Anson Guthrie says of Sheikh Tahir:
"'I've considered Islam to be one of the human race's bigger mistakes, but he might change my mind for me.'" (p. 28)
Individuals inherit but also transcend their world views. The lay minister in our Zen group said that the Dalai Lama and the Pope were very good friends - although that was a couple of Popes ago.
This statement by Guthrie reminded me of something and, with the wonders of the Internet, I have found it although I have not been able to cut and paste the passage. See here. Basically, the dialogue went -
Dewey: If all Communists were like you, I would be a Communist.
Trotsky: If all liberals were like you. I would be a liberal.
And every kind of issue comes up when reading Poul Anderson. Interrupted by other activities, I have got as far as p. 53 of 531 in Harvest Of Stars. Tomorrow, I will be at a Zen retreat in Lancaster Friends' Meeting House, 10.00 AM-4.00 PM, so probably no blogging till after that. What a privilege to reread and post about Poul Anderson's works in the City of Lancaster in 2018 and also to live in one of the timelines where our world has not destroyed itself yet.
8 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I agree with Download Guthrie's dislike of Islam and I would have strengthened it by saying that "religion" was one of the worst disasters to happen to the human race.
I have heard somewhere of how Pope John Paul II and the Dalai Lama personally liked each other while emphatically disagreeing in matters of faith.
Considering all the blood on Trotsky's hands, I would NOT consider him in any way a decent man. But, if a conservative had been included in this dialogue he would probably say: "I would not choose to be like either of you in your beliefs, no matter how nice you might be."
Sean
Sean,
And we can count on you to give us yet another perspective. Thank you.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Thanks! I fear I must often seem to be a grim, dour, bleakly pessimistic curmudgeon!
Sean
Kaor, Sean!
I don’t consider you a grim, dour, bleakly pessimistic curmudgeon, just a man aware of the human capacity for corruption and folly. Then again, the two descriptions might be called synonymous.
But I was curious as to how you can call “religion” one of the worst disasters to befall the human race, and be, it appears, a serious Catholic. Do you draw a distinction between “religion” in quotation marks and what you see as real faith?
Best Regards,
Nicholas
Nicholas,
That was my interpretation but no doubt Sean will speak for himself!
Paul.
Kaor, Nicholas and Paul!
Nicholas, well, I was perhaps exaggerating a wee bit! But I do take what I hope is a realistic view of human beings and human history. And of how folly and foolishness seem to be more the norm than not!
Both: I'm surprised! I thought what I said in the first paragraph of my first comment here was plain. It was ISLAM, the abominable religion founded by Mohammed which has been one of the worst disasters to afflict the human race. I mentioned "Islam" and the word I used a bit later, "that" was referring to it.
Sean
The difference between:
saying (that) "religion" was...
and:
saying (that) THAT (particular)"religion" was...
Ambiguity of "that."
Kaor, Paul!
Dang! I THOUGHT I was being clear. Point taken! I'll have to be more careful.
Sean
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