Comments for STETS - the ecumenical distance learning theology course for Southern England http://www.stets.ac.uk Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:29:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Comment on Where are we grounded? by Barbara O'Sullivan http://www.stets.ac.uk/where-are-we-grounded/comment-page-1#comment-555 Barbara O'Sullivan Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:29:34 +0000 http://www.stets.ac.uk/?p=1749#comment-555 When I am in the middle of talking about the million things going on in my life - which I find fascinating and complext - my Spiritual Advisor sometimes asks me, "Yes, but where are your feet?" When I am in the middle of talking about the million things going on in my life – which I find fascinating and complext – my Spiritual Advisor sometimes asks me, “Yes, but where are your feet?”

]]> Comment on Learning in a completely new field by Liz Smith http://www.stets.ac.uk/learning-in-a-completely-new-field/comment-page-1#comment-508 Liz Smith Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:50:12 +0000 http://www.stets.ac.uk/?p=1209#comment-508 I really enjoyed and appreciate what was said in your blog. I found it firstly encouraging, secondly amusing and most of all I found myself wanting to remember what you said. Thanks, Dave. I really enjoyed and appreciate what was said in your blog. I found it firstly encouraging, secondly amusing and most of all I found myself wanting to remember what you said. Thanks, Dave.

]]> Comment on The Church and society: a hot topic by Ginny Royston http://www.stets.ac.uk/the-church-and-society-a-hot-topic/comment-page-1#comment-100 Ginny Royston Thu, 25 Nov 2010 17:21:30 +0000 http://www.stets.ac.uk/?p=1280#comment-100 Important one to think about. My sense is that it is good for Christians to be directly involved politically with policy making and service provision where possible, so long as they have a clear sense where they could feel compromised. The example of Professor David Nutt, government advisor on drugs and alcohol is very interesting -he lost his job last year because of his views which are actually mainstream medical opinion, and the government came out badly. He did not compromise his views which actually received a lot of helpful publicity. Important one to think about. My sense is that it is good for Christians to be directly involved politically with policy making and service provision where possible, so long as they have a clear sense where they could feel compromised. The example of Professor David Nutt, government advisor on drugs and alcohol is very interesting -he lost his job last year because of his views which are actually mainstream medical opinion, and the government came out badly. He did not compromise his views which actually received a lot of helpful publicity.

]]> Comment on Thinking about ‘the God-instinct’… by Tim http://www.stets.ac.uk/thinking-about-the-god-instinct/comment-page-1#comment-66 Tim Fri, 05 Nov 2010 18:14:55 +0000 http://www.stets.ac.uk/?p=1233#comment-66 "Interesting to reflect that unbelievers have as many disagreements about the non existence of God as believers have about the reality of God!" No, we don't. We pretty much agree that there is no evidence that warrants a belief in god. I disagree with the author of "The God Instinct" btw, I don't think that we have this build in instinct to asume some purpose behind the things we see in the world. I had the honor to discuss that with him at a conference on cognitive sciences. "Some of the most damaging early life experiences are those of profound absence of the other" I assume you are talking about the realisation that there IS an "other". When babies learn that they are not the same thing as their mother for example. Before that point there is no "other", and after that there can never be an absense of "other", since the "other" is everything that the babie is not. And since there is always a world around that babie... About the post: "Even if we can identify psychological mechanisms by which a sense of God arises, that doesn’t mean God doesn’t exist." Straw man. Jesse is not trying to prove that there is no god. He just thinks about why people might think there is one. "It only means we’ve found a means that God sometimes uses to help make Himself known." No it doesnt. A theory about how we might come to a belief in a deity doesn't mean that these beliefs are true. Religious people might be wrong, although they might think they are right. Beliefs and reality are only loosely tied, as schizophrenics and other mentaly ill people show us. "Faith may not guarantee agreement, as we know well, but abandoning faith won’t either!" And your point is...? As I said, we unbelievers agree on some things, and obviously we don't agree on others. Nobody claimed we do agree on everything though. Greetings from Germany! “Interesting to reflect that unbelievers have as many disagreements about the non existence of God as believers have about the reality of God!” No, we don’t. We pretty much agree that there is no evidence that warrants a belief in god. I disagree with the author of “The God Instinct” btw, I don’t think that we have this build in instinct to asume some purpose behind the things we see in the world. I had the honor to discuss that with him at a conference on cognitive sciences.

