Polite Company

Recently a friend of mine sent me an email, and below is the base of his statements that I want to explore. He and I were having an exchange on a different topic, and he happened to comment on my recent posts here. I really appreciate the fact that he was reading, was intrigued, and was also showing concern (Thanks dude).

Been reading your blog and watching your FB posts, Seems like you have a lot going on right now. Hope the running is going ok, I know that is one thing we all rely on being consistent during times of chaos and searching........

As far as the searching thing, yeah...the 3 questions, the empathy and conflicts posts. They intrigued me because I am a Christian, and have asked many of the same questions. I certainly don't have it all figured out, I think God has that built in to the plan, but I am confident in what I believe in. BUT, I respect everyone's ability to believe what they want, but do feel certain that only one way is the real truth. How could we have multiple truths? I guess you have to pick the one you believe, that's the whole free will thing.

First off, I appreciate the fact that he is solid in his beliefs. Its refreshing to hear someone make a solid stand on what he believes, and not be bashful about saying it. (I do have an issue with the bit at the end, with the idea of "picking the one you believe, that's the whole free will thing." I wonder if he was just making allowances for my beliefs, and was worried about offending me. I wasn't. His statement about picking the one you believe is a topic for another day; postmodernism, or relativism, and subjective vs objective truth. Big topic.).

I don't like to scare, intimidate, attack, or disparage anyone. I like to discuss their beliefs. I know, this is a culturally taboo topic. In polite company, we don't discuss religion or politics.

Why? Its the elephant in the room. Everyone knows its there, and yet we all find ways of dancing around it. Ignoring it.

It is an emotional hot bed. I think the problem, many times, starts with people NOT being solid in their beliefs. Its the fear that any discussion leads them to feel like they are standing on shaky ground. Many people don't want to consider their belief system, especially under scrutiny of someone who does not think the way they do. My contention: its the only way we learn; its the only way we develop our intellectual and spiritual muscles.

Asking questions. Its so fundamental to learning, its so fundamental to seeking the truth, yet we avoid it, dance around it, make allowances for other beliefs for fear of offending someone. I believe we must be polite to people, but not to ideas. We must question and question them until we stretch them and find their breaking points. We must reset the elephant of an idea on the beach ball and continually try to knock it down. We must stop avoiding it, and dancing around it. This elephant, is so big we are afraid we can't move him; but he stands on a beach ball, and it takes merely the push of a finger to knock him off.

People, I respect. Ideas? Not so much; even my own are subject to scrutiny, maybe more so.


(Paradoxically, Socrates knew he was not wise,
and in that knowledge was the wisest he could be).

You know, its really the thing that got Socrates killed. Questioning. He was considered the 'gadfly' of the state. He was pesky, always asking questions. Rabble rousing the youth, questioning authority, making the supposedly wise look like fools. Now, I'm not saying I am some deep thinker, or that I have some special power of teasing out the truth in a complex world. On the contrary: I think Socrates even, was asking the most fundamental questions there are to ask, not letting the elephant stand there for one minute

Quote Socrates:
"I know you won't believe me, but the highest form of Human Excellence is to question oneself and others."