she was your child or something). Made me smile because I thought it was a cute phrase to talk about a new baby in the family…. new feature. -smiles-
Have a great day!
–Andrea
Hey was passing through. You can add South Africa to your list of visitor locations now. africa looks a bit bare.
nice picture…
Emily is beautiful. My cell broke.
Thanks for visiting my site. I didn’t realize Cain had cancer. I guess that is why he did not run for lieutenant governor in Georgia this year.
Cool!
HAPPY FLIPIDYDIPADY NEW YEAR!!!
that is a gorgeous pic of your niece
have you considered getting it blown up and framed for her parents??
hey i really liked your comment. i want to post it in one of my entries. like your opinions are sooo umm i dont really know the word. well w/e i just liked what you said but i dont think ill post b/c ppl might get bored and think of it as preachy. well take care. btw nice pictures.
<3 k8
i had sprite, we drank all the sparkling grape juice at Christmas
i love the pics…but especially of your neice…and welcome back…missed your comments
Happy New Year Caleb
awwww! she’s so cute! I was a cute baby too…I wonder what happened. lol
She is soo cute!!
heyyy youuu.
glad you enjoyed the post…
14 year old boys are weird.
yup.
your niece is adorable.
that’s all.
how was your new years?
what did you do?
ur so gay this is bess!!! and u no what caleb ur ugley and fat!!! u turned down my sexy friend kasey!!! ur so gay u fag!!!! ur gf is probably not even close to as hot as kasey is!!! ur loss!!! so fuck off!!!
hate u,
bess
glad your back
Thank you so much for your comment. It meant a lot that someone would take the time and effort to convey his beliefs to me. :}
About “gambling with eternity”: This is a huge, looming question to all of us, Christian or not. Some say that by belief is “insurance bought against eternal damnation”. But that sounds fishy: belief for fear’s sake?
Simply stated: If I’m going to believe in God, I want it to be a relationship of love and understanding, not a parachute to be opened “IN CASE OF HELL.”
Lately, I’ve been seeing some folks around me using religion as an excuse for their misdoings, losing sight of that wonderful human essence in us that allows mistakes, but also encourages room for improvement. Christianity dictates that God ultimately is caring for his people, but people cannot allow Him to become an alibi.
“this crazy juxtaposition between sovereignty and free will”
-No comment on this phrase. Brilliantly thought out, brilliantly said.
Again, thank you for your comment.
And your niece is a gorgeous little gal. :}
no, seriously, what did you get. are you talking about Passion conferance with my sister? Ralph called me about played guitar tomorrow.
Oh wait, everything else will kill you, too…breathing these days is probably one of the leading causes of cancer, you know?
Lame-ness???
Your original comment on Dan’s site was so thoughtless that I didn’t think it deserved a reasoned rebuttal. My comment of “lame-ness” was actually one of incredulity.
“Regarding your post, I would like to ask what atheism’s basis for morality might be. Mustn’t you admit, as Hume, that you really have no basis for logic or reason at all in atheism?”
You’re holding “atheism” to unreasonable burdens.
Atheism, as is theism, describes only the state of one’s belief: A one sentence, “No, I don’t believe in God or Yes, I believe in God” Atheism isn’t an elaborate beleif system with reasoned corollaries. “Atheism” itself doesn’t explain the basis of secular humanism nor does it provide reasoned support for its own correctness. Arguments external to “Atheism” is seeked to explain how a morality can be adopted sans “God” or how atheism seems more probable than the alternatives.
Summarizing arguments: Atheism’s support lies in the idiocracy of religion. As the evidence stand, theism is so improbable and so shoddly supported that there very most likely isn’t a God. It’s hard for me to argue using the absence of good proof to the contrary. If you’d like to discuss this point, you can try to provide positive arguments for God’s existance and I can shoot it down in turn.
“Again, thank you for your comment. It was absolutely enlightening. Where do you come up with such brilliant commentary?”
You’re welcome, but it’s really hard to do so without good fodder.
Well theism isn’t the only side making a claim. Atheism is making a claim as well; thus, the burden of proof is equally great. Only the agnostics get off the hook with no need for defending their beliefs.o
Come on, in the absence of a starting point, I know you’re smart enough to understand how this isn’t possible. For instance, if we were given the quest of proving that invisible pink unicorns don’t exist, we both would be equally lost for words (They simply don’t makes perfectly good sense as an answer, but is not very “logical”). The burden of proof, therefore, falls on the side making the positive assertion. In the “God debate,” that would be the theist.
itunes money? you don’t have an ipod. do you? no you have that mp3 player that has Animal I Have Become on it along with other assorted songs.
oh really well i forgive u!!! so wanna be friends??? and i totally understand what u mean!!!
