Shariah

WALLACE TOM Jr. (2015) Refuting Islam, The Christian Patriots Guide to Exposing the Evils of Islam, Bellingham, Fundamental Publishers.

The book review continues...

Chapter Two: The Appeasers

Shariah Courts In The UK

Mr. Wallace explains that these courts began in the United Kingdom in September, 2008. (16). The author writes that the British appeased Islam by adding Shariah to the British legal code. (16). The courts are limited to family civil law for now, but Mr. Wallace opines that inevitably with the rise of Islam this will lead to being expanded to criminal cases. (16).

I will agree with Mr. Wallace that in principal, I do not philosophically support the concept of a group of people in a Western nation being ruled by their own laws. (16). In my opinion, religious rules and law should not be sanctioned by the state, but should be administered internally within the state support of freedom of religion in Western democracies.

For example

I am a member of Northview Community Church and its second church plant, TriCity Church. If I break a rule required for membership, it is my view that for a reasonable separation of church-state, any church discipline with me should be administered via the church and not in any way by a state government. But again, I support freedom of religion via the state.

For Islam, I am opposed to state sanctioned Shariah Law, but support the right of Islam to rule internally. The modern West, unlike traditional Islam, does not have the religion-state unity and this should be maintained within Western society and law.

I am consistent, I would not support the sanctioning of Reformed, Christian law and courts by Maple Ridge, British Columbia or Canada either...

If that would occur in some fantasy alternative world!

Why, you ask?

I do not trust politicians and bureaucrats, or religious leaders, within a sinful, fallen realm, to accurately and reasonably administer theonomy (Biblical and/or religious law) within theocracy. (Religion-State rule).

Jesus Christ stated his Kingdom was not of this world (John 18), and I support theocracy when ruled by the perfect and holy God.

This demonstrates a consistent religious philosophy as opposed to an axe to grind with Islam.

The UK's Independent Fact Checking Charity

Quote

'Are there 'Sharia courts' in Britain?

While there are undoubtedly lots of different councils and tribunals dealing with Sharia principles, they aren't courts of law. Most are Sharia 'councils' set up to make decisions on purely religious matters, although there are some bodies that mix Sharia principles with legally binding arbitration. But none can overrule the regular courts.

Sharia councils

Getting married for the purposes of your religion doesn't necessarily mean you are married in the eyes of the state.

Equally, the paperwork required for a civil divorce needn't be recognised by your religion. For this reason, many Sharia councils exist to issue Islamic divorce certificates, and give advice on other aspects of religious law. They're often attached to mosques.'
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As noted, principally, I do not support separate religious courts...

'But none can overrule the regular courts.'

This demonstrates a limitation to these courts.

An argument that inevitably this will expand to cover criminal law, or all laws of a nation, if there is an Islamic majority (or significant minority) in population, depends on one reasoning that Westernized Muslims in Western countries will embrace Shariah, as opposed to secularism and secular law.

Shariah law and Islam is definitely and definitively very religious and Western secularism is (of course) definitely and definitively secular. At this point, I do not see the West in any form becoming anything other than more secular, but I am open-minded....

Again, as noted in previous reviews, time will tell.

A Vicious Regress V: Intelligences

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A Vicious Regress V: Intelligences

The second video is long, but very informative.

The first video is shorter.  Latter-day Saint theology, in his scholarly and informed opinion holds that intelligences and matter are alone eternal.

However, nearer to the end of the first video, Dr. White states (paraphrased) that some Mormon apologists postulate that an infinite number of gods, exist. Based on the implication earlier in the video of the law of eternal progression, this law does connect to a concept of infinite gods.

I am not expert on The Church of Jesus-Christ Latter-day Saints, but having studied the nature of God within my United Kingdom MPhil/PhD studies (1999-2010 and prior in British Columbia) with theodicy, the problem of evil, free will and determinism, I do have some significant expertise in regard to the nature of God, philosophically and theologically.

In my opinion, an infinite number of gods, would reasonably require an infinity to eternally progress. How could there be an eternal progression of gods in a finite amount of time (Not necessarily solar time, but the point stands)?

