tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13399254.post113807415831611568..comments2024-02-14T11:04:27.663-05:00Comments on Free and Responsible Search: The Cosmopolis: a positive Humanist visionDoug Muderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04666144843949850394noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13399254.post-1151079765322444062006-06-23T12:22:00.000-04:002006-06-23T12:22:00.000-04:00Doug Muder, I am an author. I'd like to use your e...Doug Muder, I am an author. I'd like to use your essay called "When goodness isn't good enough" in my upcoming novel.Please e-mail me to discuss. I'm not a famous or wealthy Writer, but if book sales go well I'd be happy to remunerate you and/or your ministry. Earl Jesse StevensAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13399254.post-1138566014320882992006-01-29T15:20:00.000-05:002006-01-29T15:20:00.000-05:00I guess that Revelation can be sealed by HTML erro...I guess that Revelation can be sealed by HTML errors quite as effectively as by hostile and abusive fundamentalist atheist U*Us and the apathetic throng of U*Us who enable their prejudice and bigotry. . .<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://revelationisnotsealed.homestead.com" REL="nofollow">Revelation Is NOT Sealed</A>!Robin Edgarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06208142626285495635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13399254.post-1138565738988573852006-01-29T15:15:00.000-05:002006-01-29T15:15:00.000-05:00I don't think I need to remind you about the intol...I don't think I need to remind you about the intolerant and abusive manner that Rev. Ray Drennan and other fundamentalist atheist "Humanist" U*Us reacted to my own <A HREF="http://creationday.homestead.com" REL="nofollow">dreams</A> and <A HREF="http://revelationisnotsealed.homestead" REL="nofollow">visions</A>. . .<BR/><BR/>You and all other U*Us are invited to exercise your "right of conscience" and get out the vote <A HREF="http://emersonavenger.blogspot.com/2006/01/emerson-avenger-once-again-puts-uus-on.html#comments" REL="nofollow">in this Emerson Avenger thread</A>. It would be nice if a few Humanist U*Us clearly and unequivocally demonstrated that they actually possess a conscience. . .Robin Edgarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06208142626285495635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13399254.post-1138458880726426252006-01-28T09:34:00.000-05:002006-01-28T09:34:00.000-05:00I'm glad to see Tom commenting. We were on the UUs...I'm glad to see Tom commenting. We were on the UUs-L mailing list together for a long time, and I came to admire his ability to state a difficult idea so simply that you'd say, "Why didn't I think of that?"<BR/><BR/><I>If I read you correctly, the hope is that if enough people believe in the vision, it will eventually create its own reality</I><BR/><BR/>That's exactly right, though I doubt "creating my own reality" will give me much traction in Humanist circles. But I think that's how visions work: There's a network effect. You start out with something beautiful and not unworkable, and it becomes more attractive and workable as more people commit to it. In the best case, the vision sweeps the world without anyone being bludgeoned into accepting it.<BR/><BR/>I think Humanists run into trouble when they reify their vision and try to defend it as an objective reality. For example, I might try to claim that the right to freedom of speech is an objective truth, and that it has been a truth since the beginning of Time, or at least since the beginning of human speech. Now I've got this invisible, eternal Truth floating around in the Aether -- not all that different from God.Doug Muderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04666144843949850394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13399254.post-1138388977541148952006-01-27T14:09:00.000-05:002006-01-27T14:09:00.000-05:00Hi Doug -I think you did an excellent job on this....Hi Doug -<BR/><BR/>I think you did an excellent job on this. I admire you talent for making presenting a decisive position in a gentle, matter-of-fact manner.<BR/><BR/>This addresses a question that has troubled me for some time - what keeps the liberal, humanistic vision (in this case the cosmopolis) from also being tribal and/or imperialistic? It's automatically tribal if others don't share it, and automatically imperialistic if we try to get them to. Your suggestion seems to be that it is a vision of how to regard others that is not contingent on their own perspective or status as insider or outsider. I'm not sure if that removes the paradox, but I'm mulling it over.<BR/><BR/>I wonder how far the metaphor can be extended? Real forms of "citizenship" are not just a state of mind - they involve responsibilities, the acceptance of civic institutions, and whole network of behavioral conventions. Proponents of the competing visions would argue that regarding others as fellow citizens is an empty gesture if they don't return the favor.<BR/><BR/>If I read you correctly, the hope is that if enough people believe in the vision, it will eventually create its own reality, and in the mean time believing it is an act of faith and an expression of one's humanistic virtue. Something like keeping cool and centered when someone else is trying to provoke you.<BR/><BR/>I do think this is a positive vision that is completely in harmony with UUism, even with all its diversity, and that makes it a pretty rare thing. I think you can read down the list of UU principles and see them as a fleshing out of the responsibilities we take on when we choose to see ourselves as world citizens.<BR/><BR/>Blessings, TomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com