tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post8098681385856052101..comments2024-03-28T03:20:15.940-07:00Comments on Edward Feser: Aquinas and the problem of evilEdward Feserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643921537838616224noreply@blogger.comBlogger328125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-44779008297852693052022-04-26T04:26:40.386-07:002022-04-26T04:26:40.386-07:00Editors in academia do not "rewrite your work...Editors in academia do not "rewrite your work", like in the Novel industry.<br /><br />Editors will make comments on your work (for example they will comment a figure is not clear or that some sentences are unclear).<br /><br />The same goes for referees of the paper. <br /><br />Authors themselves then will do the required changes. Ismaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09192266454479639329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-40235949018930298772021-07-27T17:20:46.637-07:002021-07-27T17:20:46.637-07:00Dr. Feser I will know that someone on the blog The...Dr. Feser I will know that someone on the blog The Skeptical Zone has written a lengthy response to this http://theskepticalzone.com/wp/god-as-author-and-the-problem-of-evil-a-response-to-feser/Noah Whitenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-476220582390378002021-05-19T08:09:35.675-07:002021-05-19T08:09:35.675-07:00Existential Inertia has no bearing here whatsoever...Existential Inertia has no bearing here whatsoever. I'm sustained by my cells, which are in turn sustained by atoms. It is fallacious to thereby derive the idea that neither I nor the cells have causal power. <br /><br />Furthermore EI is incoherent. Nothing can be possessed by a substance what it is dependent uponDominik Kowalskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14634739012344612398noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-36302757867143206302021-05-09T06:55:49.585-07:002021-05-09T06:55:49.585-07:00Vincent Torley,
There is a big diffrence between ...Vincent Torley,<br /><br />There is a big diffrence between characters in a novel that are really no more than puppets. Though we think of them as persons or at least I do when I read. Vs persons I can choose to steal not sure what all manners of evil Malfoy does. While Malfoy doesn't. While God can work a greater good out of my theft of repentance and not a return to moral mediocrity but heroism. The same is not so with a puppet. <br /><br />You as the reader find that story more interesting with evil. If the world is for Gods pleasure then this would make sense. If it is for our or Harry Potters good then Malfoy is more like Hitler. Does Hitler make the story better? Or seek to destroy it such that much must be done to bring a greater good out of it. <br /><br />There is a diffrence between reading about things and living them. The story of the white rose is inspiring and there is a villan etc. Would one want to live in that part of the story? Perhaps our desire for books like this is half like our desire for Jerry Springer. Some men like battle a few confront evil like the white rose. Most are more like Hobbits. That like the odd adventure but return to the Shire. <br /><br />The evil in a book beings out moral heroism and love and is not that the moving part? Sometimes we do not see love well without the contrast. For human art can only depict perfect love dimly so it seems brighter in a dark room. Perfect love would be so brilliant and bright that one would not need the shade to make it pop. Love is many things but boring is not one of them <br /><br />Satan dosn't seem like the Intresting character Jesus does. I don't think he would be any less intresting without an antagonist. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06371150838441461067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-44894178388461454302021-04-25T22:17:56.419-07:002021-04-25T22:17:56.419-07:00Unknown
"Well Papalinton, I presume that you...Unknown<br /><br />"Well Papalinton, I presume that you are now quaking in fear after Ghostman's allusion to you meeting up with the big guy after death, presumably to receive your just deserts."<br /><br />Nahh. There is no chance of my meeting up with the 'big guy in the sky'.<br /><br />They say: "Heaven for the view, Hell for the company." Stuff the view. I've already pencilled in for the best social calendar of a lifetime.<br /><br /> Papalintonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03818630173726146048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-59524616520926631012021-04-23T16:39:04.276-07:002021-04-23T16:39:04.276-07:00Unknown troll,
You say that abortion is an advanc...Unknown troll,<br /><br />You say that abortion is an advancement for rights. What about the rights of the millions of babies murdered by their own mother's selfish decisions to take their lives from them after they decided of their own accord to have sex. Why not adoption? I have raised two adopted children who have the opportunity to realize their potential and high destiny in this life and the next, rewarded for their charity and good works. <br />Creating arbitrary rights for special interest groups always violates the rights of those not in the special interest group. Rights must be based on human nature and the natural law. Natural law is something you should learn about if you want to contribute to a just society. You can read about it in Dr. Feser's talks and books.Ghostmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04107835190626272125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-60890996598847730982021-04-23T16:02:44.547-07:002021-04-23T16:02:44.547-07:00Ghostman
Presumptious and pridefull.
