Präsentation - Hochschul SMD

Believe in Somethingism
Dr. Peter E. Payne
Institute for Credible Christianity
www.crediblechristianity.org
[email protected]
Introduction
“Somethingism”: I don’t believe in God,
but I do believe in something.
“Irgendwasismus”: “Ich glaube nicht an Gott,
aber ich glaube an irgendwas.”
Introduction
“Irgendwasismus”: “Ich glaube nicht an Gott,
aber ich glaube an irgendwas.”
“May the force be with you.”
“Möge die Macht
mit dir sein.”
Introduction
Germany: Eurobarometer 2005, 2010
2005
2010
47%
44%
25%
25%
25%
27%
3%
4%
“believe there is a God”
“glaube an einen Gott”
“believe there is a spirit or life force”
“glaube es gibt eine Seele oder eine Lebenskraft”
“believe in neither a spirit, god nor life force”
“glaube weder an Seele, Gott noch Lebenskraft”
no response
keine Antwort
Gallup Poll (2007-2008) “Is religion important?” — 57% No
Gallup Studie (2007-2008) “Ist Religion wichtig?” — 57% Nein
Introduction
Germany: Eurobarometer 2005, 2010
2005
2010
47%
25%
25%
44%
25%
27%
3%
4%
“believe there is a God”
“believe there is a spirit or life force”
“believe in neither a spirit, god nor life force”
no response
Gallup Poll (2007-2008) “Is religion important?” — 57% No
Norway: Eurobarometer 2005, 2010
2005
2010
32%
47%
17%
22%
44%
29%
3%
5%
“believe there is a God”
“believe there is a spirit or life force”
“believe in neither a spirit, god nor life force”
no response
Gallup Poll (2007-2008) “Is religion important?” — 78% No
Introduction
Germany: Eurobarometer 2005, 2010
2005
2010
47%
25%
25%
44%
25%
27%
3%
4%
“believe there is a God”
“believe there is a spirit or life force”
“believe in neither a spirit, god nor life force”
no response
Gallup Poll (2007-2008) “Is religion important?” — 57% No
Poland: Eurobarometer 2005, 2010
2005
2010
80%
15%
1%
79%
14%
5%
1%
3%
“believe there is a God”
“believe there is a spirit or life force”
“believe in neither a spirit, god nor life force”
no response
Gallup Poll (2007-2008) “Is religion important?” — 23% No
Introduction
USA - National Study of Youth and Religion 2005
Christian Smith:
Soul Searching:
The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers
[Oxford U Press, 2005]
Introduction
USA - National Study of Youth and Religion 2005
Christian Smith:
Soul Searching:
The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers
[Oxford U Press, 2005]
“Moralisch, Therapeutischer Deismus”
“Moralistic, Therapeutic Deism”
Introduction
USA - National Study of Youth and Religion 2005
Christian Smith:
Soul Searching:
The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers
[Oxford U Press, 2005]
“Moralisch, Therapeutischer Deismus”
“Moralistic, Therapeutic Deism”
Nice person
nette person
Introduction
USA - National Study of Youth and Religion 2005
Christian Smith:
Soul Searching:
The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers
[Oxford U Press, 2005]
“Moralisch, Therapeutischer Deismus”
“Moralistic, Therapeutic Deism”
Nice person
Peace
nette Person
Frieden
Introduction
USA - National Study of Youth and Religion 2005
Christian Smith:
Soul Searching:
The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers
[Oxford U Press, 2005]
“Moralisch, Therapeutischer Deismus”
“Moralistic, Therapeutic Deism”
Nice person
Peace
Not much
nette Person
Frieden
nicht viel
Introduction
USA - National Study of Youth and Religion 2005
Christian Smith:
Soul Searching:
The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers
[Oxford U Press, 2005]
“Moralistic, Therapeutic Deism”
Common element with somethingism:
Not much content or depth to their faith
Verbreitetes Element beim Irgendwasismus:
Nicht viel Inhalt oder Tiefe in ihrem Glauben
The Appeal of Somethingism
Der Reiz am Irgendwasismus
The Appeal of Somethingism
Der Reiz am Irgendwasismus
• Not dogmatic
• Tolerant / accepting of other views
• nicht dogmatisch
• Tolerant / akzeptiert andere Ansichten
The Appeal of Somethingism
• Not dogmatic
• Tolerant / accepting of other views
(conversation at the U. of Michigan)
The Appeal of Somethingism
• Not dogmatic
• Tolerant/accepting of other views
• Relativism
The Appeal of Somethingism
• Not dogmatic
• Tolerant/accepting of other views
• Relativism
- Not radical relativism (still some belief)
- kein radikaler Relativismus (immernoch etwas
Glauben)
The Appeal of Somethingism
• Not dogmatic
• Tolerant/accepting of other views
• Relativism
- Not radical relativism (still some belief)
- No one can really know
if God exists or what he is like
- Niemand kann wirklich wissen,
ob Gott existiert oder wie er ist.
