OK Rob, here's the thing. You and I can't have "discussions." We are coming at things from completely
different paradigms. I'm coming from a
framework of reason and you are coming at them from the point of view of faith. Now before you get your panties in a bunch,
please note that I am not insulting you or your religion. I am merely pointing out the differences in
our epistemological methodologies.
A reasoned approach
considers evidence before making a conclusion.
And that conclusion is not fixed or absolute. If more evidence comes along that runs
counter to it, the conclusion must be modified to fit the known facts.
Faith based truth, on the other hand, starts with a
conclusion. That conclusion is absolute
and immutable. Any evidence that comes
along is judged to be valid based on whether it supports the conclusion. If the evidence supports conclusion, it is
good evidence. If it does NOT support
the conclusion, it must be invalid…because the conclusion cannot be wrong.
Unfortunately, these two different paradigms make discussing
differences in opinion impossible. I get
frustrated because I provide evidence that your conclusion is wrong and you just
dismiss it. You get confused that I just
can’t see that your conclusion is correct and view any challenge to that
conclusion as a personal attack against you.
In fact, you probably think that
I’m insulting you right now, don’t you?
The result of this fundamental difference in our world views
is that is that we butt heads , wind up just getting angry, and unfriending
each other.
Therefore, I will try very hard not to be drawn into any
more discussions with you. Go ahead and
rail against the president all you want.
I will not comment on it. I’m not
going there anymore. I can only hope
that if I say something you don’t agree with, you just shake your head that
your sister is insane and not try to draw me into an argument.
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