The four great philosophical questions...

Originally posted by dj2becker
My apologies. But if everyone believes in ABSOLUTE truth without deriving it from an absolute point of reference, how can it be ABSOLUTE? Everybody’s ABSOLUTE truth would be different, and thus truth would be relative.

There is a room. It is locked. You can't get in. The lightbulb inside is either on or off. Maybe you can see a light through the crack at the bottom, or maybe you can't. You don't know for sure. Nor does anyone else. Some people say the bulb is on; some people say it isn't.

Now, can't you believe that, whatever people think, the bulb is either on or off, without believing that the bulb is off, or believing that the bulb is on?

Moral: You don't need to derive ultimate truth to believe that there is some ultimate truth.

Clear?

Originally posted by Pawnokeyhole
There is a room. It is locked. You can't get in. The lightbulb inside is either on or off. Maybe you can see a light through the crack at the bottom, or maybe you can't. You don't know for sure. Nor does anyone else. Some people say the bulb is on; some people say it isn't.

Now, can't you believe that, whatever people think, the bulb is either on on't need to derive ultimate truth to believe that there is some ultimate truth.

Clear?

If you compare absolute truth to a lightbulb that is on, and you can't know for sure whether the light bulb is on, then how do you know for sure that your analogy is true?

Originally posted by dj2becker
No. Value is subjective. Someone has to value me for me to have value. If no one values me, I lack value. If I had intrinsic value this would be impossible. Therefore I do not.

So why should someone value you if you have no intrinsic value?

In that context, I "come from" an evolutionary process acting on self replicating molecules - probab ue because the dictionary says so? Does the dictionary not define God as well?

So meaning is derived from a definition? Does "God" then have meaning, because the word has a definition?

Meaning IS definition, it's not derived FROM definition. "What does X mean?" is equivalent to "What is the definition of X?" That's the only meaning of the word 'meaning' that I know of.

"God" has meaning because the word is defined, though that doesn't mean that God exists.

So it's true because the dictionary says so?

No. I didn't say that.

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
[b]So meaning is derived from a definition? Does "God" then have meaning, because the word has a definition?

Meaning IS definition, it's not derived FROM definition. "What does X mean?" is equivalent to "What is the definition of X?" That's the only meaning of the word 'meaning' that I know of.

"God" has meaning because the word is defined, ...[text shortened]...

So it's true because the dictionary says so?

No. I didn't say that.[/b]

Maybe this will help.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life

Originally posted by dj2becker
On the basis of my study of who Christ claimed to be, and what he said when he answers these four questions of life, of origin, meaning, morality, and destiny, the logical consitency of his answers, the empirical adequacy by which you measure those answers, and the experiential relevance of his answers have convinced me that he is the way, the truth and the life.

What does "empirical adequacy" mean?

Originally posted by kirksey957
What does "empirical adequacy" mean?

Empirical adequacy is concerned with the agreement between observation and the theoretical term used.

Originally posted by dj2becker
Empirical adequacy is concerned with the agreement between observation and the theoretical term used.

Is you talkin bout something being true? You climbing up way way way too much in to yo head for us simple souls to undertand.

Originally posted by dj2becker
Maybe this will help.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meaning_of_life

The question "what is the meaning of life?" means different things to different people. The vagueness of the query is inherent in the word "meaning", which opens the question to many interpretations...

That's not very helpful.

Originally posted by kirksey957
Is you talkin bout something being true? You climbing up way way way too much in to yo head for us simple souls to undertand.

It is one of the tests used to determine truth.

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
The question "what is the meaning of life?" means different things to different people. The vagueness of the query is inherent in the word "meaning", which opens the question to many interpretations...

That's not very helpful.

I guess it's meaningless to discuss the meaning of life with someone who thinks that the meaning of life is meaningless.

Originally posted by dj2becker
I guess it's meaningless to discuss the meaning of life with someone who thinks that the meaning of life is meaningless.

Only if you insist on both parties knowing what the phrase means without explicitly defining it.

Originally posted by AThousandYoung
Only if you insist on both parties knowing what the phrase means without explicitly defining it.

By 'meaing' of life, I mean:

What is the purpose of, or in, (one's) life?

Originally posted by dj2becker
If you compare absolute truth to a lightbulb that is on, and you can't know for sure whether the light bulb is on, then how do you know for sure that your analogy is true?

That question just make no sense. Analogies are not true or false; they are apt or inappropriate.

You're on your own, dj2becker!

Originally posted by dj2becker
By 'meaing' of life, I mean:

What is the purpose of, or in, (one's) life?

I don't think life has a purpose. That is, there is no answer to "what is the purpose OF life." Life just is. It doesn't exist for someone's purpose.

There are many purposes IN my life, but they all come down to one purpose (or two) I suppose; the maximization of my happiness and the minimization of my pain.

Originally posted by Pawnokeyhole
That question just make no sense. Analogies are not true or false; they are apt or inappropriate.

You're on your own, dj2becker!

I would gather that a 'false' analogy is inappropriate.