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Re: agree and disagree



> In what way, Scott? Spinoza was a pantheist, stating that he thought 
> God was present in everything. Didn't you say you're an atheist?


Yes, I'm an atheist, but what intrigues me about Spinoza's philosophy
is that Spinoza's God *was* the universe & *everything* in it.  His
God wasn't a separate entity which *created* the universe.

So when you say above that Spinoza "thought God was *present* in every-
thing," that's not entirely correct.  Spinoza's God *is* everything.
He leans more towards a "God = the Universe" view.  That's intriguing 
to me.

Spinoza's God isn't anthropomorphisized with human attributes & emo- 
tions, either.  Plus, Spinoza's God "does not willfully direct the course 
of Nature."

And another intriguing concept of his philosophy is that "*mathematics* 
offers a standard of truth which refutes the view that God acts with a
purpose."  I dig that, too.

Also, Spinoza argues that "belief in God's willful guidance of nature 
gives rise to an erroneous notion of value judgments, such as goodness,
order, and beauty."

But you're correct in calling to question my atheism in comparison to
Spinoza's philosophy.  Spinoza still retained the belief in *a* type
of God.  God as everything, without human attributes, & acting without
purpose.  

For me at least, that's a step in the right direction.


- SCHRADE in Akron

(All above quotes taken from The Internet Encyclopedia Of Philosophy.)