This article responds to one of Thaddeus Metz's criticisms of the theory that the meaning of life is to fulfil a purpose assigned by God. In particular, it addresses the argument that only an atemporal God could ground meaning but that an atemporal God could not assign a purpose. In order to do this, the article first argues that Metz's criticisms misread the relevant sense of purpose. It then argues that on a more plausible reading of 'purpose', we can see that it is in fact the kind of thing that an atemporal God could assign.Countless people in the history of our civilization have believed that the meaning of their lives stems from a purpose assigned by God. As important a figure as Tolstoy has famously reasoned that life without God would have no meaning, and therefore concluded that God must exist. 1 Given that this question affects issues that are of both rational and emotional interest to many people, any argument that raises difficulties for the claim that God could provide life with meaning by assigning a purpose cannot be lightly put aside. Yet in recent essays, Thaddeus Metz develops just such an argument. That is, he lays out what he believes to be some of the best reasons why God alone could assign meaning to a person's life. Metz then argues that these reasons entail that God has qualities that are incompatible with assigning purpose to a human life. In particular, he worries that these reasons entail that God is atemporal, and then argues that a God who is atemporal could not have a purpose. If so, then the meaning of life could not be God's purpose.The aim of this paper is to argue that Metz may be correct to think that an atemporal God could not have a purpose, but his argument that this creates a problem for purpose theory is mistaken. His line of argument is mistaken because he bases it in a faulty understanding of the claim that God assigns a purpose to human life. More specifically, he misinterprets this claim because he misreads the relevant sense of the word 'purpose '. To that end, the aim of the paper is twofold. First, it will explore the sense of the word ' purpose' most relevant the relation between God and the meaning of life. Then, it will argue that once we get Religious Studies 43, 443-455 f 2007 Cambridge University Press
This article argues that we can improve the way we teach early modern political philosophy if we introduce students to alternative views about the development of the state. First, it summarizes the work of contemporary philosophers and historians who are critical of the modern state. Second, it points out ways in which early social contract theorists take the state for granted. Third, it argues that alternative views about the development of the state can help students take a more critical perspective on standard works of early modern political philosophy. Fourth, it argues that these alternative views will help students better understand dissenting voices in early modern political philosophy.
This article discusses recent legal conflicts between state universities and conservative religious students in the United States, focusing on Christian Legal Society v. Martinez. In recent years, several universities have denied recognition to religious student organizations that discriminate on the basis of religion or sexual orientation. I argue that scholars on both sides of the issue have failed to recognize the full scope of the privilege that the universities demand. If the courts accept the universities' demands, then the courts dangerously expand the government's authority to suppress dissenters. No proponent of civil liberties should welcome this change.
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