[Vision2020] Hymn to the Intelligent Designer

[Ralph Nielsen]

Tony,

I thought you were talking about drawing conclusions about ultimate  
questions. That's why I asked you the questions I did. But instead of  
answering them you accuse me of "lampooning the beliefs of so many  
others for so many years."

Tony, I always try to avoid ad hominem remarks and stick with what  
the Bible actually says. I try to be a scholar, not a believer. But  
that isn't easy these days. As George Bernard Shaw said, “Two percent  
of the people think; three percent of the people think they think;  
and ninety-five percent of the people would rather die than think.”

Ralph

On Jan 30, 2007, at 9:39 AM, Tony wrote:

> I want to speculate because it is a fascinating exercise Ralph.   
> Besides, every question ever answered was speculation prior to  
> being resolved. Besides again, I was curious, after listening to  
> you lampoon the beliefs of so many others over so many years, what  
> your particular views were.  Is your mind open to any number of  
> possibilities in an infinite universe?  Or are you an atheist who  
> is just as devout in his disbelief as any believer might be in his  
> belief?
>
> -T
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ralph Nielsen"  
> <nielsen at uidaho.edu>
>
>
>> Tony, why should we waste our time drawing conclusions about  
>> theoretical speculation that neither you nor I are in a position  
>> to know anything about? All we know is that we are products of  
>> evolution in an ever-changing universe.
>>
>> Are venomous animals and insects the product of an "overarching  
>> intelligence"? Are hurricanes, earthquakes and tsunamis? Would you  
>> design a world like that? If not, why try to attribute it to  
>> anything intelligent?
>>
>> Ralph
>>
>> On Jan 28, 2007, at 5:56 PM, Tony wrote:
>>
>>> Ralph,  please!  My question, now asked for the third time, was   
>>> clear: What is YOUR personal conclusion as to the existence or   
>>> nonexistence of an overarching intelligence?
>>>
>>> Still later,   -T
>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ralph Nielsen"   
>>> <nielsen at uidaho.edu>
>>>
>>>> Tony, are you trying to say that you view the Bible as  
>>>> consistent  or compassionate?
>>>> Ralph
>>>>
>>>> On Jan 28, 2007, at 8:32 AM, Tony wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> No Ralph, I quite understand that you don't view the Bible as  
>>>>> consistent or compassionate.  What I was attempting (for the   
>>>>> second time) was to determine what YOUR personal conclusion is   
>>>>> as to the existence or nonexistence of an overarching  
>>>>> intelligence.
>>>>>
>>>>> Later,  -T
>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ralph Nielsen"  
>>>>> <nielsen at uidaho.edu>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Tony,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Is God a mean S.O.B.? Not according to himself. By the end of   
>>>>>> the sixth day of creation "God saw everything that he had  
>>>>>> made,  and indeed, it was very good" (Genesis 1:31a).
>>>>>>
>>>>>> However, later in the Bible God does admit that he is a  
>>>>>> S.O.B.  "I form light and create darkness, I make weal and  
>>>>>> create woe-- I the   LORD do all these things" (Isaiah 45:7).  
>>>>>> The Jewish  Study Bible  says that here the word "woe" is the  
>>>>>> same as  "evil." p. 875.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> So try to have a pleasant Sabbath, Tony. It will soon be  
>>>>>> over-- at sundown.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Ralph
>>
>
>