Ghostman<br /><br /> Presumptious and pridefull.<br /><br /> FreeThinkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12542926199146156167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-32921142595022306982021-04-23T15:50:03.616-07:002021-04-23T15:50:03.616-07:00Unknown troll,
Apparently you aren't sharp en...Unknown troll,<br /><br />Apparently you aren't sharp enough to figure out the connection in my explanation. Where will you go for your transgressions? What people believe affects what they do. Its not too dificult to speculate the kind of life your belief system will lead to in your actions. Your post is a good example.Ghostmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04107835190626272125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-65909932770655967292021-04-23T15:18:24.602-07:002021-04-23T15:18:24.602-07:00Ghostman 1.50PM
Well, i'm glad to know that ...Ghostman 1.50PM<br /><br /> Well, i'm glad to know that you received many division 1 scholarship offers because of your football playing at college, though I am not sure that it was relevant and I thought pride a sin, so off to the witch doctor and confessional with you!<br /><br /> You know Ghostman, it is quite possible that through our invincible ignorance , Papilinton and I will enjoy the delights of YAHWEH's heaven, whereas you - having fiddled with yourself and not confessed to the heinous crime before unexpectedly expiring for example - might be destined for the frying pan. Do not be so certain about where you will end up in your eschatological scheme Mr G. Presumptious as well as pridefull. FreeThinkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12542926199146156167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-14024629249231502412021-04-23T13:50:16.927-07:002021-04-23T13:50:16.927-07:00Sorry, a misinterpretation on my part. I played fo...Sorry, a misinterpretation on my part. I played football as a defensive lineman in college recieving many division 1 scholarship offers. In quick reading I thought "big guy" meant me. I won't miss you in the afterlife when I am there with fellow believers if God judges you as not worthy. Although I think you may have a chance of being there because of Gos's mercy by something we call "invinvceable ignorance" which you surely have ignorance. The question is whether you and Papalinto and the other trolls like you are judged by God to be fully responsible for your actions against God, His Church and the society you are called co-create in cooperation with God. You are a human being and that is the condition you inherit by your nature, even though it is possible you deny there is anything like a human nature that exists. <br />You are way ahead of yourself in projecting the end to Catholicism. Ghostmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04107835190626272125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-79516984420068232092021-04-23T11:46:00.048-07:002021-04-23T11:46:00.048-07:00Ghostman 11.10AM
Where did I claim that you woul...Ghostman 11.10AM<br /><br /> Where did I claim that you would be meeting Papilinton after death? I actually spoke of him meeting up with 'the big guy' after death, which is certainly not you, you conceited so and so!<br /><br /> At an accellerating pace people are turning away from religious texts and supposed authorities ( like the Vatican and its dwindeling band of witch doctors )when considering ethical issues, and applying reason, democracy and decent human sentiment instead. We have to make an accommodation with each other that works, and dumping religion, and the reactionary and repressive darkness that this can represent, is an important part of this. Here in the UK we are far along this road ( much yet to do though ) and the place is much the better for it. No civilizational collapse noticed yet Mr G, despite the control women have over their fertility, and the extensive rights that gay and trans people have - including the right to marry - not to mention the accellerating closure of empty churches. The Irish made it clear in two referenda what they thought of RC repression and bigotry, and it is only a matter of time ( as the young displace the older generations ) before your bastion in Poland falls too. You will not be missed. FreeThinkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12542926199146156167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-4103640710179334932021-04-23T11:10:55.166-07:002021-04-23T11:10:55.166-07:00Unknown troll - you are just full own of misinform...Unknown troll - you are just full own of misinformation and nonsense. I in no way inferred I was meeting him after death. I said God would, which He will. There are so many of you on this blog. Why do youi bigots hang out here on a blog on realist metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of nature, and Christianity, especially from a Catholic point of view. Is it that you feel you have a moral obligation like Papalinton? A moral obligation with no real basis, just sketchy relativist sources (mostly yourselves mixed with democratic socialist politics)? Your approach to morality always leads to nihilism and totalitariansim as wee see playing out now in our country. Your philosophy of errors is leading the culture in a very dangerous direction. You too will have to answer to God in the afterlife.Ghostmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04107835190626272125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-22302659241704524422021-04-23T04:59:14.983-07:002021-04-23T04:59:14.983-07:00JoeD,
