I used to think I blogged to share things that were true or helpful. Now I want to change the “or” to “and.” I used to think that literal truth was always good. Now I think it’s often irrelevant. We each choose different metaphors for the need to help others. Does it matter if the person who created your metaphor was wrong or deceitful or mad? Truth is still truth when it’s uttered by a liar. If the founder of your faith was a fraud, do I help you by telling you what history reveals? Or do I simply accept that your myth (in the sense of metaphor, not lie) is different than mine? I may not be able to accept the myth that you hold dear, but if your myth helps you do good, isn’t it better for me to respect it than insist that you see the truth that lies beneath it?
We talk as though there are single truths, but literal truth and metaphorical truth are different, and when making our way through life, metaphorical truth may matter more. If an atheist needs to be certain that there’s nothing after death in order to make this life better, and if an evangelical Christian needs to be certain of Heaven to do the same, isn’t it better to work together than argue? Literal truth only needs to come forward when someone misunderstands a metaphor in a harmful way: if you’re in the habit of doing something bad, metaphorically cutting it out is good; taking a knife to your hand or eye misses the point.
So, if I see people about to cut at their bodies or the bodies of others in the name of a misunderstood truth, I’ll do my best to stop them using the metaphors they know. Otherwise, debate devolves to “Is so! Is not!”
My position comes from a discussion with Emma about the quotes I posted today, especially “the wise man accepts the essence of different scriptures and sees only the good in all religions,” and “Those who praise their own doctrines and disparage the doctrines of others do not solve any problem.”
With that in mind, I think I’ll delete a few of my previous posts. They can still be found in the Internet Archive by anyone who wants to know the earlier stages of my thought. From now on, I want to ask this question of each post I make: “Could this make the world better for at least one person?”
Memories are designed to fade. Are we prepared for the consequences of Internet Archive?
Aspyre, I’ve made my peace with the Internet Archive. It’s the place for drafts of our thought. You can go there and see what a person is disavowing, and then you can decide whether they’re only wise enough to disavow that now, or if they’ve actually changed. To connect this to our earlier discussion, it’ll be harder for saints and prophets if their slow growth and many stumblings are available for all to see, but I’d like to think it’ll be good for the rest of us, because the drafts show that we don’t leap from A to Z. Sometimes we jump, sometimes we stagger, sometimes we take two steps back and one forward. What matters is not that we reach Z, but that we keep trying to reach Z.
But, oh, do I feel sorry for bloggers who decide fifteen years later that they want to go into politics.
I like this, Will. It’s an admirable goal. Bravo!
Grey, thanks! I confess, one of the things nagging at me was quibbling with you about the origin of the Episcopal Church. So it’s complex? What isn’t? What matters most is that some wonderful people find satisfaction in doing good as Episcopalians.
Thank you, Will.
I’m sorry that exchange nagged at you. I myself walked away from it feeling that we both showed charity and respect, when all was said and done. So there you are.
Grey, glad to hear that! But it’s not bad that this nagged at me. Becoming a bit more charitable and respectful won’t hurt me a bit.
Bah! I just realized, re-reading the above comment, that it could sound rather snarky, because I didn’t shape/choose all my words properly.
That’s what I get for internetting while maxed out on Nyquil.
What I meant, generally, was “Please don’t worry about it. I thought it went rather well, and didn’t feel that either of us were nasty or quibblous with one another.”
*off to soak my head*
*laughing*
And I just posted the above while you were posting.
High fives and all around, and have a big piece of homemade peace bread, dude!!!
Mmm! Bread!
If the Nyquil means you have a cold, soaking your head in something hot could feel good. In any case, I hope you’re feeling better soon!