Dear visionaries, Joanne finds that what I have written in the past on the Confederacy is “morally repugnant.” I see that I will have to begin abbreviating. BWS? By what standard, henceforth BWS? Having a fixed standard of right and wrong found in the Scriptures enables me to admire that which was noble about the …
Stuff
Dear visionaries, Jon opposes the death penalty for various reasons, but one of them is that the innocent have sometimes been punished. But this is no reason for opposing the death penalty — it is an argument for judicial reform. We don’t want the innocent spending the rest of their lives in the slammer either. …
Audio Reading of Post
Whose Truth?
Dear visionaries, Jennifer asked: “And whose truth are you speaking of? Yours, Ted’s, Charles Manson’s, Martha Stuart’s, Joe Blow’s, Jane Doe’s? Are you the sole arbiter of what’s true?” I don’t object at all to this question — because it is the same question I have been posing since I began posting to this list. …
Universal Acid
Dear visionaries, Stan responded, “But consider the case of a murder colony . . . the law in the USA would NOT allow such conduct.” Unless, to take one obvious example, the murder colony is called the bombing of Dresden. Stan also said:” “He would have to fight against and oppose almost all wars the …
Somebody’s Karma Ran Over My Dogma
Dear visionaries, Thomas raises some interesting points. “Is there social harm from dogmatic fundamentalist views that will not admit . . .” But if there is demonstrable social harm that results from dogmatic fundamentalism, I wonder what the appropriate penalty might be? I don’t have to report to a reeducation center yet, do I? Seriously, …
Death Penalty II
Dear visionaries, Jamison asks if I support the death penalty for abortion clinic bombers, if the bombing were to result in the deaths of any inside. The answer yes, I do. At the same time, I do not support the death penalty being applied to children inside those same clinics. In short, I support the …
Death Penalty I
Dear visionaries, We have been asked about the contradictory positions taken, not only by absolutists, but by Christian absolutists. The example cited was that of the death penalty. But the example is poorly drawn. Everyone supports the death penalty. It is yet another example of “not whether, but which.” Do we execute the serial murderer, …
Believing Your Own Propaganda
Dear visionaries, The debate between rival absolutes is one kind of debate, like the kind that happened at the battle of Tours. Obviously, when two contradictory claims of absolute truth collide, both can be wrong, but both cannot be right. The rules of engagement in this are of interest to those of us who believe …
Debating Relativism Is Like War With France
Dear visionaries, Just got back in town after a week out, and had a fun time catching up. I agree with William (!) about one post a day. What a good deal that would be. Although I am a little concerned that a liberal wants to work out this kind of a solution without the …
Strange Alliances Forming on Conestoga
Dr. Nick Gier, local intolerista agitator, and author of God, Reason, and the Evangelicals: The Case Against Evangelical Rationalism was recently seen on Conestoga St. in Moscow, looking to link up with Charles Nolan, publisher of J.C. Ryle’s great work entitled Holiness. Subsequent events indicated that they did in fact find each other. Charles Nolan …