“So you’re throwing out my argument based solely on common sense, and acknowledge that your position has no logical backing? Dang. I really expected more of a debate before you conceded like that.”
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PROVE THAT SOMETHING DOESN’T EXIST. (thus, the burden of proof falls on the side making the positive assertion– that the entity or entitites in question exists).
I am entirely willing to debate points of theism/atheism, but you’ve been entirely unwilling (or unable?) to put forth positive arguments for theism (or Christianity, as it seems your position). Your burden is to present X, Y, Z; my burden is to show how X, Y, Z can’t hold.
“I’m sure a character in Plato’s allegory of the caves might use a similar argument to yours to assert that light doesn’t exist.”
You’re flinging around these big names at the the wrong context.
“Basically, my point is that you can make no claim, positive or negative, without having a burden of proof.”
Do you even understand “burden of proof?”
In the court of law, say a murder trial, the burden of proof falls on the prosecution and the prosecultion early. The prosecution’s position is a positive one: that a murder has indeed been committed by the defendent. The defense’s position is a negative one: that the murder has not been committed by the defendent. The sides can’t both have the burden of proof.
Analogously, the theist is the prosecution and the atheist is the defense.
“You can never prove that God isn’t somewhere out there, just like you can’t prove aliens are or aren’t. Because of that, it’s just as reasonable to believe in these things as it is for you not to — more reasonable for me if you include personal experience as evidence!”
Finally, an argument of sorts!
Several responses:
1.) As I understand it, you’re claiming that no empirical evidence exists for God’s existance. In the absence of evidence, it seems that the best (and default position) is one of atheism…
2.)… since it woudl be ridiculous to say that any claim of the existance of any entity (faries, trolls, the boogey-man, god) must be held in the affirmation just because the proposition of its existance can be presented. In the absence of convincing evidence, the default position is that it doesn’t exist.
3.) Rarely can we be absoutely sure of anything– either 100% for the existance of something or 100% against the existance of that thing. In that case, we must consider the gradients inbetween. Although in the Atheist’s position, he can’t claim with 100% conviction that God doesn’t exist (after all, he hasn’t looked after every rock), he can make a conclusion of liklihood– that based on known facts, it is 95% or whatever percent unlikly that “God” can fit in a known understanding of the world.
My position, is that a high percentage of certainty can be assigned to atheism due to the lack of positive arguments/evidence for God. And clearly, you’re unable or unwilling to argue this point.
oh haha.. thanks for reminding me..
Allow me to explain, not why my theistic view explains the universe, but why yours can’t.
The explanatory power of an given idea has absolutely no bearing on its correctness. The critical issue are the foundational support for the idea.
Let’s start with the universe. Did the universe begin? If so, how? If not, in what way is it sustained to infinity? Given the law of entropy and the inability of science to defend the only plausible universe theory that I’m aware of, how do you propose that the universe became ordered?
I don’t see how secular science’s ability to answer these questions have any bearing on atheism’s correctness.
Also consider that the universe is not neutral. You obviously believe that morality does exist as something objective. Sure teleological argument don’t usually go very well at all, but you must see that the world is bent, I think. There must be some defining order. Where did that order come from, and in what form does it exist?
You’re going to have to be specific as to the sort of “ordering.” If you mean life on earth, then Evolution & Natural Selection. If you mean astronomical phenomenons, then Cosmology.
P.S. The reason I insist on not using arguments specifically for theism is because I believe your conception of burden of proof to be problematic. If we were debating the existence of the atmosphere instead of God, and you said it did exist and I said it didn’t, we could both explain why we didn’t suffocate or burn from radiation.
Let me use a diferent anology: Debating Santa Claus’ existance, with me defending his existance and you insisting on his inexistance. In the absence of knowing anything about Santa Claus, you would have no point in arguing his inexistance. However, if I were to make positive assertions about Santa Claus, you’d have a starting point. I may argue, “Santa Claus exists as there are sightings in the North Pole.” From this, you may argue the absence of human life in the North Pole and the sheer implausiblity of any sightings at such an unpopulated locationale.
Same with theism and atheism.
