Sunday, December 15, 2013

Logic: A God-Centered Approach to the Foundation of Western Thought

Vern Sheridan Poythress has crafted a brilliant tome on how our belief in God stems from a need to understand nature. He uses as an example the story of Absalom, who led a rebellion against his father, King David of the Israelites. The question is, were Absalom's actions the result of need or greed? Was there a "clear and present" danger in his father being the king, or was Absalom tempted by the thought of ruling a nation? Logic will answer the question, because whatever Absalom was feeling, anyone else could feel in their life as well.

Another example he uses is the idea of the belief in God influencing subordination in Humans. He says that it is natural for some people to have kings who they bow to, and if they're accustomed to subordinating themselves to a God, then why not to a monarch. The question is, however, do peope have a logical need for a master? Some people (like the Bedouin of Arabia) prefer to have separate tribes, and they follow radical Islam. But do they really care that much abotu Islam? Would they accept a religious preacher who tells them they're wrong?

According to Dore Gold's book Hatred's Kingdom, the answer is probably no. If they have a logical need for independence, they're not going to hear otherwise from anyone, nto even their own clergy.

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