Bluefinger, on 12 July 2012 - 11:21 PM, said:
I get that, and I'm not taking that away at all. Humanists often tell Christians and other religious people that they have to provide objective facts about God before they claim that He is true. However, when a Christian asks how the humanist finds life has any meaning, he may say, "It's all personal. It's all relative." By what grounds does he make statements like that? That brings me back to my original argument.
I suppose we would need to agree on how we define "meaning". For me, it's about being the best father I can be (and beating myself up when I get it wrong), trying to be a better husband, to be a productive member of my community and society in general. To do no harm and to try my best to enjoy the ride. These things give my life purpose and meaning. And I'll bet yours isn't too different. Where we differ fundamentally is that I don't believe there is anything other than material reality, no need for metaphysical considerations.
In that way I don't think anyone can claim that meaning is entirely personal and relative. We're all generally sailing our ships in the same direction - we just disagree about our port of origin.
Bluefinger, on 12 July 2012 - 11:21 PM, said:
I wasn't trying to insult what is important to you. I'm trying to speak objectively to humanists so that they can see how exactly they treat religious people often. It really is a double standard. They tell us to prove God's existence, regardless of the relevance of our arguments, yet they speak objectively about their beliefs without even blushing.
I understand what you're saying here. From your profile quote it seems you've had some bad experiences from declaring your faith to others - or at least been made aware of others' antipathy toward it. I tend not to mind that too much and accept that it's going to happen on internet boards. I try (and often fail) to respect other people even if I can't respect the belief. It's tricky sometimes.
Bluefinger, on 12 July 2012 - 11:21 PM, said:
Not necessarily. It could go the other way around and mean that God's personality is imprinted on us all because we are made in His likeness.
That's very true. It could. However, if there is a plausible natural explanation I'm more likely to favour that.
Bluefinger, on 12 July 2012 - 11:21 PM, said:
I hear your arguments. I can understand how you find my question strange. I guess I don't agree totally. People die. Everything dies. That means that, while we are alive, we are interpreting everything happening to us. If that is what life having meaning is about, then doesn't the meaning of life die with us? And when the universe grows cold or resets, doesn't that make life a vanity?
Again, I'm not saying that I believe life is a vanity. I think it is very very important. I believe we are valuable, even to the least of us. And that is why I cannot buy the humanist argument. I am deeply concerned about the objective truths, things beyond our relative beliefs. Humanists are ridiculing Christians left and right on this forum because they can't provide objective information about God, and the meaning of life for that matter. People are insulting and harming each other and their reputations over this conflict. How does that point to morality?
And if we find ourselves alone, does that mean that our lives are meaningless then? We are getting to a point where, no matter how close people are, they are still feeling alone. Suicide shooting up through the roof. And if we are all so cooperative, why is it that a few individuals in the government are more and more taking over caretaker roles?
I want to know if life has purpose even when I'm at most lonely state. That is what I mean by objective. If we just talk about relative issues, then that doesn't properly address the social issues that we originally argue about.
I'm not sure I understand you properly here. You've spoken a few times about double standards, and said "And yet they don't ask for objective evidence about their own relative beliefs." I don't know what you mean by relative beliefs.
Bluefinger, on 12 July 2012 - 11:21 PM, said:
I don't need everlasting life to have sound moral principles. It isn't about that to me. At all. That is more like Tertullian's legalistic theology. I follow Iranaeus' liberation theology more.
I'm interested to learn more about this. Any reading you'd recommend?