From: paj@uk.co.gec-mrc (Paul Johnson)
Newsgroups: sci.skeptic
Subject: Re: Faith Healing
Date: 17 Nov 92 11:00:19 GMT
Reply-To: paj@uk.co.gec-mrc (Paul Johnson)
Organization: GEC-Marconi Research Centre, Great Baddow, UK

Bob Schaeffer and John Ata write:

JA: You have made the case for seeing Christianity as perverting
JA: sexuality. May I present an alternate viewpoint?

[Analogy between human sexuality and a washing machine follows, the
point of which is that operating anything in a way contrary to the
manufacturers instructions is unwise]

BOB: Theist falsehood #1: "people as 'things,' such as a dishwasher."
BOB: That's not what you meant, just what you implied. My concern is
BOB: a human one. Life is not a machine.

JA: Anti-theist falsehood #1: Take an analogy that was trying to
JA: describe something, ignore the point of the analogy and find some
JA: difference between the thing the author was trying to describe and
JA: the object of the analogy.  Then proceed to label the analogy
JA: false and useless.

Your analogy is only valid if all humans have a sexuality which
operates in the same way.  There is abundant evidence that this is not
so.  Hence pushing biblical morality as "the instruction book" is akin
to pushing one instruction book for many different models of washing
machine.

BOB: Theist falsehood #2: "people come with instruction books." There
BOB: is no instruction manual for human beings.

JA: Anti-theist falsehood #2: Take things as literally as possible.  If you
JA: mean that no one is born with an instruction booklet, I agree.  But that
JA: is not what I was saying.

No, you are pushing the bible as "the instruction book".  There is no
evidence that this book comes from the manufacturer, or was authorised
by Him (except for a few claims in the book itself).  Given that the
instructions in this book seem not to relate to this model of washing
machine, I can only assume that this book is not from the
manufacturer :-)

BOB: Theist falsehood #3: "all people can be, and should be, governed
BOB: by one set of instructions." [....]  To force all peoples into a
BOB: mold is what all tyrants try to do--- those who do not fit are
BOB: removed.

JA: Anti-theist falsehoold #3: There is no general guiding principal
JA: that could govern a persons behaviour.  Let's see, we usually eat
JA: when we are hungry and have food readily available.  [....] Sounds
JA: like pretty general principals guiding all people in the physical
JA: arena.  Why couldn't there be spiritual precepts or guidelines in
JA: the spiritual arena?

In a way I think you are both right here.  Bob fears a tyranny and
John's reply is that he (John) could be right.  This is technically
true, but the onus of proof is on John, not Bob.  Many bad governments
down through history have used God as an excuse for doing whatever
they wanted.  It is up to John to prove that his religion is benign.
So far he has made a bad start.

Paul.

-- 
Paul Johnson (paj@gec-mrc.co.uk).	    | Tel: +44 245 73331 ext 3245
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