Philosophy (Theology, Philosophy of Religion, Worldview) does matter

 

Good one, Mr. Koffer

 

Facebook recently: Proving God empirically?

DL Moody Facebook 

goodreads

Brief Sunday Images

Photo 1: Rich food is good, in moderation.

Photos: 2-3: My good friend JC Zombie, sent me these photos today. He stated (paraphrased) 'Mobile Bobby Buff Admiration Vehicle', in regards to another mutual friend, Mr. Bobby Buff.

Photo 4: My very earliest childhood era. Wrong channel = snow. Facebook image.

Photo 5: Zoom last evening.

 

Short Saturday Bullets: Honest to a fault?

Short Saturday Bullets: Honest to a fault?

• Photo from Cousin Buff estate, last evening.

• I was a groomsman at his wedding.

• My good friend, Cousin Buff, cousin of another good friend, Bobby Buff, stated last night (paraphrased), that I am a man that states the truth, even when it is uncomfortable. 

 • I would suggest that I can be honest, perhaps to a fault at times.

• Miss CIA, states that I am 'brutally honest'.

• I prayerfully attempt to love my neighbour as myself (Matthew 22, Mark, 12, Luke 10, Galatians 5).

• I prayerfully attempt to love those in the Church, Gospel of John 13, 15, 1 John, as examples).

• Galatians 5:14 “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” King James Version (KJV)\

• I prayerfully seek truth.

• Philosophically, I could argue much more online, but I decline. Years ago, Deeaann, now in Winnipeg with the family, asked me if I would like to write an attack blog. 

• Tuesday, February 19, 2013: A Good Friend Asked Me If I Ever Considered Using An Attack Blog 

• This section cited from that article, edited...

• There is also of course the Biblical mandate as noted many times on my websites to love one's neighbour, meaning others as much as self, as in Matthew 22, Mark 12, Luke 10 and reasonably as a theologian and philosopher of religion.

• Biblically, I cannot see this being accomplished by attacking persons, Christian or non-Christian via my writing efforts. 

• Romans 13: 8 notes that he who loves his neighbour has fulfilled the law. 

• This same friend basically stated that I am debating theology everyday, which is in a sense true, at least I am debating it in my head everyday by doing the work.

• Avoiding an attack website concept in no way means that I am avoiding the Biblical command to accurately handle the word of God as in 2 Timothy 2:15 and being able to give a defence for the hope that is in us as 1 Peter 3: 15 states. 

• I am open to the concept of within reason debating and more likely discussing issues. 

• Debating is fine and can be very good in its place, but I seek this in a spirit of love and truth not in a spirit of attack that would be sinful or in animosity. 

---

• Open topic Zoom tonight, link below. I was going to have less meetings, as I am now more busy some Saturday evenings, but with requests, I decided I can move some of the meetings to Sunday evening, if I am busy Saturday and available Sunday.

• Topic: 9: 30 PM, 21:30 PDT, Vancouver time. Russ Murray's Personal Meeting Room Join Zoom Meeting. Russ Murray is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. 

•  https://us04web.zoom.us/j/6209164709?pwd=S1FsWWVMSHFTTVh3OWlRalgxT2g1Zz09 

•  Meeting ID: 620 916 4709 Passcode: 0jTaJp (Generally not asked for by Zoom)

Friday Follies: September 2021

Image one: Facebook

Image two: Facebook

Image three: Greater Humor Club, Facebook 

Image four: Facebook (I think that was my friend Arne from Norway, driving with one of his temp jobs) 

Image five: Facebook 

Image six: Facebook 

Image seven: Facebook. This actually is in agreement with good, solid, Biblical and Reformed theology. Corrupted, fallen, human nature leads to a taint in all choices, and various levels of taint in those choices. Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Hebrews, as examples. The remedy is the applied Gospel work through God the Son within the Trinity, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

These scientists want to bring back the woolly mammoth-Ethicists aren’t so sure: 'Deeaann' from Zoom meeting suggestion for the advancement of science

These scientists want to bring back the woolly mammoth-Ethicists aren’t so sure: 'Deeaan' from Zoom meeting suggestion for the advancement of science

The Washington Post/Democracy Dies in Darkness

Cited

Science 

These scientists want to bring back the woolly mammoth. Ethicists aren’t so sure. 

