the singularity of being and nothingness
existdissolve
This user hasn't shared any biographical information
Homepage: http://existdissolve.com
Jabber/GTalk: existdissolve
Posts by existdissolve
Calvinism, a Syllogism and the Origin of Evil
Jun 17th
Those who affirm the canons of Calvinistic philosophy often laud the logical coherence of its systematic formulation. In this post, I would like to turn the tables on this methodological assumption, showing how Calvinistic philosophy, while perhaps logical, leads to a horribly perverse image of the divine nature and will of God. I shall do this through a syllogistic form and shall concentrate upon the origin of evil.
A: God has eternally decreed all that comes to pass. B: That which God decrees proceeds from the free and boundless will of God. C: The will of God is essential with Gods being. Proposition: Evil exists.
Therefore:
A: Because God has eternally decreed that evil should exist, or come to pass: B: Because the existence and perpetuity of evil proceeds from the free and boundless will of God. C: Because the will of God is essential with Gods being; D: It is logically concluded that evil is essential with the being of God.
In response, I suspect a couple different approaches may (and will) be taken. I assume many will argue with the relationship between will and being. Note that I have carefully qualified the language: essential with. I think this More >
Anberlin – "Cities"
May 15th
Anberlin absolutely shines on their newest album, Cities.
True enough, many of their critics suggest that Cities is yet another collection of the standard Anberlin fare, and in a sense the critics are correct. Melodically, Anberlin does not diverge significantly from previous works, and the band delivers the same aggressive musicianship for which they are adored.
What makes Cities a meaningfully different album, then, is the level of introspection in which the band engages throughout the project. Cities engenders the human condition, confronting issues of love, failure, disappointment, injustice-just to name only a few. Yet the depth of these existential investigations is not simply thrust upon the listener without warning, but is rather buttressed gracefully by the driving, yet infectious melodies and rhythms which seem to move and fuse seamlessly from track to track, creating a truly epic and album-ic listening experience. This collusion of lyrical depth and melodic intensity underscores the importance of each line, creating an almost desperate yet intoxicating pleading for the full attention and involvement of the listener in the profundity of what is occuring in this primal moment.
In this sense, then, Cities is not meant for easy listening or casual interaction; rather, it’s very form and function More >
Introductory Thoughts Concerning the Shift from Faith to Objectivity in Religious Thought
May 2nd
There was perhaps no greater shift in human epistemology than that engendered in the Englightenment. The revolution in thinking was so profound that if Socrates is the father of philosophy, Descartes is his violent and victorious progeny. All aspects of human epistemology-from history to science to religion-have undergone palpable changes, philosophy being forever marked by the revolution of the modern philosophical programme.
While volumes and volumes can and have been devoted to outlining the changes and effects actualized through the implementation of Enlightenment thinking to all areas of human epistemology, one of the most profound can be seen in Christian thinking. While doctorates could be written and institutes established concerning this more refined topic, I simply wish to outline some very brief reflections concerning what I perceive to be devastating shifts within Christian thinking concerning the inheritance of the Enlightenment and the nature of faith. In doing so, I simply wish to call attention to the all-too-subtle ways in which inherent philosophical assumptions of culture (racial, social and religious) create definitions of religious categories which may or may not cohere with the ancient beliefs of the earliest believers, concluding, alternatively, with suggestions of the how the same can be avoided More >
Penal Substitutionary Atonement Theory, Sans Atonement
Apr 26th
Several weeks ago, I posted some reflections on the meaning of Good Friday. In this post, I suggested that the "goodness" of Christ's death (which is commemorated on this day) is not located within the violence of the cross, but rather in the ultimate victory which Christ acheived over the powers of human sinfulness and hatred even in the face of the collected history and force of evil which was gathered therein against him. That Christ did not capitulate to the cycles of human violence and sinfulness, but rather resisted them even to the point of death, I argued, is truly where the "goodness" of this day is located.
Although there were some very generous comments left, other readers were not impressed. Two in particular argued that I had "missed the point," the "point" being that the violence enacted upon the cross against Christ was not borne out of human sinfulness and hatred, but rather had its primal origin in the very ontology of God.
This kind of thinking very much in keeping with Penal Substitutionary Atonement theory which, in a nutshell, locates the crisis of atonement in the satisfaction of divine wrath through the punishment of sin. This theory suggests More >
*New* Music from Jonezetta – "Popularity"
Apr 20th
I recently came across one of Tooth and Nail Records' newest darling's, Jonezetta.
Part pseudo-Euro rock, part emo, part screamo, Jonezetta fuses many interesting and innovative sounds to put together what is, IMO, one of most enjoyable albums in a long time.
Released in 2006, I am admittedly tardy in getting around to this band. However, their sound is emminently fresh, so the listener will forgive my only recently assuaged ignorance.
Anyway, I have linked to two of their songs from Popularity, "Communicate" and "The City We Live In." I think they well capture the essence of Jonezetta's unique sound. To listen to them, scroll around in the mp3 player on the right-hand side of this page.
