Einstein killed science. That bastard.

[hohum]

catachrestic, aka Peddler of the Mundane, asked me:

I'd be interested in an entry about the central themes from your study of religious studies that you find most intriguing, which inspired you to pursue the field, or which you are focusing your own work or thoughts in. How has your view of religion been shaped by certain facts you have learned? Which

Comments

[hohum]

Taking the time to appreciate something doesn't necessitate that you will, in fact, appreciate it.

I think it does, but I should clarify what I mean by "appreciate." I don't just mean "understand," or "let's look at this viewpoint until a halo circumscribes it." I mean empathize, too. I think empathy necessarily follows from taking the time to listen to different point of views, even when further examination doesn't lead to agreement. I think endless wanking is more likely to result when empathy is sidelined.

I agree that it's possible to appreciate something and not like it. I appreciate why some people support female circumcision. I still think it blows. (In a more serious conversation, I would state why I find it to be a poor practice, of course... rather than "it blows.") Still, if I enter into a debate concerning female circumcision and assume the proponents of the practice are evil, stupid "mutilators," that conversation is not going anywhere. Neither term- "female circumcision" or "genital mutilation"- conveys a lack of understanding of the facts, but one conveys a lack of appreciation for those supporting the practice.

I mentioned that I am less concerned with what people believe than how they believe it, and that includes how they approach a discussion. I think that respect is more important than what is T or F, because it's not the truth that is at stake in these debates, but the well being of people and what matters to us. What better way to promote these things than being respectful and being diplomatic? Even in an ideal world, I don't think people would agree all the time, and there would be differences of opinion; what can make the world more ideal is the way differences are handled. (This doesn't mean I find the "T or F" silly or unimportant-- I just think that in a respectful frame of mind, these sorts of questions could more often be enjoyable, riveting things to discuss rather than cause for bitterness, or-- way worse-- war.)

This might all sound a little pie-in-the-sky or even omnipartial. I'm not saying respect solves everything. It doesn't save rain forests, it doesn't preserve clits, it doesn't erase poverty. I just think it's a crucial step that gives issues like the ones I've mentioned a chance of seeing the light. (Alternative and additional steps include education, which I support... and coercion and war, which I think should be avoided.)

I don't think the analogy between musical preference and world view (whether political, religious, or scientific, etc) is a good one.

I made the analogy in order to describe the ideal outcome of appreciation, not to say that both belong to the realm of "truth values." Again, because I find the "how" more important than the "what," the analogy sings for me. All types of conversations provide people an opportunity to learn from each other, and all types can turn to total shit if people approach them with rolling eyes.