The Appeal of Somethingism
• Not dogmatic
• Tolerant/accepting of other views
• Relativism
- Not radical relativism (still some belief)
- No one can really know
if God exists or what he is like
- Belief is culturally formed / a matter of faith
- Glaube ist kulturell beeinflusst / eine Sache der
Gläubigkeit
The Appeal of Somethingism
• Not dogmatic
• Tolerant/accepting of other views
• Relativism
- Not radical relativism (still some belief)
- No one can really know
if God exists or what he is like
- Belief is culturally formed / a matter of faith
[My note: Credible faith needs to be reasonable faith!]
[Meine Anmerkung: Glaubwürdiger Glaube muss
begründbarer Glaube sein!]
The Appeal of Somethingism
•
•
•
•
Not dogmatic
Tolerant/accepting of other views
Relativism
No demands
• Keine Ansprüche
The Appeal of Somethingism
•
•
•
•
•
Not dogmatic
Tolerant/accepting of other views
Relativism
No demands
Some comfort / hope
• etwas Komfort / Hoffnung
The Appeal of Somethingism
•
•
•
•
•
•
Not dogmatic
Tolerant/accepting of other views
Relativism
No demands
Some comfort / hope
Ground for moral value (love, worth of persons)
• Grund für moralische Werte (Liebe, Würde des
Menschen)
The Appeal of Somethingism
•
•
•
•
•
•
Not dogmatic
Tolerant/accepting of other views
Relativism
No demands
Some comfort / hope
Ground for moral value (love, worth of persons)
(Problem(Problem
for naturalism:
(Problem
des Naturalismus:
for naturalism:
Persons
[the inner self]
Persons [the
inner
self] and Personen
[das
and
all conscious
states have
noinnere
placeIch]
in it.und
all conscious states have no alle bewussten Zustände
Howeverour
our identity
& worth
hang on
them!)
place in it. However
haben
dort keinen
Platz.
identity & worth hang on
them!)
Jedoch hängt unsere Identität
und unser Wert daran!)
The Appeal of Somethingism
Thomas Nagel (atheist – philosopher)
Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neodarwinian
Concept of Nature is Almost Certainly False
Oxford U. Press, 2012
Geist und Kosmos: Warum das Materialistische NeoDarwinistische Konzept der Natur fast sicher falsch ist
The Appeal of Somethingism
Thomas Nagel (atheist – philosopher)
“What Is It Like to Be a Bat?”
Wie ist es, eine Fledermaus zu sein?
Problems with Somethingism
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
1. Man glaubt zu viel und doch zu wenig
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
Too much:
• The goodness of the something
(nature) (experience of “it”)
• Die “Gutheit” dieses Irgendwas
(Natur) (Erfahrung “dessen”)
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
Too much:
• The goodness of the something
• Its capacity to know or act purposefully
(Star Wars - guidance)
• Seine Fähigkeit, etwas zu wissen oder gezielt zu
(Star Wars - Führung)
handeln
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
Too much:
• The goodness of the something
• Its capacity to know or act purposefully
• Heaven
• Himmel
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
Too much:
• The goodness of the something
• Its capacity to know or act purposefully
• Heaven
• Values and purposes
• Werte und Ziele
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
Too much:
• The goodness of the something
• Its capacity to know or act purposefully
• Heaven
• Values and purposes
- of each human being
- of life in general
• Werte und Ziele
- jedes Menschen
- des Lebens im Allgemeinen
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
Too much:
• The goodness of the something
• Its capacity to know or act purposefully
• Heaven
• Values and purposes
bue-footed boobies
Problems with Somethingism
CNN June 22, 2012
“Prominent atheist blogger becomes Catholic”
Leah Libresco
Problems with Somethingism
From the CNN news report:
… “I believed that the Moral Law wasn’t just a Platonic
truth, abstract and distant,” she wrote on her post
announcing her conversion. “It turns out I actually believed
it was some kind of Person, as well as Truth. And there
was one religion that seemed like the most promising way
to reach back to that living Truth.”
