Issue 129
News: Aquinas' Quinquae Viae.
When my second Latin teacher learned about my attitudes towards religion, his suggestion was that I check out Thomas Aquinas' proofs of God from his Summa Theologica. Eventually, I looked in the Aquinas in the Great Books of the Western World set downstairs. In case you want to look, it is in the First Part, Section: Treatise on the One God, Question 2: The Existence of God, Article Three- whether God exists. One would think that there would be strength in numbers, but as I will show you, there isn't much in this case. For instance, the first three arguments are essentially the same argument at their core, with only differing initial premises. starting from the statement that there had to be a source for all movements and causes , and that since an infinite regress is impossible (at least to Aquinas), there must have been something to have set it off, and that this is supposed to be God. Of course, the biggest problem with that argument is that with the causes given, there is no reason to believe that said source has to have any of the properties that we as humans identify with God. Interestingly enough, the initial premise is also arguable. The motion of gas molecules is often not spurred at all by anything internal or external, and there are many other examples of unmoved motion that effectively undermine the validity of these arguments. With the first three arguments down, the fourth argument states that since there are degrees in things, there must be a being that has the highest degrees of certain properties, and that this must be God. However, the premises Aquinas gives are flawed, particularly in his statement that if an property can be conceived of as being in a greater degree, it must exist, which is often not the case. The last argument is the Argument from design. It is one of the few arguments still in modern use by most Christians, although the people at my Catholic grade school were fond of this argument. According to the argument, if something seems too orderly to have occurred by random chance, and had to be designed. However, even if one were to reject evolutionary theory, there are many cases of poor design which would most likely cast doubt upon the idea of their being created by a loving and all-powerful creator. For instance, the fact that most animals and plants can synthesize Vitamin C for themselves, but human beings, and a few other animals cannot, or a more familiar problem, the appendix, which serves no purpose in humans and is likely to end up almost killing them when it ruptures.
Band name of the Day: The devil's Mouthpiece, from J.C. Webster's nickname for radio personality Art Bell.
Play Idea of the Day: A musical about a youth with extreme involvement in crime (from thievery to sexual assault to video hacking) is given a choice between going to jail and putting on a show. Guess which one he chooses. It will be done in a big way, and quite possibly end up, for a while anyway, being in a venue created exclusively for it. Don't worry, I'm sure that it will be much better than it may seem at the moment.
Film Review of the Day: Hamlet 2. This film was the thing which helped inspire the play idea above. Of course, putting that aside, this movie was actually pretty good. It was probably one of the funniest all year, except possibly Expelled. Steve Coogan plays a Tiny Tim-lookalike rollerblading drama teacher who, shocked at his job being cut from the roster at his school after not being able to get any other work, manages to end up creating a sequel to Hamlet. After many obstacles, including the objections of the star's parents, a cease and desist order from the school, and his wife leaving him, he finally puts on the play, and it becomes a resounding success. I thought it was hilarious, and even my mother, whose overlap in sense of humour is often quite small, was laughing throughout much of the movie.
Quote of the Day: "My father molested me as a child; Maybe that’s why I’m so mean."
_____________The Principal from Hamlet 2.
Link of the Day: The Cynic's Sanctuary.
When my second Latin teacher learned about my attitudes towards religion, his suggestion was that I check out Thomas Aquinas' proofs of God from his Summa Theologica. Eventually, I looked in the Aquinas in the Great Books of the Western World set downstairs. In case you want to look, it is in the First Part, Section: Treatise on the One God, Question 2: The Existence of God, Article Three- whether God exists. One would think that there would be strength in numbers, but as I will show you, there isn't much in this case. For instance, the first three arguments are essentially the same argument at their core, with only differing initial premises. starting from the statement that there had to be a source for all movements and causes , and that since an infinite regress is impossible (at least to Aquinas), there must have been something to have set it off, and that this is supposed to be God. Of course, the biggest problem with that argument is that with the causes given, there is no reason to believe that said source has to have any of the properties that we as humans identify with God. Interestingly enough, the initial premise is also arguable. The motion of gas molecules is often not spurred at all by anything internal or external, and there are many other examples of unmoved motion that effectively undermine the validity of these arguments. With the first three arguments down, the fourth argument states that since there are degrees in things, there must be a being that has the highest degrees of certain properties, and that this must be God. However, the premises Aquinas gives are flawed, particularly in his statement that if an property can be conceived of as being in a greater degree, it must exist, which is often not the case. The last argument is the Argument from design. It is one of the few arguments still in modern use by most Christians, although the people at my Catholic grade school were fond of this argument. According to the argument, if something seems too orderly to have occurred by random chance, and had to be designed. However, even if one were to reject evolutionary theory, there are many cases of poor design which would most likely cast doubt upon the idea of their being created by a loving and all-powerful creator. For instance, the fact that most animals and plants can synthesize Vitamin C for themselves, but human beings, and a few other animals cannot, or a more familiar problem, the appendix, which serves no purpose in humans and is likely to end up almost killing them when it ruptures.
Band name of the Day: The devil's Mouthpiece, from J.C. Webster's nickname for radio personality Art Bell.
Play Idea of the Day: A musical about a youth with extreme involvement in crime (from thievery to sexual assault to video hacking) is given a choice between going to jail and putting on a show. Guess which one he chooses. It will be done in a big way, and quite possibly end up, for a while anyway, being in a venue created exclusively for it. Don't worry, I'm sure that it will be much better than it may seem at the moment.
Film Review of the Day: Hamlet 2. This film was the thing which helped inspire the play idea above. Of course, putting that aside, this movie was actually pretty good. It was probably one of the funniest all year, except possibly Expelled. Steve Coogan plays a Tiny Tim-lookalike rollerblading drama teacher who, shocked at his job being cut from the roster at his school after not being able to get any other work, manages to end up creating a sequel to Hamlet. After many obstacles, including the objections of the star's parents, a cease and desist order from the school, and his wife leaving him, he finally puts on the play, and it becomes a resounding success. I thought it was hilarious, and even my mother, whose overlap in sense of humour is often quite small, was laughing throughout much of the movie.
Quote of the Day: "My father molested me as a child; Maybe that’s why I’m so mean."
_____________The Principal from Hamlet 2.
Link of the Day: The Cynic's Sanctuary.
Labels: Religious Right, The Damn Bible
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