Yes we believe undeserved suffering is bad,...JoeD,<br /><br />Yes we believe undeserved suffering is bad, but you’ll have to prove more than that generality to make your point. Sure we have a vague notion of this kind, but what happens to such a notion when we remove it from the context of a just society, where rulers are obligated to carry out just punishment instead of unjust punishment against innocents. What makes just and unjust punishment is whether the person deserves anything from that ruler (the ruler has an obligation). But God has no obligation to otherwise non-existent things to give them existence, and even less so is He obligated to give them existence without suffering. <br /><br />Remove further the impulse we have to pursue the good for society. If a country is diseased, we know we ought to find a cure if possible. If a nation is famished we bring food. To ignore this seems unjust, but this idea comes to us from our nature as a social animal, against which nature we would be acting by ignoring such suffering. We pursue the good for ourselves and our neighbours, so no wonder when faced with evil we desire that it should no longer be so.<br /><br />The question is, can you disentangle the intuition of which you speak from what was said above that it may rightly question why God permits such suffering?<br /><br />And like I said above, if we’re questioning whether we can rightly name suffering as an evil we should care about, can we disentangle it enough from our natural obligations to each other and as a society that we can apply it to God. Sure we should care about evil! But that’s a far cry from saying God’s existence is made improbable or impossible by the presence of such evil. Journey 516https://www.blogger.com/profile/02672507879326467173noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-88780206655511970302021-04-23T00:28:49.738-07:002021-04-23T00:28:49.738-07:00Papalinton and Ghostman
Well Papalinton, I pres...Papalinton and Ghostman<br /><br /> Well Papalinton, I presume that you are now quaking in fear after Ghostman's allusion to you meeting up with the big guy after death, presumably to receive your just deserts. Nice of him to let God do the talking for a change! This Ghostman fellow no doubt gets a real buzz out of imagining you cast into YAHWEH's big frying pan - argument won! How pathetic.<br /><br /> Moral sentiments have their origin in human psychology, and have to be negotiated in a complex world where people frequently disagree about things. We seek through reason and sociopolitical struggle to improve the lives of all , in the spirit of love and fraternity, not in response to dogmas forced upon us by an often anti-human, sexually repressed church. We do not need you and your ilk poking your noses into our lives Mr Ghostman, as should be increasingly obvious to you through the shrinking influence you have on people - even in Ireland of all places citizens have voted in referenda to legalise abortion and gay marriage. We are sick to death of your interferences and insanities , and I for one say to you ( figuratively speaking of course! ), go to hell and good riddence, you patronising, sexually repressed , superstition addled anachronism.FreeThinkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12542926199146156167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-25855068242463219172021-04-22T22:10:57.625-07:002021-04-22T22:10:57.625-07:00You are in for a big surprise after death. I'l...You are in for a big surprise after death. I'll let God do the talking. I've got to hand it to you, your are one of the biggest blind demeaning insulters I have ever seen. Must be pat of your chosen legal guide to ethics. Chose a legal review for your ethics. What a joke.Ghostmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04107835190626272125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-71414492821349714712021-04-22T21:18:25.669-07:002021-04-22T21:18:25.669-07:00Ghostman @ 11.48PM
