2 thoughts on “Too Late For the Gods”

1. Hello Mr. Williams!

   Upon reading, you genuinely seem to be a well-intended, intelligent, and sincere man. I appreciate your thoughtful and considerate responses to many existential questions. What strikes me is the same feeling of frustration reading philosophers from across time, that being the deep weeds of presupposition. One often comes away from a discussion feeling as though 10 different philosophers would give 10 or even 20 different answers…to just the presuppositional argument! Not even diving into the question at hand. Furthermore, every one would respond with such condescension as to presume they are the only ones who have truly deliberated the subject at all.

   The field of philosophy is a wasted human endeavor, one in which we spend entire lifetimes trying desperately to rationalize various aspects of our existence all the while absolutely denying the one conclusion that answers them all. It would be like a group of high-browed intellects debating over the centuries exactly why some days get so hot, sometimes unbearably so, why our skin sometimes even burns and all water in the area evaporates. All the while refusing to accept the sun as any plausible explanation, leaving them toiling within a necessarily hopeless enterprise. Discussing and debating, inventing entire lexicons and theories, arguing ad nauseam over the ontology of heat, its effects, qualities, and mannerisms. Within this derived schema of self-importance, the philosopher exists, establishing a facade of value added to a society around them which is working daily to produce and care for one another.

   The irony of the philosophical endeavor is that, as man tries to explain his own existence and the associated trappings thereof, he absolutely refuses to accept the answer. Just as the “heat philosophers” refuse to admit the sun as the source of their dilemma. Should you have the courage, may I ask you to consider reality and truth as concrete constructs that must be discovered, not as malleable or relative to our highly dysfunctional perceptions. If God exists, then He would communicate that to us. It would be undeniable and He would offer us explanations as to our existence, purpose, and destiny. He would leave us with hard evidence as to His presence among us in order to allow the use of our own ration to verify His existence. Our goal, therefore, would be to seek this Truth and be willing to accept the evidence before us, even if our feelings or preconceived beliefs would argue against it. As a physician and skeptic, is how I came to faith in understanding Jesus as the Messiah and Creator of all things. Should you have the willingness, I would suggest investigating the Resurrection of Christ by studying Gary Habermas and J. Warner Wallace (“The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus” and “Cold Case Christianity”) as a leaping off point. Once you realize God exists, Created all things, incarnated Himself, died to atone for our wickedness, and rose from the grave, you will understand Truth, and the Truth will set you free (John 8:31-32).

   God Bless you and thank you for listening to my thoughts 🙂
   Heath VanDeLinder

   LikeLike

   Reply

   1. Thank you, Mr. VanDeLinder, for your thoughtful and interesting response. We probably share more in common than differ. You have well laid out the reasons for my frustration with philosophy, and the reasons the most important thinkers, such as Wittgenstein, Heidegger, and Quine proclaimed it dead.

      My path is to inquire into that shining sun you describe to come to some understanding of the essence of the Universe, from which our own nature derives, and our place in it. Our difference is only in what we believe that sun to be. I was once a Christian, and am familiar with the books you reference. That is where our paths diverge, although we seek the same answers. I left all religion as I became convinced they weren’t authentic encounters with the deeper truths, but rather metaphysical musings of ancient men. I prefer to contemplate direct experience within physical reality – Heidegger’s thinking of Being. I became convinced the only path to truth is to maintain the discipline to refrain from metaphysical projections and stay hard to the actual physicality of the experience itself. I pose the same questions as do theists, but search elsewhere for the answers.

      LikeLike

      Reply