T1B

God resides in this and all the parellel universes, imo, with the possible exception of hell. The most important place of residence for an individual, however, is in the head, heart and soul ... Chakras ... centers of energy, whichever metaphor you choose.


Dio, have you ever read "Does God Have a Nature?" by Alvin Plantinga?

No, but I'll look into it. Incidently, I'm partial to the theory that hell is the absolute absense of God.

Check out C.S. Lewis The Great Divorce.

Diogenes wrote: Incidently, I'm partial to the theory that hell is the absolute absense of God.

That's pretty much -believe it or not- what I was taught by the Franciscan friars in my CCD classes (back when I was RC). I may have ditched a good chunk of the RC stuff when I "went Protestant," but the idea of the ultimate, worst punishment possible is eternal exclusion from God's presence (and the eternal awareness of that condition) stuck with me.

A whole lot more painful than fire and pitchforks...

Diogenes wrote:

God resides in this and all the parellel universes, imo, with the possible exception of hell. The most important place of residence for an individual, however, is in the head, heart and soul ... Chakras ... centers of energy, whichever metaphor you choose.


Dio, have you ever read "Does God Have a Nature?" by Alvin Plantinga?

No, but I'll look into it. Incidently, I'm partial to the theory that hell is the absolute absense of God.

Me too.

Check out C.S. Lewis The Great Divorce.

It will be the next book I buy and read, if you find a copy of Plantiga's book.

Deal?

Granted, my exposure to C.S. Lewis was in Texas. The idiotic bitch of a teacher assigned "Lives of a Cell" after Orwell's "1984." I couldn't stomach it, after reading 1984. I had read Animal Farm, but 1984 is a different animal, so to speak. And to try to read C.S. Lewis, meandering about mitochondria and spirituality, after that? Please.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I HATED "Lives of a cell." Hated everything about it, in fact. Never had any inclination of ever reading any C.S. Lewis again, but I'll buy The Great Divorce, as long as he doesn't ramble on about his own myopic bullshit. (Sorry, but being assigned to read "Lives of a Cell," after "1984," it was myopic bullshit, and boring as hell, at least as a junior in high school.)

RadioFan wrote:Granted, my exposure to C.S. Lewis was in Texas. The idiotic bitch of a teacher assigned "Lives of a Cell" after Orwell's "1984." I couldn't stomach it, after reading 1984. I had read Animal Farm, but 1984 is a different animal, so to speak. And to try to read C.S. Lewis, meandering about mitochondria and spirituality, after that? Please.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I HATED "Lives of a cell." Hated everything about it, in fact. Never had any inclination of ever reading any C.S. Lewis again, but I'll buy The Great Divorce, as long as he doesn't ramble on about his own myopic bullshit. (Sorry, but being assigned to read "Lives of a Cell," after "1984," it was myopic bullshit, and boring as hell, at least as a junior in high school.)

Ummmmm.....wrong author.

"Lives of a Cell" is by Lewis Thomas.

If I can find the book, I'll get it (a Calvinist teaching at Notre Dame-that's got to be interesting to begin with). I've checked the SD library database already, no luck. But I'll check some of the local bookstores, see what I find. A couple others by Lewis you might like are Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters. If you don't know, he was also the author of the Narnia books and the main character in the movie Shadowlands.

edit-this could use it's own thread....

Consulting English professors on matters of religion and theology is always the best source.

SunCoastSooner wrote:Consulting English professors on matters of religion and theology is always the best source.

A whole lot of clergy and theologians seems to disagree with your ready dismissal of his works - my younger brother is a Carmelite monk and has told me that several of Lewis's works (esp. 'Screwtape Letters") were required reading during his seminary days, and both my current parish priest (Episcopalain) and an old college friend (Baptist minister) have stated that Lewis's "Mere Christianity" and "Screwtape Letters" were used in their divinity classes.

Mike the Lab Rat wrote:

SunCoastSooner wrote:Consulting English professors on matters of religion and theology is always the best source.

A whole lot of clergy and theologians seems to disagree with your ready dismissal of his works - my younger brother is a Carmelite monk and has told me that several of Lewis's works (esp. 'Screwtape Letters") were required reading during his seminary days, and both my current parish priest (Episcopalain) and an old college friend (Baptist minister) have stated that Lewis's "Mere Christianity" and "Screwtape Letters" were used in their divinity classes.

