Posted by
The Proud Liberal on Saturday, August 22, 2009 12:14:31 PM
Levin says that reason, by itself, cannot explain why there is reason. But where he errs is in not acknowledging that faith, by itself, cannot explain why there is faith. Levin cites Edmund Burke at length, and describes "the law of nature and of nations," called Natural Law, established by the creator and uncovered through observation and experience over the ages. Levin errs in not acknowledging that not only do individuals in Western Christian Civilization arrive at different observations, but people in other cultures and other histories, with other experience over the ages, arrive at different observations. There is no agreement about Natural Law among men. Levin chooses to ignore this fact.
Levin continues, and chooses to assert that without Divine Providence man would create his own morals, which would be arbitrary. But this is a totally unfounded and unnecessary assumption. If we develop morality through our ages of experience there really is no necessity for Divine Providence. It is redundant.
Levin closes with some words about substituting earthly power for Divine Will. It is still curious to me that George Bush believes that God made him president so that he could deal with the 9/11 terrorists. But in so doing God manifested his will that the terrorists first commit their acts. Curious.