Cited 

By Caroline Anders, September 16, 2021

Cited 

A start-up, Colossal Laboratories & Biosciences, made headlines earlier this week when the company announced an ambitious plan to create a “cold-resistant elephant with all of the core biological traits of the woolly mammoth.” The scientists behind the initiative say their work could help reverse the effects of climate change and advance genetic engineering.

But their idea has also generated a fierce ethical debate, not unlike the one that played out on movie screens years ago: Is this another case where scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should? 

Cited 

Colossal, which has received at least $15 million from investors, has set out to edit the Asian elephant’s DNA, inserting traits from the woolly mammoth. Then, using the same process that created Dolly the sheep, the first mammal successfully cloned from an adult cell, scientists aim to create a hybrid woolly mammoth-Asian elephant embryo. 

A surrogate African elephant would carry the embryo for a gestation period of nearly two years. The company is also working on the possibility of creating artificial wombs.

Cited

Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal, told The Washington Post in an email that the extinction of the woolly mammoth left an ecological void in the Arctic tundra that Colossal aims to fill. The eventual goal is to return the species to the region so that they can reestablish grasslands and protect the permafrost, keeping it from releasing greenhouse gases at such a high rate.

Cited 

Thompson said biologists are still trying to uncover what makes some species invasive and others helpful to a new ecosystem, and said there’s a conversation to be had about whether introducing a woolly mammoth equates to introducing an invasive species. Cited “We’re not going to start making any progress until we stop wringing our hands, about the potential risks and really concentrate on the potential rewards,” she said.

---

Comments

During the weekly, open topic, Zoom meeting, I wondered if Deeaann was providing this link in the chat, reasoning in the future that the remaining unvaccinated should be placed on an isolated island with genetically engineered, woolly mammoths and dinosaurs.

This could promote social distancing...

10 to 2

Classic 'Have another donut!', from the 1988 Stanley Cup Playoffs 

Obviously not New Testament ethical behaviour, intimidating the referee and then cursing; but having been involved in sports, I can understand the rage after losing badly.

---

My unofficial tenant, and elder, brought home via a donation, a box of 12, Krispy Kreme doughnuts on Wednesday. Staying with my permanent low carb, low sugar diet, my plan was to eat a doughnut a day during my morning coffee, to limit the results of the carbohydrates. It is now Friday, two days later, the box is empty and I consumed two of the doughnuts.

Charles Nelson Chuckles is also a notorious doughnut consumer and once, by accident, kidnapped the remaining doughnut being held for this elder...

Very Brief Thursday Images and Bullets

Very Brief Thursday Images and Bullets

• Image one: Greater Humor Club, September 16 2021

• I have never liked Red Bull, to me it tastes like some weird, hyped-up juice.

• Image two: Capture David Pitman. photo, September 11 2021

• Yet again, wise words from Pastor Pitman. I ask for God's guidance with discerning truth from untruth and my academic background helps, but I am primarily dependent on God's guidance. 

• This needs to apply with philosophical tensions as described on the image.

• Image three: Facebook, September 9, 2021

• Again, I do not hold to red pill thinking, as a worldview or life philosophy, especially in regards to sexual ethics.

• But, even as a biblical Christian within the Reformed tradition, I do agree with red pill thinking here, that many people do tend to treat a person, based on what he/she allows.

• Mutual respect is key.

• Galatians 5:14: New American Standard Bible (NASB) 14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

• In a New Testament context, loving one's neighbour is under the umbrella of loving the triune God, first and foremost (Matthew 22, Mark 12, Luke 10).

Brief Monday Bullets: Meticulous Providence

• Photo: Courtesy, Ernest Hepnar, Vancouver Island

• Matthew 6:34 New American Standard Bible 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will [a]worry about itself. [b]Each day has enough trouble of its own. 

• Footnotes Matthew 6:34 Or look after itself Matthew 6:34 Lit Sufficient for the day is its evil

• In regards to significant issues of the future, I am asking for the Lord's meticulous providence and guidance, as opposed to me, or another person (s), a system and/or systems, attempting to meticulously control things that impact my life, and will impact my life. 

