A query for the classicists

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On Thu, Oct 01, 1998 at 10:45:42PM -0700, Michael W. Fisher wrote:

> A query for the classical scholars on the list.

> 

> What is the truth value of the assertions of the good Dr. Hahn in regard

> to "person" in the excerpt below, plucked from an apologetics list I

> lurk on:

> 

> "Heard a great lecture tonight from Dr. Scott Hahn, who pointed out that

> there would be no concept of human rights at all without the Church,

> because it all emanates from the concept of person, which was developed in

> the Church's struggle to define who Christ was in the face of heresies

[...]

So, if one of the ideas that X originated was good, then X is good?  Does
this sound like a credible argument to anyone?  Even granting the claim
that Christianity originated the idea of personhood, and that the idea of
personhood is good, I can't see how it follows that Christianity is good.

Will Dr. Hahn accept that if rejecting the concept of god when explaining
physical phenomena has paved the way for most of the great discoveries in
physics for the last 200 years, atheism must be a pretty good thing?  I
think not, and I don't know why his explanation of why not wouldn't apply
with equal force to his argument.  Unless, of course, he'd like to appeal
that Christianity is true and atheism was false, but the goal seemed to
make it credible that Christianity was true, and thus his argument would
become circular.

Jeff
-- 
\/ http://www.freshmeat.net/                     Jeff Epler jepler@inetnebr.com
A good supervisor can step on your toes without messing up your shine.

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