> > It is the "conviction" that one is right that is dangerous -- it allows
> > one to perform all manner of evil, and believe that one is "doing the
> > work of the Lord" -- when, if they stepped back to think about it -- to
> > actually *look* at what they are doing (the evidence) -- they would
> > realize their mistakes.
> >
> > ERiC
>
> YES! We see ample evidence of this today in the so called Christian
> right. What I contend and I think you agree with is that the Christian
> meme complex is not the problem but the faulty logic that people use to
> justify what they: (choose from the following list)
>
> 1. Want to do
> 2. Think they need to do to keep others in line
> 3. Think they need to do in order to help
> 4. Think they need to do "in order to save our immortal souls"
> 5. Bla Bla Bla
>
> I contend that people do bad things out of bad reasoning. Reasoning
>
Bad reasoning -- yes. Like starting from and never questioning your
axioms (even a deductive proof is useless if your premises are false).
So when a Christian argues from the Bible -- they are making an
assumption I don't think is valid: that the Bible is "true"
Citing the Bible as evidence for anything is like saying that the sun is
in fact a chariot of fire that races across the sky because we read
about it in Greek mythology. Stephen Ban
It has been said that anything can be proved from the Bible -- but I
maintain that in order for that to be true, the entire Bible itself must
be proved -- and THAT is impossible. (for it contradicts itself!)
> leads to emotions which can cause so many electro-chemical cascades that
> people who do reason very well, can be tripped up. It has also been my
> experience that some of the most dangerous people are those who use
> reason alone, and who lack any empathy towards others.
>
Reason is a tool to work from your assumptions -- it's proper use
*depends* on looking out on the world to be sure your assumptions are
good / correct.
That is what we want from the Christians -- willingness to look at the
Bible as a fallible human document filled with evil.
ERiC