I would say I'm shocked but I'm not.

SunCoastSooner wrote:

Mike the Lab Rat wrote:

SunCoastSooner wrote:Consulting English professors on matters of religion and theology is always the best source.

A whole lot of clergy and theologians seems to disagree with your ready dismissal of his works - my younger brother is a Carmelite monk and has told me that several of Lewis's works (esp. 'Screwtape Letters") were required reading during his seminary days, and both my current parish priest (Episcopalain) and an old college friend (Baptist minister) have stated that Lewis's "Mere Christianity" and "Screwtape Letters" were used in their divinity classes.

I would say I'm shocked but I'm not.

Well we've seen what kind of barmy nutjobs you have been using (until recently) as source material.











Come on, you knew that one was coming. :twisted:

Diogenes wrote:

SunCoastSooner wrote:

Mike the Lab Rat wrote: A whole lot of clergy and theologians seems to disagree with your ready dismissal of his works - my younger brother is a Carmelite monk and has told me that several of Lewis's works (esp. 'Screwtape Letters") were required reading during his seminary days, and both my current parish priest (Episcopalain) and an old college friend (Baptist minister) have stated that Lewis's "Mere Christianity" and "Screwtape Letters" were used in their divinity classes.

I would say I'm shocked but I'm not.

Well we've seen what kind of barmy nutjobs you have been using (until recently) as source material.











Come on, you knew that one was coming. :twisted:

I use nuts, screw balls, jackasses, and head cases as well. Most of them have degrees in their fields though. I don't consult a monk about chemistry or a mathmatician about social psychology.

How about a theologan about physics?

Isaac Newton comes to mind.

Or asking God about God

yah yah, i know, what's faith got to do with it.

SunCoastSooner wrote: I don't consult a monk about chemistry or a mathmatician about social psychology.

Funny you should say that.....my younger brother (the Carmelite) has a M.A. in chemistry and is finishing up his PhD in the subject.

Plenty of folks have depth of knowledge in a field without having a sheepskin framed for all to see.

Mike the Lab Rat wrote:

SunCoastSooner wrote: I don't consult a monk about chemistry or a mathmatician about social psychology.

Funny you should say that.....my younger brother (the Carmelite) has a M.A. in chemistry and is finishing up his PhD in the subject.

Plenty of folks have depth of knowledge in a field without having a sheepskin framed for all to see.

That's an exception to the rule not the normality and we both know it. There are exceptions to any blanketing statement such as I made but for the most part it is correct.

There is an exception to every rule....

As a rule, I generally don't give a rat's ass about someone's 'credentials' if their arguments are bullshit, or the lack thereof if they are insightful and compelling.


And Lewis is far from the exception to that one.

Diogenes wrote:There is an exception to every rule....

As a rule, I generally don't give a rat's ass about someone's 'credentials' if their arguments are bullshit, or the lack thereof if they are insightful and compelling.


And Lewis is far from the exception to that one.

C.S. Lewis is nothing more than regurgitation put into eloquent words.

My new avatar should tell you what I think of that statement. This is far enough off topic I thought it could use it's own thread. interesting article on Lewis...

http://www.inplainsite.org/html/c_s_lew ... sment.html

Diogenes wrote:...

I'm partial to the theory that hell is the absolute absense of God...

So this part of Judaism is acceptable now?

Way to pick and choose your faith there Dio.

Mike the Lab Rat wrote:Ummmmm.....wrong author.

"Lives of a Cell" is by Lewis Thomas.

DOH.

Shit. Thanks, MLTR.

I'm not sure why I kept thinking it was C.S. Lewis.

As to my previous post ... [Emily Letella] nevermind. [Emily Latella]

Edit: Apologies to C.S. Lewis fans. No way a friend and peer of J.R.R. Tolkien could ever write anything as wretched as "Lives of a Cell."

As a fan of C. S. Lewis, I appreciate Mere Christianity and the Screwtape Letters...but the best book I have read of his is a collection of essays that are titled God in the Dock. It is his collection of apologetic essays. Very good, not only worth the read but worth a place in your bookcase.

Ang wrote:Very good, not only worth the read but worth a place in your bookcase.

Good enough for me. :)

Now I have at least two books to buy and read. Excellent.

I missed that post God in the Dock is excelent.

I still have yet to read Surprised by Joy.