Logical Progression into Christianity
About a year ago, a colleague and I sat in a hotel room dreaming up the logical proofs one needed to accept, in what order, to accept the Christian God. Atheists always attack one and never the progression, the logic and rational thought behind it. Having never seen it drawn out like this, I can't say how good or accurate my listing is, but I suppose it's a start. If you disagree or see room for improvement, please let me know.
Logical procession into Christianity
-2. There is nothing
-1. What is seen is not real
0. There is nothing more than what can be seen
1. There is more than what can be seen.
2. There is a spiritual world
3. There are spiritual beings
4. These beings are not bound by the rules of the universe
5. These beings are more powerful than man
6. These beings are beyond time and thus, know everything
7. There is one being who is more powerful than the others
8. This one spiritual being cannot be half one thing and half another, it must be all one thing or all another.
9. This one omnipotent being is good
10. This omnipotent being who exists beyond time existed before man
11. This omnipotent being who exists beyond time and before man had some power over the creation of man
12. Having had power over the creation of man, man's creation was according to its will.
13. Man's life is owed to either the action of the omnipotent being or its inaction.
14. This omnipotent being has the power to destroy man, but does not and had the power to stop his creation, but did not
15. This omnipotent being beyond time who is good has the ability to communicate with all men at any moment, but does not, does so in ways that isn't obvious or scientifically measurable, or does so very rarely.
16. This decision to not contact man in a direct way must have a reason which is good because the being itself is good.
17. The being has three choices in any given situation: direct action, indirect or circuitous action, or inaction. Every action or indirect action must be a good because the being is wholly good.
18. The creation of man was not a natural occurrence.
19. By its unnatural occurrence, as well as man's ability to perceive and communicate with the spiritual, the being must have created man.
20. Because the being is good, and man is its creation, the being seeks the good for each man, though it may not intervene in order to always give the good.
21. Because man can perceive the spiritual, there must be a purpose to his creation.
22. This purpose is hidden or obscured from man for some reason. This purpose, however, exists and is communicated in indirect ways.
23. This superior being communicates to man in indirect ways.
24. This superior being would communicate with man in a way to distinguish its will from man's will.
25. The will of this superior being would, if it desired not to be obvious, have to be carried out by men.
26. Most men are not capable of separating their interest from a separate altruistic interest.
27. This superior being would not be able to depend solely on all men to enact its will as long as it used indirect communication because men cannot separate their interest from altruistic interest.
28. If this superior being cannot use all men, then it must use some men. There must be some system of authority to determine which men to use and which ones do not have such authority.
Conclusion so far: God exists, God is good, God created us, God wants the best for us.
Labels: Catholicism, Christianity, God, philosophy, religion
Natural Student Issues
For campus organizing, many of the groups doing good work on colleges are really working on esoteric and extraneous issues to what are properly understood as natural student issues. This is somewhat related to the political science terms "preferences/salience" and "popularity" meaning that the intensity of attention to one issue is different than a menu-list of issues. For instance, Newt Gingrich has his "
American Solutions" which, at times, seems a bit silly. He lists a hundred or more potential policy solutions, which I suppose is good for think-tank types. But it represents a coupling of divergent policies that are popular, but very few which are actually salient, which people are intensely interested in. For another example,
Students for Saving Social Security is a great idea, and a great group, but it's working against the natural salience on campus on a variety of what could be conservative issues. No 18-22 year old is naturally talking about social security reform. These represent strategic choices, grander than the specific tactics that some organizations use to pitch their products, their programs. As an example of another organization, perhaps as a mild critique, the
Intercollegiate Studies Institute, a very fine organization, limits itself and its intellectual conservative offerings, often to a very self-selecting group of intelligent students at elite universities. Even though the masses are craving alternatives to the indoctrination they are receiving in the classroom, ISI is tactically limiting their offerings.
We should thrive on controversy, because it means that we are being read, talked about and discussed. And if we believe that conservativism represents truth, and that given a fair hearing our ideas will prevail, we should take every idea that students are curious about, and offer conservative interpretations that they won't hear elsewhere. The usual reaction from establishment types is that this will cause a recalcitrant attitude, and people's hearts will become closed, which may be true in the general population. But with the many intellectual journeys students are taking in their four years of undergraduate education, it is worth focusing on that which will excite and entice them, rather than focusing on many issues which will always bore them. I would much rather show pieces of inherently beautiful art and talk about culture and be idiotically called a racist than show an actuarial table, charts and statistics and have the entire audience asleep.
