Many philosophical fads and currents should be considered as differing attempts at rationalizing the world in such a way that sexual immorality is no longer sexual immorality. And when the philosophical fog machine is completely up and running, and the incoherence fills the room with a misty haze, the chances are good that this is …
Tolerance and Common Ground
Morning visionaries! Steven identified my subtle and nuanced discourse as a “nice rambling response” and pointed out that I did not answer his question directly, which is true enough. So here is my direct answer. People who would not choose one another for fishing buddies can nonetheless tolerate one another and live in blissful co-existence. …
Nice People United
Dear visionaries, Steven asks what my point was, and despite the monkeyshines, I do have one. Tolerant liberals like to play a pea and shell game with words like tolerant. Just like everyone else in the world, tall and short, Republican and Democrat, left and right, Christian and pagan, such liberals tolerate certain things and …
Toleration of Others Breathing
Dear visionaries, Yahoo! At long last, thanks to Susan, we now have a definition of tolerance. Those who are willing to tolerate the continued existence of those they find to be obnoxious are the tolerant progressive folks. Of course, by that definition I (and all my fellow rapscallion Trinitarians) are as tolerant and progressive as …
Running and Hiding
Dear visionaries, I actually think we might be getting somewhere in our discussion. But let’s not hold our collective breath. Does this progressive meeting of the Moscow Civic Association (to which non-progressives need not come) have any agenda items with regard to the government school system? In other words, is it thought the government school …
The Liberal Tree Fort
Dear visionaries, Carl chides my two friends for pointing out the inconsistency of an inclusivist group excluding people. But his chiding misses the point. We certainly do not object to liberals, progressives, socialists, or whoever, all deciding to build their own tree fort, and establishing the rules for admittance. As was pointed out by Carl, this …
Naturally Inquisitive
Dear visionaries, Anthony writes that “restorative justice is a value driven approach.” This is correct, because everything is a value-driven approach. And we return to the question that folks in this pluralistic little town of ours do not want to face squarely. Whose values? Why? Societies cannot function unless certain values are imposed and others …
A Just War?
Dear visionaries, I was asked off line for the reasons I oppose the war in Iraq. But before summarizing those reasons, allow a brief response to John’s translation of my request. John said, “Translation: Do not comment about the war on terror or the war on Iraq. I might disagree with you.” Actually, I would …
Relativism and the Invasion of Iraq
Dear visionaries, The role of debate in a free society is often misunderstood — it is too readily assumed that people disagree simply because they are disagreeable. We also tend to misunderstand the corrosive effects of relativism. When objections are made to topless car washes — let us say — the whole thing is dismissed …
Impudence on Stilts
Fundamental assumptions are like the backs of our heads. We all have one, and none of us can see our own. One of the most exasperating features of working through literature on postmodernism is the fact that, for all the talk, the postmodernists can’t deconstruct their way out of a paper bag. One basic assumption …