Marc Gravell

5,109 reputation

830

bio	website	marcgravell.blogspot.com
	location	Forest of Dean, UK
	age	34
visits	member for	1 year, 10 months
	seen	Jun 7 at 9:32
stats	profile views	1,278

I'm a secular humanist, raised under Catholicism, and with more than a passing interest in the views and beliefs of various different religious and non-religious thinkings.

Unless I make it clear and explicit to the contrary, anything I post here represents me as an individual, and does not represent the site owners.

	5,109 reputation	bio	website	marcgravell.blogspot.com	visits	member for	1 year, 10 months
830 badges		location	Forest of Dean, UK		seen	Jun 7 at 9:32

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May 6	comment	What is the meaning of God's omni-powers? @svidgen after a year, you'll excuse me if this is hazy... But: if we're taking about the power to lie - that is definitely a power that exists. If, however, you are re-defining omnipotence as "the set of powers that the owner has", than that's awesome: I'm omnipotent too! I have all the powers that I have!
Apr 26	comment	What is a Christian's justification for a legal prohibition of homosexual marriage? @dcreight if you take the Bible literally, then you also have to accept that Eve was an afterthought after looking through the animals...
Apr 17	comment	Did the sun and the moon really stop rotating? @Ryan the important point there, though, is that we can't assume it is a literal event. As such, if it is metaphorical, we need to understand that metaphor in terms of the beliefs / knowledge of the people creating the metaphor. Our modern understanding of such is very different to how the original authors would have intended it to be taken, due to our very different knowledge of the physical universe.
Apr 17	comment	Did the sun and the moon really stop rotating? It must be noted that the last line here ("So did he really stop the Earth from spinning? Or was it only an illusion?") is a false dichotomy - those are not the only options. Hilmar explores this more in that answer.
Apr 12	comment	Atheism is the default position. Isn't the burden of proof on the Christian to assert that God exists? @Ben actually, no - but I've looked it up, and I'd certainly expect the notion of "final cause" to be the first of those to be rejected. I am unclear exactly which aspect of causality/evidence you are referring to regards me, but I am referring mainly to the modern application of logic theory.
Mar 29	comment	What is a Christian's justification for a legal prohibition of homosexual marriage? @bigdaveyl that (everything you just said), however, is not the definition of marriage (either civil or Christian) and it is disingenuous and unhelpful to keep going back to that.
Mar 28	comment	What is a Christian's justification for a legal prohibition of homosexual marriage? @bigdaveyl no, that is unrelated to marriage. Marriage != parenthood. The responsibilities (and indeed support) etc relating to parenthood do not depend on being married, and being married (and the benefits of that) does not depend on being able and willing to conceive. There is a large intersection, but they are not the same thing at all.
Mar 27	comment	What is a Christian's justification for a legal prohibition of homosexual marriage? @svidgen the Vatican, the CofE, and a range of protestant denoms have all vocally used the Biblical "definition" of marriage in terms of political campaigns / speeches. Whether or not it is doctrinal, it is in regular use.
Feb 14	comment	Why do Christians seek to convert everyone? Yes, I would say that is their choice. To complete the analogy: a doctor can inform them of their opinion and the evidence behind each option, then let the patient decide. Preachers, however, a: don't tend to accept any decision that isn't the one they personally support, and b: have precious little actual reliable evidence to support the opinions.
Feb 14	comment	Why do Christians seek to convert everyone? no, he's just saying he understands why they are "in your face". If you felt someone was at risk, you would tell them. The issue is when the other person doesn't agree and doesn't appreciate the repeated disturbance. Which (speaking for myself) is pretty common ;)
Feb 14	comment	Why do Christians seek to convert everyone? There's an interesting Penn Jillette video that touches on this - well worth a watch: youtube.com/watch?v=ZhG-tkQ_Q2w
Feb 14	comment	Are there any secular historical references to the natural phenomenon that occurred at the crucifixion and resurrection? Re the second half of this - it seems they pre-suppose the darkness occurred, which perhaps deviates a little from the original question
Feb 4	awarded	Informed
Feb 1	comment	Did God kill the first born in Exodus? sounds like a strategy... "say something that sounds soothing, and move on quickly"
Jan 31	comment	Should non-believers be allowed in church? "Because bad company corrupts" oh come on, believers aren't that bad.... (Deliberate misinterpretation to show that the phrasing there is unnecessarily provocative)
Jan 31	comment	Did God kill the first born in Exodus? I don't suppose it occurred to you to ask who in their view did, then?
Jan 31	comment	Atheism is the default position. Isn't the burden of proof on the Christian to assert that God exists? @Kyralessa that was perhaps what I had in mind. But then, perhaps the real difference there is that nobody insists that the contents of Plato or Homer are immune from criticism; the contents are allowed to be wrong in places, even fundamental ones.
Jan 31	comment	What is the biblical basis for the claim that abortion is immoral? @Kyralessa fair enough
Jan 17	comment	How does evolution (genetic diversity) play out from Noah's Ark? @David that would indeed be an interesting discussion. Alas, I suspect it is impossible, logistically - unless you happen to be in WA in a months time? (no, I didn't think so)
Jan 17	comment	How does evolution (genetic diversity) play out from Noah's Ark? @David just for info, it has been pointed out that I may have (when reading it, and via a previous comment - now deleted) mentally put quote marks in different places to what you had in mind. Sorry 'bout that.