Sunday, April 15, 2018

Belief & Knowledge

I read about Donald Trump’s 2017 commencement address at Liberty University.  I want to comment on some of the things which he said.

Trump said, “...did we just go along with convention, swim downstream, so easily with the current and just give in because it was the easy way, it was the traditional way or it was the accepted way? … Following your convictions means you must be willing to face criticism from those who lack the same courage to do what is right.”  

My response: It’s the Christians and other religionist who follow conventions and take the easy way.  Region has been the conventional way. And it is far easier for many people to continue the beliefs than to accept that they may be wrong and look at reality from a different perspective.

Trump said, “I know that each of you will be a warrior for the truth.”  

My response:  Truth is such a misused and overused word.  Even the dictionary definition has become overly generalized.  Although the word is defined as involving fact, it also is defined as involving belief.  But that almost makes the word useless since fact and belief do not necessarily coincide.  In Trump’s case, he is referring to belief. And the use of the word “warrior” brings to mind the overused “fight for what you believe”.  I really think that this sentiment sucks. There’s been centuries of wars where people fought and killed each other for differing beliefs.  And the militant muslims are doing that now. There are things worth standing for. But we need to be careful about what we “fight” for. And belief is not often a good enough indicator for what to get violent about.

Trump said, “A small group of failed voices who think they know everything and understand everyone want to tell everybody else how to live and what to do and how to think.”  

My response: Although he’s not talking about Christians, these are more often the people who push their beliefs hard on others, even with deadly consequences.

Trump said, “But you aren't going to let other people tell you what you believe, especially when you know that you're right.”  

My response: Again, he’s pulling a trumpism here.  It’s primarily the religionists who try and force their beliefs on others.  And how exactly do people “know” what is right? Look at the facts and modify beliefs based on the facts.  And this also means looking at the facts of what is not wrong. This segways back to looking at things first from a physical starting point.  Religionists’ top down approach gets a lot wrong because they start from an unknowable and base far too much on the unknowable, even to the point of killing people who don’t believe in the unknowns or do things which are contrary to what the unknown forces supposedly want.

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