• archives search: meticulous providence

• Cited: Sanders writes that the Calvinist view on providence is meticulous providence that assumes nothing can stymie God’s will, and that God is in control of every detail. Sanders (1998: 212).

• Cited: Frame would agree as God is thought to ‘direct the entire universe.’ Frame (2002: 274)

• Cited: Frame explains that the freedom is not libertarian, but persons make significantly free choices within divine causation. 

• Cited: Compatibilists (soft-determinists) deny meticulous providence prohibits significant human free will, but Sanders, as an incompatibilist, rejects the compatibilist argument concerning providence. Sanders (1998: 215). 

• Cited: If God’s control of all things in a Calvinistic/Reformed model is rejected because it would force people to do things, according to Sanders, then how can God control some things? 

• Cited: If God influences significant human freedom at some points in time in order to guarantee that his ultimate plans occur, such as a culminated Kingdom, is this not in the end a form of compatibilism/soft determinism?

Bibliography

BARTH, KARL (1932-1968) Church Dogmatics, The Doctrine of the Word of God: Volume 1, Part One, Translated by J.W. Edwards, Rev. O. Bussey, and Rev. Harold Knight, Edinburgh, T. and T. Clark. 

BARTH, KARL (1932-1968) Church Dogmatics, The Doctrine of Creation: Volumes 1 and 3. Translated by J.W. Edwards, Rev. O. Bussey, and Rev. Harold Knight, Edinburgh, T. and T. Clark. 

BARTH, KARL (1932-1968) Church Dogmatics, The Doctrine of God: Volume 2, First Half -Volume, Translated by J.W. Edwards, Rev. O. Bussey, and Rev. Harold Knight, Edinburgh, T. and T. Clark. 

BERKOUWER, G.C. (1962) Man: The Image of God, Grand Rapids, W.M.B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 

BOULNOIS, OLIVIER (2002) ‘The Concept of God After Theodicy’, in Communio, Volume 29, Number 3, pp. 444-468. Washington, Communio. 

CALVIN, JOHN (1539)(1998) The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book II, Translated by Henry Beveridge, Grand Rapids, The Christian Classic Ethereal Library, Wheaton College. 

CALVIN, JOHN (1539)(1998) The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book IV, Translated by Henry Beveridge, Grand Rapids, The Christian Classic Ethereal Library, Wheaton College. 

CALVIN, JOHN (1543)(1996) The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, Translated by G.I. Davies, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.

EDWARDS, JONATHAN (1729)(2006) Sovereignty of God, New Haven, Connecticut, Jonathan Edwards Center, Yale University.

EDWARDS, JONATHAN (1731-1733)(2006) Law of Nature, New Haven, Connecticut, Jonathan Edwards Center, Yale University. 

EDWARDS, JONATHAN (1754)(2006) Freedom of the Will, Flower Mound, Texas. Jonathanedwards.com.

ERICKSON, MILLARD (1994) Christian Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.

FEINBERG, JOHN.S. (1994) The Many Faces of Evil, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House. 

FEINBERG, JOHN.S. (2001) No One Like Him, John S. Feinberg (gen.ed.), Wheaton, Illinois, Crossway Books. 

FRAME, JOHN M. (1999) ‘The Bible on the Problem of Evil: Insights from Romans 3:1-8,21-26; 5:1-5; 8:28-39’, IIIM Magazine Online, Volume 1, Number 33, October 11 to October 17, Fern Park, Florida, Third Millennium.

FRAME, JOHN M. (2002) The Doctrine of God, P and R Publishing, Phillipsburg, New Jersey. 

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1975) Philosophy of Religion, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House. 

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1978) The Roots of Evil, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House. 

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1986) Predestination and Free Will, Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press.

GEISLER, NORMAN L. (1996) ‘Freedom, Free Will, and Determinism’, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books. 

GEISLER, NORMAN, L (1999) ‘The Problem of Evil’, in Baker Encyclopedia of Apologetics, Grand Rapids, Baker Books. 

GREEN, JAY (1971) Five Points of Calvinism, ‘Forward’, Grand Rapids, Sovereign Grace Publishers. 

