My favorite photographer has been in Scotland, check out his blog. Beautiful!!
http://tao-of-digital-photography.blogspot.com/2009/08/preturnaturally-sublime-beauty-of.html
Melie
If you believe you can or you believe you can't, either way you are right. Henry Ford
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Another Philosophy Paper Down! :)
Is it rational to believe in God?
Blind belief in God in not rational; however with all of the knowledge we have at our disposal we can surely make a rational choice to believe or not.
To imagine God as a grandfatherly "Gandolf" figure with a long white beard, we cross into an area of presumption without validation. We must try to remove any physical preconceptions the human mind can conceive of in order to make any concept of God reasonable. If we choose to simply use sound judgment and define God as a creator or rather an artist who assembled the pieces from the already existing materials in the universe to create a world and its inhabitants, then we fall closer to a realm of possibility. Any being capable of that task is beyond our finite understanding but not beyond belief.
When we define rationale or reason, we learn it is to be in accordance with common sense or normal practice. So, what we do have to work with is the unified strength of many intelligent minds over time that can help us with this age old quandary. Through the current knowledge provided by the physical sciences (physics, biology etc), we can see the intelligent design of our own human bodies and of our wonderful planet.
There are components of our biological structure (such as the eye) that rule out the possibility of evolution. Evolution defined as a means of adaptation is a proven reality, but evolution as a means of human creation is not a biological possibility. Something from nothing is an impossibility.
We are not self-existing beings. We are the biological product of our parents. Yes, once matured we can exist on our own, but our individual creation follows a course, a process that can be mapped. Every original creation must have a map or set of instructions, and every map requires a master designer who understands the path. If our creation was within our comprehension then we would be self-existent.
Beyond the physical human body there is an undefinable life energy. Uncharted by any science, call it the soul, the spirit, or the undeniable life force that burns as long as we live. Like a fingerprint it is unique to everyone and defines our personality. A personality cannot merely be predicted or measured by genetics and environment. The beauty of the soul, like a flower or a rain forest confirms for me further evidence of a creator because of its' unique quality.
If reason is a justification for beliefs, then yes, we can find a rational avenue for a belief in God. When we try to use or corrupt that belief in God for power or control then it creates irrational behavior. Sadly, two missing towers in New York City are evidence of this. For most, a belief in God improves quality of life and provides a moral compass. However abstract or incomprehensible the concept of God may be, when God is defined as a creator, it is absolutely rational to believe in God.
Blind belief in God in not rational; however with all of the knowledge we have at our disposal we can surely make a rational choice to believe or not.
To imagine God as a grandfatherly "Gandolf" figure with a long white beard, we cross into an area of presumption without validation. We must try to remove any physical preconceptions the human mind can conceive of in order to make any concept of God reasonable. If we choose to simply use sound judgment and define God as a creator or rather an artist who assembled the pieces from the already existing materials in the universe to create a world and its inhabitants, then we fall closer to a realm of possibility. Any being capable of that task is beyond our finite understanding but not beyond belief.
When we define rationale or reason, we learn it is to be in accordance with common sense or normal practice. So, what we do have to work with is the unified strength of many intelligent minds over time that can help us with this age old quandary. Through the current knowledge provided by the physical sciences (physics, biology etc), we can see the intelligent design of our own human bodies and of our wonderful planet.
There are components of our biological structure (such as the eye) that rule out the possibility of evolution. Evolution defined as a means of adaptation is a proven reality, but evolution as a means of human creation is not a biological possibility. Something from nothing is an impossibility.
We are not self-existing beings. We are the biological product of our parents. Yes, once matured we can exist on our own, but our individual creation follows a course, a process that can be mapped. Every original creation must have a map or set of instructions, and every map requires a master designer who understands the path. If our creation was within our comprehension then we would be self-existent.
Beyond the physical human body there is an undefinable life energy. Uncharted by any science, call it the soul, the spirit, or the undeniable life force that burns as long as we live. Like a fingerprint it is unique to everyone and defines our personality. A personality cannot merely be predicted or measured by genetics and environment. The beauty of the soul, like a flower or a rain forest confirms for me further evidence of a creator because of its' unique quality.
If reason is a justification for beliefs, then yes, we can find a rational avenue for a belief in God. When we try to use or corrupt that belief in God for power or control then it creates irrational behavior. Sadly, two missing towers in New York City are evidence of this. For most, a belief in God improves quality of life and provides a moral compass. However abstract or incomprehensible the concept of God may be, when God is defined as a creator, it is absolutely rational to believe in God.
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