Therefore, for those Latter-day Saints apologists that hold to the existence of an infinite number of gods, it is more reasonable that this an aspect of the infinite and eternal, as opposed to the finite.

But, if this occurred in an infinite timeless state, in my view this would rule out any concept of progression; these infinite gods would simply be infinite gods. There is no progression from point a to point b.

There is the problem of more than one infinite entity. Reasonably, only one infinite, limitless being could exist.

Further

This would fall into the category of vicious regress. Contrasted with a reasonable view of the Trinitarian God which as infinite and eternal 'Is'. There is no progression and no regress or progress.

Cited from my archives

LDS Temple April 2010

Vicious Regress October 2006

Matthew J. Slick notes that the Latter-day Saints' idea of Gods, which originated with Joseph Smith, teaches an infinite regression of causes. Slick (2006: 1). Each God came into existence from a previous God, and this has gone on in an infinite past. Slick (2006: 1). There cannot be an infinite regression of Gods because this would require an infinite amount of time which would not allow us to arrive at the present.

In contrast the idea of the Christian Trinity is that God has always existed and existed prior to time and therefore God has not lived for an infinite amount of time. God created time, but existed in a timeless state prior to the creation of time, space and matter.

In the Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Simon Blackburn discusses ‘infinite regress’ and mentions that this occurs in a vicious way whenever a problem tries to solve itself and yet remains with the same problem it had previously. Blackburn (1996: 324). A vicious regress is an infinite regress that does not solve its own problem, while a benign regress is an infinite regress that does not fail to solve its own problem. Blackburn (1996: 324). Blackburn writes that there is frequently room for debate on what is a vicious regress or benign regress. Blackburn (1996: 324).

In The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, William Tolhurst writes that a vicious regress is in some way unacceptable as it would include an infinite series of items dependent on prior items. A vicious regress may be impossible to hold to philosophically, or it may be inconsistent. Tolhurst (1996: 835). 

BLACKBURN, S. (1996) ‘Regress’, in Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

SLICK, MATTHEW J. (2006) 'A logical proof that Mormonism is false', Meridian, Idaho, Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry, http://www.carm.org/lds/infinity.htm

SMITH, JOSEPH (1844)(2006) ‘Sermon by the Prophet-The Christian Godhead-Plurality of Gods’, History of the Church, Vol. 6, p. 473-479. http://www.utlm.org TOLHURST,

TOLHURST, WILLIAM (1996) 'Vicious Regress', in Robert Audi, (ed.), The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

Greg Welty on sinless humanity II (PhD Edit)

Versaille: Destinationlomond.com

Greg Welty on sinless humanity II (PhD Edit)

PhD text and original Blogger article

Theodicy and Practical Theology (2010), The University of Wales, Trinity Saint David.

Welty March 2014

Welty rejects Plantinga’s idea that God cannot create a world containing moral good and no moral evil,^[1] and raises the objection that God brought Christ into the world as a sinless human being.^[2] Welty’s point here is that every human being could have therefore been sinless^[3] and the world could contain good and no evil with significantly free human beings that would not commit wrong actions.[4] I have a similar objection to Welty’s,^[5] which was discussed in Chapters Two and Three of my PhD thesis.  Within my theodicy, I reason that God could have, if he wished, made significantly free human beings, or human like beings who would have been perfectly morally good and would not commit wrong actions.^[6] God’s choice not to create such beings, in my mind is not a sign of a lack of power, or moral failure, but rather the use of his own perfect and significantly free will for good purposes.  

December 4, 2017

I reason that Welty's argument is very strong for compatibilism versus incompatibilism. Jesus Christ as incarnate was both infinite God and finite man. As finite man he lived in sinless life and yet had significant freedom. Christ completed his atoning and resurrection work for those in Christ, via a divine gospel plan with persons as is within this present realm.

Further

The angels that did not fall (Revelation 12) are non-physical beings reasoned to have remained sinless and yet have significant freedom, as they are judged (1 Corinthians 6, fallen angels in Revelation 20). The divine judgement for thoughts and actions of a secondary cause requires moral accountability, otherwise this is hard determinism, where only God the primary cause would be morally responsible, although with perfect and holy motives. This is not soft-determinism/compatibilism.

