RE: MD MOQ and The Problem Of Evil

From: Chuck Roghair (ctr@pacificpartssales.com)
Date: Wed Aug 25 2004 - 17:53:04 BST

  • Next message: Chuck Roghair: "RE: MD Provocative statements"

    Scott:

    Chuck said:
    > "Atheists versus Christians."
    >
    > No offense, but I think Pirsig, Buddhist-guy and I would clean your clock.

    Scott repied:
    Except that I wouldn't know which side I'm on, so the game would be called
    on account of theological quibbling.

    Chuck responds:
    Scott, you're all over the place here. Given the choice between Atheism and
    Christianity, you don't know which side you're on? A "Christian," correct
    me if I'm wrong, is someone who believes in Christ and his dual nature.
    >From previous points in your recent posts, I assumed that applied to you.

    Devotional Faith is a weird animal; it comes and goes, I guess. Maybe
    that's why I find it so repugnant.

    Best regards,

    Chuck

     
    A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arriving. A good
    artist lets his intuition lead him wherever it wants.
    -Lao Zi

    -----Original Message-----
    From: owner-moq_discuss@venus.co.uk [mailto:owner-moq_discuss@venus.co.uk]
    On Behalf Of Scott Roberts
    Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2004 7:50 AM
    To: moq_discuss@moq.org
    Subject: RE: MD MOQ and The Problem Of Evil

    Chuck,

    > Scott said:
    > "That is one definition, and the most common one. The other is what might
    be
    > called Buddhist atheism, not believing in a personal God the way most
    > monotheists do, and this is the sort of atheist that Pirsig appears to
    be."
    >
    > Chuck says:
    > Wow. A glimmer of comprehension for me (I hope). I disagree only with
    your
    > diction. What I believe in and I think Pirsig and possibly the Buddhists
    > and you, Scott (maybe), it isn't a "personal God." Were all together so
    far
    > as that goes.
    >
    > For argument's sake, imagine you and Pirsig and I and an enlightened
    > Buddhist were together on a basketball court. There's an official there
    as
    > well, to divide us into teams, as he sees fit, and call the game.
    >
    > As a way of making teams, the official arbitrarily decrees:
    >
    > "Atheists versus Christians."
    >
    > No offense, but I think Pirsig, Buddhist-guy and I would clean your clock.

    Except that I wouldn't know which side I'm on, so the game would be called
    on account of theological quibbling.

    >
    > Buddhists describe themselves as atheistic, as I imagine does Pirsig,
    while
    > simultaneously coalescing into reality's esoteric underpinnings. Why call
    > that coalescing process, God? "God" has so much baggage and heavy
    > connotation (especially Christianity's God, which I know isn't necessarily
    > yours) and is doggedly stalked by the creepy idolatry of which you so
    > eloquently speak.
    >
    > Again, language is the cause and, I suppose, the solution, to all of our
    > problems.

    I'm of two minds on this. The baggage problem is a serious one, but on the
    other hand, I see this as a political problem. I don't know if you are
    familiar with Karen Armstrong's book "The Battle for God", but it is a
    history of this problem: what connotations do we bring up when hearing the
    word 'God'. And, of course, the problem is as big now as ever, probably
    bigger.

    As a practicing Buddhist, or a MOQer, then there is no problem: drop the
    word God. But I see too much value in Christianity to ignore it, so that
    means I want to participate in the battle, some of the time at least.

    >
    > I'm off to Mend Derrida! Thank you for the recommendations.

    One warning on that book: Magliola has a preface in which he adopts a
    deconstructionist style, I suppose just to show he can do it. Skip the
    preface, if you don't like that sort of thing (I don't).

    - Scott

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