Send
Close Add comments:
(status displays here)
Got it! This site "creationpie.com" uses cookies. You consent to this by clicking on "Got it!" or by continuing to use this website. Note: This appears on each machine/browser from which this site is accessed.
Paradox lost: a way to tolerate paradise
1. Paradox lost: a way to tolerate paradise
The Russell Paradox of logic appears in reality in many forms. There is no resolution of the paradox in logic.
Humans tend to ignore the logic and invent their own solution with the resultant paradoxes. A chance at paradise is lost.
Jesus provides a fault-tolerant solution that, while not paradise, in reality, works rather well.
The title "Paradox lost" is a play on words on "Paradise Lost" by English poet John Milton (1608-1674).
2. Paradise lost
The title "
Paradox lost" is a play on words on "
Paradise Lost" by English poet John Milton (1608-1674).
The famous work of poetry elaborates, sometimes without a Biblical basis, the story of the Garden of Eden, the fall of man, Lucifer as the fallen angel of light, and so on.
3. Doctors
There are many jokes about a "
paradox" as in "
two doctors". That is, a "
pair of docs".
Likewise, there are many jokes about "
paradise" as in a "
pair of dice".
4. Paradise as a garden
What exactly is "
paradise"? It is not a "
pair of dice". No gambling allowed in paradise. If you roll a "
four" and a "
two" it is a "
fortuitous paradise" as in a "
Four two. It's a pair of dice.".
The ancient Greek word
"παράδεισος" ≈ "paradise, enclosed park". The word "
paradise" is a Persian word brought into Greek as "
peri" (around) the "
dise" (enclosed) - or a garden.
The English "garden" from the German "garten" as garden. A "Kindergarten" is a garden for children.
The English "yard" comes from the hard "g" sound softening to the "y" sound.
The Russian "сад" (sot, sod) for garden is related to the English word "sod" for earth or ground.
Were we created to work in a garden? Was Adam created to work in a garden.
5. Big yellow taxi
The song "
Big yellow taxi" was written and recorded by Joni Mitchell in 1970. Some of the lyrics are the following.
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique, and a swinging hot spot
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you got 'til it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
Oh, bop, bop, bop Oh, bop, bop, bop
6. Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) was a famous mathematician and humanist/socialist. The Russell Paradox (1901), a fundamental paradox in logic. is named after him. The Russell Paradox appears in reality in many forms.
This statement is false.
You must hate all forms of hate.
You must not tolerate intolerance.
It is interesting when people are pressed to reconcile, say, the toleration paradox, with ideas such as, say, inclusiveness, they fall back on the type system of Russell that did not resolve the logical issue. The only solution appears to be to give up on actual logic but pretend to be using logic.
7. Short forms
Some short forms of the Russell Paradox are the following.
This statement is false.
I am lying.
Is no your answer to this question?
Pinocchio: My nose will grow now.
There is no resolution of the Russell paradox in logic.
8. History
The Russell paradox had been discovered by Ernst Zermelo but was unpublished.
Georg Cantor had realized his theory would lead to such a contraction.
Aristotle talks about this paradox in terms of the perjurer.
 |
Details are left as a future topic.
|
9. Titus 1 The Epimenides paradox about Cretans
Titus 1:12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. [kjv]
… αει ψευσται κακα … [gnt]
1:13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; [kjv]
… μαρτυρια … αληθης … [gnt]
Russell paradox:
"I am lying". This is a self-referential paradox that results in an infinite regress. (no solution)
Cretan paradox: "
All people are liars". One truth-teller makes that person a lier. No contradiction or paradox. (simple solution)
The phrase "
All Cretans are liars" is known as the "
Epimenides paradox". Unlike the modern "
Russell paradox" to which it is often compared, the Epimenides paradox has a simple solution and does not make what Paul says in Titus 1 incorrect.
10. Practice
Variants of the Russell Paradox appear in practice in meaningful situations social, cultural, religious, political and other situations.
11. Hate
Warning sign:
You must hate all forms of hate.
This is a form of the Russell Paradox. Does this mean that you need to "
hate" yourself (reflexively).
A similar statement is the sign "
Hate has no home here.". Do these people "
hate" those who "
hate"? Those people are certainly not welcome in that home.
12. Hate sine
Should one hate sin? Should one hate the sinner?
13. Sin and sinners
May we be enabled to say 'No' to sin and 'Yes' to the sinner. Dietrich Bonhoeffer (German Lutheran pastor, theologian and anti-Nazi dissident)
14. Jesus
Jesus does not hate the sinner. (many verses omitted)
Jesus does not want the sinner hated. (many verses omitted)
Does Jesus hate sin? Should you hate sin?
15. The doctrine of Santa Claus
Revelation 2:6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. [kjv]
… εργα … νικολαιτων … [gnt]
… facta Nicolaitarum … [v]
… Werke … Nikolaiten … [lu]
Jesus:
loves people
hates deeds (sin)
The Greek name for "
Nicolaitans" is related to the Greek name from which "
Santa Claus" originates. That is, literally, "
victory of the people".
A "
doctrine" is a "
teaching".