God, as infinite and eternal has never contradicted his divine nature (logically cannot) and sinned and yet has significant freedom.

In the cases of the human nature of Jesus Christ, the finite nature of angels that stayed true to God and the infinite nature of God, there is a significant, reasonable understanding of evil (God's being infinite) but not an ontological/nature requirement of embracing evil and sin as an option. If one's nature is perfectly good, finitely or infinitely, it is logically possible and reasonable to stay in that nature while understanding evil.

WELTY, GREG (1999) ‘The Problem of Evil’, in Greg Welty PhD, Fort Worth, Texas. Philosophy Department, Southwestern Baptist Theological  Seminary.  

http://www.ccir.ed.ac.uk/~jad/welty/probevil.htm

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[1] Plantinga (1977)(2002: 30).  Welty (1999: 1).

[2] Welty (1999: 1).

[3] Welty (1999: 1).

[4] Welty (1999: 1).

[5] Welty (1999: 1).

[6] This is an aspect of compatibilism, which shall be primarily defined and discussed in Chapters Two and Three.

Saturday, September 19, 2020 PhD Full Version PDF: Theodicy and Practical Theology 2010, Wales TSD This material used in-part for an entry on academia.edu

Missing the point on human nature?

Australia: Facebook

Missing the point on human nature?

Thanks to Richard McIntosh for posting on Facebook:

The Guardian November 19

Cited

'Facebook Opinion

How a half-educated tech elite delivered us into chaos

John Naughton'

'If our supersmart tech leaders knew a bit more about history or philosophy we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in now'

Cited

'One of the biggest puzzles about our current predicament with fake news and the weaponisation of social media is why the folks who built this technology are so taken aback by what has happened.'

Cited

'So what else could explain the astonishing naivety of the tech crowd? My hunch is it has something to do with their educational backgrounds. Take the Google co-founders. Sergey Brin studied mathematics and computer science. His partner, Larry Page, studied engineering and computer science. Zuckerberg dropped out of Harvard, where he was studying psychology and computer science, but seems to have been more interested in the latter.

Now mathematics, engineering and computer science are wonderful disciplines – intellectually demanding and fulfilling. And they are economically vital for any advanced society. But mastering them teaches students very little about society or history – or indeed about human nature. As a consequence, the new masters of our universe are people who are essentially only half-educated.

They have had no exposure to the humanities or the social sciences, the academic disciplines that aim to provide some understanding of how society works, of history and of the roles that beliefs, philosophies, laws, norms, religion and customs play in the evolution of human culture.'

Cited

'We are now beginning to see the consequences of the dominance of this half-educated elite.'
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I have been stating on this website and online for years that the majority of persons in Western society, significantly lack education and knowledge of philosophy, philosophy of religion, religious studies and theology. This is a serious intellectual problem in both embracing a reasonable worldview and analyzing, reasonably a worldview.

As well, a lack of a humanities education can limit the understanding of human nature.

Ontario: trekearth.com

Missing the point on Theology PhD's

Thank you to Ron Unrah for posting by email

Pete Enns 

November 28

Cited

'The Moral Irresponsibility of PhD Programs in Bible and Theology by Pete Enns'

Cited

'Folks, there are TOO MANY people out there with earned doctorates in Bible and Theology. There will never be enough jobs to accommodate the numbers. Schools are cutting or downsizing programs, but the PhD conveyor belt keeps moving along at a steady clip as if everything is just peachy.'

Years ago, the President of the Evangelical Theological Society told me by email that no Christian academic institution in North America would hire me because I had a Wales, PhD. So, intellectual laziness in vetting is also a huge issue.

I could be easily researched online and offline and found to hold Biblical views of the Reformed tradition. When working on my Master of Theological Studies degree at Trinity Western University, considering a PhD, the wisdom from professors to me was to if possible, earn a secular PhD. I was very interested in the thesis only approach of Europe/United Kingdom. I agree with this wisdom as far a accreditation. I am not stating that a secular education is necessarily superior in quality.