Everything I say is pretty muc...Ghostman @ 11.48PM<br /><br />Everything I say is pretty much right on the money. Simply because you think it doesn't means not a lot, really. <br /><br />I subscribe to the notion that is best illustrated in the following statement: "In 1690, Pierre Bayle asserted that religion "is neither necessary nor sufficient for morality". Modern sources separate the two concepts. ... For others, especially for nonreligious people, morality and religion are distinct and separable; religion may be immoral or nonmoral, and morality may or should be nonreligious."<br /><br />It is taken from a paper in the Marquette Law Review published by Marquette University, <br /><br /><a href="https://scholarship.law.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=4295&context=mulr#:~:text=Of%20the%20sources%20of%20morality,human%20badness%2C%20and%20the%20church" rel="nofollow"><b>SEE HERE</b></a><br /><br />The synopsis of the Review, notes: "Of the sources of morality and ethics external the individual we have primarily the influences of the home, the schools, the press and movies, the law, the restraint of the social presence, innate human goodness or the absence of innate human badness, and the church."<br /><br />That pretty much sums up my source for being a good, moral and ethical person. Of course for me, as you can well appreciate, religion is but a marginal outlier, a hanger-on afterthought, pretty much reflected as the added-on tail bit in this little synopsis. <br /><br />My source is contemporaneous, and is not guided by the gobbledegook account in the Bible. <br /><br />Papalintonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03818630173726146048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-74028872860297407912021-04-22T16:36:45.050-07:002021-04-22T16:36:45.050-07:00Here is the difference between our approaches to a...Here is the difference between our approaches to a moral society and building it in the words of Bishop Fulton Sheen about patriotism and revolution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy6VtXVcGFwGhostmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04107835190626272125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-10107936603441436672021-04-21T23:48:06.747-07:002021-04-21T23:48:06.747-07:00Paplinton,
Nothing you have said is truth. I ask ...Paplinton,<br /><br />Nothing you have said is truth. I ask again, where is the source of your morality when you have a materialist view of reality. Is it who ever it is in power? That is a ridiculous idea if you. Is it Paplinton who defines what is moral for the community and your family? In a materialiist society where there isn't enough material to go around, how do you make it just and fair? Material goods are not the highest good for man. There are higher goods because God does exist and did create us and our purpose. Your ideas are the anithesis of what Dr. Feser believes and teaches. Why are you here when you are not willing to listen to his and my point of views. Are you here to be a troll and thorn in the side of those who believe in God. That is bigotry.Ghostmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04107835190626272125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-20369226250895203852021-04-21T23:38:30.768-07:002021-04-21T23:38:30.768-07:00Can we expect a response from Sterba at some point...Can we expect a response from Sterba at some point?sfgreghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00763410434310279564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-40821916903603367702021-04-21T21:34:07.629-07:002021-04-21T21:34:07.629-07:00Ghostman
Ooooh! I think I hit a nerve. I know th...Ghostman<br /><br />Ooooh! I think I hit a nerve. I know the truth can hurt sometimes but it is important to convey that a good, purposeful, moral and ethical life among relatives, friends, and community can be fully and fruitfully lived without the GOD nonsense. Papalintonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03818630173726146048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-57147910417840650192021-04-21T12:28:54.561-07:002021-04-21T12:28:54.561-07:00Ghostman
Point taken - I agree that I am far to...Ghostman<br /><br /> Point taken - I agree that I am far too bad tempered and impulsive, so apologies. But you do go on a bit you know.FreeThinkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12542926199146156167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-25008691085370792332021-04-21T11:43:52.306-07:002021-04-21T11:43:52.306-07:00What a great example of a calm demeanor - name cal...What a great example of a calm demeanor - name calling. Listen to your own advice.Ghostmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04107835190626272125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-84010050445326005612021-04-21T06:02:22.946-07:002021-04-21T06:02:22.946-07:00Philosophical arguments can give you a bare bones ... Philosophical arguments can give you