[Vision2020] The Benefits of Polarization

[Bob Hoffmann]

I learned (at a private college) that the justification of religion on 
rational grounds is a fallacy.  Religion is at its base a matter of faith, 
not a matter of science.  Once a person told me that her faith could be 
defended on reason and mathematics alone, as someone had written a book 
mathematically proving God to exist.  I asked her, "If I read that book, 
and could point out a mathematical flaw, thereby proving that logically 
there was no God, would you abandon your religious beliefs?"  She 
entertained the notion for a few moments, and then answered in the 
negative.  I would expect any person of faith to do the same.

So I do not call for a logical defense of Christianity (or Islam, Judaism, 
Buddhism, etc.).  To do so is to not understand religion, with its 
mysteries and miracles.  I do call for people of these religions to respect 
me and my rights as I respect them and their rights.  If I claim to be a 
rationalist, a man of science, and a man of faith asks me to logically 
justify myself, I cannot turn that around and ask him to logically justify 
his beliefs.  It's like a basketball player pointing out the no-good catch 
of a bounced football, and the football player turning around and saying, 
"But you bounce your ball all the time!"  Different games, different rules.

At 03:17 AM 2/6/2003 +0000, Ted Moffett wrote:
>Doug, et. al.
>
>Talk about a polarizing ideology, let's discuss the dogma and restrictions 
>imposed by certain forms of Christianity!  Religion almost always imposes 
>authoritarian ideological control over peoples lives by setting up us 
>versus them, good versus evil dichotomies that are rigid and absolute, 
>thus simplifying for the adherents of said religion what might be the 
>difficult task of judging other people of differing ideologies or 
>navigating perplexing moral choices.
>
>I'm not going to give energy here to those endless loops of logic whereby 
>so called progressives who promote "pluralism" and "relativism" get caught 
>defending certain values so vehemently that certain absolutist 
>Trinitarians drool over the contradictions that have snared those poor 
>misled progressives.  I merely point out the logical difficulties involved 
>in rationally defending Christianity, which are so various and profound it 
>takes an extreme compartmentalization of the mind to on the one hand so 
>vigorously point out the logical problems with progressivism while failing 
>to admit the logical flaws in Christianity.
>
>Their is an intellectual "bad faith" in certain Christians who hide behind 
>a certainty of knowledge that is not rationally defendable, while thumbing 
>their noses at the people in doubt who, though of course not without 
>definite values on life, at least have the honesty and integrity to admit 
>they really don't have all the answers to life's big questions.
>
>Ted
>
>>From: "Doug Jones" <credenda@moscow.com>
>>To: "'Vision 20/20'" <vision2020@moscow.com>
>>Subject: RE: [Vision2020] The Benefits of Polarization
>>Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2003 09:58:04 -0500
>>
>>Visionaries,
>>
>>Melynda Huskey complained about Merkle’s “polarizing” language and
>>pleaded for constructive dialogue, and Sunil said “what’s the point? No
>>minds are going to be changed.”
>>
>>But “progressives” know well the importance of polarization. They’re
>>experts at it. It’s what you do in a democracy when people won’t drop
>>their particular injustice. Polarization highlights an opponents’
>>hypocrisy to a broader audience. Dialogue only works where people share
>>many assumptions and are willing to grow. Local progressives have shown
>>themselves to be the last group to understand real change; they are
>>locked in decades old categories.
>>
>>Local progressives and public school advocates find themselves defending
>>anti-pluralistic, dated, “back of the bus” policies to fund their narrow
>>ideologies. Everyone knows minds can’t change on this issue, just as
>>every knew that public busses would never allow blacks up front.
>>Polarization offers some hope to those outside of political power. Local
>>polarization will only increase until simple pluralism prevails.
>>
>>Doug Jones
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>
>
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Bob Hoffmann
820 S. Logan St.
Moscow, ID  83843

Tel: 208 883-0642