Driven to postmodernism?

[a_priori]

It’s enough to make you crazy. Over the years, at one time or another, I have been the following:

A Calvinist debating Arminians
An Arminian debating Calvinists
An Evangelical debating Catholics and Orthodox
An Orthodox debating Evangelicals and Catholics
A Catholic debating Evangelicals and Orthodox
A pro-lifer debating pro-choicers
A Northerner debating Southerners over the cause of the Civil War
A Catholic debating Catholics over Obama
A manager debating an employee regarding work ethics
A husband debating a wife over how to deal with teenagers
A person who hates deficits debating a Reaganite
An old-earther debating a young-earther

And it goes on and on…

Some people honestly see green when another honestly sees red.

How can one possibly walk the minefield of life and fancy themselves correct on all of the issues of life? It seems that these things have a quantum component. When we speak about the locations of subatomic particles we refer to probabilities. There are areas of high probability and areas of lower probability.

For me, Christianity in the form of Catholicism is the area of highest probability on the theological/philosophical continuum. That is largely why I am Catholic. I believe there is some truth elsewhere but that the fullness of God’s revelation to mankind is found in the Person of Christ.

Maybe mankind could do with a little epistemological humility. I think everyone in the world would be nicer to each other if we allowed for the fact that we might not be the sole possessors of all absolute truth. Fewer people would be killed and suffering might not be so rampant.

Postmodernism is a dirty word in these parts, but I can see how a well-meaning, sincere person seeking their way in the mutually-exclusive marketplace of ideas might find refuge there for a time.

 

[TheAtheist]

Maybe mankind could do with a little epistemological humility. I think everyone in the world would be nicer to each other if we allowed for the fact that we might not be the sole possessors of all absolute truth. Fewer people would be killed and suffering might not be so rampant.

Sign me up to this one - unfortunately its probably going to be a party of 2.

Personally i think its a psychological issue. As in, despite whatever you might believe in, there’s always going to be those individuals in a group (in your group too!) who have some sort of need to ram their specific conception of truth down the throats of anyone present.

Don’t get me wrong, i’m not a relativist by any means but, hmm let me try to explain my analogy.

In my life i’ve had opportunities to interact with a lot of people passionately devoted to specific religious or philosophical viewpoint.

I’ve talked to a number of Catholics (mostly Jesuits), who i could tell have a very strong and profound sense of their religious belief. A kind of inner confidence can be seen, one that is not perturbed by say the existence of little old me.

I’ve also met Sufi mystics, Orthodox Jews, Tibetan Monks, and heck even Transhumanists who also seem that way - a sense of certainty without fear of threat from another alternative viewpoint.

Personally, i think those people do a lot of good for the world.

Then you got the crazy Catholics, Protestants, Communists, Islamofascists, Zionists, and yes…thanks to Richard Dawkin’s ridiculous book even atheists ZEALOTS who are completely discontent.

They see a world that fits a “mass tribalism” configuration. Any discussion of ecumenical or tolerant viewpoints amounts to being branded a traitor.

Furthermore, the vast majority of them suffer from a persecution complex. “The Christian,” “The Atheist,” “The Jew” etc exists to them as an ABSTRACTION - an image that they can morph in their head to fit whatever negative attributes they wish to assign.

If we can’t ever leave this type of behavior behind, then frankly it is irrelevant as to what a person believes or disbelieves - it shows that we have a lot of growing up to do!

 

[a_priori]

I think you’re probably right. It does seem to have much to do with tribalism. However, I’ve never understood how someone could be strident and obnoxious and yet expect their opponent to be drawn to their POV.

It makes no sense for someone to be upset merely because someone else has a different view. The problem arises when people adopt a worldview that causes others to be abused such as slavery or abortion. IMHO

 

[FightingFat]

How can one possibly walk the minefield of life and fancy themselves correct on all of the issues of life?

I don’t think it is possible to be right on all these things, I know plenty of people who think they are though!

I believe there is some truth elsewhere but that the fullness of God’s revelation to mankind is found in the Person of Christ.

I agree, so did the Fathers, so does the Pope.

Maybe mankind could do with a little epistemological humility. I think everyone in the world would be nicer to each other if we allowed for the fact that we might not be the sole possessors of all absolute truth. Fewer people would be killed and suffering might not be so rampant.

Postmodernism is a dirty word in these parts, but I can see how a well-meaning, sincere person seeking their way in the mutually-exclusive marketplace of ideas might find refuge there for a time.

I suppose part of being a Catholic is acknowledging that there are some things that are absolute-- Dogma.

It doesn’t mean you’re right about everything, but it means we can assert the truth in some matters. The rest is a learning process.