Gotta watch those cups and saucers, the Bowl of the Sentient Chili, and the Plate of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
The "project" of theism in many ways resembles on a much larger scale the "project" of artificial intelligence. There have been many interesting by-products, but central questions--in fact some of the same central questions--remain untouched. This might suggest to sensible people that arguing over the central questions is perhaps less important than engaging the related fields that come from the central questions. And fighting wars over unanswered central questions is right out.
[This is the added part] The problem is that if, after all these long centuries, theists haven't proven their case, saying that it hasn't yet been disproven is disingenuous. It hasn't been disproven, of course, but if their theism were valid, surely by now they'd have a better case. And yet the thought and actions thought to be peripheral to the philosophical claims of theism. All the art, all the music, the genuine caring for people, the support for ethical philosophy: these are things worth having and doing. So perhaps a useful attitude to theistic belief is to allow the central problem to remain unsettled.
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Gotta watch those cups and saucers, the Bowl of the Sentient Chili, and the Plate of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
The "project" of theism in many ways resembles on a much larger scale the "project" of artificial intelligence. There have been many interesting by-products, but central questions--in fact some of the same central questions--remain untouched. This might suggest to sensible people that arguing over the central questions is perhaps less important than engaging the related fields that come from the central questions. And fighting wars over unanswered central questions is right out.
[This is the added part] The problem is that if, after all these long centuries, theists haven't proven their case, saying that it hasn't yet been disproven is disingenuous. It hasn't been disproven, of course, but if their theism were valid, surely by now they'd have a better case. And yet the thought and actions thought to be peripheral to the philosophical claims of theism. All the art, all the music, the genuine caring for people, the support for ethical philosophy: these are things worth having and doing. So perhaps a useful attitude to theistic belief is to allow the central problem to remain unsettled.