… “Ich glaubte, dass die gesellschaftliche Moral nicht nur eine
platonische Wahrheit, abstrakt und fern, war” schreibt sie in
ihrem Post, in dem sie ihre Bekehrung bekannt gab. “Es stellte
sich heraus, dass ich tatsächlich glaubte, dass es sowohl eine
Art Person als auch eine Wahrheit ist. Und es war eine
Religion, die der vielversprechendste Weg zurück zu dieser
lebenden Wahrheit zu sein schien.”
http://www.inquisitr.com/261977/prominent-atheist-blogger-becomes-catholic/
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
Too little:
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
Too little:
• The high price of being inclusive:
Little belief remains!
• Der hohe Preis, nichts auszuschließen:
Ein kleiner Glaube verbleibt!
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
Too little:
• The high price of being inclusive:
• Need for grounding for moral conviction
(beyond the minimum given in human nature)
• Notwendigkeit der Erdung für die moralische
Überzeugung
(über das Mindestmaß der menschlichen Natur
hinaus)
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
Too little:
• The high price of being inclusive:
• Need for grounding for moral conviction
(a key factor in human happiness
satisfaction with one’s life)
• Notwendig als Grundlage für die moralische
Überzeugung
(ein Schlüsselfaktor für menschliche Freude
Zufriedenheit mit dem Leben)
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
Too little:
• The high price of being inclusive:
• Need for grounding for moral conviction
• Rejecting as exclusive what we in fact need
(that God would reveal Himself)
• als ausgeschlossen ablehnen, was wir eigentlich
brauchen
(dass Gott sich selbst offenbaren würde)
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
Too little:
• The high price of being inclusive:
• Need for grounding for moral conviction
• Rejecting as exclusive what we in fact need
(that God would reveal Himself)
• A missed diagnosis of the human problem
(separation from God & its consequences)
• Misses the life God has for us in Christ
• eine Fehldiagnose des Problems der Menschheit
(Trennung von Gott & deren Konsequenzen)
• Verfehlt das Leben, das Gott durch Jesus für uns hat
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
2. Religious experience ≠ knowing God
2. religiöse Erfahrung ≠ Gott kennen
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
2. Religious experience ≠ knowing God
Genuine experience of God ≠ knowing God
echte Gotteserfahrung ≠ Gott kennen
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
2. Religious experience ≠ knowing God
3. Relative goodness ≠ knowing God
3. gute Taten ≠ Gott kennen
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
2. Religious experience ≠ knowing God
3. Relative goodness ≠ knowing God
Common assumption: The central value in religion
is to motivate people to be better people.
Allgemeine Annahme: Der zentrale Wert von Religion
ist, Leute zu motivieren, bessere Menschen zu sein.
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
2. Religious experience ≠ knowing God
3. Relative goodness ≠ knowing God
Common assumption: The central value in religion
is to motivate people to be better people.
common grace vs. saving grace
allgemeine Gnade vs. rettende Gnade
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
2. Religious experience ≠ knowing God
3. Relative goodness ≠ knowing God
(Common assumption: The central value in religion is to
motivate people to be better people.)
Jesus with Nicodemus: (John 3:5)
“… no one can enter the kingdom of God unless
he is born of water and the Spirit.”
Jesus mit Nikodemus: (Joh 3,5)
“… wenn jemand nicht aus Wasser und Geist geboren wird,
so kann er nicht in das Reich Gottes eingehen.”
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
2. Religious experience ≠ knowing God
3. Relative goodness ≠ knowing God
(Common assumption: The central value in religion is to
motivate people to be better people.)
Jesus with Nicodemus: (John 3:5)
“… no one can enter the kingdom of God unless
he is born of water and the Spirit.”
(Need for inner transformation, a spiritual rebirth)
(Notwendigkeit innerer Veränderung, eine geistliche Wiedergeburt)
Problems with Somethingism
1. Believing too much and believing too little
2. Religious experience ≠ knowing God
3. Relative goodness ≠ knowing God
(Common assumption: The central value in religion is to
motivate people to be better people.)
John 17:3 “Now this is eternal life: that they know you,
the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have
sent.”
Joh 17, 3 “Und das ewige Leben zu haben heißt, dich zu kennen,
den einzigen wahren Gott und den zu kennen, den du gesandt
hast, Jesus Christus.”