“Some of the most damaging early life experiences are those of profound absence of the other” I assume you are talking about the realisation that there IS an “other”. When babies learn that they are not the same thing as their mother for example. Before that point there is no “other”, and after that there can never be an absense of “other”, since the “other” is everything that the babie is not. And since there is always a world around that babie…

About the post: “Even if we can identify psychological mechanisms by which a sense of God arises, that doesn’t mean God doesn’t exist.” Straw man. Jesse is not trying to prove that there is no god. He just thinks about why people might think there is one.

“It only means we’ve found a means that God sometimes uses to help make Himself known.” No it doesnt. A theory about how we might come to a belief in a deity doesn’t mean that these beliefs are true. Religious people might be wrong, although they might think they are right. Beliefs and reality are only loosely tied, as schizophrenics and other mentaly ill people show us.

“Faith may not guarantee agreement, as we know well, but abandoning faith won’t either!” And your point is…? As I said, we unbelievers agree on some things, and obviously we don’t agree on others. Nobody claimed we do agree on everything though.

Greetings from Germany!

]]> Comment on Thinking about ‘the God-instinct’… by Ginny Royston http://www.stets.ac.uk/thinking-about-the-god-instinct/comment-page-1#comment-51 Ginny Royston Thu, 14 Oct 2010 21:42:06 +0000 http://www.stets.ac.uk/?p=1233#comment-51 Interesting to reflect that unbelievers have as many disagreements about the non existence of God as believers have about the reality of God! I'm not sure I find his argument very convincing that we have an inbuilt orientation to the idea of God because we have always been in the presence of someone else. Some of the most damaging early life experiences are those of profound absence of the other - physically or emotionally - and yet somehow God's presence and hope can shine through that despair Interesting to reflect that unbelievers have as many disagreements about the non existence of God as believers have about the reality of God! I’m not sure I find his argument very convincing that we have an inbuilt orientation to the idea of God because we have always been in the presence of someone else. Some of the most damaging early life experiences are those of profound absence of the other – physically or emotionally – and yet somehow God’s presence and hope can shine through that despair

]]> Comment on An Oldie at Soul Survivor by Emma http://www.stets.ac.uk/an-oldie-at-soul-survivor/comment-page-1#comment-24 Emma Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:44:34 +0000 http://www.stets.ac.uk/?p=1181#comment-24 Hey, im the daughter of one of your new students and mum told me to read this because i went soul survivor for a week this year and it was amazing! but i just wanted to say youd be very welcome back next year. one of the things we talked about ('we' being the rest of the youth group i went with) was how we enjoyed having people of different ages there so it wasnt ALL youth. i mean, its good to have things done in a youth way and targeted at youth (with loud music - im sorry but it is most definatley better louder ;) ) but it was nice, it was better, to see other oldER people being able to enjoy it and take part too. sorry if its not really my place to be commenting on here but i thought you might like to read this brief insight into my 15-year-old mind :) oh and PS mum says she enjoyed the final evenings worship that she came to before taking us home :) and she was sat with us at the front! love you really mum :P x Hey, im the daughter of one of your new students and mum told me to read this because i went soul survivor for a week this year and it was amazing! but i just wanted to say youd be very welcome back next year. one of the things we talked about (‘we’ being the rest of the youth group i went with) was how we enjoyed having people of different ages there so it wasnt ALL youth. i mean, its good to have things done in a youth way and targeted at youth (with loud music – im sorry but it is most definatley better louder ;) ) but it was nice, it was better, to see other oldER people being able to enjoy it and take part too.

sorry if its not really my place to be commenting on here but i thought you might like to read this brief insight into my 15-year-old mind :)

oh and PS mum says she enjoyed the final evenings worship that she came to before taking us home :) and she was sat with us at the front! love you really mum :P x

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