I could perfectly well come up with complex theories about how the world exists and life is sustained with no atmosphere. I could then say that because you couldn’t prove to me that the atmosphere really does exist and isn’t just an illusion of your mind, my default position would be that it doesn’t exist. Does that make sense to you? It doesn’t to me.
Certainly, the facts surrounding a given proposition may be so ambigious that its truthity or falsity seems very up for grabs. But this isn’t the case with “God.” Many attributes and feat have been attributed to him. There are sufficient amounts of “tests,” that, in my opinion,the argument can be easily settled one way or another.
But I won’t go around making assumptions on your belief of God or the arguments you’d like to present. I’d happily comment on them once to do, however.
very true…the meaning of life,….in a way
Ha, so much lurking!
hey how was ur christmass. my was pretty painful lol got a tattoo on my lower bk and ooch did it hurt summit shockin!
wat ya at wae urself hunz?
lora x x x
thanks man! I’ve been feeling poetic lately lol.
1. Favorite devotion or prayer to Jesus.
Devotion to Jesus means like how are you devoted to Jesus, and how do you exhibit that in your prayer life and extentuation of your relationship with Him. So, when I wrote the Sacred Heart of Jesus, it’s in the sense that Christ loves us as His creation, friend, and brother/sister; He is both God and Man. That He would so love us that He’d die for us. Isn’t that a sacred heart? there’s Eucharist Adoration, too.
2. Favorite Marian devotion or prayer.
How do you express your devotion to Mary, the Mother of God: Rosary, Memorae, Salve Regina, Ave Maria, etc.
3. Do you wear a scapular or medal?
Yes, these are Roman Catholic questions. Scapular is a front and back square of wool, so it’s like having one big necklace with two “pendants” on it. They’re also devotions to Mary, which she has promised, through her Son Jesus Christ, salvation from eternal damnation, brief time in Purgatory, graces, mercies, and so forth. Medals … I suppose you’d call them graven images? A crucifix on a necklace; an image of Mary, or some other noted Saint. Usually patron saints. Like a man in a seminary could have a medal to St John Vianney, who is the patron saint of priests. The Saints intercede and pray on our behalf; we don’t worship them, just ask for their intercession. We ask for their help and guidance through prayer.
4. Do you have holy water in your home?
Holy water. It is blessed by the priest (as an intercessor and representative of Christ).
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07432a.htm (more info at the Link to the left)
7. Do you go to Eucharistic Adoration? How Frequently?
Transubstantiation — the belief, and fact, that in the blessing of the Bread and Wine, it spiritually (and at times physically) becomes the living body and blood of Christ. It is not a simple re-inactment of the Last Supper; but the bread becomes the Flesh of Christ, the wine, the Blood of Christ. So, if Christ were to be in the bread and wine, and you have left over hosts after a Mass, we put it in the Tabernacle. Christ said, “I will be with my church until the end of time” and , He is there for us in the Sacrament, and we are able to come to Him. At the Adoration we do not petition Him, but rather communicate and praise Him. If you want to foster a relationship, do you not spend time with that person? Same too with Christ. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05573a.htm#3
8. Are you a Saturday evening Mass person or a Sunday morning Mass person?
I think the differences are seen in the Masses. Saturday vigil Masses tend to be more solemen, reverent at times. The Sunday Mass is on the Sabbath day (Let us not get into the fight of when the sabbath actually is; It was made for man, not God, so squabbling over saturday versus sunday is a minor matter). I think this can matter on your parish.
10. Favorite saints.
Jesus is the Son of God; He is not a saint. A saint is a person who does ordinary things extraordinarily. So, they are people who can feed the poor with one basket of bread one century ago; they’re the apostles; the martyrs; the miracle workers, the levitators, the ones bearing the Stigmata, and so forth.
Homos and masochism.
Dammit, I’ve been in Ithaca too long.
Scapulars and medals are not superstitions. From the Catholic Catechism:
The characteristics of sacramentals
1668 Sacramentals are instituted for the sanctification of certain ministries of the Church, certain states of life, a great variety of circumstances in Christian life, and the use of many things helpful to man. In accordance with bishops’ pastoral decisions, they can also respond to the needs, culture, and special history of the Christian people of a particular region or time. They always include a prayer, often accompanied by a specific sign, such as the laying on of hands, the sign of the cross, or the sprinkling of holy water (which recalls Baptism).
