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From: gtaylor@cornell.UUCP (Greg Taylor)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Absurdity Continued
Message-ID: <1127@cornell.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 17-Jul-84 10:56:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: cornell.1127
Posted: Tue Jul 17 10:56:03 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 18-Jul-84 03:19:28 EDT
References: <609@ihnp4.UUCP>
Organization: Cornell Univ. CS Dept.
Lines: 42

OOPs...here I find myself trying to qualify Yoshi's posting, while being
in the same side of the fence as Jeff Williams, beliefwise. Let's try it
this way:

Mr. Hoshen was absolutely correct to point out that the good Marxist is
more than a bit like the good Christian in the sense that there *is* a
connection between their way of looking at the Universe and the way they
conduct themselves in that Universe. They *certainly* differ in their
particulars (materialism and dialectic, for one), but they are both
views of the world that attempt to integrate and bring together theory
and action (or praxis and action, to quote one of the theorists). Both
are easily lampooned for it as well, of course. Belief does have a way of
putting one at risk. But if it doesn't change your life....

There's another subtext argument at work here that I'm surprised that
Yoshi didn't jump at (since I've rather faithfully followed his postings
in net.religion.jewish)-to wit:

If Rich's Rosen's formulation about the secular view of "the Myth of
Neutrality" is true ( and I think that it is, for all intents and
putposes, a good one), then the offense given by anyone of strong
convictions lies in the potential that they will either attempt to
"impose" their belief system on others (they would, I suspect, see
themselves as making a world in which they can live in good conscience-
though that is a might overstated), or that they will withdraw and
refuse to "integrate" into a world they see as either aclectic to a
fault or actually hostile.

Does this sort of "few and many" dispute look familiar to you, Yoshi?
Are the *secular Humanists* of the world pretty good at handling the
sons of Israel in *neutral* fashion? I'd be interested to explore the
Jewish formulation of identity in a world which may be hostile to their
aspirations, being, and practice. You're exactly the man to ask, I think.

regards,
gtaylor

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If you ask me, I may tell you   gtaylor@cornell
it's been this way for years	Gregory Taylor			 
I play my red guitar....	Theorynet (Theoryknot)		  
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