A Bit Of A Paradox

[Yaoi Huntress Earth]

You know how fundies like to bitch about moral relativism. Have you noticed that they unknowingly have embraced some of it themselves? Back in the Civil Rights era, Focus on the Family's very own Pat Robertson was a staunch segragationist. So if they practiced what they preached, Brio and Breakaway magazine would have articles about how God hates it when you date minorities and that Hootie and the Blowfish's "Tucker's Town" video is amoral because it has scenes where Blacks and Whites live in peace, excepting each other.

[cathuria]

The Catholics made a stink about that recently, too.

But Moral Relativism has been the corner stone of every church -- even a cursory review of their historical literature will prove how their "morality" changes, sometimes drastically, with each generation...

 

UNLESS you say that religion's "moral center" is in fact: "Tell the nose-pickin' rubes what they want to hear so you can fill the collection plate."

 

If we accept that, then religion has been remarkably and admirably consistent.

[godlessgrrl]

I have yet to encounter a Xian who wasn't a moral relativist of some stripe or another.

 

Some are just more honest about it than others.

[HuaiDan]

I don't have time to dish out a deep philosophical thesis on the issue, but moral absolutism is bunk. What are morals if not situationally or culturally relative? Moral absolutism is just a way to claim cultural superiority. A blind, ignorant way at that.

[MrSpooky]

Note also that the Right now rails for relativism and tolerance when they want us to accept bullshit ideas that have no factual merit such as Intelligent Design.

 

Having different opinions on values and aesthetics is fine, but facts are facts.

[Ouroboros]

I agree with religion is relativism.

 

Considering that the OT demands stoning of a disobedient son, while no one is doing it today. And what about eating shellfish or pork?

 

Or just take issues like alcohol, smoking, abortion, slavery, and much more, how the "moral code" has changed over the last few hundred years.

[Hellbound Alleee]

I don't have time to dish out a deep philosophical thesis on the issue, but moral absolutism is bunk. What are morals if not situationally or culturally relative? Moral absolutism is just a way to claim cultural superiority. A blind, ignorant way at that.

 

You don't have to be an absolutist to say that moral relativism is bunk. Or vice-versa.

[Asimov]

I don't have time to dish out a deep philosophical thesis on the issue, but moral absolutism is bunk. What are morals if not situationally or culturally relative? Moral absolutism is just a way to claim cultural superiority. A blind, ignorant way at that.

 

You don't have to be an absolutist to say that moral relativism is bunk. Or vice-versa.

 

You got a lotta guts comin 'roun' here, Alleee....

 

[Samurai Tailor]

Conservative Christianity has a postmodernist streak, as well. Largely because of the runaway success of science in describing reality, and the forcing of God into explanatory gaps thereby, CCs find themselves increasingly defending the 'personal truth' notion.

 

This is especially noticeable vis-a-vis creationism/evolution; the creationist, we are told, is just "reinterpreting" the evidence, after all.

[MQTA]

I agree with religion is relativism.

 

Considering that the OT demands stoning of a disobedient son, while no one is doing it today. And what about eating shellfish or pork?

 

Or just take issues like alcohol, smoking, abortion, slavery, and much more, how the "moral code" has changed over the last few hundred years.

Could you imagine how much more advanced and changed our "moral code" would be if they didn't try to hold us back to age old standards?

[thunderbolt]

No disrespect here,

 

But I finally concluded that the brand of Jesus that I have come to learn while not living in America was largely a PRODUCT of American Christianity (if you can call it that) My own country’s moral and cultural code is much different. And since I didn't know a democrat from a republican from my ass, I never realized how much politics had influenced that brand of jesus that I thought was the only way, etc. etc. etc.

 

But ultimately, Christians is the walking manifestation that morality is relative. What’s that saying about a pot and a kettle?

[Ex-COG]

But I finally concluded that the brand of Jesus that I have come to learn while not living in America was largely a PRODUCT of American Christianity (if you can call it that) My own country’s moral and cultural code is much different. And since I didn't know a democrat from a republican from my ass, I never realized how much politics had influenced that brand of jesus that I thought was the only way, etc. etc. etc.

 

Very true. I've even told some in my family that what is passing for Christianity in the USA, called by its supporters evangelical or fundamentalist, is really an American Cultural Religion, having little or nothing to do with Jesus, the early church, or church history. It's like a whole new interpretation grew up on the soil of the New World. Certain family members didn't take kindly to my opinon, but oh well, it's in their brain cells now.

[spamandham]

You don't have to be an absolutist to say that moral relativism is bunk. Or vice-versa.

 

Alleee, welcome to ex-c! BTW, are you actually Alleee, or simply a fan of the show?