Are Christians nihilists?

Discussion in 'Religion Archives' started by MysteriousStranger, May 15, 2009.

  1. MysteriousStranger Banned Banned

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    Christianity states that all is created by God. If we are God's creations then what value do we have?

    Christianity also asserts that life is a filtration process in which humans are separated into to categories of "good" and "bad" in which the "good" go to heaven and the "bad" go to hell. If our ultimate purpose is to go to "heaven" or "hell" then what purpose do we have at all? If a chicken crosses the road and it's only reason for doing so is "to get to the other side" did the crossing of the road have any meaning? And if the chicken's only purpose in life is to cross the road does the chicken's life have any value?

    Christianity consistently de-values life by describing it as the conveyor belt to the next one. They are dissatisfied with this life so they create a perfect one in their imaginations that they promise to each other granted that they don't "sin" i.e. make one and other unhappy in this life.



    all quotations taken from:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihilism
     
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  3. GeoffP Caput gerat lupinum Valued Senior Member

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    Bah. Who cares?
     
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  5. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    This is flawed.
     
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  7. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Because the categories of reason are based on evidence of real perception?
     
  8. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    No, because such nihilism does not have to be caused by 'seeking either to overcome or ignore nature'.

    Edit: I don't even see how the two could be connected.
     
  9. MysteriousStranger Banned Banned

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    I believe the text that Enmos quoted:

    Means that to put "faith" within "the categories of reason" leads to nihilism. I presume that by this it is meant that if your philosophy is based on faith then your philosophy amounts to nihilism because:

     
  10. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    What does it mean to put "faith" within "the categories of reason" ?

    I don't get this reasoning. Of course the world doesn't have intrinsic value :shrug:
     
  11. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    Look around you.
     
  12. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Could you be a little more forthcoming ?
     
  13. MysteriousStranger Banned Banned

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    I think: "to use faith as reason", e.g. "you should not do that because God says it is wrong."
     
  14. nietzschefan Thread Killer Valued Senior Member

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    Yes, in fact Nietzsche argued that this is the fate of all "other-worldly dreaming" religions - to become nihilistic in their teaching. The christian message: This life is meaningless, live like a monk, keep an eye on the prize.

    When that prize is revealed to be false, he argued mass nihilism would occur. Some time after he was called a nihilist by christian based/handicapped philosophers.
     
    Last edited: May 15, 2009
  15. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Thanks, but I'm still confused.
    I don't see how faith leads to denial of intrinsic value, and certainly not exclusively.
    Anyone with half a brain knows that value is purely subjective. It's just common sense.
    I don't know if you know me a bit, but if you do you can see that the part I quoted earlier is flawed

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  16. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Don't you think that's somewhat self-contradictory ?
     
  17. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    What is the basis for believing that your reason is better than someone else's belief? Its basically the belief you have in your reason.
     
  18. nietzschefan Thread Killer Valued Senior Member

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    No I mean he said that's what christians say....grrr i'll rewrite it.
     
  19. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Reason is always better than belief.
    You and MysteriousStranger both seem to have different takes on the meaning of that phrase though..
    You say that it means: "To have faith in your reasoning".
    MysteriousStranger says that it means: "to include faith into the categories of reason, as if it's reason".

    Perhaps I got either of you, or both, wrong. If so, please explain further

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  20. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    Ah ok

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  21. MysteriousStranger Banned Banned

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    I think this explains it:

    In other words, a "fictitious ("made-up") world" is substituted for the actual world from the stand-point of faith when judging it's worth.

    So that the people with faith create a world that is composed of both the natural and the super-natural.

    This basically means that the actual world is destroyed in favour of a new "fictitious world". Then the value of the world is calculated by obeserving only the fictitious one.

    So the actual world is deprived of value.
     
  22. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    But don't we all do that ? It's just that some (possibly most) are stuck there.
     
  23. MysteriousStranger Banned Banned

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    I think these amount to the same thing as including faith in your reasoning is to act as if it is reason.
     

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