Here’s how not to be misled by the magical phrase “emergent properties,” in discussion of what constitutes all of reality. The Question First, remember the question at hand, when discussion of emergent properties comes up. The question is: what constitutes all of reality? Does it include only what we describe as “nature?” Or does it […]
Read more...Category: Mind and Matter
Matter as God
You probably know the phrase “mind over matter.” It’s used in kind of a comic-book sense, oftentimes, but there’s a serious sense, too. It is the idea that Mind precedes matter. That a consciousness (the mind of God) preceded and created matter, and so all of matter is subject to its Maker, the immaterial God who […]
Read more...The Thirst of the Soul
Sound-bite Atheism One of the frustrating things in the ongoing theism/atheism debate is that theism and especially Christianity is built on centuries of careful methodical thought, but the new materialism is based on sound bites, and those sound bites lack the context of a coherent belief system. They’re potshots at one system of belief (usually Christianity), not a […]
Read more...Evolution and Science
We considered the intersection of science and metaphysics in Evolution and Atheism. The idea there was to consider one’s philosophical presuppositions, when doing science, such as scientific inquiry into the origin of life. We ended on the observation that calling skeptics of Evolution “anti-science” is just a form of shouting down the opposition. It’s closed-mindedness. […]
Read more...Evolution and Atheism
We often skip a step in our thinking about macro-evolution. If the theory is true, we feel, then there must be no God. If we think in such simple terms, then we’ve missed something important. Overwhelming Evidence of Design The strongest advocates of Evolution (capitalized here to signify macro-evolution) agree that the evidence of design […]
Read more...Review: God—The Failed Hypothesis, by Victor Stenger
This book is exasperating, because Stenger sets up a meta-analysis that games the entire discussion. Having built for himself the restrictive form in which his reasoning is to be poured, he ends up with exactly the structure he set out to build. The trouble is that it defies reason, not to mention, in many instances, […]
Read more...Review: God is Not Great, How Religion Poisons Everything, by Christopher Hitchens
The late Christopher Hitchens worked the last years of his life as a professional atheist, going from debate to debate to catechize devotees of his brand of fiery, witty godlessness. Hitchens’ belief about the God he denied There’s a curious element to Hitchens’ debate appearances and to his writings on the subject of atheism as […]
Read more...Review (Part Five): The Experience of God — Being Consciousness Bliss, by David Bentley Hart
Bliss Mind over matter There is a mystery at the base of all of our ruminations about consciousness, and that sense of mystery resists reduction to material causes. Reality is one, embraced within the totality of being. “[P]erhaps we really should look elsewhere for the source and sustaining principle of that unity.” And Hart does: […]
Read more...Review (Part Two): The Experience of God — Being, Consciousness, Bliss, by David Bentley Hart
In part one, we considered Hart’s explanation of what it is meant by “God,” in order to avoid the distraction of puerile attacks on straw-man stand-ins for the real God. In this post, we consider Hart’s discussion of the philosophical backdrop against which his argument will be received. This will help us to avoid prejudices that we […]
Read more...Review: The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins is certainly incendiary, and it’s not just because he makes free use of acerbic anti-Christian language. It’s also because he would advocate prior restraint on free speech (chapter 1); considers religious teaching to children to be child abuse (chapter 9); and lays violence at the feet of religion while excusing the bridle-high materialist […]
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