Friday, February 09, 2007
A Wonderful Thing
(4)
Which brings us to the latest quotation of Thomas Jefferson as quoted in The God Delusion. Jefferson was apparently concerned about his nephew's culturally limited access to the 'truth' of Christian 'history:'
'I forgot to observe, when speaking of the New Testament, that you should read all the histories of Christ, as well as that of those whom a council of ecclesiastics have decided for us, to be psuedo-evangelists. Because these psuedo-evangelists pretended to inspiration, as much as the others, (and?) you are to judge their pretentions by your own reason, and not by the reason of those ecclesiastics.'
Personal Reason is a wonderful thing - but scarey! When you resort to 'personal reason' you risk eternal damnation. Personal Reason is not to be undertaken lightly. All of ancient religion depends on that scarey quality of personal reason. Ancient religion thrives or dies on the phenomenon of modern courage - a courage buttressed and supported by modern science.
There is no higher aspiration than 'personal reason.' Less than that equals 'personal slavery:' Eternal Personal Slavery.
Which brings us to the latest quotation of Thomas Jefferson as quoted in The God Delusion. Jefferson was apparently concerned about his nephew's culturally limited access to the 'truth' of Christian 'history:'
'I forgot to observe, when speaking of the New Testament, that you should read all the histories of Christ, as well as that of those whom a council of ecclesiastics have decided for us, to be psuedo-evangelists. Because these psuedo-evangelists pretended to inspiration, as much as the others, (and?) you are to judge their pretentions by your own reason, and not by the reason of those ecclesiastics.'
Personal Reason is a wonderful thing - but scarey! When you resort to 'personal reason' you risk eternal damnation. Personal Reason is not to be undertaken lightly. All of ancient religion depends on that scarey quality of personal reason. Ancient religion thrives or dies on the phenomenon of modern courage - a courage buttressed and supported by modern science.
There is no higher aspiration than 'personal reason.' Less than that equals 'personal slavery:' Eternal Personal Slavery.
