[Buddha-l] life force vis a vis Xianity & Hinduism

[r.g.morrison]

 Stan Ziobro:
: > How does Buddhism account for the complexity of phenomena and their
: > inter-relations other than by simply asserting a form of dependent
: > co-origination?
Robert Morrison:
: > The simple answer is that it doesn't.  It is concerned with bringing to 
an
: > end the deeply rooted tendencies of greed, hatred, and stupidity in the
: > human mind.

 Bob Zeuschner replies:
: In my class, the Intelligent Design folk note that Buddhism does not
: explain the original cause or the apparent design, and then feel that at
: least Intelligent Design provides a better explanation which solves the
: question of "why is there anything" and Buddhism does not answer it
: satisfactorily. ...
: My reply: The Intelligent Design explanation is that "the world is the
: way it is because an incomprehensible being using incomprehensible
: forces/powers for incomprehensible reasons, designed it to be that way."
:
: Appealing to the incomprehensible provides no explanation at all.

Not only that, but as David Hume pointed out some centuries ago, it is badly 
designed!  As yet, I.D. has not made any impact on this side of the 
Atlantic, but, like baseball caps, no doubt it will.  I usually tell 
students that if they want an intelligent answer as to why such things are 
unknowable to the human mind, go read Kant's first Critique.

Robert