RoonDog's blog

(If you just want to get to the point and avoid much background bio, read just the first and last paragraphs.)

Now, I am not a philosopher, did not study philosophy in school or in college (took a logic course to satisfy that requirement), and have no formal or informal education in philosophy. What I have are my brains and my experience. I have noticed that in plenty of areas of life I have reached conclusions of personal philosophy about which people spent the time to write complete tomes. Anyone else here experience this?

Like Brent, around the age of 16, I abandoned faith as nonsense. It was a gradual procession throughout life but got a kick start with my father (the ordained, born-again, intermittently evangelical Presbyterian), when I was around 12 years, who said to me with no viciousness mind you, 'I've done what I think is right in bringing you up but you obviously can't accept faith as openly as I have. You have a different path to follow and you need to find that on your own.'

I often read about the argument that belief in evil, or the existence of it (however one wishes to define it), logically negates the existence of a 'good' god.

(Naturally, this is in the confines of christianity, or at least monotheism with a belief in a good god)

This argument quite frankly holds nothing for me; I don't agree that this argument works. In fact, I find it counterproductive as it feeds into their desire to argue that evil is offered as a choice because god wanted us to have freewill and it even makes some sense. At this point we usually reach an impasse as I argue that a choice between life and death, if one wishes to live, is not a choice...it is being railroaded into something, i.e., if you want to live then you must live "this" way. They argue that THIS is the choice that we have been given and that we have the freewill to choose which path we take. Then, I argue that offering a hungry man a plate with a steak on it and a plate with nails on it is not offering him a choice. They argue it is a choice, etc.

...as they spin in their graves.

I am sure everyone is by now aware of this but Georgia looks set to introduce Bible classes. They are very careful to code/couch/hide the legislative phrasing under literature studies and the need to understand the bible to better understand western civ and writing.

Uhh, yeah, whatever. They will be sure to train the teachers that it is not legal to promote any religion, correct? They will be certain to 'teach the controversy," correct? They will have some disciplinary committee to keep our Constitution from being trampled, correct?