blamentations
Blamentations (pronounced: Blah-men-tay-shins; combining the words ‘blog’ and ‘lamentations’). More »
Blamentations (pronounced: Blah-men-tay-shins; combining the words ‘blog’ and ‘lamentations’). More »
…and that is one of the first ‘things’ I believe about God.
Announcing “Faithful Science“…
A one-day Science & Faith conference – coming August 1.
Speakers and topics: More »
Quite interesting (I’m slowly working through them in spare time, which I’ve not got much of!)
The word ‘teleology’ (from Greek τελος ‘telos’ – meaning ‘goal’, ‘end’, ‘purpose’ or ‘that toward which things tend’) is not a street-level term. However, the concept of a purpose, goal, function or ‘end’ to things most certainly is. It’s a common as anything. Teleology is blindingly relevant.
The most basic question one could ask is one which is asked and wondered at both by small children and genius level intellectuals.
It has various forms, and is worded differently, but is essentially the same question:
Where did we come from?
Alternate forms include: Why are we (or anything!) here? How did things come into being? Why is there something rather than nothing?
It’s the question of the ultimate origin (or original beginning) of everything.
A few things about the question:
First, it is valid to ask this question and to seek at least some kind of answer. The level of certainty which one has concerning their answer has nothing to do with whether or not it is a valid question.
Second, we are never done asking the question. Comparison between the various kinds of answers will never be finished.
Third, it is the most basic question. It is the question where all other questions lead to.
Now, this most basic question has three kinds of answers (each with presumably infinite variations):
Now, I’ll comment on each option in more detail.
This question, again, is the most basic question and is the starting point of theology. Theology starts with the assumption (and a rational/reasonable one) that the only valid answer for the existence of things is a Creator who is other than the things created.
Theology must be taken one step/level at a time. It is utter nonsense to reject the general idea of a Creator because of some specific question at a later logical step/level.
That brings things to a natural breaking point, so I’ll finish there.
Can anyone think of a 4th possible ‘kind’ of answer to the question – or another example of one of the three answers given that I did not mention? Other responses?
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*The word ‘Everything’ is being used here in the most basic sense, to refer to all existing ‘things’. Much argument can be had about this usage. But not here.
In a very interesting find, this is a site of atheists (and agnostics) who are pro-life.
I think their arguments are (mostly) excellent, though of course it would be interesting to a) see how non-pro-life atheists would respond to them, and b) converse with them concerning things like how they determine (judge/establish/discover) the nature of human worth/value/dignity.
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