Comments on: Augustine for the 21st Century (4): What Were Augustine’s Starting Points and How are They Relevant for Today?

By: Joshua Owens

Joshua Owens — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 23:35:41 +0000

Perhaps your best part of the series yet, Dr Ashford! Quite excellent and encouraging. I would say that good and evil are definitely not relative (since God is good, how can good be relative?) though to our own sin-twisted minds they may seem that way. Remember, sin darkens the mind of reason; it does not enlighten it (Rom 1). We all have our own perspectives, but because I claim to have seen a lion with horns and hooves does not mean lions have horns and hooves.

By: Bruce Ashford

Bruce Ashford — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:07:26 +0000

Terry,

Thank you for your comments.

First, you say that I do not represent pantheism correctly. My response: In the pantheism section, I am using actual examples of pantheism, gleaned mostly from my trips to Asia but also from pantheist writings. I would say that pantheism is a multi-headed monster and there are many different outworkings of a pantheistic worldview. On the topics of oneness and good/evil, I gave examples of actual conversations I have had in one little corner of the pantheistic world. Further, those comments are representative of a major stream of pantheism. Pantheism is multi-headed, coming in absolute, emanational, developmental, modal, multilevel, permeational and other varieties. It is not possible for me to represent all varieties. That is why I said “some” pantheists in my post.

Second, you say that good and evil are relative to the observer. My reponse: Not correct. Your comments to me imply that you don’t really believe your own statement. If you thought it was “wrong” for me to “misrepresent” pantheism, and you took the time to write me and correct me, then you must believe that I also should think it is “wrong” to misrepresent pantheism. You seem to have some standard of right and wrong that is not perspectival.

I hope that my comments have been helpful.

By: Terry

Terry — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:54:17 +0000

Huh? Many fallacies in your above discourse. Here, to name a couple.

When Pantheism states, “All is one”, it is to say that, “All is interconnected”. Such as all of the organs of the human body are one. Not that all is literally one, without distinction. That would be absurd.

As for evil. Good and evil are relative terms, as to the perspective of the observer. Example: most would not argue that Adolph Hilter was evil…except Adolph Hitler! From his perspective what he did was good. From most other perspectives it was evil. So, you say that he was evil. But from what perspective? Yes, good and evil exist, but only from ones own perception. But, in the perspective of science (which attempts to explain Nature, and hence all that exists, empirically), good and evil do not exist.

So, I could go on and on, but time forbids me.