On Tue, Feb 15, 2011 at 2:59 PM, Joe <[email protected]> wrote: > We may satisfy our curiosity about what the other believes, but we are > never going to make any real progress in any discussion where anyone > learns anything substantial. That's what I'd rather do.
Joe, do you only recognize that others have 'learned things' when you see evidence that they are persuaded to believe what you believe? I consider that's both an unreasonable standard and expectation. I personally have 'learned' a great deal about Catholicism from having participated in this forum; I thank you for that. But I am no more convinced that Catholicism is the truth...indeed after having objectively weighed the evidence you've articulated (and demonstrated), I'm personally actually *more convinced* that Catholicism is NOT true Christianity (despite your predictable contention otherwise). Aside: The discussion *did* serve to make me more inquisitive concerning the arguments for/against sola scriptura and I'm pursuing further fruitful study of that on my own. I only seek the truth WHATEVER THAT MAY BE. I can't force you to love the truth whatever it may be, but I sure can > inform you that > that's what I'm about, and hope you will see the wisdom in it. I > can't make you believe the truth about me that I know about myself. It's likely that others don't perceive you as view yourself...possibly because others see little evidence of the 'open mindedness' that you consider yourself to have. Personally, its been my observation that you display very little ability to even *consider the notion* that views which differ from your own have any merit...much less put forth the effort to actually consider the merits of those differing views. Since Biblical Christianity actually encourages critical thinking and carefully weighing the evidence, I've always been a little mystified by the common critique of unbelievers that theists rely upon 'blind faith'. While it's natural that faith is involved in the belief of God (who is by nature invisible and incomprehensible to finite man) I've never considered it to be any more blind than the belief constructs unbelievers hold...and arguably, less so. Nevertheless, after having interacted with you Joe, I now better understand their critique. From your representation of Catholicism (which many conflate with Christianity), it apparently stifles 'critical thinking'...denigrating it as 'private interpretation'...a teaching I find inconsistent with Biblical teaching and with the nature of God (who gave man the capacity to inquire, consider, and discover).
