On another blog, FideCogitActio, some theists of a "classical" stripe (that's to say, like Brian Davies, Edward Feser) are criticisng the Evil God Challenge (or I suppose, trying to show how it can be met, or sidestepped). The main post includes this: In book I, chapter 39 , Aquinas argues that “there cannot be evil in God” (in Deo non potest esse malum). Atheists like Law must face the fact that, if the words are to retain any sense, “God” simply cannot be “evil”. As my comments in the thread at Feser’s blog aimed to show, despite how much he mocks “the privation theory of evil,” Law himself cannot escape its logic: his entire argument requires that the world ought to appear less evil if it is to be taken as evidence of a good God. Even though he spurns the idea that evil is a privation of good, his account of an evil world is parasitic on a good ideal; this is no surprise, though, since all evil is parasitic on good ( SCG I, 11 ). Based on the conclusions of se...
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Biggest problem Stephen: When you get back, you'll sit around the kitchen table for days (weeks) talking about moving there.
Butchart Gardens Vancouver island, that rotating restaraunt in Vancouver. The steam clock in Gas Town.
My daughter is 4 and I wouldn't have any qualms taking her up there.
davidby-at-u.washington.edu
David - I might well take you up on the generous offer, thanks. Let's see if I can sort it out...
Good luck on the trip!
There is a movie that was just released in Canada called "One Week" - http://www.atheistmissionary.com/2009/01/one-week-great-show.html If you get the chance, check it out - a great primer for your trip.
Also, if you are going to be staying long enough to embark on a road trip, try to get over to Alberta which is the province neighbouring BC to the east. The Banff and Jasper National Parks hold some of the most pristine wilderness in the world. I took my 8 year old daughter camping there last summer and we had the time of our lives.
I've always wanted to go back and see more.
Regards, Paul.
The city itself is dullsville, though, unless you want to spend your days shopping for all the same stuff you can get in any other North American city. A previous commenter's reference to the Butchar Gardens and the Gastown Steam Clock made me cringe. Besides the fact that Butchart is nowhere near the city of Vancouver (45 minute drive to the ferry terminal, 1.5 hours on the ferry, 40 minutes additional driving) they want $28 bucks a person to get in.
And the steam clock is surely one of the most overrated tourist attractions going. Its only appealing characteristic is that since it's on the street, it's free.
Within 30 minutes of downtown you can sail, ski, or be on the edge of the back country wilderness with lots of day hikes.
There's a big aquarium with belugas, dolphins and extensive exhibits of west coast and south American fish and (smaller) wildlife), a science museum, planetarium, west coast Indian anthropological museum, maritime museum, parks, pools, beaches, two major universities and big beautiful mountains.
Whatever kind of food you like to eat, we seem to have excellent choices (and apparently one of the top 5 sushi restaurants in the world).
The theater here hardly compares to London.... but it is the place if you want to experience sea and mountains.
Be aware this is a temperate rainforest climate, and it rains a lot over the winter months.
You'll love it, especially as a man with a keen eye for a beautiful photo. There's plenty to do, especially in August. My advice would be to rent a car and just drive up into the mountains, to Whistler and beyond. The natural beauty never gets old, and it just goes on and on. There's also a great ferry service across to Vancouver Island, which as Faust pointed out, is home to Butchart Gardens.
If you're willing to part with several hundred dollars, you can get a seaplane from the harbor in Vancouver up to the glacier. I haven't done it yet, but it's on the list.
In short, a week in Vancouver could be the healthiest of your life. Plus, maybe you'll find Sasquatch.
Anyway - we're going!
Give me a shout if you do come to Seattle.