Posted by Stuart Gilman (65.93.90.190) on August 31, 2002 at 07:06:46:

In Reply to: Re: Evil - Nothing exists without its opposite. posted by Brett Zamir on August 30, 2002 at 11:36:49:

BZ wrote:

"Actually my speculation was only a speculation."

Is a rose a rose is a rose? Why speculate when you know the Truth?

"Your example about an army is a good one. When two or three armies fight, they "oppose" each other and may in effect annihilate each other. However, as 'Abdu'l-Baha points out, there is no real annihilation, even in this world, as all elements become transformed upon what we would call death."

The possibility of three armies who oppose each other was not the example mentioned. It is interesting though. I mentioned one against two or two against one. In many games, there are two, three, four, five, six or more players opposing each other. Poker would be one example. In a typical game, one person wins. There is no loser. So, seven against seven produces one, not zero. I am struggling to find an example where opposing forces, whatever the number, produce zero. Tic-tac-toe always produces a tie if played properly. It is a zero-sum game. But a tie is not nothing. It is an affirmation of two. If two or even ten runners tie in a race, they all win. If all horses in a race break and none crosses the finish line, the race is considered to not have been run. That is interesting. So the non-race between horses all of whom fail to finish produces a non-race. But the fact remains, there was indeed a race and none finished - "rules" render that race non-existent. Not non-real.

"Or to take another example, two forces of any kind equally balanced in opposing each other may produce a vector leading nowhere. However, the exertion required to produce the forces will surely have its impact in some manner."

Sorry, irrelevant.

"I guess the answer is that there is no real non-existence of anything."

Now you're on the right track. I know that your integrity is stronger than some obsolete doctrine. Please, my absolute trust and faith in the Prophets does come into conflict with the UHJ, I have admitted that and tried to come to terms with it. My trust and faith in our Prophets is in conflict with much of "reality" as I see it, and I try to come to terms with that. But our education gives us either an advantage toward pure belief or a disadvantage. Coming to Baha'i after many years as an agnostic, or a Buddhist or a Jew, or a hedonist, is bound to leave serious traces of confusion and doubt. I am sure you understand and can pardon me for that. I do not know whether Baha does, but you can.

Brett
"(though I may sometimes be busy, I haven't listed myself as "BZ", or anyone else for that matter--unlike someone I suspect)"

Who do you suspect? Certainly not me. If you like, I will provide you privately with my website address, which gives my phone number, address, photo, etc... Not to be shared.

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