Inspired by my good friend David Ayres (whose blog can be found at http://www.davidayres.blogspot.com/ or by looking at my blog list on the right), I will be making some posts that are quite brief.
Some of these will be in the series "Self-Defeating Truths." I am always fascinated by statements such as, "The only thing that is certain is that everything is uncertain," and have often wished that I had a collection of such statements. I am calling them "self-defeating truths," rather than "self-defeating statements," because I believe that many of them are true in a paradoxical sort of way, even if they are linguistically impossible.
How about variations on "The Bible/God is true because the Bible/God says it's true?" Or circular argumentation in general, even more complex ones.
Maybe it's not self-defeating, but it's certainly transparently flimsy. If one testifies concerning himself, there had better be other witnesses...something the Johannine tradition deals with in different ways.
You might check out fellow blogger "Apologetic Junkie," who sets out to do battle with self-defeating statements (http://apologeticjunkie.blogspot.com/2009/10/self-defeating-statements.html).
Never say never. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. The first shall be last and the last shall be first.
Inspired by my good friend David Ayres (whose blog can be found at http://www.davidayres.blogspot.com/ or by looking at my blog list on the right), I will be making some posts that are quite brief.
ReplyDeleteSome of these will be in the series "Self-Defeating Truths." I am always fascinated by statements such as, "The only thing that is certain is that everything is uncertain," and have often wished that I had a collection of such statements. I am calling them "self-defeating truths," rather than "self-defeating statements," because I believe that many of them are true in a paradoxical sort of way, even if they are linguistically impossible.
Enjoy.
This one is my favorite:
ReplyDeleteNever believe an absolute statement.
How about variations on "The Bible/God is true because the Bible/God says it's true?" Or circular argumentation in general, even more complex ones.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's not self-defeating, but it's certainly transparently flimsy. If one testifies concerning himself, there had better be other witnesses...something the Johannine tradition deals with in different ways.
You might check out fellow blogger "Apologetic Junkie," who sets out to do battle with self-defeating statements
(http://apologeticjunkie.blogspot.com/2009/10/self-defeating-statements.html).
By-the-by, c'est moi, Habibaka, su esposa-a-ser.
"Habibtika," rather. Tsk tsk.
ReplyDeleteNever say never.
ReplyDeleteFor whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
The first shall be last and the last shall be first.