Bill's Comments

Go and read. It is both funny and correct.

I am currently working on a major project, analysing the arguments in a debate between Evangelical Atheists and Fundamental Christians. As part of my introductory paragraphs, I wrote this:

From my perspective there are basic choices that are made during life. The first, usually done completely unconsciously, is to choose whether the world is subjective or objective. Does it exist only as I perceive it or does it exist whether I perceive it or not? In our society belief in other than an objective world leads to insanity. However, a subjective world is a belief in some Eastern mystical religions. The second choice is to believe or not believe in God. Make no mistake, this is a choice about a fundamental belief. It is not possible to prove or disprove the existence of God, and all the supposed “proofs” and justifications are simply rationalizations after the fact. I include myself in that statement, having explicitly decided that the world is objective, and that God exists. All my support for the second decision comes from subjective concerns, and as such are not arguments for His existence.

Once these two choices are made, there is then another set of choices: what becomes the basis for one's world view, and what becomes the basis of one's moral code. If one is an atheist the world view usually devolves to Scientism and the moral code is then selected from the various secular behaviors. If one is a theist, in chosing one's world view, one must also decide what is the nature of God that one believes in, and what role current knowledge plays in one's world view. From this we get all the broad variety of cults, sects, and denominations that exist in the theistic world. The moral code follows from the theistic choices.

There are of course an uncountable number of choices made in one's life, but from my perspective, these are fundamental. All the others are details and decoration around the edges.