Subj : Big fat warning, oh my!
To   : Curtis Johnson
From : Frank Masingill
Date : Mon Oct 23 2000 07:51 pm

 FM> What continues to get my high interest is the importance
 FM> atheists give to religious literature.  I find that
 FM> fascinating.

 CJ> Actually, most don't give it that much importance:  it's just
 CJ> that you're more likely to here someone describe themselves as
 CJ> an atheist, agnostic, etc. in discussions about religious
 CJ> literature. Some are fascinated by religious literature, but
 CJ> then educated Englishmen of the 18th and 19th centuries were
 CJ> fascinated by Graeco-Roman mythology.

        And, those who want to learn about man ALL THE WAY are still
fascinated by whatever might be discovered about his behavior
whether or not it is the role of magic in the lives of the Trobriand
islanders or the meaning of the Memphite theology of Egypt of the
third century, B.C.E or findings of paleontologist wherever markings
might be found in the Stone Ages.  He would not wish to relegate the
foundational element of man and his consciousness to the "dark" ages
preceding the great "scientific" enlightenment (prohibition of
questions) of Marx, Comte and THEIR "religious literature." 

        I have not found that in my search for the truth of
existence that religious dogmatism is a huge problem.  As a matter
of fact as I look back upon my life and study, I think I overcame
that without too much difficulty because the suspicion began in
childhood.  But as to secular dogmatism, I found, to my great
surprise, that the educational system through the universities there
was also tremendous closure and dogmatism.   I have had to struggle
against the freedom of what Bergson symbolized as the "elan vitale"
or the constancy of the Aristotelian "wonder" that with Plato's nous
is the heart center of philosophy as the deadly opponent of
"philodoxy" (love of dogma).  Since I also do not consider the "God"
symbol to be representative of an "existing thing" I also have been
insulated against the mighty torrent of the "God is Dead"
foolishness.  

        Thus, I occupy the shaft which has become my symbol for the
universe of all that surrounds me, quite aware that this is a
reality which CANNOT be viewed in ANY measure as an object from an
Archimedian point OUTSIDE of it because I, with everything else in
my perspective PARTICIPATE only in the shaft and neither caused it
nor am able to fathom its final meaning.  This ineluctable condition
does not make me FEEL either happy or unhappy.  I simply follow the
advice of Eric Voegelin and attempt to stay as attuned to its order
as possible as a source of order in myself and society.  I hope this
provides me with enough conscience, Socratically speaking, to
pronounce something of judgement upon myself as to the adequacy of
the attunement.  

Frank

--- PPoint 2.07
 * Origin: Maybe in 5000 years (1:396/45.12)

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