A Self-Legitimating Argument Against the Existence of God
Mar 28th
Several weeks ago, I posted some reflections about Hugh Ross' apologetic of theism based upon cosmological discoveries of the recent decade. In short, Ross argues that there is objective, ascertainable evidence in the cosmos that legitimizes belief in not only God, but more specifically the "God of the Bible." I argued that Ross approaches the discussion with illegitimate categories, as professing belief in naturalistic proof for divinity, IMO, plays directly into the materialist conceptions of origins against which Ross is attempting to argue.
Upon finishing this book, I ran across a submission from Victor J. Stenger entitled "God: The Failed Hypothesis." In this work, Stenger argues that, contra Ross, evidence within the cosmos leads to the inevitable conclusion that God does not, in fact, exist. To develop this thesis, Stenger looks for evidence in creation, asserting that the universe looks exactly like it would were one to eliminate "God" from the discussion of origins. Later in the book, he even dons the philosopher's hat and suggests that considerations of the universality and variability of human morality; the problem of evil; and the materialism of the human person specifically deny the existence of God.
Overall, I had a fairly difficult time taking More >
A Brief Introduction to The Absolute Necessity of Speaking of Sin as "Privation"
Mar 14th
Think about the word "sin." What do you think of? A stain? Some black, ethereal substance? A "negative" field of energy? Throughout history, humans have struggled with defining this difficult concept to align with and elucidate religious and social notions of right and wrong, good and evil, morality and ethics.
In Christian theology, sin occupies a primal and primary importance. The Scriptures speak of sin as that which has given rise to the "fall" of humanity, it is that which brings death, and it is that which is responsible for severing the divine/human relationship.
But what, exactly, is sin? I propose that it is, in fact, "nothing." Let me explain.
Christians believe that the creative act of God is exhaustively characterized as "good." That is, there is nothing that exists which was not created out of the good pleasure and will of God. (Now philosophers can, of course, argue about whether this designation of "goodness" can be applied to that which is created, but that is another post). However, Christians also believe that God's will is opposed to that which is sinful: in fact, one could describe sin as that which is antithetical to the will (and, necessarily, to the being) More >
Hugh Ross, Universal Statistics, and the Hegemony of Design
Jan 31st
On the heels of reading Greenes Fabric of the Comos, I decided to turn my attentions to a more theistically-oriented discussion of cosmology. Per my habit, I spent the last weeks worth of lunch hours sitting in Barnes & Noble, reading on a new book (for free, of course!).
For my selection, I decided upon Hugh Ross Creator and the Cosmos. Written many years ago, Ross released a third revised edition in 2001. However, as is typical with scientific literature, even content written within the last 5 years shows its dating with a vengeance.
Yawn…okay, enough with the uninteresting introduction. In a nutshell, Ross seeks to provide an apology for the standard model, big bang cosmology. As an aside, this is thoroughly fascinating, for hints within the same work indicate that he is concomitantly and vehemently opposed to standard views of evolutionary biology. Back to the discussion: Ross purpose in donning the apologists hat for the big bang, interestingly enough, is to prove that the picture of the universes origins provided by big bang cosmology lays out an inescapable conclusion of theism. However, Ross goes even farther, and tries to suggest that big bang cosmology requires the identification of the More >
Very Cool Song
Jan 10th
Here is a pretty great song by Dead Poetic entitled "Vanus Empty." Check out these lyrics:
It's a deep, red wound. Enough to stare. It's a beautiful rose and everyone's aware You squeeze it tight enough to bleed. But suicide is something we'd rather not mention here. In our beautiful world of saving face. So Vanity's got this new gun that she wants to try on you. And as we stand here waiting for the sound.. Get me out of this hell before I'm sucked in. But you're the beautiful one. And everyone is painted on, singing scripted songs. And your seizure-like finger is dead on the trigger. And then, it's all blown away. With you or us all. And they had you in their targets. They're smiling with you in their targets. So Vanity's got this new gun that she wants to try on you. And as we stand here waiting for the sound.. So Vanity's got this new gun that she wants to try on you. And no one says a word from there on out. But I knew she was beautiful, you're the ones with the flaws. Oh I knew she was beautiful she should of had More >
On Materialist Conceptions of Origins, With Considerations of Human Language
Dec 15th
About 2 weeks ago, while checking out the portfolio of a random web design firm, I ran across the website of an organization that was offering a free DVD which they claimed provided proof that evolution is wrong and that creationism is right. Unable to resist, I quickly surrendered my email and mailing address, and within 2 weeks (wow, what service!) I received my free DVD. Brimming over with excitement, I quickly abandoned my evening with family and popped it in the DVD player. I cranked the speakers to 11, grabbed a stiff glass of Diet Coke (on the rocks), and curled into my oversized leather couch, my eyes and ears prepared for outstanding revelations.
It turned out, to my immediate dismay, that this DVD was of a lecture series delivered by Kent Hovind, better known as Dr. Dino. For those who are familiar with Hovinds arguments, I need say little more. For those who are unfamiliar, imagine arguing with someone whose main line of debate is mischaracterizations, over-generalizations, and deflection through cheesy jokes, insults, and terrible clip-art-ridden power-point shows. Enough said.
As I watched and listened to the 129 minutes of Mr. Hovinds lecture, some things became immediately clear: More >
