Assumptions -- or Making an Ass out of ... Me?

This blog is a product of my own mind, and therefore is indelibly linked to a set of assumptions based on my own knowledge, background and experience.

In order for you to understand the thoughts I express, you must also be aware of the foundation from which my ideas originate.

A note on assumptions: 1) We all have assumptions -- whether we are aware of them or not; 2) Assumptions can be wrong; and, 3) Assumptions create unintended limitations on our ability to formulate ideas.

This truth about assumptions cannot be denied. We are all limited by the assumptions we make before we even attempt to draw conclusions about the world around us.

It is partly this issue which I am trying to combat by starting this blog and inviting others to participate in its discussion.

Although we cannot completely overcome the limitations our assumptions create, we can at least try to be aware of them and be open to adjusting them as we gather additional information.

So, here is a short list of my own assumptions:

1. My background is the Judea-Christian view of the world. Although I have tried to spend time learning and understanding other belief systems, I cannot escape the fact that I was brought up within the Christian faith and my first reaction is to use that background as a basis for my current thinking. This doesn't mean that I am adverse to considering opinions based on another belief system, but it does, to some extent, limit my ability to consider ideas that might come from someone with a different background.
   
   
2. Logical Positivism. There was a movement in the early 1930's called Logical Positivism, or "logical empiricism". The basic position of this philosophy was that there was no point in discussing something unless you could measure, weigh or define that something.
   
   This should be the standard for discussion on this blog. Whatever is discussed, it should be something which is provable, repeatable -- and most importantly, can be shared by others.
   
   This does not mean that assertions must be physically verifiable. Logical arguments do not necessarily pertain to anything which can be physically measured, weighed or defined, but the elements of a logical argument are by definition the expression of universal truths. Most importantly, logical arguments can be related to others and be understood despite the fact that we each come from different backgrounds and unique experience. An example of this would be Decartes' statement of "I think, therefore I am." Although the basis for his logical argument is intangible ("thought"), it is based on a shared experience and undisputed truth -- that we all think.
   
   
3. God is Reality. I believe that the answer to the question of God's existence can be found by examining our own Reality. The basis for this belief is the self-evident truth that any creator must leave an impression of himself within his creation.
   
   Regardless of what the creation is -- whether that is a painting, a sculpture, building or the Universe itself -- there is always something uniquely individual about that creation which is a reflection of its creator.
   
   Therefore, if God is responsible for the creation of our Universe, it is undeniable that the revelation of his existence should be found there.
   
   Inversely, it is also true that if God cannot be found reflected in the world around us, that is proof of His non-existence.
   
   
4. I am not a trained physicist. Although I have done a great deal of research into many concepts regarding our physical world, I have not been formally educated in any of them. These are very complex concepts, so I may at times get something wrong.
   
   So, if I do, please correct me.... but be nice about it.