http://www.firstthings.com/article/2007 ... ythical-11
Interesting article for a variety of reasons. I'll come back with my own in a bit.
Interesting article for a variety of reasons. I'll come back with my own in a bit.
dag hammarsjkold wrote:Have any of you ever read Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions?
The problem is that, since religion is largely a matter of faith, it boils down to whether you believe. If you do, then arguments based on historicity, science, logic, or intellectual analysis fall by the wayside.
dag hammarsjkold wrote:Geo,
Is your question directed at me or Rickyp?
I don't agree with this conclusion at all. On the contrary, historicity, science, logic and intellectual analysis are paramount to grounding Christianity's truth claims and not necessarily at odds with belief. Belief for me must be reasonable.
Faith and reason must be balanced for the believer, for me. When one is subjugated to the other you see undeniable patterns of belief that emerge that in my opinion fall short of the truest map of the human experience.
... So for me, a practicing Roman Catholic I must have a balance between faith and reason. My faith must be reasonable.
Really? What scientific basis is there for the Resurrection?dag hammarsjkold wrote:I don't agree with this conclusion at all. On the contrary, historicity, science, logic and intellectual analysis are paramount to grounding Christianity's truth claims and not necessarily at odds with belief. Belief for me must be reasonable.
I guess there's mystery and "mystery". Mystery is the raison d'etre of science - it is because we ask "why" about so many things that people use science to try and find out. Religion tends to give us some 'Just So...' stories to give a final answer, which like Aristotlean tales may provide an explanation, but they are not often testable.I also believe that somewhere in the relationship between faith and reason there exists a fair amount of mystery. Not that I utilize the concept of "mystery" as a convenient stopgap when applied to specific beliefs, I don't. I'm simply pointing out that the relationship between faith and reason is fascinating, always evolving, improving. Surely even the hardened atheist doing serious science can appreciate a little mystery now and then?