Re: MD On Faith

From: Charles Roghair (ctr@pacificpartssales.com)
Date: Sun Oct 31 2004 - 02:45:52 GMT

  • Next message: Erin: "Re: MD On Faith"

    Chuck to DMB:

    Can I be your agent?

    Best regards,

    C.

    On Oct 30, 2004, at 6:54 PM, David Buchanan wrote:

    > Sam and all MOQers:
    >
    >
    > dmb said:
    > Why should a person have to become familiar with an entire branch of
    > human
    > knowledge just to understand the meaning of a word?
    >
    > Sam replied:
    > Of course you need to become familiar with an area before you can
    > understand
    > it.
    >
    > dmb says:
    > ARRRG! As I understand, the claim is that Pirsig's idea of faith as a
    > willness to believe falsehoods, which is also the common meaning of the
    > word, is not the correct or christian meaning of the word. This
    > naturally
    > raises the question, "well then, what does it mean"? And so far most
    > of the
    > answers to this question have been a blur of nonsense and insults. And
    > I
    > resent the suggenstion that the lack of any coherent response has been
    > construed so that its my fault. What do you mean by faith? Those are
    > six
    > short words and they compose a simple question. I don't want to read a
    > stack
    > of books to find support for a claim I did not make and am in fact in
    > the
    > process of disputing.
    >
    > Nobody denied the "need to become familiar with an area before you can
    > understand it". Those are the rules of participation here and it only
    > makes
    > sense. I'm just not concerned with what's on your bookshelf so much as
    > on
    > your mind. Again, this tactic strikes me as both condescending and
    > evasive.
    > It removes the responsiblity from the one making the claim, where it
    > properly belongs.
    >
    >> dmb to scott:
    >> I honestly don't know what motivates you, but whenever we see lots of
    >> crazyness and tortured logic, you can bet your ass something personal
    >> is
    > at
    >> stake.
    >
    > Sam replied with the rubber-n-glue theory of debate again:
    > You're the one exhibiting crazyness and tortured logic. What's at
    > stake here
    > for you? (Please don't just say 'truth', because that begs the
    > question. And
    > it's a genuine question by the way, I'm not trying to be snide)
    >
    > dmb answers:
    > What's in it for me? The battle is its own reward. We actually have a
    > lot in
    > common, father. We both care about these issues. We both think
    > religion is
    > important. We've both read, thought, studied. In a way, its my life
    > too. We
    > both think the other guy is wrong. And that's why I do it. I care and I
    > think you're wrong. Its not about me and you, of course. Its about the
    > clash
    > between philosophical mysticism and the church. Its about Pirsig's MOQ
    > and
    > your offensive attempts to alter it to fit with your churchianity.
    > Since you
    > very well know of Pirsig's explicit comments on faith and theism, such
    > alterations show a dishonesty of intellect, a willingness to distort
    > ideas
    > for your own purposes. Going away to do your own thinking is one
    > thing, but
    > importing Anglicanism into the MOQ is another. I wonder how you'd feel
    > if I
    > did the reverse? How about if we change the church to accomodate the
    > MOQ
    > instead?
    >
    > Adding insult to injury, these objections are usually met with a
    > distorted
    > response like one above. There my objection to being given a homework
    > assignment instead of a direct answer was construed as a manifesto
    > against
    > knowledge. Since this is not even remotely close to what I was saying,
    > and
    > since Sam is not a blithering idiot, I can only conclude that this too
    > is
    > dishonest. I mean, you really can't believe I was making a case against
    > knowledge. Oddly perhaps, its the dishonesty and illogic that offends
    > me and
    > not the insult. Sam, can you HONESTLY tell me that you HONESTly
    > thought I
    > was claiming to be saint, for example? Dude, I mean father, that's
    > just some
    > kind of lie. That's morally wrong, see? Its not honest or fair. To say
    > that
    > its not rational or that its incorrect really doesn't cover it. I
    > don't even
    > care about nice or polite, but philosophy, or any good conversation, is
    > impossible without this kind of honest and fair, see? No? Maybe you
    > really
    > don't see that. Apparently not because whenever I raise such
    > complaints they
    > are taken for dogmatism or a unneccesary desire for MOQ purity or some
    > other
    > thing that has nothing to do with the actual objection.
    >
    > Yea, I'm rambling. I'm trying to explain why I think the battle is its
    > own
    > reward, why I defend the MOQ against theist hijackers, why I defend
    > philosophical mysticism against the faithfull. I'm telling you why I
    > find
    > Sam's position and approach deeply offensive and morally lacking as
    > well as
    > incorrect.
    >
    > Oh, and there's cash. That's ALSO what's in it for me. I'm playing a
    > role in
    > a reality show. I have until new year's day to hospitalize a priest
    > with
    > nothing more than words. If Sam has a stroke or goes insane because of
    > my
    > posts, I win a million dollars. How am I doing so far?
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
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