16. Revelation 2:6
KJV: But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Greek: αλλα τουτο εχεις οτι μισεις τα εργα των νικολαιτων α καγω μισω
Latin: sed hoc habes quia odisti facta Nicolaitarum quae et ego odi
17. Latin
18. Hate
In the next verse, some Greek versions infer the "
hate", probably from the previous verse.
Revelation 2:15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. [kjv]
… διδαχην … νικολαιτων … [gnt]
… doctrinam Nicolaitarum [v]
19. Revelation 2:15
KJV: So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
Greek: ουτως εχεις και συ κρατουντας την διδαχην των νικολαιτων ο μισω ομοιως
Latin: ita habes et tu tenentes doctrinam Nicolaitarum
20. World
Does the world, or humans in the world, hate sin?
Does the world, or humans in the world, hate sinners?
John 7:7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. [kjv]
… μισειν … μισει … πονηρα … [gnt]
15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. [kjv]
… μισει … μεμισηκεν [gnt]
In the
GNT (Greek New Testament), the Greek word for "
cosmos" as world usually refers to the people in the world.
21. John 7:7
KJV: The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
Greek: ου δυναται ο κοσμος μισειν υμας εμε δε μισει οτι εγω μαρτυρω περι αυτου οτι τα εργα αυτου πονηρα εστιν
Latin: non potest mundus odisse vos me autem odit quia ego testimonium perhibeo de illo quia opera eius mala sunt
22. John 15:18
KJV: If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
Greek: ει ο κοσμος υμας μισει γινωσκετε οτι εμε πρωτον υμων μεμισηκεν
Latin: si mundus vos odit scitote quia me priorem vobis odio habuit
23. Slippery slope
It is a slippery slope from hating sin to tolerating sin to participating in sin.
24. Love
Is it true then that the world will "
love the neighbor" unless that neighbor loves Jesus. If so, will the world will "
hate" that "
neighbor"?
25. Condemnation
Note that the world, or humans in the world, will pressure leaders to hate (or condemn) people but not necessarily the actions done by those people.
Discuss the following claims for a given action.
"I condemn the action done by these people.".
"I condemn the people who did this action."
"I cannot condone the actions done by these people."
If you refuse to "
condemn" on Biblical grounds, will you be associated with those who others want to "
condemn".
Discuss: Should we condemn the actions, speech, thoughts, and/or people?
26. Hate
Perhaps "hate" is to strong a word. How about "tolerate". More precisely, what is "not tolerated".
27. Tolerance
Warning sign:
Intolerance will not be tolerated.
To be "
tolerant" from the humanistic viewpoint one must be "
intolerant" of any viewpoint to which the "
tolerant" person does not agree.
This is a form of the Russell Paradox.
28. Inclusiveness
The same idea can be used for "inclusiveness". All are "included" except those who disagree with the "inclusiveness" criteria.
This is a form of the Russell Paradox.
29. Strawman fallacy
Strawman arguments are often used to "
prove" a point - by politicians and many others. Briefly, the reasoning of a
strawman argument goes as follows.
Set up an idea to appear to support an opposing point of view.
Knock that idea down.
Claim you have discredited the opposing point of view.
30. Strawman questions
A strawman question is like a strawman fallacy.
A strawman question is a question that sets up someone whose answer is to be knocked down.
The Russell Paradox, or variant thereof, works nicely as there is no logical solution and thus no good answer to that type of question.
31. Interview example
Here is an example using the interview process for a position at a company, academic institution, etc.
Example question to person wanting to be hired:
If you were hired, how would be tolerant of others at this place of work?
How would you answer this question? Assume that you really need the job.
32. Never say anything
One way to get by on the job is to "
never say anything", a back-formation acronym for the
NSA (National Security Agency).
Another back-formation acronym is "
no such agency".
33. Idle words
Some people think that if they "
never say anything" they will have no "
idle words" for which to account.
34. Judging
Some people think that if they "
never say anything" they will not be "
judged".
35. Out of contention
In the interview process, one needs to say something. Since there is no logical solution to this question, the person asking can later find an issue with the answer and conclude that this is not a good candidate for the job. Thus, any candidate can be knocked out of contention for the position as desired.
36. Collegiality
If the person being interviewed points out the logical fallacy and that there is no solution and that the question is not fair, that person can be knocked out of contention by claiming that they would not collegial.
37. Approximation
There is no logical solution to this paradox. An accomplished mathematician, Russell tried many different ways, as have others, and nothing has worked.
However, if we use some ideas from fault tolerant computing, one can arrive at an approximate solution that works well in practice (or reality).
One such solution was presented in ancient times in the GNT by Jesus. Let us look at this approximate solution using fault-tolerant principles.
38. Matthew 13: Second kingdom parable: fault-tolerant approach to the toleration paradox
The parable of the wheat and the tares provides a
fault tolerant and realistic approach to the
tolerance paradox which, as a simple form of the Russell Paradox, has no logical solution but occurs often in society.
Parable: (encoded)
Matthew 13:28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? [kjv]
… εφη αυτοις εχθρος … [gnt]
13:29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. [kjv]
… ζιζανια … σιτον [gnt]
… zizania … triticum [v]
Explained: (decoded)
13:39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. [kjv]
… εχθρος … διαβολος … θερισμος … αιωνος … θερισται αγγελοι … [gnt]
39. End of page
