This is a GOOD one, folx!! Guaranteed to make those of you who have a mind to think, and those of you who have a sense of humor, to laugh!!

(Actually, you who have a mind [of your own, that is] are most likely the ones who also have a sense of humor!!)

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Actually, to be honest, I don’t think Howard’s post does anything to support his god-belief. He prefaced his post with the statement "In this post, I will briefly propose a Christian view of consciousness." I find it remarkable that the statement he offers (possibly taken from one of his 2500 Christian philosophy books??) is conspicuously bereft of biblical citation. How then does he claim that anything he writes in his post is particularly ‘Christian’ in nature? I personally know many Christians who would disclaim his offering in a heartbeat, since it is obviously man-centered in nature. I have known many Christians who discount everything but the Bible as "men’s wisdom" and therefore completely against God’s ‘infinite wisdom.’ Methinks Howard has been reading too many of his ‘Christian philosophy’ books and is confusing them with the ‘Word of God’.

Of the statements that I have read in Howard’s post titled "Consciousness," I do not recognize ONE that I have ever read in the Bible (I’ve read just about everything in the Bible, much of it in great detail, and repeatedly so). He uses terms that are foreign to biblical texts: ‘first-person priority’, ‘third-person access’, ‘constant correlation’, ‘brain state’, ‘tell-tale firing of neurons’, ‘amygdala’, ‘chemical reactions’, ‘computer’, ‘conceptualize’, ‘conceptual’, and many others. In fact, my Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible does not even have an entry for the terms ‘conscious’ and ‘consciousness’. The terms ‘conscience’ and ‘consciences’ are given entries, and there are a handful of citations for these terms throughout the books of the Bible, but not ‘consciousness’. Now, one may say that the term ‘soul’ stands for ‘consciousness’ (there are many entries in my Strong’s for ‘soul’ and its plural variation). My question, then, would be How does the Bible define the term ‘soul’? Assuming that ‘soul’ and ‘consciousness’ are identical (this indeed would be problematic - animals may be said to be ‘conscious’ but do not possess a ‘soul’ - this is a view many Christians I know support), what did the primitive priests who wrote and compiled the books of the Bible know about ‘consciousness’? Where do they state it?

For that matter, Strong’s does not even contain the word ‘brain’ (it goes from ‘braided’ to ‘brake’, giving ‘brain’ completely amiss - another humorous irony). I wonder if the primitive priests who wrote and compiled the books of the Bible that were later voted to comprise the Bible even knew about the brain. Hmmmmmm...... Intriguing!!

Howard may offer all he likes from his research and expository sources. These are all clearly the products of man, not ‘god’. The Bible, however, is supposedly the ‘Word of God’ - at least according to the Christian, so this should be the source, I should think, that the Christian would need to consult in support of his ‘postulates’.

Interestingly enough, we find the modern-day Christian in America (a contradiction of sorts) espousing what appears to be scholarly quality (or attempts to approach such) material (much unlike the style and content of the Bible) as ‘back-up’ for his convictions’, instead of references from the Bible. This is interesting to say the least, indeed. Quite interesting!

Howard may then argue that the views he espouses -even though biblical citation is conspicuously absent from the vast majority of his essays - bear the sanction of ‘god’ or of ‘christ’. Do they, now? Interesting again. That would lead me to expect all Christians to accept the views he espouses. After all, those who are ‘of the mind of Christ’ are all in ‘one accord’, correct? (Never mind the pesky fact that there are 500+ separate sects within Christianity, each of them at variance with one another to varying degrees. This si a detail that warrants explanation, I suppose....)

Do all Christians accept Howard’s ideas and arguments? Well, I don’t know that, I haven’t asked every Christian myself, but it would make for an interesting test, wouldn’t it? After all, if they are Howard’s views, and Howard is a Christian, and therefore Howard is guided by the infallible spirit of God, the‘holy ghost’, then these views must have ‘god’s sanction’, n’est-ce pas?

(And therefore, all Christians should agree? Right? I mean, all true Christians, right? Well, now there’s a problem.... What’s a ‘true Christian’?)

Well, if that’s the case, wouldn’t the ‘holy ghost’ guide our Howard to cite the ‘Word of God’, the Bible?

Perhaps the Bible is not sufficient to stand on its own, hence many Christians create more books aimed at shoring up and complementing the former. Somewhat like taking care of all the ‘loose ends’? No? (It seems to me that I remember Howard admitting that the Bible is not sufficient to stand on its own when concerning the philosophical discipline epistemology. Well, I guess epistemology is noly a marginal concern anyways, as the Bible, according to Howard, only provides "parameters" and does not give the "details". I suppose that’s probably true, after all, Howard said it.)

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If the Bible is sufficient to stand on its own, then why are all these books necessary that ‘Christian philosophers’ publish?

Could they be money-making devices??

Wow! That would be sacrilege, wouldn’t it?

Remember the story of Jesus in the temple, where the money-changers were converting Roman coins into money that the temple priests would accept?

Wasn’t the lesson here that man should not use the name of ‘god’ for profit?

Isn’t one of the Ten Commandments an injunction against using God’s name in vain?

Are modern-day Chirstians falling out of the habit of learning the lessons provided in the Bible for its followers and alleged adherents?

What would Jesus say to this?

Hmmmm...... <thinking.......>

Perhaps I am wrong, after all, I am nothing but an impotent sinner, according to the Christian, and therefore I am unable to ‘see’ the ‘ultimate truth’ that ‘god’ has in store for us all. ‘God works in mysterious ways’ is the old adage.

NOT!!

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Osareya!! You should know better!! The only answer is obvious: "Because of the impossibility of the contrary!" Do not tempt the Lord thy God, Osareya! How many times to you have to be told? Stupid foolish sinning human! See what SIN does to your mind? It blinds you to truth! Now, close your eyes, and walk by faith! (No stumbling now! Watch out for that tree!)

I’m forever entertained by the Christian endeavoring to ‘justify’ his ‘true beliefs’. So entertained, I’m ready to sell my television and tennis rackets!!

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Well, folx, time for another Beck’s Dark!

Hoist the steins, mates!

May you get what you deserve!!!

Tindrbox

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