The Enemies are Both Right

[Joe_5859]

This is the Introduction to the book by Timothy Keller titled The Reason for God: Belief in the Age of Skepticism. Keller is the founder and pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan. This intro makes me very interested in reading the rest of the book.

http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/apologetics/ap0318.htm

Here’s an excerpt:

Because doubt and belief are each on the rise, our political and public discourse on matters of faith and morality has become deadlocked and deeply divided. The culture wars are taking a toll. Emotions and rhetoric are intense, even hysterical. Those who believe in God and Christianity are out to “impose their beliefs on the rest of us” and “turn back the clock” to a less enlightened time. Those who don’t believe are “enemies of truth” and “purveyors of relativism and permissiveness.” We don’t reason with the other side; we only denounce.

We have an impasse between the strengthening forces of doubt and belief, and this won’t be solved simply by calling for more civility and dialogue. Arguments depend on having commonly held reference points that both sides can hold each other to. When fundamental understandings of reality conflict, it is hard to find anything to which to appeal. The title of Alasdair MacIntyre’s book, Whose Justice? Which Rationality? says it all. Our problems are not going away soon.

How can we find a way forward?

[read more]