"The source of a Christian ethic is not the reality of one's own self, nor the reality of the world, nor is it the reality of norms and values. It is the reality of God that is revealed in Jesus Christ. This is the demand, before all others, that must be honestly made of anyone who wishes to be concerned with the problem of a Christian ethic. It places before us the ultimate and decisive question: With what reality will we reckon in our lives? With the reality of God's revelatory word or with the so-called realities of life? With divine grace or with earthly inadequacies? With the resurrection or with death? This question itself, which none can answer by their own choice without answering it falsely, already presupposes a given answer: that God, however we decide, has already spoken the revelatory word and that we, even in our false reality, can live no other way than from the true reality of the word of God. The question about ultimate reality already places us in such an embrace by its answer that there is no way we can escape from it. This answer carries us into the reality of God's revelation in Jesus Christ from which it comes."
This sort of stuff I why I could never be a sociologist of religion.
IOZ usually files this stuff in a category called "English as a 19th Language."
The first paragraph makes as much sense to me as the following:
Presently lacking within creationism is a justification and explanation of socket wrenches from a Christian standpoint. What are the aims of socket wrenches? Are socket wrenches biblical? How should they be used given Christian morals, values, and ethics?
Christ was not bolted to the cross, Minivet.
I think it's great that they recognized this as a problem: I mean, who needs peer review when you have the revealed truth?
He was peer reviewed to it?
Actually, I, huh.
Off to standpipe's blog, then!
I have to say, reviewing papers is not an aspect of academic work calculated to make me love my neighbor.
6: The pain is generally understood to have been wrenching, though. I pray nightly for those who don't understand this.
Why God Never Received Tenure
He had only one major publication.
It was in Hebrew.
It had no references.
It wasn't published in a refereed journal.
Some even doubt he wrote it himself.
It may be true that he created the world, but what has he done since then?
His cooperative efforts have been quite limited.
The scientific community has had a hard time replicating his results.
He never applied to the Ethics Board for permission to use human subjects.
When one experiment went awry he tried to cover it up by drowning the subjects.
When subjects didn't behave as predicted, he deleted them from the sample .
He rarely came to class, just told students to read the Book.
Some say he had his son teach the class.
He expelled his first two students for learning.
Although there were only ten requirements, most students failed his tests.
His office hours were infrequent and usually held on a mountaintop.
I really struggle to get my head around a worldview that places more value in adherence to a particular, minority interpretation of a text than to, say, the truth. Why can't it be enough that peer review is the best method we have for producing good science, and thus good descriptions of the observable world? Why must it be Biblical? Science as a discipline didn't exist when the Bible was written. Why can't science be a tool to improve our (OK, their) understanding of the Bible?
I realise these aren't original criticisms, but it gets to the heart of my problem with fundamentalism. It isn't the wacky and harmful conclusions they come to, it's the upside down epistemology, and the attempt to shoehorn everything into that epistemology, even when it obviously doesn't fit.
The quote in (1) looks like a pretty coherent statement of divine command theory right up until the line "This question itself, which none can answer by their own choice without answering it falsely"
Interpreting this stuff well often relies on knowing the rules for their local language game, and recognizing that some very common place words, like "belief" have very different meanings for fundamentalists and academics.
15.1: sounds like a perfectly valid piece of circular reasoning. Don't you have to do that sort of stuff in theology?
I've spent the past eleven seconds contemplating a team-written submission to the journal, a Social-Text-style fraud/spoof. But really, eleven seconds is plenty of time spent on this whole issue. Plus, WWJD?
Fuck peer review. What we need is ayatollah review.
||
Can anyone recommend a good date movie? Something that's been out a little bit longer might be nice. I kind of like the "2nd run" theaters in Davis Square and Arlington, because they're cheaper and serve popcorn with real butter.
|>
Be Kind, Rewind is playing at the Capitol now. Particularly a good date movie if the daters in question have memories of lots of 80s movies.
15, 16: I didn't quote that out of sympathy for the creationists. More relatable might be the same fellow on Americans:
"...What was for their fathers a right of their Christian faith won at the risk of their lives becomes for the sons a general Christian rule... Absence of struggle becomes for them the normal and ideal state of Christianity. The descendants of the fugitives grow up in a peace that is not won, but inherited."
Who among us could disagree with the following?
We reject any suggestion that peer review is a form of personal judging that disrupts unity of the body of Christ. Rather, if carried out correctly, peer review acts to unify the body in purpose, function, and integrity.
This looks like the right thread: I'm looking for a one bedroom or studio apartment close to Prospect Park and probably the B/Q line (unless there's another good way to commute to where I work in midtown that I'm not seeing) for a June 1 move-in date. I have a fairly generous budget for this so if you know about something good that meets this description let me know. If it's both a good place and good value, so much the better.
Peer review aids us in loving God by reflecting His character in this world. Likewise, peer review helps us love our neighbors by putting only the best published materials into their hands.
Philosophers regard such peer review systems as being examples of "procedural conservatism."
That this question would even occur to someone is mind-boggling to me. Well-meaning evangelical faux-intellectuals are among the most obnoxious people on earth. I'd say that they would be the first shipped off to the gulag, but they'd be all smarmy about it and claim to be praying for me -- they're always dicks about stuff like that.
1, 22: Bonhoeffer in an Unfogged comment thread? Now I've seen everything.
Bonhoeffer in an Unfogged comment thread? Now I've seen everything.
Read the archives, Bran Muffin.
This looks like the right thread
Boy, was I wrong about that. Especially timing-wise. I wonder if a second attempt will work better.
Can't help you, washerdreyer, other than by making this thread look active again to that others perhaps more situated to help will be attracted here.
34: Well, since you ask, I'd like some rhythm, music, and my girl.
I sure hope she gets to fly back from DC tonight as planned. Stupid safety regulations.
My fiendishly clever plan to draw the Brooklyn-based commenters into this thread seems to have failed. It's a good thing I'm not looking to move for another seven weeks.
Boy, 26 sure was a great comment, huh?
I can't stop talking about it.
I wish 26 had gotten the last word. Since that doesn't seem to be possible, I guess I will.
38: Go for it, Sifu, you deserve it.
Well, since you ask, I'd like some rhythm, music, and my girl.
I sure hope she gets to fly back from DC tonight as planned. Stupid safety regulations.
Maybe she will get stuck on the east coast and have to drive to Richmond for the weekend!
She can come see david brooks speak tomorrow night if she wants.
40: Oh she's a huge David Brooks fan.
That is what ALL of my friends say!
Do you people really want to go see normal and sane speakers? The crazy and incorrect are always more fun.
Bonhoeffer in an Unfogged comment thread? Now I've seen everything.
An alligator with sunglasses?? Whatever!
David Brooks is an alligator in sunglasses?
Sorry, wasn't following too closely.
Sorry, wasn't following too closely.
Doesn't matter. The hindmost vehicle in a rearend collision is always deemed at fault.