Therefore, I think there are about 9 or so natural student issues. Here they are in no particular order:
Natural Student Issues:
1. Race
2. Culture and Identity
3. Bureaucracy
4. Tuition
5. Jobs and future careers
6. Feminism and Gender
7. Homosexuality
8. Community and Greek Life
9. War and Global Conflicts
Labels: campuses, college, conservativism, organizing, philosophy, strategy, tactics
Our Independence Day
For most Americans, it seems that July 4th has become a day to celebrate abstract ideals few recall, and spend the holiday with family. Those are fine things, I would say even wonderful things. In the history that weaves its stories through the everydays we take for granted, however, the day means much more that it is fitting and important to remember. The separation from Great Britain was a costly one, and one with much personal sacrifice. Much of that sacrifice was borne by men, women and families whom history has long forgotten. These were often families of faith, who through the strength of their connection with God understood that they could no longer continue in unity with Britain. Noble monarchy, indeed, can be seen by most objective men to be an ideal form of government and yet King George, and the monarchies that would come later, were too much to bear for a new American experiment: one in a representative Republic. That country formed 232 years ago, was quite different from the one in which we now live. The stability, peace and prosperity, given through a simple Constitution, checks and balances and separations of power, has given us the greatest standard of living on the planet. And yet, through all of this, while remembering the many blessings bestowed upon us by God, our work is far from over. Less than a decade after the signatures dried on the Constitution, the judiciary under John Marshall was setting in place mechanisms to destabilize the precious balance of power. Within two centuries of the Constitution, our morals had descended to the point where we legalized and encouraged the destruction of the most innocent among us: the unborn. And by the present day scholars are talking of a 'post-Christian' era for a country explicitly founded on Christian ideals, respectful at every juncture to the Lord, and gracious for his blessings upon this Republic. We have inherited a Constitution which came at great cost, which has proven to be the most brilliant piece of writing not divinely inspired, and yet we have so many troubles in front of us that it can seem overwhelming. The forces of spiritual warfare can blight even a triumphant day such as our Independence Day. And when one works in politics, in pro-life affairs, fighting for the truth, that warfare goes on every day in every way on every front. And yet, and yet, this day can still be an inspiration. For the men who have given us this opportunity, this unique window in history to do right and glorify God, have also given us their example. And only through gross historical neglect can we avoid these men. There are those that fought under uniform, about whom much is written, and we can only continue to honor. And there were those on the homefront helping to provide, such as the many wonderful Mothers and families that had proven so crucial. But my meaning is not to honor the soldier or praise thy mother, but to recognize a different type of hero: the many common men who rose when called, and who persevered when challenged. The American national anthem, which I have too often taken for granted, well sums this idea up. It expresses the hope that this country provides, it communicates the Providence which guides us, and also shows the courage and sacrifice which has kept it the greatest country in history. Few can recall the importance of
Fort McHenry, but everyone remembers that the rockets red glare in the
Star Spangled Banner were being fired, and that the battle was pitched. It was through the courage of those who remained, and through the sacrifice of a woman killed while supplying troops, that McHenry protected Baltimore during
the War of 1812. This woman was a daughter, a sister, perhaps a lover and a mother, and she paid the ultimate price not because she had entered the uniform, and not through accident either. She died because her country was founded on ideas that were worth dying for, and always worth fighting for: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is the strength of these ideas that we were founded, that we fought, that we persevered, and which we so casually dismiss by pretending that our independence day is simply a holiday, and that the battle of ideas that continues to this day is unimportant or uninteresting. Our American apathy, and too often cynicism, was no where to be found at Fort McHenry or through the revolution, or within the hearts of those who made the sacrifices we take for granted. And by God we have much to continue fighting for to make this country worthy of its heavenly mandate, but we will never let our detractors forget that we are here, and that we are never surrendering and never retreating. They will know us through the sounds of the rockets, the explosions of the bombs in the air, and the proof that we will live through the night that has become a sick country, society and polity. We celebrate the fourth in modern times with fireworks to ornament the day we cherish, but those fireworks should remind us of the bombs that burst over Ft. McHenry, and how futile it was for the British to try and conquer a country full of women, men and soldiers committed to Christian values. Those rockets were the vanity of an Empire on decline, and their failure was a testament to the strength of our character and resolve. Independence day ought to become a moment to reflect on the courage of our ancestors, cast away our doubts, fears and anxiety, and move forward in this country to the victories that await us on the critical issues which remain. God has given us this country as the greatest opportunity of all, and today we remember, and everyday we thank him, that our future will hold many similar battles.
Labels: America, philosophy
