Of course Br. Guy's "endorsement" does not add credibility to anything, and Br. Guy might be the first person to say so. But when someone who is reasonably intelligent, educated, and respected for his knowledge, and otherwise appears to have his head screwed on tight, ostensibly holds an irrational belief, I tend to wonder why. This is a piece that does not fit into the puzzle; it is not *logical* to expect such a thing to occur. (If you have cause to think that Br. Guy *doesn't* have his head screwed on tight, other than the fact that he is a member of a religious order, I would be interested in hearing about it.)
Again I am opposed to the government taking orders from a God even if one turns out to exist. Having gone to a religious school for 8 years, I've seen the difference between religion inspired "discipline" and a more laid back policy in the effects on the social environment, and very much prefer the more laid back policy.
But to clarify my position a bit, I take the heaven and hell bit in the same spirit that the FBI would take a bomb threat. Maybe, even most likely, a hoax; but none the less it bears investigation. For when someone declares that certain laws must be passed because a God demands it on penalty of bad things happening, whether a God is actually behind it or not you have to agree on one thing: An attempt at coersion is taking place. And attempts at coersion bear investigation just for being attempts at coersion.
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Date: 2007-10-06 04:22 am (UTC)to anything, and Br. Guy might be the first person to say so.
But when someone who is reasonably intelligent, educated, and
respected for his knowledge, and otherwise appears to have his
head screwed on tight, ostensibly holds an irrational belief,
I tend to wonder why. This is a piece that does not fit into
the puzzle; it is not *logical* to expect such a thing to occur.
(If you have cause to think that Br. Guy *doesn't* have his
head screwed on tight, other than the fact that he is a member
of a religious order, I would be interested in hearing about
it.)
Again I am opposed to the government taking orders from
a God even if one turns out to exist. Having gone to a religious
school for 8 years, I've seen the difference between religion
inspired "discipline" and a more laid back policy in the effects
on the social environment, and very much prefer the more laid
back policy.
But to clarify my position a bit, I take the heaven and
hell bit in the same spirit that the FBI would take a bomb
threat. Maybe, even most likely, a hoax; but none the less it
bears investigation. For when someone declares that certain
laws must be passed because a God demands it on penalty of bad
things happening, whether a God is actually behind it or not
you have to agree on one thing: An attempt at coersion is
taking place. And attempts at coersion bear investigation
just for being attempts at coersion.