“Ok, Sarah, “ I hear you
saying, “so it’s pointless. Atheists and
theists can’t talk to each other.
Awesome. Thanks for the
despair. Now what?” So, is dialogue between people holding
different axiomatic systems/world views impossible? No, I don’t think so. But we first have to acknowledge the
difference is deeper than the level at which we usually discuss, and examine
our own axiomatic systems. Otherwise,
you’ll just end up preaching to your choir.
Here’s an example, which a friend of mine thought of. It was my experience that I didn’t really
learn English grammar until I started to study a different language, in my
case, Latin. English is my native
language, so I think in English. In
order to understand how Latin worked, I first had to understand how English
works. I had to go beyond the intuitive
understanding of English that I absorbed through growing up speaking English,
and really learn the rules and mechanics.
Once I understood how English worked, I could understand and appreciate
the difference in how Latin works. And,
most importantly, this native English speaker could begin to understand things
written in Latin.
Saying listening to God is
the intellectual equivalent of listening to a hair dryer will be thought clever
by atheists and dismissed out of hand by religious people. Quoting the Bible to prove why God is not
like a hair dryer would be respected by Christian religious people but
dismissed out of hand by atheist. In spite of their validity within their own circles, there
will be no dialogue using these methods.
The importance of
understanding axiomatic systems/world views is similar to the importance of
learning grammar. First, you need to
understand your own axiomatic system, so you know how you view the world. Examine what you accept as authority. You may need or want to change things. Do what you think you believe—what you accept
as axioms—line up with how you live your life?
Second, you need to understand other people’s axiomatic systems. Understand how they think and reason, and
what they accept as authority.
Understand how someone who accepted those axioms would live their life
if they applied them.
I am not equating dialogue
with winning or losing, but a useful analogy is video games. The rules and game play of Super Mario
Brothers is different from Zelda, and is even more different from Words with
Friends. You won’t find a fire flower in
Zelda, and a sword is only useful in Words with Friends because a W is worth
four points. You have to know the rules
of the game you’re playing. Just because
you can beat Super Mario Brothers in an hour doesn’t mean you’re awesome at
Words with Friends. If you know and
understand the rules of how you think and believe, and put the effort into
knowing and understanding the rules of how others think and believe, then and
only then can you start true dialogue.
The goal of dialogue is
understanding, not winning. The goal of
understanding is to reveal and know more Truth.
I personally hold that objective, capital T, Truth exists. Dialogue is one tool to discover and learn
more of it.
Some closing thoughts.
Knowing your world view is
like stating your bias when you are reporting or researching. It is much more honest—and useful—to state
that bias, than to assume erroneously that you do not have one. Because that’s silly, if you breathe, you
have a bias.
People, myself included, need
to be prepared to discard or change their axioms, their givens, if they
discover that they don’t work. Just like
with Euclidean geometry and planes flying over the poles.
Lastly, I don’t believe that
all axiomatic systems are created equal.
Some reflect reality and Truth better than others. Nor do I believe that Truth is unknowable. Can we know Truth exhaustively? Remember that chick at the end of Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull? If we had exhaustive Truth downloaded into our heads, I think they'd explode. But can we know part of Truth truly? Yes, absolutely. I invite you to interact with me and others
on this blog as we search for what Truth we may find. Please do leave comments!
The Truth is out there. –Fox Mulder, X-Files
Seek, and you will find. –Jesus Christ, Book of Matthew
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