Steve,
And I'm not angry at you either. It's fun to talk with you. Unfortunately, there is not adequate time to discuss things more thouroughly.
We probably take very different approaches in trying to understand how things work. I am very much interested in the truth, perhaps more so than most people. If someone could convince me that Christianity was false, I would stop believing in it.
Why might this be a good idea? If one takes a general approach, it becomes obvious that people in most religions are not at all open to the truth. For example, most Moslems will aggressively defend their Koran and not question it. Even if their religion is wrong (as we both believe), and Christianity is correct (as we also both believe) they are not open to change. The only way for them to find the truth, is to take a more general approach.
So, if I am really interested in the truth, I should also take a general approach. Otherwise, I'll never know if Christianity is really superior to the other faiths.
So, sooner or later, I will ask the questions like
* Does it make any sense in a more general context?
* How does this particular instance of a concept fit into a family of related concepts?
* Were their any parallels situations in the past we can learn from?
* What do the critics to this particular concept have to say?
* Do the proponents of this concept have conflicting interests?
* Do my cultural values/norms affect how I interpret the concept.
* Does this concept produce outcomes that are empirically falsiable?
I have faith that such questions will lead me to better understanding. |
