Comments on: Are We Reading The Same Book?

By: Shaun

Shaun — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 22:10:14 +0000

I think this explanation might be helpful. It’s called Can We Understand the Bible? http://community-bible.org/podcast/?p=93

By: George P. Wood

George P. Wood — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 17:27:46 +0000

Jeremy:

LOL. I thought you might get a laugh out of my little two-word joke. (And it was a joke!)

On a more serious note, if Aristotle read your question–”who the heck gets to choose what makes a belief system coherent?”–he would ask several questions:

1. Is this a rhetorical question or a real one?
2. If it is a rhetorical question, is its implied answer, “No one”?
3. If its implied answer is, “No one,” we can rightly ask a similar question of you: “Who the heck gave you the authority to decide that no one can choose what makes a belief system coherent?”
4. If the question is a real, as oppposed to a rhetorical, question, then shouldn’t you be open to the possibility that someone might get to choose what makes a belief system coherent?

If the answer to Aristotle’s 4th question is yes, then I would add a 5th question:

5. Why not me? Or Tony? Or you, for that matter? Who’s to foreclose the option that one of us–or all of us, after we’ve put our heads together–can identify the criteria for determining a belief system’s coherence?

George

By: adhunt

adhunt — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:56:16 +0000

Jeremy,

Really it was just a jest. I’m sorry if I offended you. I have read your comments with great care and have learned a lot about you. I was not patently dismissing you, merely a joke.

Tony

By: jhgharineh

jhgharineh — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:25:34 +0000

Tom,
Thank you for the discussion, your tone and input were quite refreshing.

George,
I forgot that Aristotle was refering to you when he postulated about the unmoved mover. I will give you this, you are definately obstinate.

By: George P. Wood

George P. Wood — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 04:30:46 +0000

Jeremy:

I know you asked Tony who makes the decision whether a belief system is coherent, but I thought I’d answer anyway.

I do.

George

By: quickbeamoffangorn

quickbeamoffangorn — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 03:53:20 +0000

Jeremy,

Your sound like your more influenced by Kierkegaard then I thougth initially. Well I think my input has run it’s course. I’m pretty set & happy with my phyisophical assumptions and nothing against you but I would feel like I was in literal hell if I had to deal with your assumptions.

I wish you well in this and you have my prayers and ask for yours.

Tom

By: jhgharineh

jhgharineh — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 01:37:22 +0000

Tony,
With all love intended, who the heck gets to choose what makes a belief system coherent? I know your statement was in jest, but it seems a bit off color to me considering the candor and vulnerability I have expressed in this conversation. I don’t mean to overreact, but it bugs me when anyone patently dismisses a persons perspective as incoherant or illogical without addressing the critiques that said position has offered.

Tom,
To quickly respond to your last question, I am saying that it is impossible to determine whether incarnational theology is normatively “true”. So it follows that I don’t believe a universal litmus for truth can be made from said theology. One can apply its truth relatively to their lives but they cannot make a universal mandate based upon it. As far as professing Christianity, the list of reasons is far too long to express at this juncture.