tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3461877683675177162.post4240498671944011201..comments2023-10-27T03:22:49.365-04:00Comments on Avert Your Eye: Does the Euthyphro Dilemma Argue For Theism? (Part One)Teleprompterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13014919684351529479noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3461877683675177162.post-31943202322916315622009-06-24T23:11:06.595-04:002009-06-24T23:11:06.595-04:00"If any of us did encounter God, we wouldn..."If any of us did encounter God, we wouldn't have to argue whether or not a God was good.<br /><br />Do you begin to see where this is going?"<br /><br />OK, so it's a new front. Yes, I think I see it, but correct me if I'm wrong. You're saying if we had a common frame of reference from encountering the same God, or if he were *as obvious as the sun* we wouldn't have to argue. I agree.<br /><br />If that's a correct representation, then I think you need to rephrase from *if any of us* to *if I*. Obviously, I claim to have encountered such...MSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3461877683675177162.post-23034690937946075862009-06-23T23:16:48.001-04:002009-06-23T23:16:48.001-04:00No MS, you have found my argument!!
If any of us ...No MS, you have found my argument!!<br /><br />If any of us did encounter God, we wouldn't have to argue whether or not a God was good.<br /><br />Do you begin to see where this is going?Teleprompterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13014919684351529479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3461877683675177162.post-8985183757976393972009-06-23T22:32:25.285-04:002009-06-23T22:32:25.285-04:00"I hope I have clarified what I would like to..."I hope I have clarified what I would like to see in order to declare that God is good: reasons for believing in a God, and reasons for believing that a God is good."<br /><br />I get you loud and clear, Tele. So, I don't think we're arguing much here. IOW, if you do encounter God, you'll know if he's good or not.MSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3461877683675177162.post-78238808726562141892009-06-20T00:59:59.102-04:002009-06-20T00:59:59.102-04:00MS Quixote,
I agree with you that it should be in...MS Quixote,<br /><br />I agree with you that it should be informative to say that God is good.<br /><br />It should be. But is it?<br /><br />I have to admit, I am a bit confused. <br /><br />You said that God is the paradigm of goodness. OK. But you said that theists didn't argue that God was good...but that he is "the good".<br /><br />"The good" as a concept seems awfully slippery as doesn't tell us as much as just to say that God is good. Because what if what is good for God isn't so good for us? How would we know?<br /><br />So, that confused me a little bit - is God "the good" or is he "good", or is he both?<br /><br />Also, if God's nature is good because it's God's nature, then why is God's nature good? Of course, you would say that this is probably not a good question, because God's goodness for you is a fact of brute existence.<br /><br />But for me, this is not so clear.<br /><br />I agree with you that I recognize things that could informally be called "good" when I encounter them.<br /><br />Things that tend to promote certain values, which fulfill some of our desires and reasons for moral actions, could very well be called good...and I assume, for the most part, that we do know these when we see them. However, I have a hard time believing that any one thing or principle is inherently good or bad.<br /><br />For me, it would make sense to say that if God is good, then because of God, more reasons for action are fulfilled than go unfulfilled. <br /><br />But since God hasn't really blatantly made himself known to me, there's really no way for me to know this. I don't have the personal experience to say, reasonably, that God is good.<br /><br />So I do see things that I consider good and I recognize this, but I don't see God anywhere...so for now, I have to evaluate whether any particular God is good using the sources I have (scripture, theology, dialogue with religious people). And that, is just not enough for me to say that any God is good, if there is such a God.<br /><br />I hope I have clarified what I would like to see in order to declare that God is good: reasons for believing in a God, and reasons for believing that a God is good.Teleprompterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13014919684351529479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3461877683675177162.post-40558400707901811002009-06-19T22:50:10.106-04:002009-06-19T22:50:10.106-04:00Hey Tele,
I'm confident that you will recogni...Hey Tele,<br /><br />I'm confident that you will recognize good when you encounter it, whether it be in God or elsewhere. That's why I believe it's informative to say that God is good.MS Quixotenoreply@blogger.com