How does what youlike (your subjective tastes and desires) equal what is good?
Well,I certainly wouldn't trust you totell me my likes and dislikes.
You are evading the question, trying to turn it back on me to escape explanation. It is a ploy I have witnessed for those who have nothing to offer use.
I know the feeling. On debate.org I have debated a guy who forgot to answer hundreds of questions. ;)
I did not forget. I got to the point where I saw answering your posts was a futile process, the workload required too much (a barrage of detailed posts with complex explanations), and I felt it an unfairly one-sided discussion. You have a habit of not justifying your own position but mainly challenging mine, a one-sided dialogue where I am required to do all the leg work and where you get to evade questions or justification. Do you think that is fair? IMO, your main purpose seems like that of some other atheists I have encountered who have an agenda - make Christians look bad.
(IFF) everyone agreed on the one-true-interpretation and practical application of the moral code of "YHWH" (THEN) we'd all be Orthodox Jews
Argumentum ad populum. Truth is not true just because the majority think so.[108] What is good is so whether you believe so or not.[109]
[108] Your fallacy of choice: the straw man. 3RU7AL did not rely on that erroneous principle. Whether everyone is an Orthodox Jew does in fact depend on the popularity of certain beliefs.
"If, and only if, everyone agrees" is an appeal to popularity. He reasons that everyone has to agree for something, such as biblical morality, to be true. Then he says that we would all be Orthodox Jews in that situation, which is another fallacy, a haste generalization.
He is making the argument that truth depends on a majority or, in this case, EVERYONE correctly interprets the one true interpretation of the Bible or Jewish Scriptures moral code for it to be true. His appeal is to EVERYONE agreeing to this (If and only if). I find that absurd. Truth, as I said, is true no matter who thinks otherwise and no respecter of persons.
Thence, "truth depends on everyone agreeing" is wrong. He falsely perceives that to interpret biblical morality correctly, everyone needs to agree on the true meaning, which is the one true interpretation.
Some Muslims would argue that to interpret the Qur'an correctly; one must understand Arabic. I have had that argument used on me by a Muslim. Thus, any true meaning can only come from Arabic knowledge, not translating it into other languages. Thus, with Islam, according to some, there is no equivalency to other languages.
[109] Your god on the other hand seems to think something is good because he believes it. I suggest you tell him the error of his ways.
No, He knows something is good because goodness is one of His attributes, part of His nature. He knows all things, which is another attribute of His nature.
Your decalogue is indistinguishable from a (really old) personal preference or opinion.
Your assertion, not mine. Back it up.
Can you provide/support such distinction with more than bald assertions?
3RU7AL made a claim. It was his statement, not mine. It is his onus to back it up as anything more than an assertion.
Can you prove "it" (his statement of it - the Decalogue - being indistinguishable from other older personal preferences) is not the case with anything other than bald assertions? How does he back that up? Is he going to appeal to the Code of Hammurabi or another god? Please give me some proof that those codes or accounts did not borrow from the biblical account or that such gods are more reasonable to believe in by the evidence for them.
I am appealing to logic and what would philosophically have to be the case. If you disagree, then provide another justifiable reason or argument (set of premises).
Again, I refer you to what is necessary for morality. If you think otherwise, then we can argue on those aspects. Here we go: - a necessary, omniscient, objective, immutable, eternal mindful Being.
And even if you argue that the Ten Commandments are not required, I would argue that humans innately have the laws of God
written into their moral being. They know, deep down, that it is wrong to murder.
Didn't you choose your standard?
I believe in God who is my standard of righteousness. He first chose me to be in Christ. Then, in hearing the gospel message, I came to believe. My standard does not originate from or in myself. It is the revelation of Someone else who is logically necessary for morality.
[a] So you chose God and his morality. [i] A choice, assuming free will, is subjective.
[b] That your god is necessary for morality is something you have yet to prove. My worldview allows me to explain why you haven't done so yet, because I base it on reality.
So, you choose according to what you believe meets you preference and your preference is the moral standard of someone who has what is necessaryfor morality. But what if Kim Jong Un or Bashar Al Assad has adifferent preference?
