Horses and unicorns

[leftrightleftrightleft]

Is something that exists more valuable than something that does not exist?

For example, are horses better than unicorns?

 

[Profane]

Better at what? But since unicorns apparently only allow virgin riders, clearly horses are the all-around better mounts.

 

[PsychoSarah]

Depends on how you use the idea. Many people gained a hefty profit passing off narwhal "horns" as unicorn horns, much more than they would selling horses.

 

[jayem]

Is something that exists more valuable than something that does not exist?

For example, are horses better than unicorns?

Anselm of Canterbury thought that existence was a greater state of being than non-existence. That was the basis for his ontological argument for God's existence. Which goes that if God is the greatest thing that can be conceived, then God must exist in reality and not just in the imagination. But as anyone can see, this argument is just one of semantics and definitions.

 

[mickey30981]

Anselm of Canterbury thought that existence was a greater state of being than non-existence. That was the basis for his ontological argument for God's existence. Which goes that if God is the greatest thing that can be conceived, then God must exist in reality and not just in the imagination. But as anyone can see, this argument is just one of semantics and definitions.

It is not just semantics. That which we can perceive , can exist in reality, but we can know the distinction between unicorns and God. What have unicorns wrought? Apparently some ill gotten gains. God , on the other hand, has changed lives for all of human existence. The logic of those who only find rhetoric in the Anselm quote has simply assumed that reality is only that which can be seen and touched. In science however, even reality sometimes cannot be seen or touched, but rather only the evidence of the impact of a reality can be seen. For example, a black hole is only observed by what is absent around it, and quantum physics relies only on mathematical equations, without physical evidence in certain areas.

The impact of God for the good of the human being, in terms of love, compassion, grace, and even orderliness of thought, can be observed and measured. Because our minds have grasped and observed His presence, we can know and experience the impact of His reality in our lives, share the experience between one another. If Gods presence and impact on our lives is something that we experience and share, it is far more than simply an idea, such as a unicorn.

Oh its all in our minds, one may still say? So what?! Then so is truth, beauty, and love.

So next time your baby girl comes running to you screaming "Daddy" wrapping her arms around you, just sit her down and explain that her love for you isn't real, but rather simply so many synapses snapping in response to a chain of evolutionary and environmental triggers.

I will take my God of truth, beauty and love and His "semantic-only" reality over the "reality" of scientism any day.

 

[variant]

Is something that exists more valuable than something that does not exist?

For example, are horses better than unicorns?

If I needed to get somewhere the horse is certainly better.

If I were telling a story that needed some duce ex machina the unicorn may be a better choice.

 

[variant]

It is not just semantics. That which we can perceive , can exist in reality, but we can know the distinction between unicorns and God. What have unicorns wrought? Apparently some ill gotten gains. God , on the other hand, has changed lives for all of human existence. The logic of those who only find rhetoric in the Anselm quote has simply assumed that reality is only that which can be seen and touched. In science however, even reality sometimes cannot be seen or touched, but rather only the evidence of the impact of a reality can be seen. For example, a black hole is only observed by what is absent around it, and quantum physics relies only on mathematical equations, without physical evidence in certain areas.

The impact of God for the good of the human being, in terms of love, compassion, grace, and even orderliness of thought, can be observed and measured. Because our minds have grasped and observed His presence, we can know and experience the impact of His reality in our lives, share the experience between one another. If Gods presence and impact on our lives is something that we experience and share, it is far more than simply an idea, such as a unicorn.

Oh its all in our minds, one may still say? So what?! Then so is truth, beauty, and love.

So next time your baby girl comes running to you screaming "Daddy" wrapping her arms around you, just sit her down and explain that her love for you isn't real, but rather simply so many synapses snapping in response to a chain of evolutionary and environmental triggers.

I will take my God of truth, beauty and love and His "semantic-only" reality over the "reality" of scientism any day.

:eyeroll:

 

[Davian]

It is not just semantics. That which we can perceive , can exist in reality, but we can know the distinction between unicorns and God. What have unicorns wrought? Apparently some ill gotten gains. God , on the other hand, has changed lives for all of human existence. The logic of those who only find rhetoric in the Anselm quote has simply assumed that reality is only that which can be seen and touched. In science however, even reality sometimes cannot be seen or touched, but rather only the evidence of the impact of a reality can be seen. For example, a black hole is only observed by what is absent around it, and quantum physics relies only on mathematical equations, without physical evidence in certain areas.

