Thread: Respect
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Old 11-09-2009, 09:39 AM   #32
thisisnotreal
 
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Join Date: May 2003
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Re: Respect

Hi Dan,
Hope it's okay if I comment on this.
I appreciate and share the spirit in which you offer your post...but I have a problem with this
Quote:
Well in that situation I can always remember the words of Quiet Hank..."Let other people be right", he would say as well as "All belief is valid".
Here's the thing.. I cannot with a clear conscience believe in this type of complete relativism. And especially when this bleeds into other areas.
My experience in this life so far shows me that there are right things and there are wrong things. When the right things are *provable* then they are facts. Some things are taken on faith; as the trail of established facts cannot yet touch everything that we can see, witness or consider.
I want to be right. If I am not right; and have made a mistake; then I hope I have the good sense to correct myself. IOW; I will change my mind. If everything is as equally valid as everything else...then where on earth does this lead? Maybe I misread this and am arguing the wrong thing here. That's not what you meant, is it?

And regarding the other part "All belief is valid".
Well, I appreciate that the spirit of this is in respecting everyone. Is it not? But how can all belief be valid? It seems clear to me that some people can believe some pretty absurd things....in what way exactly is that to be considered valid? And the limiting case of this argument is when something is against repeatedly proven and established fact. There is a flatearth society...surely they are having fun...but it is quite simply a *wrong* or mistaken belief, if earnestly held. Can you disagree with this? Following this train of thought; Is it rude to offer correction to someone? And on and on..

Maybe you don't mean it literally ("All belief is valid"), but maybe you do. I think, again, that this is offered in a spirit of loving respect. That is good! But is all belief valid? All true? Is this the best way to represent that idea (respect of others)? What does 'valid' even mean? Wouldn't something have to have been invalid in order to ontologically define it this way.

Anyway; you made me think...so this is what you get.
Cheers Dan.
Josh
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