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Well aside from necessitating yet two more premises -- that an omnipotent being exists (which has more than its share of problems itself) and that the omniscient and omnipotent beings are one and the same -- this is not an acceptable situation. Determinism is by definition absolute, as if...

First, PuppetXeno: This is a violation of the definition of definable. The definition of a term must be meaningful, as otherwise the term is nonsensical and should not be considered at all. What justification is there for saying, "Well, this concept is impossible within the system, but if it...

My objection is that you're positing the existence -- yes, I get you don't actually believe in it, but that's beside the point -- of the concept "free will" without really defining it or explaining how it works within a system. If we can't understand it, because it can't possibly exist, then...

In which case we need a proper definition of terms and outlining of axioms in order to examine the analogy, which honestly seems like a waste of time to me. Positivism is all well and good, but it by its nature is going to have a bit of a problem dealing with metaphysical issues such as this...

Taking issue with a faulty definition is not begging the question. As "omniscience" literally translates to "all-knowing", any definition of the term that is not that had better be very solid if it's to be at all acceptable. I pointed out that you had not provided such an acceptable...

This example makes no sense whatsoever. We can never know what a square triangle would look or behave like, because the basic rules of Euclidean geometry do not allow for such a thing. A square triangle is a contradiction, and contradictions can be dismissed a priori -- without need for...

The problem there is that the very concept of the unknowable disallows the possibility of an omniscient being. That's what the "omni-" prefix means -- everything, without limits. The moment you impose the unknowable on the universe, either by binding the omniscient with time (which doesn't...

The problem is, this seems to be begging the question. The issue at hand, at least as far as I see it, is not whether or not there is reason for an as-yet undefined concept of the divine, but whether such a concept can even exist. The only way we can get into discussion of specific concepts is...

I'm surprised Dennett hasn't made the list yet -- I'd recommend Consciousness Explained, which is fairly accessible (3.5 - 4 / 5, I'd say) for a book attempting to bridge the gap between neurology and the experience of consciousness. He starts at a relatively simple level and builds upward...

The channel that I've seen most often cited as "the second coming" (sorry, couldn't help myself) is http://www.youtube.com/user/VenomFangX1. I'm massively skeptical too, because so far all that channel has done is repost VFX's old vids. Knowing what we do of Shawn's personality, I just don't...

I watched this with a Pastafarian friend of mine some time back, and I think the only way we made it through was with our healthy stockpile of good Belgian ale. This is indoctrination at its worst. Over in one of the VFX threads, I discussed how individuals can use religion as a substitute for...

My field's psychology (BA, MA), with cognitive science (Ph D) to be added to the collection soon. I noticed that at least one other person in this thread mentioned that they're studying psychology -- I'd be interested to know how many people here come out of that field, and were dragged into...

In the course of my study of the psychology of religion, I've found that the martyr complex is, as suggested in this thread, used by the subject as a defense mechanism -- a version of denial. They proclaim loudly that they're abandoned by their friends and family because of their religious...

I'm not sure I ever really believed, despite a supposedly religious upbringing. Faith has always seemed an alien concept to me, and even a decade and more of studying the psychological aspects of faith, as well as nearly constant dialogue with believers, I still just do not get how it works.