The impact of God for the good of the human being, in terms of love, compassion, grace, and even orderliness of thought, can be observed and measured. Because our minds have grasped and observed His presence, we can know and experience the impact of His reality in our lives, share the experience between one another. If Gods presence and impact on our lives is something that we experience and share, it is far more than simply an idea, such as a unicorn.

Oh its all in our minds, one may still say? So what?! Then so is truth, beauty, and love.

So next time your baby girl comes running to you screaming "Daddy" wrapping her arms around you, just sit her down and explain that her love for you isn't real, but rather simply so many synapses snapping in response to a chain of evolutionary and environmental triggers.

I will take my God of truth, beauty and love and His "semantic-only" reality over the "reality" of scientism any day.

So what is this 'truth' of how the brain works that I should relay to my child? That it is unexplainable magic?

 

[Paradoxum]

There is no intrinsic value.

 

[variant]

There is no intrinsic value.

In my opinion value is a verb, it is something you do.

 

[mickey30981]

So what is this 'truth' of how the brain works that I should relay to my child? That it is unexplainable magic?

Why bother to love the child at all? Its only a chemical reaction to some firing neurons?

 

[PsychoSarah]

Why bother to love the child at all? Its only a chemical reaction to some firing neurons?

As if that makes the emotion lesser that it has a physical source.

 

[mickey30981]

:eyeroll:

I ante your eyeroll and up it to 10.

Is that really all a non believer has to say? Just dismiss without any arguments? I know you have some intelligent response. I put my opinion out there, as undeserving of your respect as it was. I am assuming there is a good response. If all I get is an eyeroll , it appears that you have no real reason for doubt other than you are too lazy to think beyond the eyeroll.

 

[Paradoxum]

In my opinion value is a verb, it is something you do.

I suppose I agree.

 

[variant]

I ante your eyeroll and up it to 10.

Is that really all a non believer has to say? Just dismiss without any arguments? I know you have some intelligent response. I put my opinion out there, as undeserving of your respect as it was. I am assuming there is a good response. If all I get is an eyeroll , it appears that you have no real reason for doubt other than you are too lazy to think beyond the eyeroll.

I didn't find your post valuable enough to address in detail.

I apologize if I hurt your feelings by feeling dismissive, or expressing that fact, but it is probably not worth your time to try to badger me to fight.

 

[variant]

I suppose I agree.

I supposed you did too, but you never know.

 

[Davian]

Why bother to love the child at all? Its only a chemical reaction to some firing neurons?

How does brain function explained with science make what I feel for my child not real?

 

[apache1]

Is something that exists more valuable than something that does not exist?

For example, are horses better than unicorns?

Myself, I would rather ride a Pegasus. It has wings and can fly. Now try to top that, Secretariat!

 

[Ana the Ist]

Is something that exists more valuable than something that does not exist?

For example, are horses better than unicorns?

First you'd have to prove unicorns don't exist.

 

[Ana the Ist]

It is not just semantics. That which we can perceive , can exist in reality, but we can know the distinction between unicorns and God. What have unicorns wrought? Apparently some ill gotten gains. God , on the other hand, has changed lives for all of human existence. The logic of those who only find rhetoric in the Anselm quote has simply assumed that reality is only that which can be seen and touched. In science however, even reality sometimes cannot be seen or touched, but rather only the evidence of the impact of a reality can be seen. For example, a black hole is only observed by what is absent around it, and quantum physics relies only on mathematical equations, without physical evidence in certain areas.

The impact of God for the good of the human being, in terms of love, compassion, grace, and even orderliness of thought, can be observed and measured. Because our minds have grasped and observed His presence, we can know and experience the impact of His reality in our lives, share the experience between one another. If Gods presence and impact on our lives is something that we experience and share, it is far more than simply an idea, such as a unicorn.

Oh its all in our minds, one may still say? So what?! Then so is truth, beauty, and love.

So next time your baby girl comes running to you screaming "Daddy" wrapping her arms around you, just sit her down and explain that her love for you isn't real, but rather simply so many synapses snapping in response to a chain of evolutionary and environmental triggers.

I will take my God of truth, beauty and love and His "semantic-only" reality over the "reality" of scientism any day.

"The impact of God for the good of the human being, in terms of love, compassion, grace, and even orderliness of thought, can be observed and measured."

I'm not sure those things can be measured. Also, all those things can be attributed to the mere "idea" of god just as easily (probably more easily) as they could be attributed to god itself.