Tom Caylor writes:
> As I've mentioned in my other more recent posts, I'm talking about our
> different beliefs underlying the fact that we live as though there is a
> nature to reality, as though we have personal meaning and significance,
> that there is a why to our existence, not just a how (evolution etc.
> etc.)
>
> 1) I say that a true belief in the existence of a personal God would
> make it possible for me to take my eyes off of myself.
>
> 2) You say that the false belief in the existence of a personal God
> implies that looking at God is just a weird way of looking at myself.
>
> Both of the above statements are true. We are talking about two
> different underlying beliefs.
>
> But, I am saying that if you accept that the existence of a personal
> God is false (in line with what #2 is talking about), modern
> philosophy, literature, art, etc. has concluded that there is no basis
> for personal meaning and significance. Yes lab scientists and
> engineers (I'm one) are perfectly content living in the lab, but
> hopefully they too eventually wonder what's the point of it all.
OK, but there is a big difference between facts and desires. The most
hard-nosed scientist or engineer presumably entered his profession because
he thought it was fun, a way to help people, a good source of income, or
whatever. Without these things his work would lack personal meaning, and
perhaps he would be a less effective scientist or engineer, but personal
meaning has no bearing on the facts, and it certainly does not warrant,
for example, postulating that there is a deity overseeing electrical engineers
in order to make them feel good about themselves.
Stathis Papaioannou
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Received on Mon Dec 04 2006 - 19:18:26 PST