Parable of the Brown-Eyed Son

[technomage]

There was once a rich man who hated people with brown eyes.

Now, this man was so rich that he could afford to genetically engineer all of his children, so all of them had blue eyes ... except for one son. The rich man specifically chose for that son to have brown eyes.

Every day, the rich man reminded the son how much he hated brown eyes. Every day, he expressed his offense. Finally, when his son came of age, the rich man kicked the brown-eyed son out of his house, and said "You can come back only if you promise to keep your eyes closed for the rest of your life."

This rich man had the authority to do so, I suppose. But did this rich man love his son?

Was the rich man worthy to be called "Father"?

[One Bad Pig]

Nice straw-man you've set up here. Did you enjoy burning it?

There was once a rich man who hated people with brown eyes.

Now, this man was so rich that he could afford to genetically engineer all of his children, so all of them had blue eyes ... except for one son. The rich man specifically chose for that son to have brown eyes.

Every day, the rich man reminded the son how much he hated brown eyes. Every day, he expressed his offense. Finally, when his son came of age, the rich man kicked the brown-eyed son out of his house, and said "You can come back only if you promise to keep your eyes closed for the rest of your life."

This rich man had the authority to do so, I suppose. But did this rich man love his son?

The answer is clear from your first sentence.

Was the rich man worthy to be called "Father"?

Is the son his offspring?

[Darth Executor]

There was once an old man named Dustin. Despite having lived a long life filling his mind with philosophy and other intellectual pursuits Dustin's life slowly deteriorated, with him being unable to find satisfaction in anything. At first he settled for using his intellect, honed in the mighty forges of Bob Jones university for debating strangers, but that was not enough. The more he argued, the emptier he felt. As his life continued to fall apart, Dustin got more and more unstable. Arguing was not enough, he would twist and deceive and demagogue and pour hatred and rage on complete strangers, seeking to fill the void in his soul while succeeded in doing nothing other than making the void even bigger. Dustin couldn't even realize that the monsters he saw in others was actually a vision of what he was becoming.

The colossal waves are coming
To take whatever stands in their way
If only Dustin could see the true morning
The waves wouldn't sweep Dustin away

[technomage]

"The answer is clear from your first sentence."

Please expand upon this statement.

Thank you.

[technomage]

Thank you for your ... input.

[eudyptes]

"The answer is clear from your first sentence."

Please expand upon this statement.

Thank you.

...not to speak for OBP, but to show that someone else felt it was obvious as well....
Your initial statement said "There was once a rich man who hated people with brown eyes"...thus the answer was derived before the question was ever asked

[Soyeong]

Was the rich man worthy to be called "Father"?

There is a big different between hating brown eyes and hating behavior that brown eyed people have a stronger tendency to do (whatever that may be). The son can't help having brown eyes, but he still is in control of his behavior. While continually expressing hatred over something his son can't help would bring into question whether he was a good father, being called a father is not something that is dependent on worthiness.

[technomage]

There is a big different between hating brown eyes and hating behavior that brown eyed people have a stronger tendency to do (whatever that may be).

Brown eyes see the world ... just as do blue eyes or green eyes.

The son can't help having brown eyes, but he still is in control of his behavior.

Yes, he certainly is--he can keep his eyes closed for the rest of his life.

But is the rich man moral to ask that of his son?

While continually expressing hatred over something his son can't help would bring into question whether he was a good father, being called a father is not something that is dependent on worthiness.

You do bring up a point there. But is the rich man worthy to be called "Daddy"?

[Carrikature]

Nice straw-man you've set up here. Did you enjoy burning it?
The answer is clear from your first sentence.

Is the son his offspring?

I haven't the faintest clue what you're trying to say...

I *might* understand what you think is the straw-man and why. I don't understand your second sentence. Your question is either already answered or is asking something else entirely, I'm not sure what.

[Soyeong]

Brown eyes see the world ... just as do blue eyes or green eyes.

You said he hates brown eyes; not how brown eyes see the world. In that case, the son just needs some good contact lenses.

Yes, he certainly is--he can keep his eyes closed for the rest of his life.

But is the rich man moral to ask that of his son?

If the son is no longer dependent on the father and has been prepared to enter the world, aka coming of age, then the father has no moral responsibility to continue to keep the son in his house and he can make up whatever wacky conditions he wants for his son to come back. If the son wants to come back and is willing to follow those conditions, then that is up to him.

You do bring up a point there. But is the rich man worthy to be called "Daddy"?

The son is the only one with enough information to make that decision.

[technomage]

Nice straw-man you've set up here.

For me to be able to accept that my argument is a straw man, I must ask you to elucidate precisely where my analogy is not parallel to the original. I see no flaw ... but sometimes a second pair of eyes is needed to see an error.

[technomage]

You said he hates brown eyes; not how brown eyes see the world.

Your reply equated an inborn condition with the behavior that condition may produce. Thus my reply.

In that case, he just needs some good contact lenses.

So ... he must lie? He must make a false presentation?

If the son is no longer dependent on the father and has been prepared to enter the world, aka coming of age, then the father has no moral responsibility to continue to keep the son in his house and he can make up whatever wacky conditions he wants for his son to come back.

Yes, this is the area that the parallel breaks down. An actual parallel would require the father executing the son, or (if you prefer) casting that son into jail for life.

The son is the only one with enough information to make that decision.

One can choose to not decide--doing so is still a choice. So we must extend the parallel--what if you were the son?

[Soyeong]

Your reply equated an inborn condition with the behavior that condition may produce. Thus my reply.

I didn't equate them; I said there was a difference.

So ... he must lie? He must make a false presentation?

Is it the case that the world really is blurry and my glasses are deceiving me into thinking that it in focus?

Yes, this is the area that the parallel breaks down. An actual parallel would require the father executing the son, or (if you prefer) casting that son into jail for life.

How does this follow?

One can choose to not decide--doing so is still a choice. So we must extend the parallel--what if you were the son?

If I were the son, I'd have more information. The father hating brown does not negate everything else the father has done.

[technomage]

I didn't equate them; I said there was a difference.

Excuse me--"compared" is a better word than "equated."

Is it the case that the world really is blurry and my glasses are deceiving me into thinking that it in focus?

Not a parallel situation. If your eyes require correction (as mine do), then you are correcting a defect. To be born brown-eyed is not a defect.

How does this follow?

IN Christian belief, what is the fate of those who do not repent?

If I were the son, I'd have more information. The father hating brown does not negate everything else the father has done.

This is the information that you have. You may of course refuse to decide, based on the information available--but you must choose not to decide.

[Soyeong]

Not a parallel situation. If your eyes require correction (as mine do), then you are correcting a defect. To be born brown-eyed is not a defect.

If people with brown eyes are seeing the world differently than they should, then the father is right and how they see is a defected. While people with brown eyes are not able to change the eyes they see with, they still are able to use lenses to correctly see the world.

IN Christian belief, what is the fate of those who do not repent?

Sin is a defect, but we don't repent for having sin; we repent for acting sinfully.

This is the information that you have. You may of course refuse to decide, based on the information available--but you must choose not to decide.

I could decide if pressed, but garbage in is garbage out.