GRENZ, STANLEY J., DAVID GURETZKI AND CHERITH FEE NORDLING (1999) Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms, Downers Grove, Ill., InterVarsity Press. 

GRIFFIN, DAVID RAY (1976) God, Power, and Evil, Philadelphia, The Westminster Press.

HUGHES, PHILIP, EDGCUMBE (1990) A Commentary On The Epistle To The Hebrews, Grand Rapids, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

HUME, DAVID (1739-1740)(1973) ‘A Treatise of Human Nature’, in Paul Edwards and Arthur Pap (eds.), A Modern Introduction To Philosophy, New York, The Free Press

HUME, DAVID (1779)(2004) Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, Digireads.com/Neeland Media LLC, Lawrence, Kansas. 

KREEFT, PETER AND RONALD K. TACELLI (1994) Handbook of Christian Apologetics, Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press. 

PINK, ARTHUR W. (1968) The Sovereignty of God, London, The Banner of Truth Trust. 

PINNOCK, CLARK (1986) Predestination and Free Will, Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press. 

REICHENBACH, BRUCE (1986) Predestination and Free Will, Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press.

SANDERS, JOHN (1998) The God Who Risks, Downers Grove, Illinois, InterVarsity Press. 

SANDERS, JOHN (2003) ‘Open Theism: A Radical Revision or Minuscule Modification of Arminianism?’, in Wesleyan Theological Journal, Volume 38, Number 2, Fall, pp. 69-102. Wilmore, Kentucky, Asbury College. 

SCHELLING, F.W.J. (1845)(1936) Schelling, Of Human Freedom, Translated by James Gutmann, The Open Court Publishing Company, Chicago.

SHEDD, WILLIAM G.T. (1874-1890)(1980) Dogmatic Theology, Volume 1, Nashville, Thomas Nelson Publishers. 

SHEDD, WILLIAM G.T. (1874-1890)(1980) Dogmatic Theology, Volume 2, Nashville, Thomas Nelson Publishers.

• Facebook image one: Having worked for the Canadian Bible Society since that time, I would now refer to Indian as South Asian. 

• Facebook image two: This still cracked me up, reviewing it seven years later.

Very Brief Friday Bullets II

• Image one: Greater Humor Club, Steve Shelton September 09 2021

• Image two: My friend from Norway, Arne, sent a photo from the most recent Zoom meetings. Obviously, unless I had some type of photo delay system or foot pedal system, I could not take that photo.

• It is not me showing Arne how to count to ten.

• It is not me showing I am capable of counting to ten.

• It is not me attempting to (the now late) 'Ernest Angley' style, heal the other Zoom participants.

• It is likely not me showing there was ten minutes left in that particular session, we usually run two to three.

• It is most likely me showing, that for whatever reason, my hands were not their usual red, unlike the Red Dome's stylish head. My guess is that is why Arne, the Norwegian Benny Hill, took the photo.

• The Zoom discussion on the pandemic and vaccines continued with a few of us on Facebook>>>Friendly Facebook Discussion

Brief Thursday Bullets: Disagreement does not equal hatred

• Image 1: From Wikipedia - Burnage, Manchester. After Crumpsall and Gorton, this was my last area of residence while living in Manchester. After that, when not at home here in British Columbia, I worked out of Lampeter, Wales.

• My stay in Burnage was less eventful than my stays in Crumpsall and Gorton.

• However, I was house-sitting for a year for African missionaries and the house did flood once (not my fault, thankfully).

• Image 2: An excellent comment, but with a brief online search, I did not see definitive proof of the actual source of that comment.

• A reason that such a comment is made within western society, is a lack of critical thinking skills by many that accuse others of hate within the context of intellectual disagreement.

• ad hominem in archives

• Ad hominem is an example of an informal fallacy, often used in these types of intellectual interactions.

• PIRIE, MADSEN (2006)(2015) How To Win Every Argument, Bloomsbury, London. 

• 'If you cannot attack the argument, attack the arguer.' Pirie (2006)(2015: 122). 

• The author states that an insult in itself is not fallacious, (122) but ad hominem is used in a way to attempt to undermine an opponent's argument. (122).

