RE: MD On Faith

From: David Buchanan (DBuchanan@ClassicalRadio.org)
Date: Sat Oct 30 2004 - 23:44:52 BST

  • Next message: David Buchanan: "RE: MD On Faith"

    Sam, Scott, and all:

    dmb asked the theists to make a case:
    I'll ask you the same thing I ask everyone, can't you bring me some actual
    quotes from these guys?

    Scott replied:
    Why should I do your homework for you? I don't have a bunch of quotes handy.

    Sam added:
    I've actually suggested a number of books for DMB to chase up where he can
    investigate these things for himself. He's not yet (to my knowledge)
    bothered to break out of Wilberville.

    dmb says:
    I really don't get it. Isn't the one making the claim responsible for making
    that claim clear and credible? Don't we all have to back up what we're
    saying? Do I fail to back up and explain what I'm saying?

    I'm sure it feels good to recommend a book, especially to a friend who will
    thoroughly enjoy it. But your "advice" give me a distinctly different
    impression, gents. You are positively dripping with condescension. The
    suggestion that I'm hopelessly trapped in ignorance until I've read certain
    books or mastered certain fields is ridiculously out of proportion. I'm only
    asking that your posts make sense. I'm only asking to do your best to
    persuade me that your assertions have some validity. This ploy of telling me
    to take up theology strikes me as an evasion of the task requited of you,
    rather than a real criticism of me. I've taken a different appraoch to the
    same topic and have a basis of my view, which I share. But apparently you
    guys have nothing comparable. Apparently, there is no basis for faith but
    faith itself so you guys are trying to get me to indoctrinate myself, to
    hypnotize myself with theology. Tell me just one thing (cause I'm soooo
    ignorant), doesn't theology BEGIN with assumptions I've already rejected?
    Maybe Pirsig would drop the whole MOQ thing and go back to SOM if he'd only
    read more Hume, eh? He's rejecting it becasue he's ignorant right? I jest,
    but you see the point, no?

    We all have our intellectual heros. If we are going to accuse each other of
    ignorance for reading different authors or prefering different approaches,
    then we're all ignorant and it would be simple matter to accuse you of the
    same. So what's the point?

    The point is, this is a discussion group and you can explain your position
    or you can't. Your position makes sense or it doesn't. Its all about what we
    write and read here. Don't give me any homework assignments and I won't give
    you any, deal? Let's just explain our thoughts, shall we?

    I still have well over a hundred posts to read, just in this thread, so I
    might be barking up the wrong tree. If there is an unread post that contains
    clear explanations, persuasive arguments, supporting evidence and fine
    examples, relevant quotes, handy references, or anything else that counts as
    makning a case, then I apologize. But if the future is anything like the
    past, then I'll soon be complaining about evasions and obfuscations. Let's
    say I have faith in the faithful when it comes to that.

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