a bare bones classical theism at best, but that has no necessary connection with the monsterous edifice called Christianity, let alone particular versions of it. For two millenia your imaginative apologetic philosophers and theologians have beavered away at endless difficulties, trying to produce a coherent and self consistant system, but to the extent that they have succeeded this has beguiled you into believing that the construct describes reality. But there is no good reason to think this at all, and you placing it abouve other such constructs in terms of reasonableness and how 'satisfactory' it is completely misses the point.FreeThinkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12542926199146156167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-78546769832437990602021-04-21T05:48:38.887-07:002021-04-21T05:48:38.887-07:00Ghostman
You need to calm down a bit and make yo...Ghostman<br /><br /> You need to calm down a bit and make your responses more succinct you dreadfull preaching old windbag.FreeThinkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12542926199146156167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8954608646904080796.post-69550540907220992942021-04-20T15:01:47.819-07:002021-04-20T15:01:47.819-07:00"No, Ghostman, unless you can substantiate yo..."No, Ghostman, unless you can substantiate your claim of my bad psychological experiences you can only be described as a complete liar, an egregious liar lying for jesus, one of the worst characteristics of the religiose one has to contend with on this blog." I am glad to see you have been so successful with your family. The family is the most important unit of building a positive society. It is certainly under attack in our culture today.<br />About the bad experiences psychologically. I find that many people reject Catholicism and the Christian faith because of bad experiences they have had in their life and not necessarily a reasoned argument that is well thought through based on accurate understanding of the authentic teaching of the Church (which is becoming harder to find these days). You mentioned you came from a Christian family and have clearly rejected Christianity. I don't know why, but I don't think you actually understand the authentic teachings of the Catholic Church and are rejecting a straw man that our culture, protestants and atheists have built up over the many years. Experiences effect our openness to listening to arguments for and against ideas. It's interesting you said you listen to Jews and Muslims intently, but not Christians and Catholics. <br />Some Catholics do live the authentic faith of the Church very well and are aided by God's grace in doing so. Other denominations of Christians aree live their faith heroically even though some of their theological and philoshical beliefs may not be true. It seems Ed Feser is one of the heroic livers of the faith that had a conversion from atheism and is now an authoririty on Christian philosophy which finds its base in Aquinas. His knowledge of theology is also exemplary as I have followed his talks and writings for some time. Clearly, you don't believe he is just following myth of his own making as you have accused me of.It should give you pause to see a man of his intellectual caliber to believe in the authenticity of the Catholic Church and the Christian epistemology, metaphysics and natural philosophy which support the ideas of the need for both faith and reason to see the whole truth of reality.<br /><br />I agree with you on the disgusting nature of many of those occupying places of power in the Vatican and in many other high offices in the Chirch today. They have been affected by the modernist philosophies and consequent theologies prevalent today. Their behavior and beliefs are largely reprehensible, but they are not representing the authentic doctrine or philosophies of the Catholic Church and Christianity in general. There is a great crisis of rejecting God in our day and raising man to the highest place in our world saying only man has the answers to how we should live and what we should believe. Clearly the arguments for the existence of God are stronger than the atheistic arguments against His existence. The Christian philosophy enlightens theology and authentic theology that is protected by the Holy Spirit in apostolic succession enlightens philosophy. They can not and do not contradict one another as I'm sure a top expert in both like Dr. Feser will attest. Look to him as an example. That's why I am here to learn from him. He is an example of a Catholic liviing the authentic faith and there are many others who I call friends. Don't condemn all Catholics just because some are terrible examples of how to think and live.<br />Ghostmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04107835190626272125noreply@blogger.com