• Based on Langer: LANGER, SUSANNE K (1953)(1967) An Introduction to Symbolic Logic, Dover Publications, New York. (Philosophy).

• Langer in archives 

• A = Disagreement, B = Hatred 

• (a) : ˜ (b) (Disagreement equals not hatred) (Disagreement is not equal to hatred) 

• (a) ⊨ ˜ (b) Disagreement entails not hatred) (Disagreement does not entail hatred) 

• (a) ⊃ ˜ (b) Disagreement is the same not hatred) (Disagreement is not the same as hatred)

Very Brief Friday Bullets

• Image one: Old Geezer Club September 3 2021, Facebook

• My former German Shepherd-Husky would go under, over, or through the backyard fence. 

• Image two: Jeff Grinnell photo

• The other day I mentioned that someone well-meaning informed me that the Bible was re-written in 1300.

• I will provide my links below related to this subject to counter that claim.

• Admittedly, some scholarship is questionable in fields of knowledge.

• But in general, in any given field, scholarship is significantly more intellectually reliable as a source of truth, than non-scholarship.

• archives: manuscript evidence 

• archives: canon

Wednesday short theological/philosophical bullets

•  Image one: Hyde Road, Gorton, Manchester, Wikipedia. This looks more modern than when I walked in that direction toward my flat, that is out of this photo, and past the St. James Church on the right.

•  Nice upgrade.

•  I lived in Manchester 1999-2001, with return trips in 2004, again in 2004 and in 2009...

•  The area seemed to progress significantly from when I left in the few years with my short visits. 

• Image two: Hyde Road, Gorton, Manchester, Wikipedia. This is the Gorton, I remember, with older looking, less bright, buildings.

• Image three:  More wise words from my online friend, Pastor David Pitman. I will add that we only live this moment.

• [Response] "If You Don't Date Me, You Are Fatphobic" Girls Lose Their Minds When Men Don't Want Them

• Again for clarity, I hold to a Christian worldview within the Reformed tradition.

• I do not hold to MGTOW (Men going their own way) or formally Red Pill, although I certainly am in agreement with a significant amount of Red Pill thinking; notably differing where it does not follow a New Testament sexual ethic and marriage ethic.

• It needs to be considered that generally, Red Pill reviews of modern dating and marriage are reviewing secular approaches within a secular worldview.

• I agree with the host and disagree with the first video featured. (Paraphrased) Everyone is entitled to his/her own preferences.

• For example, typically, as I have scaled down in size, especially most recently, I will attract more women, as I look closer to an 'ideal' weight for someone my height, in western society.

• This might not be a medical ideal, or the fitness ideal, but it is generally considered in western culture, the esthetical ideal.

• I have roughly, rejected as many as I have been rejected by, by the way.

• A person's preferences should be respected.

• However, for balance, I will add that biblically and theologically, as seeking God' s will be done. a Christian should not seek meticulous, personal, control of his/her dating/marriage life. That should be prayerfully given to God, seeking his perfect will.

•  In other words, our preferences should be secondary to God's preferences...

•  13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence which we have [a]before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. New American Standard Version I John 5: 13-15

• I think the data and links below, generally represent people attempting meticulous control of her, in this case, romantic life...

• Your Tango-OkCupid March 19 2018

• Cited: No matter how selective a woman might be, some have strict physical attributes from their must-haves list, as an OkCupid study found that women find 80 percent of men unattractive. 

• Medium.com: Tinder study- March 24 2015

• Cited: In reality, the bottom 80% of men are fighting over the bottom 22% of women and the top 78% of women are fighting over the top 20% of men. 

• Cited: Tinder interaction the male is likely to “like” the female 6.2 times more often than the female “likes” the male.

• Cited: According to this analysis a man of average attractiveness can only expect to be liked by slightly less than 1% of females (0.87%). This equates to 1 “like” for every 115 females. The good news is that if you are only getting liked by a few girls on Tinder you shouldn’t take it personally. You aren’t necessarily unattractive. 

• Yes, I receive some female attention, but with those statistics, it is not surprising that MGTOW and Red Pill are movements growing in popularity.

• I seek the meticulous guidance, very imperfectly, of the Lord, in my life.