I've slacked off on writing my thoughts on my blog. It's good for me to post what I am thinking especially when I read a lot of philosophy and theology. Blogging helps me to sort my thoughts out, even if most of my readers don't understand my thoughts. Usually after writing something out, I understand it better than before.
This summer I have been attending a Greek reading group - we are reading Aristotle's Posterior Analytics. Not that I am great at reading Greek, but it is helpful. Anyway, usually after we are finished reading we go out to a restrarant and hang out. This last Tuesday a professor showed up who is from India and happens to be a punjabi. If any if my readers have seen the greatness of Bend It Like Beckham, you would know that Jess is punjabi. Well, the prof said that BILB accurately portrays the punjabi families. Absolute greatness!!! Next time I watch BILB I'll know that it is an accurate movie and that will make it even funnier.
So, I have started working out again after a month hiatus from the gym. It's always tough to get back in the groove but I'll manage.
Currently I'm reviewing my symbolic logic, then I will move on to modal logic. Logic is something that you can never be too good at in philosophy. So, my fiance may get frustrated because at times I may revert to making statements in predicate logical forms. But I'm sure she won't get too frustrated. Speaking of fiances - she's driving down this Wednesday, so I am flying Southwest Airlines to St. Louis. Then, from St. Louis we will drive to her apartment in Oklahoma City.
Saturday, June 18, 2005
Monday, June 13, 2005
Gnosticism & Works Salvation
As a result of my summer reading I've become more and more convinced that the so-called evangelicals in North America really are semi-gnostic and hold to a works salvation. Let me explain.
First off the gnosticism. Most Christians if you asked them what happens when you die they would claim that we go to heaven. I'm not really sure what happens immediately upon death other than we go to be with Jesus. So, technically if Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, and the Father's dwelling place is heaven, then we go to heaven. Yet, most Christians would also assert that our body is just a shell and when we die the real person the soul/spirit goes to heaven. This is false and is not a biblical teaching. The Bible teaches that it is the whole person that is important. So, only a part of us goes to be with the Lord and we wait with our Lord to be reunited with our glorified bodies for the resurrection day. Most Christians are really Platonic in their view of death, i.e. bodies are bad and souls are good.
Second works salvation. Faith is a gift from God. Salvation comes through believing in Jesus Christ. Yet, people often brag about their faith. They will mock theologians claiming that they need more faith. Fair enough, we all need more faith. Yet, if faith is a gift from God (Eph. 2: 8-11) we should never put down others who don't have more of it. Instead we ought to pray for them. Salvation is often seen as something where you need faith to believe. So someone is not saved because they choose not to believe or their faith isn't strong enough. Sounds like faith is the work in this instance. One might say, my faith is stronger than yours, that is why I became a Christian. If we view faith as a gift from God, as we ought to, we would never make this claim. Instead we would be much more humble about the faith that we do have. Instead faith is preached as the medium to achieve salvation and faith is the result of an individual's effort to produce it.
First off the gnosticism. Most Christians if you asked them what happens when you die they would claim that we go to heaven. I'm not really sure what happens immediately upon death other than we go to be with Jesus. So, technically if Jesus is at the right hand of the Father, and the Father's dwelling place is heaven, then we go to heaven. Yet, most Christians would also assert that our body is just a shell and when we die the real person the soul/spirit goes to heaven. This is false and is not a biblical teaching. The Bible teaches that it is the whole person that is important. So, only a part of us goes to be with the Lord and we wait with our Lord to be reunited with our glorified bodies for the resurrection day. Most Christians are really Platonic in their view of death, i.e. bodies are bad and souls are good.
Second works salvation. Faith is a gift from God. Salvation comes through believing in Jesus Christ. Yet, people often brag about their faith. They will mock theologians claiming that they need more faith. Fair enough, we all need more faith. Yet, if faith is a gift from God (Eph. 2: 8-11) we should never put down others who don't have more of it. Instead we ought to pray for them. Salvation is often seen as something where you need faith to believe. So someone is not saved because they choose not to believe or their faith isn't strong enough. Sounds like faith is the work in this instance. One might say, my faith is stronger than yours, that is why I became a Christian. If we view faith as a gift from God, as we ought to, we would never make this claim. Instead we would be much more humble about the faith that we do have. Instead faith is preached as the medium to achieve salvation and faith is the result of an individual's effort to produce it.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Is Anakin Skywalker Darth Vader?
So, the main question is, is Anakin Skywalker identical with Darth Vader. In other words, for every property that Darth Vader possesses does Anakin Skywalker possess? (I owe this question to my friend LJ.)
The primary puzzlement about this question is a statement by Obi Wan Kenobi - Darth Vader is more machine than man. Anakin Skywalker was a man, and then was dubbed Darth Vader by Emperor Palpatine upon Anakin Skywalker's conversion to the darkside of the force. Now, if we follow Saul Kripke on names then both 'Darth Vader' and 'Anakin Skywalker' are rigid designators. That is, names are not descriptions of an object. Here is the problem though, if two rigid designators are identical then they are necessarily identical. Therefore, if Anakin Skywalker is identical with Darth Vader, then he is necessarily identical to Darth Vader. Yet, it seems possible that Anakin Skywalker may have never converted to the darkside. I don't know where to take this question. Darth Vader is a sith, and sith are necessarily converts to the darkside of the force, so that is a necessary property of Darth Vader. Anakin Skywalker does not have the property of necessarily using the darkside, therefore Anakin Skywalker is not identical to Darth Vader. Hence Obi Wan Kenobi was correct when he declared Luke's father and Darth Vader to be two separate persons.
The primary puzzlement about this question is a statement by Obi Wan Kenobi - Darth Vader is more machine than man. Anakin Skywalker was a man, and then was dubbed Darth Vader by Emperor Palpatine upon Anakin Skywalker's conversion to the darkside of the force. Now, if we follow Saul Kripke on names then both 'Darth Vader' and 'Anakin Skywalker' are rigid designators. That is, names are not descriptions of an object. Here is the problem though, if two rigid designators are identical then they are necessarily identical. Therefore, if Anakin Skywalker is identical with Darth Vader, then he is necessarily identical to Darth Vader. Yet, it seems possible that Anakin Skywalker may have never converted to the darkside. I don't know where to take this question. Darth Vader is a sith, and sith are necessarily converts to the darkside of the force, so that is a necessary property of Darth Vader. Anakin Skywalker does not have the property of necessarily using the darkside, therefore Anakin Skywalker is not identical to Darth Vader. Hence Obi Wan Kenobi was correct when he declared Luke's father and Darth Vader to be two separate persons.
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