[Osx-nutters] The separation of church and state.

[LuKreme]

On 5-Dec-2007, at 10:16, Chris Gehlker wrote:
> I didn't notice who sponsored the site. My knowledge of Newton comes
> primarily from an undergraduate course in Enlightenment history. In
> any case, your statement is factually incorrect. There  is plenty  of
> evidence that Newton was a committed Christian.

This is certainly true.  And so was Leibnitz.  And everyone else.  The  
crises of faith during the 17th century were about what KIND of  
Christian you were.  Newton did not want to become a priest because he  
did not embrace the Anglican point of view (or any other).  He had  
doubts about the church, but not doubts about GOD.

Much of the philosophy of the time was invested in trying to reconcile  
the emerging science with the Biblical faith. To Newton the existence  
of God was a simple fact, something so basic no one would even think  
of questioning it.

And the real idea of there not being a god is really quite new.  
Barring a few isolated cases, the idea of atheism as we understand it  
today (A rejection of religion and a refusal to believe in a deity) is  
largely a product of the 20th century.  The atheism of, say, the 19th  
century was more about challenging the religious hierarchy and the  
belief, just as irrational as the religious believe IN a god, that  
there is no god.  Early atheist were sorta similar to so-called  
'Satanist' who pretend they are rejecting Christianity while embracing  
all its most basic dogma.

That's why I said the destination believe not believing in god and  
believing there is no god is so important.

-- 
Some books are undeservedly forgotten; none are undeservedly remembered