Re: [asa] Random and design

At 03:54 PM 11/24/2006, Pim van Meurs wrote:
>If we should expect the worst from eachother, how can anyone
>consequently take anyone seriously. Even your statement that many
>people 'mean well' seem to end up undermine your own position. I
>believe that the Bible offers much better philosophies than this.

@ You haven't yet comprehended the depth of your own depravity.

People are capable of doing good, but people aren't "basically" good.

<http://www.freerepublic.com/~matchettpi/Emory Report November 29,
1999 Volume 52, No.
13>Emory<http://www.freerepublic.com/~matchettpi/Emory Report
November 29, 1999 Volume 52, No. 13> Report 11/29/99 Vol.52. No. 13 Excerpt:

"...Marci Hamilton ... [is] a nationally recognized expert on
constitutional and copyright law. ....

Her forthcoming book, Copyright and the Constitution, examines the
historical and philosophical underpinnings of copyright law and
asserts that the American "copyright regime" is grounded in
Calvinism, resulting in a philosophy that favors the product over the
producer.

Calvinism? Hamilton's interest in the intersection of Calvinist
theology and [p--------l] philosophy emerged early in her career when
she began reading the work of leading constitutional law scholars.
She was puzzled by their "theme of a system of self-rule." "They
talked about it as if it were in existence," she said. "My gut
reaction was that direct [d---------y] and self-rule are a myth that
doesn't really exist."

What Hamilton found was that a "deep and abiding distrust of human
motives that permeates Calvinist theology also permeates the
Constitution." Her investigation of that issue has led to another
forthcoming book, tentatively titled The Reformed Constitution: What
the Framers Meant by Representation.

That our country's form of [g-----------t] is a republic instead of
a pure [d---------y] is no accident, according to Hamilton. The
constitutional framers "expressly rejected direct [d-------y] .
Instead, the Constitution constructs a representative system of
[g-------------t] that places all ruling power in the hands of
[e-------d] officials."

And the people? Their power is limited to the [v-------g] booth and
communication with their [e------d] representatives, she said.

"The Constitution is not built on faith in the people, but rather on
distrust of all social entities, including the people." ...

..Two of the most important framers, James Wilson and James Madison,
were steeped in Presbyterian precepts.

It is Calvinism, Hamilton argued, that "more than any other
Protestant theology, brings together the seeming paradox that man's
will is corrupt by nature but also capable of doing good."

In other words, Calvinism holds that "we can hope for the best but
expect the worst from each other and from the social institutions
humans devise."

"Neither Calvin nor the framers stop at distrust, however," Hamilton
said. "They also embrace an extraordinary theology of hope. The
framers, like Calvin, were reformers." ~ Elaine Justice [From my
profile page: http://www.freerepublic.com/~matchettpi/ ]

~ Janice

>On Nov 24, 2006, at 8:46 AM, Janice Matchett wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>
>>At 10:04 AM 11/24/2006, David Opderbeck wrote:
>>
>>>Thanks for the link Janice, it's a good (though a bit critical) summary.
>>
>>@ Yes, it was a bit critical, but I thought it was fair. Many
>>people, including professing Christians, "mean well", but I
>>subscribe to the axiom, "Caveat Emptor". Scriptures teach the
>>total depravity of man, therefore we can hope for the best -- but
>>expect the worst from each other and from the social institutions
>>and "movements", etc. humans devise.

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Received on Fri Nov 24 16:43:08 2006