Divine purposes and methods (Evolution)

by dhw, Sunday, January 20, 2019, 12:11 (1885 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: No intent to denigrate lovely Jenny. We've discussed how a human develops from childhood with parental influences at work in shaping personality. Jenny did not arrive de novo at her current age. Do you deny your influence?

dhw: Of course we all inherit parental traits and are influenced by our upbringing. But that does not mean every child agrees with everything the parent says or thinks! My father was a practising Jew, but I am an agnostic. My brother was an atheist, but two of his four sons are ardent Christians. Did you always agree with your father?

DAVID: All I suggested is that you influenced Jenny as she developed, and you have agreed. Your further rebuttal suggests you have a fierce streak of defensiveness about your agnosticism. In the subject of religion my Father and I had no debates. Frankly, I have no idea what he really believed, if he had beliefs. While we were kids He went to High Holy Days services as the entire extent of what might be called practicing Judaism.

This is becoming far too personal! I don’t recall ever discussing religion with any of my children until long after they’d left home. My late wife was a Methodist, and they all went to church when they were young and attended Sunday school. I never at any time objected to this, or to their being baptised as Christians, although I did inform the Minister that I was not a believer. In fact he and I became lifelong friends, although sadly he is now suffering from dementia. I don’t know when Jenny made the decision that religion was not for her. Nor do I know what you mean by a “fierce streak of defensiveness”. I am an agnostic, which means I frankly admit my own ignorance and the fact that one way or another my non-beliefs are wrong. I can’t imagine anyone characterising me as fierce! Mild and gentle, that's me! :-) But I must admit that I do have a very critical response when I'm confronted with what I regard as silly arguments. You will certainly have noticed this, and so would Dawkins if he knew about this website, which came into existence as a response to his book with the astonishingly presumptuous title The God Delusion.


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