Why I Don't Debate Evolution

[Apologiaphoenix]

Is it really worth it?

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[rogue06]

Is it really worth it?

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There was a similar, though much less vehement reaction to Descartes according to the New Cambridge Modern History, IV, p.139:


Blaise Pascal's declared that, "I cannot forgive Descartes; in all his philosophy, Descartes did his best to dispense with God."

Jacobus Triglandius was accusing Cartesianism as being used by atheists to justify their position in Leiden causing the university to forbid its teaching and declare that only Aristoleanian philosophy would be taught there. IIRC it was due to Adriaan Heereboord's adamant defense of Cartesianism that helped to eventually reverse this decision.

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, in an early December of 1679 letter to Christian Philipp wrote that, "As to the Philosophy of Descartes, of which you ask my opinion, I do not hesitate to say absolutely that it leads to atheism."

Descartes didn't help his case with his remarks in his Letter to the Faculty of Theology of Paris when he said that, "Thus few people engage in the search for truth, and many, who wish to acquire a reputation as clever thinkers, bend all their efforts to arrogant opposition to the most obvious truths." While completely innocent to us they were seen, especially the "arrogant opposition to the most obvious truths" line, as being a direct attack on Scripture and IIRC quoted by atheistic thinkers when they sought to justify their views.



The same can be said about Isaac Newton who was accused of promoting atheism in several quarters back in his day, not to mention that he practiced what was considered a form of witchcraft for several years^[1] before they aim their telescopes.

In 1724 John Hutchinson, professor at Cambridge, published his Moses' Principia, a system of philosophy in which he sought to build up a complete physical system of the universe from the Bible. In this he assaulted the Newtonian theory as "atheistic," and led the way for similar attacks by such Church teachers as George Horne (a Vice-Chancellor of Oxford), Duncan Forbes (Lord President of the Scottish Sessions), and William Jones of Nayland ("who systematically picked apart Newton's concept of gravitational attraction in order to uphold his own insistence that such power could be exerted only by God"). In 1796, the Gentleman's MagazineDe humani corporis fabrica
Apparently John Adams, the second president of the United States, wrote in in his diary in December of 1758 of a discussion he had concerning lightning rods with a Bostonian saying that "He began to prate upon the presumption of philosophy in erecting iron rods to draw the lightning from the clouds. He railed and foamed against the points and the presumption that erected them. He talked of presuming upon God, as Peter attempted to walk upon the water, and of attempting to control the artillery of heaven."

It was only when many churches were saved from damage by lightning because of lightning rods did criticism finally begin to waver.









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