1669 Sacramentals derive from the baptismal priesthood: every baptized person is called to be a “blessing,” and to bless.174 Hence lay people may preside at certain blessings; the more a blessing concerns ecclesial and sacramental life, the more is its administration reserved to the ordained ministry (bishops, priests, or deacons).175
1670 Sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacraments do, but by the Church’s prayer, they prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it. “For well-disposed members of the faithful, the liturgy of the sacraments and sacramentals sanctifies almost every event of their lives with the divine grace which flows from the Paschal mystery of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. From this source all sacraments and sacramentals draw their power. There is scarcely any proper use of material things which cannot be thus directed toward the sanctification of men and the praise of God.”176
Various forms of sacramentals
1671 Among sacramentals blessings (of persons, meals, objects, and places) come first. Every blessing praises God and prays for his gifts. In Christ, Christians are blessed by God the Father “with every spiritual blessing.”177 This is why the Church imparts blessings by invoking the name of Jesus, usually while making the holy sign of the cross of Christ.
1672 Certain blessings have a lasting importance because they consecrate persons to God, or reserve objects and places for liturgical use. Among those blessings which are intended for persons – not to be confused with sacramental ordination – are the blessing of the abbot or abbess of a monastery, the consecration of virgins and widows, the rite of religious profession and the blessing of certain ministries of the Church (readers, acolytes, catechists, etc.). The dedication or blessing of a church or an altar, the blessing of holy oils, vessels, and vestments, bells, etc., can be mentioned as examples of blessings that concern objects.
1673 When the Church asks publicly and authoritatively in the name of Jesus Christ that a person or object be protected against the power of the Evil One and withdrawn from his dominion, it is called exorcism. Jesus performed exorcisms and from him the Church has received the power and office of exorcizing.178 In a simple form, exorcism is performed at the celebration of Baptism. The solemn exorcism, called “a major exorcism,” can be performed only by a priest and with the permission of the bishop. The priest must proceed with prudence, strictly observing the rules established by the Church. Exorcism is directed at the expulsion of demons or to the liberation from demonic possession through the spiritual authority which Jesus entrusted to his Church. Illness, especially psychological illness, is a very different matter; treating this is the concern of medical science. Therefore, before an exorcism is performed, it is important to ascertain that one is dealing with the presence of the Evil One, and not an illness.179
Popular piety
1674 Besides sacramental liturgy and sacramentals, catechesis must take into account the forms of piety and popular devotions among the faithful. The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in various forms of piety surrounding the Church’s sacramental life, such as the veneration of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross, religious dances, the rosary, medals,180 etc.
1675 These expressions of piety extend the liturgical life of the Church, but do not replace it. They “should be so drawn up that they harmonize with the liturgical seasons, accord with the sacred liturgy, are in some way derived from it and lead the people to it, since in fact the liturgy by its very nature is far superior to any of them.”181
1676 Pastoral discernment is needed to sustain and support popular piety and, if necessary, to purify and correct the religious sense which underlies these devotions so that the faithful may advance in knowledge of the mystery of Christ.182 Their exercise is subject to the care and judgment of the bishops and to the general norms of the Church.
At its core the piety of the people is a storehouse of values that offers answers of Christian wisdom to the great questions of life. The Catholic wisdom of the people is capable of fashioning a vital synthesis. . . . It creatively combines the divine and the human, Christ and Mary, spirit and body, communion and institution, person and community, faith and homeland, intelligence and emotion. This wisdom is a Christian humanism that radically affirms the dignity of every person as a child of God, establishes a basic fraternity, teaches people to encounter nature and understand work, provides reasons for joy and humor even in the midst of a very hard life. For the people this wisdom is also a principle of discernment and an evangelical instinct through which they spontaneously sense when the Gospel is served in the Church and when it is emptied of its content and stifled by other interests.181
IN BRIEF
1677 Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church. They prepare men to receive the fruit of the sacraments and sanctify different circumstances of life.
1678 Among the sacramentals blessings occupy an important place. They include both praise of God for his works and gifts, and the Church’s intercession for men that they may be able to use God’s gifts according to the spirit of the Gospel.
1679 In addition to the liturgy, Christian life is nourished by various forms of popular piety, rooted in the different cultures. While carefully clarifying them in the light of faith, the Church fosters the forms of popular piety that express an evangelical instinct and a human wisdom and that enrich Christian life.
oh by the way ur neice is so cute i bet ur excited to have her!!!
RYC:
hahahahaha
Man do I have too much to do today. Did you get your sleep finally?
its not shes my best friend though