[Apologetics] Is Nominalism a heresy?

[Stuart D. Gathman]

On Thu, 2 Feb 2006, Dianne Dawson wrote:

>   The Catholic Encyclopedia talks about nominalism at http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11090c.htm.  When I googled "nominalism"+"heresy"  the following at just two of the links that came up:
>   http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/cgi-local/DHI/dhi.cgi?id=dv2-48
>   http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/homer7a.htm

I did that too.  They don't answer the question.  The closest to an
answer is that "Nominalism and Realism were in conflict during
the Medieval period" - so perhaps it is similar to the predestination vs
free will tension, where you have to avoid falling off the cliffs
of Pelagianism and Determinism on either side.

I have several problem with Nominalism.  First, if God is not really good,
but I just have to learn to like it - that feels like a nightmare.
But what is really irritating is that proponents of the underlying
premise, that our ideas about things, especially abstract things
like goodness (ideals) have no basis in reality, are so quick to 
explain why my efforts to discern "right" and "wrong" are wrong
and misguided.  They label what I say as "wrong" because labelling
things as "wrong" is "wrong".  Go figure.

The Christian version modifies the premise so that there is only
one absolute - God.  There is no absolute truth except by Revelation.
But then it gets wierd.  Apparently, Christ and the (Protestant) Bible are
the *only* ways in which God has revealed anything.  Human reason,
conscience, are not to be trusted.  I'm not sure what good a Bible
does without Reason.

-- 
	      Stuart D. Gathman <stuart at bmsi.com>
    Business Management Systems Inc.  Phone: 703 591-0911 Fax: 703 591-6154
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