"A theologian who undervalues Logic... simply disarms himself".... theologian Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920)

 

The peculiar human ability to reason enables the specie, upon all things discoverable per the five senses, to observe then to name, to name then to define, to define then to categorize, to categorize then to analyze/compare, to analyze/compare then to test/experiment, to test/experiment then to eliminate/exonerate, to eliminate/exonerate then to theorize, to theorize then to deduce, to deduce then to induce, to induce then to propose, to propose then to conclude so to determine, to evaluate, to economize, to prioritize, to proceed (to act), and more, thereupon to repeat ceaselessly.

To emphasize, if to cease and desist the aforesaid behavior, then to cease and desist the one human distinction among all other nonhuman species.

Furthermore, the mere presence of the peculiar human ability to reason as described is not only the inherent thus unavoidable condition for each and every individual, but also the divine invitation, admonition, proclamation even obligation to study, ponder, labor over all matters including theology, till last breath. As we do, we express by thought, speech, and action not only our uniqueness as members of humanity, not only our peculiarity among all other otherwise instinctive species as so Edenically breathed into Adam's entire body, mind, and soul, but we express too by thought, speech, and action our gratitude for the Creator as well our worship of the Creator.

"It is, indeed, a patent fact, that in every science man is the thinking agent, and if he shall undertake intellectual pursuits in an accurate and prepared way, and in the full consciousness of self, the knowledge and practice of the faculty of thought are indispensable to him. A theologian who undervalues Logic, as being little necessary to him, simply disarms himself. This was by no means the practice of our older theologians. They always emphasized most strongly the study of formal logic, together with its related arts."

Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920)
Encyclopedia of Sacred Theology (1894)

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Come let us Reason. Peace is always a Choice.
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath.

Is 1:18 / Mt 5:9 / 2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23

Yet, regardless the political persuasions, preferences, particulars, partisanships, all sorts of imaginations foment and fester within the common mind often beyond awareness and perception... Quotes by Mises and Jevons

"The cognizance of reality is a sad experience. It teaches the limits on the satisfaction of one’s wishes. Only reluctantly does man resign himself to the insight that there are things, viz., the whole complex of all causal relations between events, which wishful thinking cannot alter... We must see conditions as they really are, not as we want them to be."

Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973)
Human Action (1949), Omnipotent Government (1944)

Yet, regardless the political persuasions, preferences, particulars, partisanships, all sorts of imaginations foment and fester within the common mind often beyond awareness and perception. Insomuch distortion, delusion, perversion, psychosis quite inevitable whether to imagine then assume "what once was" as natural, orthodox, even pristine although contrary to fact's consistency, else to imagine then presume "what could be" as desirable, evolutionary, even utopian although contrary to truth's consistency. Now combine these imaginations with personal, preferential lists of rights, ethics, moralities, pieties, and unavoidable the array of inconsistencies then complexities, creatively written into various isms and ocracies that solicit sentiment, emotion, till frenzy, thereupon elicit irrationality, erraticism, till violence.

If to reassess and identify the earliest of missteps, observe the subtle departures then incremental digressions, water-shedding from the most pinnacle of fundamental understandings, hence the below quote by 19th century economist and logician W.S. Jevons...

"These laws describe the very simplest truths, in which all people must agree, and which at the same time apply to all notions which we can conceive. It is impossible to think correctly and avoid evident self-contradiction unless we observe what are called the Three Primary Laws of Thought, which may be stated as follows:

1. The Law of Identity. Whatever is, is.
2. The Law of Contradiction. Nothing can both be and not be.
3. The Law of Excluded Middle. Everything must either be or not be.

Though these laws when thus stated may seem absurdly obvious...I have found that students are seldom able to see at first their full meaning and importance."

William Stanley Jevons (1835-1882)
Elementary Lessons in Logic: Deductive and Inductive (1870)

Instead of clumsily paraphrasing what Jevons eloquently wrote, I strongly recommend rereading his quote two or three times, then focus on the last sentence regarding students while inwardly reflecting. Better still, I strongly recommend reading his book.

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Come let us Reason. Peace is always a Choice.
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath.

Is 1:18 / Mt 5:9 / 2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23

A man with a scant vocabulary will almost certainly be a weak thinker... Henry Hazlitt (1894-1993)

Perhaps one of my favorite quotes, while Hazlitt's book compelled me to commit solely to studying Logic for 3+ years starting with Jevons, then Mill, Boole, Shannon, Wittgenstein, Thomson, de Morgan, Aristotle, Grayling, Hamilton-Bart, and others.

To note, towards the end of aforesaid study I was equally if not exceedingly compelled to commit solely to studying Theology for the last 2 to 3 years and still in progress, thus the occasional posted quotes by Kuyper, Bavinck, Vos, etc. I digress, and so the quote...

"A man with a scant vocabulary will almost certainly be a weak thinker. The richer and more copious one's vocabulary and the greater one's awareness of fine distinctions and subtle nuances of meaning, the more fertile and precise is likely to be one's thinking. Knowledge of things and knowledge of the words for them grow together. If you do not know the words, you can hardly know the thing."

Henry Hazlitt (1894-1993)
Thinking as a Science (1916)

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Come let us Reason. Peace is always a Choice.
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath.

Is 1:18 / Mt 5:9 / 2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23

Subsidization of any form sooner or later will gravely mitigate if not disastrously negate the person's ability to reason...