[a] He first chose me to be born again in Christ. It begins with Him. Morality makes sense with God. It is reasonable to believe that morality comes from mindful beings, and a necessary being who is omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent, immutable, and eternal meets the requirements.
[i] A choice for humans is subjective. We do not know everything. Thus we make a judgment. But if God has revealed, we can know what is objective provided; we correctly interpret His revelation.
[b] There is an objective standard of appeal, provided the biblical God exists. It is not subjective if such a God exists, has revealed, and I correctly interpret His revelation. Agree or disagree?
I keep asking you questions that you fail to answer. Be honest with yourself and others and stop hiding what you believe. I am not the only one giving an account here. Do you realize that? It requires two of us to test each other's worldviews. Here are some more questions concerning this very subpoint.
Is a mind necessary for morality? If so, is that mind your mind? Yes or no?
If you did not exist, would morality still be possible? If so, why is your mind the necessary mind for morality's existence, or can you say it is?
For you to know with certainty, would omniscience provide the answer? Yes or no?
For morality to exist, does the law of logic, the law of identity apply? (A=A) If not, whose idea of the moral right is actually true to what is the case, or is there no actual case and how do you know?
If there is no fixed, unchanging standard - a best - then what do you use to compare goodness or rightness to?
If morality is not eternally true (truth is always the case), then how can you say something is morally right or wrong? If it is not always the case that something is right, then it can change and what was once true is now false regarding the same principle. That begs why is the "now" better than the "then"? How do you get better in such a case? Who gets to determine that?
Again, if moral values are not eternal, unchanging, they are inconsistent with logic. They fail the law of contradiction, the law of identity, and the law of excluded middles.
Not for those who are true believers.
You don't seem to understand what "unfalsifiable" means.
Sorry, a misunderstanding on my part.
I want to compliment you, Peter. You admit fault and you've integrated some awareness of logical fallacies into your repertoire. Kudos, sir.
So a good script for evasion seems to be:
1. Miss the point with a nonsensical response.
2. When confronted, admit your mistake.
3. Accept the congratulations!
I've lost the greater context, so I will respond to what is available.
Point three - Thank you! I realize you are the only one who can't be wrong or misunderstand something!!!
All communication requires that we get the meaning the other person is conveying to understand them correctly. Misapplying a term or not understanding it can result in a misunderstanding. You seem to think I am not allowed that benefit. Are you so perfect, or is this your way of beating up on me?
How do you know the "revelation" is moral?
It has what is necessary for morality. Subjective humans who have no fixed foundation do not. I keep inviting you to show me a standard (other than the biblical one, since you are not a believer) that does have what is necessary and we will focus on that standard. I have not heard a chirp.
[a] Although you have failed to answer his question, you suggest that something that has [b] what is necessary for morality, is moral (benevolent). [c] Why would that be so?
[d] You also claim that a fixed foundation is required for morality. Can you prove that? (Repeating how bad it is without such foundation and repeating fallacious questions do not constitute proof.)
[e] You also seem to be under the impression that asking something gives the recipient of your request the duty to fulfill it. However, that is not so according to the [f] moral standard of most of your recipients.
[a] I have answered how I know many times before, till I am blue in the face. I find the evidence in the Bible is reasonable and compelling to believe, and in an example like prophecy, it is confirmed on many accounts by external historical evidence. I have also argued philosophically, ontologically, metaphysically, morally, and epistemological for my case.
[b] In the biblical case, yes.
As I have said before, I don't argue about other gods, so my theistic argument is about a specific God I deem meets the requirements of what is necessary, as explained in the biblical revelation/writings.
[c] Why, because moral good depends on goodness AND justice/accountability. It also depends on the best, which would be an omniscient being. If you don't know what that best is and can't reason for it, you do not have what is necessary to explain morality.
[d] If something does not have a fixed identity, how can you say it is what it is? I think it is self-evident. Do you believe that some things are self-evident?
[e] I am under the impression that you cannot fulfill my questions or requests, so you avoid them. It, to me, shows the moral and epistemological bankruptcy of your atheistic position. It can't make sense of itself with anything other than assertions and calling the kettle black.
[f] What moral standard? Are you speaking about your preferences? How are they moral? Justify them as moral. Do you think that just because you can make something up, that means it is moral?