Philosophy
My Fellow Comedists,
Philosophers working in the traditions of Judeo-Christian have put forward what has come to be called the cosmological argument in which observations of an orderly universe are used to argue that a Creator god must exist. We Comedists have the comicological argument in which we cite examples of irony and absurdity as evidence for the existence of the Cosmic Comic. This week ought to leave no doubt.
Last week, Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, held that the explosion that caused the BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico was a work of God. He received derision for the claim, but I think he was right. How else could you explain the fact that we were handed the world's easiest current events pun, "spill, baby, spill"?
This week, it only got better. We had Republicans in the Senate arguing that we should not ban people on the no-fly list from buying guns. Sure, they are too dangerous to be allowed on airplanes, but what could possibly go wrong with allowing people we have good reason to believe are enemies of the state to arm themselves? Lindsay Graham's argument for this -- and I am not making this up -- is that the Founding Fathers were clear about firearms in the Second amendment, but said nothing about air travel since they couldn't have predicted the invention of the airplane.
Speaking of absurdity and terrorism, we've got to mention Faisal Shahzad, the keystone kop of the jihad set. Not only did he use the wrong kind of fertilizer, but he was taped parking his getaway car, but then took public transportation back to Connecticut because he accidentally left the keys to his car inside the van he was trying to blow up. You can just see him, nervous about the explosives, trying to set everything up, leaving walking to the getaway vehicle, reaching into his pocket, trying the other pocket, jacket, back to the original pocket, and then realizing -- oh no, did I leave them in..., oh no. Do I have time to go back and, no, oh, man, how much cash do I have on me? It's like the sequel to Woody Allen's Bananas.
Finally, we have to mention this one. With all the calls for the Vatican to investigate longstanding problems in the clergy, finally they are indeed acting.
What irony or absurd happenings have you observed lately?
Live, love, and laugh,
Irreverend Steve
- Comedist Confessions
My Fellow Comedists, We just had Yom Kippur, the day when Jews around the world ask for forgiveness for their sins. (Leave it to the Jews to make the holiest day of the year a time set aside to feel guilty.) Catholics have confession and I was just listening...
- In Which Comedism And The Vatican Agree
My Fellow Comedists, The Vatican has declared "The Blues Brothers" as "Catholic Classic". Of course, we considered this masterpiece a "Comedist Classic" long before, but we welcome our Catholic brethren to party even if Jake does see the light at a Protestant...
- Can You Argue From Ignorance?
There is a standard reasoning error called "argument from ignorance" which is asserting that a lack of proof for something is proof of its falsity. For example, before I was about to teach this fallacy for the first time I came into the room to find the...
- An Explanation Of Kant's Moral Argument
Kant?s moral argument focuses on the notion that God must exist to provide structure to the moral universe. Technically he did not believe that is was possible to prove the existence of God through rational or empirical means. It is important to outline...
- Explain The Teleological Argument For The Existence Of God.
a) Explain the teleological argument for the existence of God. [25] The teleological argument is one of five arguments for the existence of God. It attempts to prove God?s existence by using our experience of the world or universe around us. This makes...
Philosophy
The Comicological Argument for the Existence of God
My Fellow Comedists,
Philosophers working in the traditions of Judeo-Christian have put forward what has come to be called the cosmological argument in which observations of an orderly universe are used to argue that a Creator god must exist. We Comedists have the comicological argument in which we cite examples of irony and absurdity as evidence for the existence of the Cosmic Comic. This week ought to leave no doubt.
Last week, Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, held that the explosion that caused the BP oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico was a work of God. He received derision for the claim, but I think he was right. How else could you explain the fact that we were handed the world's easiest current events pun, "spill, baby, spill"?
This week, it only got better. We had Republicans in the Senate arguing that we should not ban people on the no-fly list from buying guns. Sure, they are too dangerous to be allowed on airplanes, but what could possibly go wrong with allowing people we have good reason to believe are enemies of the state to arm themselves? Lindsay Graham's argument for this -- and I am not making this up -- is that the Founding Fathers were clear about firearms in the Second amendment, but said nothing about air travel since they couldn't have predicted the invention of the airplane.
Speaking of absurdity and terrorism, we've got to mention Faisal Shahzad, the keystone kop of the jihad set. Not only did he use the wrong kind of fertilizer, but he was taped parking his getaway car, but then took public transportation back to Connecticut because he accidentally left the keys to his car inside the van he was trying to blow up. You can just see him, nervous about the explosives, trying to set everything up, leaving walking to the getaway vehicle, reaching into his pocket, trying the other pocket, jacket, back to the original pocket, and then realizing -- oh no, did I leave them in..., oh no. Do I have time to go back and, no, oh, man, how much cash do I have on me? It's like the sequel to Woody Allen's Bananas.
Finally, we have to mention this one. With all the calls for the Vatican to investigate longstanding problems in the clergy, finally they are indeed acting.
"Three Catholic women's communities in Washington state are being investigated by the Vatican. They were chosen for review as part of an extensive investigation into American nuns. The Vatican says it's following up on complaints of feminism and activism."Better nip that in the bud, after all, patriarchy has worked out so well for them.
What irony or absurd happenings have you observed lately?
Live, love, and laugh,
Irreverend Steve
- Comedist Confessions
My Fellow Comedists, We just had Yom Kippur, the day when Jews around the world ask for forgiveness for their sins. (Leave it to the Jews to make the holiest day of the year a time set aside to feel guilty.) Catholics have confession and I was just listening...
- In Which Comedism And The Vatican Agree
My Fellow Comedists, The Vatican has declared "The Blues Brothers" as "Catholic Classic". Of course, we considered this masterpiece a "Comedist Classic" long before, but we welcome our Catholic brethren to party even if Jake does see the light at a Protestant...
- Can You Argue From Ignorance?
There is a standard reasoning error called "argument from ignorance" which is asserting that a lack of proof for something is proof of its falsity. For example, before I was about to teach this fallacy for the first time I came into the room to find the...
- An Explanation Of Kant's Moral Argument
Kant?s moral argument focuses on the notion that God must exist to provide structure to the moral universe. Technically he did not believe that is was possible to prove the existence of God through rational or empirical means. It is important to outline...
- Explain The Teleological Argument For The Existence Of God.
a) Explain the teleological argument for the existence of God. [25] The teleological argument is one of five arguments for the existence of God. It attempts to prove God?s existence by using our experience of the world or universe around us. This makes...