Cornelius Van Til

I have been tearing apart another book for my upcoming senior thesis: namely, "Christian Apologetics" by Cornelius Van Til. I think what impresses me most is how close he gets to the line of rude without actually going over it. He is truly unapologetic for his methodology of apologetics and its source in Reformed Theology. I think that he has displayed a different kind of honesty in practice (but not in principle) than Antony Flew. His honesty leads him to the very heart of the matter on every real point of contention between men: that is, their presuppositions. Van Til refers to this at one point as the colored glasses that a man sees the world through. If you change the glasses, you will change the way in which he sees everything he encounters.

I like his exposition on presuppositions. I have always sought after knowledge. I have always wanted to know things. At some point, however, you cannot keep going back in the chain of knowing. At some point the buck has to stop. Presuppositions are those things we hold first. Dr. Van Til does an admirable job explaining this. I cannot say a thing bad about this book yet. I will let you know if anything comes to mind though.

Another One Down

I finished Antony Flew's new book ("There Is A God...") last week. It was a very interesting case to examine. Dr. Flew had been perhaps the worlds most distinguished Atheist philosopher up until 2004 when he publicly mentioned that he now believed in a divine intelligence (of sorts, a god, if you will). This book which he just published last year (which has a longer subtitle in case you were wondering about the "...") describes how he came to believe that there is a god. I was most intrigued by his critical comments on other atheists. They were not all what one is used to (as critiques usually come from ardent theists, not reluctantly converted atheists). He says of his own journey to a belief in a god, that he merely followed the evidence wherever it went. I was delighted by his honesty and level-headedness. And seriously, some of the critical comments he has received from former fellow atheists has been shamefull- Dawkins has made some particularly unprofessional comments about Flew's age. The book was a very interesting read.

My First District Convention

I went to my first district convention this past weekend. It was wonderful. There was discussion and debate. There was voting and eating. It lasted more than six hours (or was it eight... I lost track of time). Wonderful chili. And I felt like I was into something. Really it was a great experience. I learned a lot and I even got to speak to my neighbors. I highly recommend it to anyone, really. Just try it out once, you may get hooked.

The Irrational Atheist

I finished Vox Day's book "The Irrational Atheist" about a week ago and I feel obligated to tell everyone that never before has anyone used footnotes like that. Truly something else. Bravo I say.

On Choosing Your Words

Cornelius Van Til once said, "There can be no intelligable reasoning unless those who reason together understand what they mean by their words." ("Christian Apologetics" P&R Publishing. Phillipsburg, 2003 p98) I cannot think of a better way to say that. Some people become exasperated when you choose your words carefully- and they sometimes become even more frustrated when you take their own words seriously. The thing is, if you want to actually have some sort of exchange with another person- you have to know what they are saying- and they need to know what you are saying. It just does not do to be fast and loose with any language. At some point, you will really have to be patient if you actually desire to communicate with someone. As an aside, I might remind you that after you take the time to be careful with particular words in a particular exchange, you are free to return to using particular words however you wish, but anyways...

In western analytic philosophy discussions are often begun by defining terms. This is important for philosophers because without it confusion may arise that prevents meaningful discourse. No one wants to be accused of equivocation- least of all a good western analytic philosopher. Equivocation, however, is hard to avoid if you are not careful with your words. English is especially vulnerable to this type of confusion as many of our words have multiple meanings. What bothers me is the attitude I encounter about discussions of all kinds. Being careful with your words is not something that is only important for philosophers. Let them teach you something for goodness sakes. Take a lesson from all their hard work- even if that is all you take (not that I am advocating that of course).

It seems that people want to be heard, but don't want to think before they speak. It seems that people want you to understand them, but they do not want to take the time to understand you. People write book reviews without having finished a book. People spend their time in conversation thinking about what they are going to say next rather than listening to what you are saying now. People are honestly offended when you point out something inconsistent that they have said- all too often they do not even stop to consider your motivation for pointing it out- and act as if they are more concerned with being seen as right than actually being right. You may even find your friends getting upset if you try and coax a little care in language out of them- somehow they can forget that you love them, care about them, and can generally be trusted.

I have known for a long time that love is more important than knowledge. The thing is (and this particularly for Americans), that is a proposition that is either true or false. If you come down one way or another on that proposition, you will act one way or another in life. To say then, that you think love is more important- this does not at all mean that knowledge and reasoning are unimportant. The very idea that helping your brother is more important than understanding something is a piece of understanding!

So please, everyone, remember who you are talking to and ask yourself if you really want to communicate with them. If you do, you will likely have to choose your words. It won't hurt too bad once you get used to it.

Still haven't forgotten

To my commenter from Sydney: I will respond very soon.

Charters of Some Importance

I have just posted a new link under "other resources" on the right side of this page. The new link will take you to the National Archives web page where you can view the Constitution, The Amendments to the Constitution (including the Bill of Rights, of course), the Declaration of Independence, and such. It is a good page with both text and pictures of the original documents. No one should be without it- how else will you know when your elected officials are breaking an oath they swore? I labeled the link "The Constitution of the United States of America"- does anyone think I should just label it "National Archives"? Let me know.

Tomorrow's Presidential Preference Pole.

Tomorrow is the day here in town. It's ok to vote, really it is. I promise I won't tell. You can go ahead and vote, really you can.

For Those Who Work Half The Year to Pay Direct and Indirect Taxes, Let Us Think

"The government that governs least is the government that governs best."
-Ron Paul, speaking on the founding fathers

Why is it that so many people think that the government should hold their hands? Why is it that people who say they want lower taxes and do not approve of the national debt act offended when their own personal projects have their government funding threatened? If you want lower taxes, if you want more money in your pocked, if you want the government to be less involved in your life, if you want the congress to have a balanced budget- something just has to give. We have to spend less money; And Let me just say that the government is not going to stop building and maintaining roads and it would be a very bad idea to stop paying the military. The government is not our mamma. And if you want to be left alone, if you want lower taxes, if you want a balanced budget- programs have to go- and some of those programs are very good and helpful. You can't do everything and you cannot have everything. Voice your opinion. Do some thinking. Talk to some people. As Ron Paul has also said more than once, cutting taxes does not cost the government anything- the government itself costs you and I something. Let's not get that backwards.

Super Tuesday And Question To Boot

Super Tuesday is coming up and there are plenty of primaries, caucuses, and presidential preference poles all over the country. I enjoy the political process and so I am excited about participating. I have spoken to a number of individuals, though, who have decided to not vote at all- in the primaries and the actual election. I am wondering if anyone would be willing to comment on why they, or someone they know has given up entirely on the American political process. Oh, and give it up for the peanut gallery.