I think the primary question regarding religion, is not as much the content of the teaching, obviously that is also important, but the authority of it. Where does it come from, what is it's source?
Now the reason I personally have little respect for "liberal" Christianity, is that it does something that personally, I find to be intellectually dishonest. It wants to keep the teachings it likes from the Bible, but at the same time, it wants to undercut and destroy the authority that supports those very teachings. It wants to have it's cake, and eat it too.
Cos asked me yesterday if I knew for sure that Christianity was not true, Would I still believe it? I think I was very forthright with him when I answered, NO! However when I turned the same question around to him he answered that there would, or could, never be that level proof for him. Now someone is being closed minded here and it's not me. He asked me the question to demonstrate the irrationality of my faith, but instead of that, revealed his own.
I think I've mentioned before that I have occasion to speak to young people from time to time and one thing I tell them is that they must decide if the Bible is what it claims to be. If it is the word of God then they are obliged to first, understand it, and secondly, to obey it. If it is not God's word, then I tell them they should reject it. I have more respect for those who do this, than I do for those who "Know it's not true" but then want to play church anyway. Why would you waste your Sundays like that?
"If the religion believes that it is both right and that asserting that rightness overrides all earthly considerations, then it will teach intolerance, directly or indirectly.
The latter, of course, is what gives religion a bad name."
What gives religion a bad name is hypocrisy. It has been said that tolerance when it comes to relationships is a virtue, but tolerance when it comes to truth is a travesty. Truth is not multiple choice. That does not mean finding the truth is easy, but saying "no truth exists, or is impossible to find", is itself a truth claim isn't it?
That brings us back to my original assertion that teaching that opposing views are wrong is simply logical. Now how you do that varies greatly. If I pick up a knife and kill you because you disagree with me then that is what I call extreme. If I simply disagree, and even if we end up going our own ways, then I think that's legitimate. To lump Christians together with those who killed all those people last week, simply because they both believe something is true, is to paint people with the broadest and most intolerant of brushes. This is especially true, when you understand that those who levy such charges are themselves making truth claims of their own.
Have a good day Karen
Greg |
