A query for the classicists (Correction: silly list labeling rules followed)

Jeff Epler jepler@inetnebr.com
Fri, 2 Oct 1998 07:53:41 -0500 (00907350821, 19981002075341.A1612@craie.inetnebr.com) 

JEFF
Apologies to everyone, I'm too well trained to follow the usenet quoting
style.  Shoot me.

On Fri, Oct 02, 1998 at 07:13:32AM -0500, Jeff Epler wrote:

> On Thu, Oct 01, 1998 at 10:45:42PM -0700, Michael W. Fisher wrote:

> > A query for the classical scholars on the list.

> > 

> > What is the truth value of the assertions of the good Dr. Hahn in regard

> > to "person" in the excerpt below, plucked from an apologetics list I

> > lurk on:

> > 

> > "Heard a great lecture tonight from Dr. Scott Hahn, who pointed out that

> > there would be no concept of human rights at all without the Church,

> > because it all emanates from the concept of person, which was developed in

> > the Church's struggle to define who Christ was in the face of heresies

> [...]

> 

JEFF

> So, if one of the ideas that X originated was good, then X is good?  Does

> this sound like a credible argument to anyone?  Even granting the claim

> that Christianity originated the idea of personhood, and that the idea of

> personhood is good, I can't see how it follows that Christianity is good.

> 

> Will Dr. Hahn accept that if rejecting the concept of god when explaining

> physical phenomena has paved the way for most of the great discoveries in

> physics for the last 200 years, atheism must be a pretty good thing?  I

> think not, and I don't know why his explanation of why not wouldn't apply

> with equal force to his argument.  Unless, of course, he'd like to appeal

> that Christianity is true and atheism was false, but the goal seemed to

> make it credible that Christianity was true, and thus his argument would

> become circular.

> 

> Jeff

> -- 

> \/ http://www.freshmeat.net/                     Jeff Epler jepler@inetnebr.com

> A good supervisor can step on your toes without messing up your shine.


-- 
\/ http://incolor.inetnebr.com/jepler/           Jeff Epler jepler@inetnebr.com
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