Posted by alexandra_k on September 12, 2005, at 2:16:06
In reply to Re: How could God be beyond logic? » 10derHeart, posted by alexandra_k on September 12, 2005, at 1:55:11
i mean...
there are limits to science.
science is limited to the natural explanation of natural phenomenon.once we understand that then we are better placed to understand possible roles for supernatural explanation and / or supernatural phenomenon.
there are limits to logic.
logic is limited to the laws of what follows from what without contradiction.if p is true
if p exists
then logic can tell us what else must be the case...and if those other things just aren't the case
then we have to conclude
not p
or we would be contradicting ourselves.once we reach the limits of logic...
then we are better placed to understand something of the role of faith.
i know some people say you shouldn't try and understand god via reason...
one response to that is that god must have given us this tool of reason for some purpose...
maybe to try and understand him.
to apply reason to try and understand god is as much a tribute to him as using musical ability to compose a song.
some of the arguments for the existence of god are beautiful, many theists and atheists alike have found beauty in them. they are not perfect arguments... they are controversial. but even if they don't ultimately persuade the atheist - i think most people do appreciate their intuitive beauty.even Bertrand Russel (a very hard headed atheist philosopher) wrote that one day it just occured to him that the ontological argument for the existence of god was valid. he was talking about a version of the argument that i provided above. generally... he found fault with it. but for one moment - he just saw that it was so.
i have had a similar experience in a tutorial.
where the whole class just seemed to accept it
and after a while...
i could see it too.
though i'll admit it doesn't strike me today ;-)but arguments for the existence of god are a complete waste of time if god can defy logical laws. we cannot make sense of god if he is beyond logic. some people might take comfort from this (especially if logic makes them nervous) but to me a god that is incomprehensible to us as a matter of principle... well that sounds even worse than my mother truth be told...
the point of logic...
well. nobodies really sure what it is exactly...
maybe its the laws of rational human thought...
maybe its the laws of the universe...
maybe logic is god after all...
poster:alexandra_k
thread:553832
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20050909/msgs/554069.html