Bahnsen/Stein debate, 1985: Does God Exist?
We heard the first section at the college Bible study this week, since we're studying apologetics...
I now have a new argument (yay!):
Given: One cannot legitimately prove any truth with circular reasoning or petito principi...
How would one prove the following statement?
Only sound logic proves fact.
Non Sequitur.
Quamobrem?
If you say that logic proves that logic proves fact, you are using circular reasoning.
If you say that anything else can prove this statement, you contradict yourself by admitting that something outside of rationalism can prove a fact.
This was used by Bahnsen in his opening statement, and pointedly ignored by Stein, who committed this error over and over and over again for the next thirty minutes.
In my spare time, I've been reading a neurophsychology textbook. I've learned about how the normal electrical charge inside a neural cell is -70 millivolts, and the charge outside is +70 millivolts, and how the potassium-sodium transports work...
And I begin to see--the more we know, the more helpless we feel. What can YOU do if your brain-blood barrier doesn't seal? What can YOU do if the astrocytes form scar tissue in the place of a dead neural cell, and your brain can't re-form the connection? What can YOU do when your body starts attacking its own neural cells, or your Schwann cells deteriorate and die?
Pretty much nothing, that's what. It's a mercy we work as well as we do!
I now have a new argument (yay!):
Given: One cannot legitimately prove any truth with circular reasoning or petito principi...
How would one prove the following statement?
Only sound logic proves fact.
Non Sequitur.
Quamobrem?
If you say that logic proves that logic proves fact, you are using circular reasoning.
If you say that anything else can prove this statement, you contradict yourself by admitting that something outside of rationalism can prove a fact.
This was used by Bahnsen in his opening statement, and pointedly ignored by Stein, who committed this error over and over and over again for the next thirty minutes.
In my spare time, I've been reading a neurophsychology textbook. I've learned about how the normal electrical charge inside a neural cell is -70 millivolts, and the charge outside is +70 millivolts, and how the potassium-sodium transports work...
And I begin to see--the more we know, the more helpless we feel. What can YOU do if your brain-blood barrier doesn't seal? What can YOU do if the astrocytes form scar tissue in the place of a dead neural cell, and your brain can't re-form the connection? What can YOU do when your body starts attacking its own neural cells, or your Schwann cells deteriorate and die?
Pretty much nothing, that's what. It's a mercy we work as well as we do!
posted by Unknown at 9:25 AM
4 Comments:
The Bahnsen/Stein debate is great to listen to! God gave Bahnsen an incredible gift and I think he used it in a great way!
Yes, indeed. Our bodies are "fearfully and wonderfully made". When P and I were doing biology, though it was rather confusing, it was incredible to discover the intricacy--the chemical processes that have to take place for one muscle to contract!
That's a good debate to listen to. P already told you this, but he, my father, and I listened to it several months ago. We read along on a transcript while we listened. It was a wonderful tool to learn how to deal with some of those arguments.
Pippin, your "comment moderation" is driving me nuts!!
I just read your xanga post. Since I can't comment on there *growl*, I thought I'd comment on here. It was a pathetically hilarious read. Made me laugh (despite my own sore throat *hem hem*). I've been praying hard for you all over the past several days, and I'm so glad you're better!!
Huh.
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