From: Kenneth Van Oost (kennethvanoost@belgacom.net)
Date: Sun 29 Jan 2006 - 20:18:09 GMT
----- Original Message -----
From: Kate Distin <memes@distin.co.uk>
> I was not brought up as a Christian.
> I lived as an atheist for a decade.
> My children know that other people have other faiths, and none.
> I'm sorry that my Christianity makes you so angry. I think you and I
> have to agree to differ about this one. I can't see any point in
> debating it further with you.
<< First, I am not angry, far from it ! He, this is a discussion forum, so
when
hard words has to fall- on the other hand though, I 'm surprised about your
reaction ! As it was I attacked you personaly, it was just my way to show
how
difficult, how sometimes impossible it will be to learn kids another view
about
life/ culture/ society than the one they were brought up in.
You have to realize that each ideology will try to persuade/ convert as much
people as possible that its views are the right ones and it will try to
squeeze
society into its convictions_ so in a way, even how hard you will try to
learn
your children that indeed other convictions exist and that people live by
its
rules, your children will take their learned philosophy into society and
change
it accordingly.
The problem I got with it all is that you start from the presupposition that
the
human is a social being and not from the modern conviction that he is from
his
bias up a pure and simple individual. We ought to say within the context
that
religion has to become more than ever, a private matter.
And that is just what happened_ modern times sees religion, and its annex
' weltanschauung ' as a pure private character. But one conception ( will
try
to) escape(s) from the commend of the private, and that is the belief in the
in-
dividual and the personal character of religious and ideological ideas.
And thus, what else can it be, religion places itself within a privileged
position,
one that wants to be general and common. She, religion, justifies this
exception
by declaring that she is the (only) condition by which a society of free
individuals
will/ can be possible.
And that isn 't true !
We don 't need religion or any other ' belief ' to form ' community ' !
It is not so that when all individuals pursue their own personal interest
that they
act egoistic, what they do_ being altruistic, helping people, giving to
charity_ or
not, helps the builiding of society. Humans do NOT act like they were homo
homini lupus !! People loose themselves within to help others and endure the
pain of their losses. We don 't need the or any co- ordination ( of
religion) to
act in that way ! We do not longer trust religion, or politics_ any system
that
brings out ' community ', just because as the individuals we are_ we have
even
privatized our sense of ( giving) trust_ we keep it for those relationships
we see
as worthwhile, and no longer for society/ politics, let stand alone religion
!!
The main difficulty for many as for you and for your kids I presume is that
you
can 't suppose that we deal here with individuals/ individuality and that
then
politics/ the social shows itself as a problem wherefor only a quasi-
religious
solution is the answer.
Modernity should correct this and then, I hope the social/ political
dimension
will be, once again, a natural fact of being human !
Being religious is not !
Where society/ politics or culture for that matter should provide the
answers
for the todays problems where we all faced with, we search into a dimension
which is not part of this world. Transcedention is NOT the answer !!!
Regards,
Kenneth
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