 

Quote taken from my forthcoming 14th book entitled Neglected Matters as Studied, Pondered & Labored o'er Whiskey, Tobacco & Chess thus GAMBIT & GAME (sometime in 2027).

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Come let us Reason. Peace is always a Choice.
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath.

Is 1:18 / Mt 5:9 / 2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23

Thankfully, God's Natural Law of Causality, whether equated as Common Grace or a subset thereof, cannot be fully negated by our covetous efforts never-ending, the latter finally stopped cold in tracks preventing total destruction... And quotes by Abraham Kuyper and Matthew the Apostle...

To perceive and contend the divinely instituted Natural Law of Causality upon Creation as (at least) a subset of Common Grace if not the equivalent, is to understand Causality both per physical dynamics (sciences) as well human dynamics (economics, ethics) as doing exactly that and so “curbs the operation of Satan, death, and sin.” Hence, the Dutch Reformed theologian and polymath Abraham Kuyper elaborated...

"All 'special' revelation, as it is commonly though not altogether correctly called, postulates common grace, i.e., that act of God by which negatively He curbs the operation of Satan, death, and sin, and by which positively He creates as intermediate state for this cosmos, as well for our human race, which is and continues to be deeply and radically sinful but in which sin cannot work out its end."

Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920)
Encyclopedia of Sacred Theology: Its Principles (1898)

Within the category of divinely instituted Natural Law of Causality, is the matter of Individual Responsibility and Risk. To bear such things is to experience the causality of such things, therefore to suffer or benefit by the resulting detriments else increments of such things. Conclusively, there are the lessons learned as well, else lessons missed, ignored or scoffed thereby the same damn errors repeated. Boldy and exhaustively I would say, it is by this particular Causality, we are made capable to discern and judge; what is harmful versus beneficial, fatal versus remedial, false versus fact, lie versus truth, fantasy versus reality, perception versus actuality, absurdity versus logic, disparity versus consistency, even wrong versus right, immoral versus moral, unethical versus ethical, collectively thus ultimately to aid us to recognize the sin(s) within ourselves.

To continue down this line of thought is to encounter characteristics appearing as mysterious, though no less logical and applicable. To isolate human dynamics (causalities between two or more individuals) from natural dynamics (causalities throughout nature), there is an interesting observation. To observe one individual on an island (if you will) or isolation, there are no "social" dilemmas regarding individual responsibility and risk, therefore no dilemmas regarding what is right or wrong, moral or immoral. This single individual cannot shirk his/her responsibility nor avoid his/her risk, and surely cannot impose his/her responsibility and risk upon others; for he/she is alone. But to observe the adding of a 2nd, later a 3rd, then more individuals on the same island or isolation, there now appears a set of dynamics that are solely human, that is to say, causalities quite separate from the rest of nature's causal activities.

"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

Matthew 18:20 (ESV)

Interestingly, as declared by Scripture regarding Christ's presence among two or more congregants, so it is observably, logically, consistently, ethically among two or more individuals regarding the aforementioned Law of Causality. I digress, lets exemplify...

To politically, governmentally mitigate individual responsibility and risk via government subsidy, loan, welfare, grant, general expenditure, monetary expansion, exemption of liability, prohibition, sanction/ban and various other forms of force, is to interfere, distort, and pervert causality, creating paths of least resistance, thus leaving covetousness unchecked even enabled. Thankfully, God's Natural Law of Causality, whether equated as Common Grace or a subset thereof, cannot be fully negated by our covetous efforts never-ending, the latter finally stopped cold in tracks preventing total destruction, however much suffering we may have to endure, nonetheless so per our propensities for error and excess to philosophically argue, else per our depravities towards various sins to theologically argue.

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Come let us Reason. Peace is always a Choice.
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath.

Is 1:18 / Mt 5:9 / 2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23

I pray for Orania!

 

I pray for Orania! I pray as the Oranian studiously, ponderously, laboriously sustain, thrive, and prosper amid South Africa, a country fast declining economically, civilly, fast decaying socially, morally.

However...

I also pray for the Zulu, Xhosa, San, Ndebele, Sotho, the remaining Afrikaners and Boers, as well Indians and other Asians. I pray so they would consider mimicking the Oranian example, the hard, long work of self-preservation, self-interest, self-reliance, self-responsibility (and risk), and self-determination. By such efforts, the rough-and-ready, hardy individuals may better sustain then advance their families, may better preserve their languages, cultures, traditions, histories, faiths, and more.

It should be clear the South African government, like most if not all other national, federal governments, have no interest towards such rightful even noble objectives.

To note, the aforementioned term "rough and ready" can be found scattered among historical accounts during the 18th and 19th century American westward migration (a migration with many parallels to the Great Trek). So much so the term's enduring notion and posture, there is town today called Rough and Ready, California; established in 1849, though the following year of 1850, existed briefly as The Great Republic of Rough and Ready.

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Come let us Reason. Peace is always a Choice.
Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath.

Is 1:18 / Mt 5:9 / 2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23

Come let us Reason. Peace is always a Choice.

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Come let us Reason. Peace is always a Choice.

Study, Ponder, Labor, till last Breath.

Is 1:18 / Mt 5:9 / 2 Tm 2:15 / Cl 3:23