One of the enduring debates in Christian theology concerns the relationship between the faith expressed in the Holy Scriptures and the rational philosophy of the Greek tradition. It was St. Thomas, of course, whose Summa Theologica offered the ultimate statement of the thesis that faith and reason are completely compatible. According to tradition [which is incorrect, alas], it fell to the early Church Father Tertullian to stake out the most extreme opposed position, viz, that faith and reason are utterly incompatible, compelling us therefore to choose between them. Tertullian is supposed to have said not merely that he believed the Good News of the Scriptures despite the fact that it contradicted reason, but that he believed because it contradicted reason: Credo quia absurdam, I believe because it is absurd.
Which brings me to the pressing question of the day, Can Bernie win the nomination? I have just finished reading this analysis of that question on The Huffington Post by a for-real college professor [than which one cannot do better, right?]
To which my response is, Credo quia absurdam.
Oh ye of little faith!
In the same vein, Santayana said, "Another world to live in . . . is what we mean by having a religion," and, like Tertullian, he thought (contrary to popular belief) that this wasn't an argument against religion; it was an argument for religion. Unfortunately, elections, unlike religious belief, eventually have a "cash value" in the empirical world: votes. I'm with you, Bob. I think anyone who thinks Bernie can get the nomination has chosen another world to live in. Good religion maybe, but bad politics. But I also thought Trump voters had chosen another world to live in, so what do I know?
ReplyDeleteI know you've occasionally suggested that Sanders is "really an FDR liberal, not a genuine socialist in the style of my grandfather or Eugene V. Debs." But I would urge you to reconsider that claim. Although Sanders admires FDR, he often highlights his socialist legacy. For example, in his speech at Georgetown last year, Sanders discussed FDR's State of the Union address of 1944 in which he called for an "economic bill of rights." Prior to being elected mayor of Burlington, Sanders had a somewhat eclectic career. But one thing he did was to produce a documentary film about Eugene V. Debs in 1979, which was also released as a record by Smithsonian Folkways.
ReplyDeleteHis entire campaign though is tantamount to FDR, not Eugen Debs, regardless of film production. No?
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