[NetBehaviour] [stuff-it] FW: Only 33 per cent of Americansbelieve in evolution

Simon Biggs s.biggs at eca.ac.uk
Sun Jul 12 11:55:05 CEST 2009


Hi Alan

As always, a far more articulate expression of the situation than I could
offer. More laughs too.

Regards

Simon


Simon Biggs
Research Professor
edinburgh college of art
s.biggs at eca.ac.uk
www.eca.ac.uk
www.eca.ac.uk/circle/

simon at littlepig.org.uk
www.littlepig.org.uk
AIM/Skype: simonbiggsuk



From: Alan Sondheim <sondheim at panix.com>
Reply-To: NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity
<netbehaviour at netbehaviour.org>
Date: Sat, 11 Jul 2009 22:18:33 -0400 (EDT)
To: NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity
<netbehaviour at netbehaviour.org>
Subject: Re: [NetBehaviour] [stuff-it] FW: Only 33 per cent of
Americansbelieve in evolution




I think the fundamental issue is the belief in inerrancy; as long as one
believes a particular text is an absolute explanation of the world, every-
thing else ultimately has to succumb - particularly if the text contains a
system of commandments that involve the Other. Performativity is fine if
it tends no farther than the self, but that's almost never the case. Years
ago Alexander Essenin-Volpin, Soviet dissident/logician, summed it up with
the concepts of 'Freedom 1' and 'Freedom 2.' The former is basically I can
do anything I want to; the latter is You can't do anything to me I don't
want you to do. It's the latter that's the problem in relation to inerran-
cy - if a text is absolute/explanatory - if one believes it's the _truth,_
then everything for you has to follow from that. And most religious texts
involve others everywhere/everywhen: enemies, accolytes, unbelievers, very
often women, pagans, enemies of the faith, etc. So if I, for example, fol-
low a rigid fundamentalist belief that abortion is wrong and is murder -
then what is to stop me from murdering a doctor who performs abortions? In
fact such a murder would be seen to be an act of faith.

Believers make me paranoid; I've lived in too many fundamental communities
to feel otherwise. On the other hand, it doesn't bother me at all what
anyone believes, as long as it doesn't involve me. Consider believe a
victimless crime - if your belief leaves me alone, fine; if it doesn't,
then there's a problem. (Likewise I have no problem with any victimless
crime at all, far beyond belief systems, but that's another story.) I did
feel also that Simon's email was a bit harsh in tone, by the way, but it
didn't bother me particularly.

- Alan



| Alan Sondheim Mail archive:  http://sondheim.rupamsunyata.org/
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