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Politics : Should God be replaced? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Solon who wrote (1183)	9/29/2000 5:54:08 PM
From: cosmicforce	Respond to of 28931

I didn't think you were dense -- I was as surprised as you! I had a philosophy instructor for an upper division Ethics class in college who swore I didn't understand absolutism or I'd agree with him. I said I understood it, but I didn't agree with it! It was a shameful page in my life because I ultimately got only a A- in the class because the instructor certainly wouldn't give an A to someone so incredibly pig-headed and stupid!!! What I learned was that I shouldn't disagree with a full professor. LOL! I said what he was proposing (that somehow right and wrong existed in a vacuum) was preposterous. Like some sort of Platonic form of Good and Bad waiting to be revealed. It'd be nice, but I saw "absolutely" no evidence of it. I didn't buy it then, and I still don't 20 years later. I thought you were saying the same thing. I couldn't believe that someone else was as sure of it as my college professor (at least by someone who wasn't an adherent to a particular religious movement - they frequently do believe in such a thing, you know, "God's Will" to explain the cruel deaths of babies and whatnot). I was using the b) definition of "Absolute" I show below and hence, the term absolutist. I'm not clear on the sense that you were arguing. Brightman's, of which you quote? Both qualitative and quantitative monism. My definition for relativism was: rel·a·tiv·ism (rl-t-vzm) n. Philosophy A theory that conceptions of truth and moral values are not absolute but are relative to the persons or groups holding them. Emphasis mine Using dictionary.com Absolute. Philosophy a.Something regarded as the ultimate basis of all thought and being. Used with 'the'. b.Something regarded as independent of and unrelated to anything else.

To: Solon who wrote (1183)	9/29/2000 6:01:43 PM
From: epicure	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 28931

Everything is relative- including our conversation, apparently. I never agreed with Spnioza, nor do I agree with Santayana. I think I am closest to being in tune with Bertrand Russel. Are you familiar with Russel? I agree with just about everything he says. Although I'm not prepared to be a libertine because I'm kind of lazy. I'm a stoic by temperament.

To: Solon who wrote (1183)	9/29/2000 7:23:09 PM
From: cosmicforce	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 28931

Perhaps I now understand the confusion. Your absolutism is not the opposite of relativism at all, but more like the opposite of polytheism. Speaking of polytheistic gods, minor and otherwise. I seem to have a problem with the Tire God (or Demon). I have more than my share of flat tires by a considerable factor. Two on my bike in the last 2 weeks. Five in the last year on it. Over the years, everything from bolts, screws, ceramic insulators, pieces of plastic and horseshoe nails. Once I ran over a load of 1 inch 10d nails with a big square steel plate (I think they were used for hold tin roofing down). 13 holes on 3 tires that time. My latest new car (1995) a tire went out with less than 1000 miles after crossing a railroad crossing on a busy highway that connects the Bay Area to Yosemite. And it was a sidewall puncture from one of the spikes the used on the wood planks. Tire had to be replaced. Slipped treads. Concrete blocks in the road. Flat tire on the motorcycle - hit an 8d nail and it shredded the tube so badly that my can of flatfixer just leaked out as I attempted to seal it. Hit a truck retread in the #2 lane of a 4 lane highway 2 years ago ($2000 of undercarriage damage to 1995 car). Almost hit another last week. When I don't get flats, I own cars that have abnormal tire wear due to unexplained alignment problems. I don't hit curbs, drive over bumps too quickly and had my car aligned with a lifetime alignment. Went back every six months, and still had abnormal wear. If I buy road hazard I get alignment wear that isn't covered. If I don't I get the insurance I get flats that would be covered. Otherwise, I have much lower than average accident ratings. I used to be a motor head so I'm not a technical ignoramus. Use synthetic additives and other than extreme tire problems, I get above average life out of my cars. Never have transmission or engine problems. Not a lot of tickets. Never drive in the shoulder or put my tires outside of the tracks left by other cars (learned that from riding a motorcycle). This is one of the mysteries of life. The Tire God is angry at me and I don't get to find out why.