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December 7, 2009
The "worship of intelligence"
One Cʘsmos: Scientistic Simpletons and the Church of the Immaculate Deduction
Perhaps this idea of the "worship of intelligence" is new to you, but it is the blue thread that runs through the modern left extending over the past century or so. Although it is primarily a narcissistic exercise in self-flattery, those who are not members of the cult are not just considered wrong, but dismissed as morons. But one of the bases of wisdom -- which transcends the mere intellectualism of the tenured -- is to know the limits of intelligence. And the left repeatedly fails in this regard, again, because of the replacement of God with human (small r) reason.
Posted by Vanderleun at December 7, 2009 11:26 PM. This is an entry on the sideblog of American Digest: Check it out.
Your Say
so using ones intellect to try and understand the universe is "self-flattery" but believing that God, the creator of everything, not only created you in his image but actually has a concern for your fate is not?
Posted by: Barnabus at December 8, 2009 12:33 PM
That was a really good post of GB's.
As for self-flattery, Barnabus, the believer knows that they are a miserable sinner, graced and saved only by a merciful and all-powerful God. We live in a fallen world, and have lived more like the Prodigal Son than the self-righteous older brother. Tho many people outside the church assume that all Christians are as sure of their own virtue as those nauseating televangelist swindlers. Most Christians, by contrast, know that they were saved by the infinite power and mercy of God, that they do not deserve it. The church, to use a famous phrase, is not a club of saint but a school for sinners. Again and again in the Gospels, Jesus calls people, forgives their sins then demands that they follow Him and amend their way of life. God loves us despite our failures and our weaknesses. The mission of the church is not self congratulation, but to grow in faith, to afflict the comfortable and to comfort the afflicted. Intelligence has very little to do with it (tho we value it, we do not idolize it).
Posted by: retriever at December 8, 2009 3:39 PM
Retriever...I won't argue against the "grace" concept since I would agree that it is a beautiful aspect of Christianity. However, that is not the point of discussion here. It still seems to me that it is more egomaniacal to believe that the creator of everything has a special concern for you than to have the arrogance to celebrate human intellect.
Posted by: Barnabus at December 8, 2009 5:53 PM
It seems better to believe that our perfect creator is concerned about us individually than it is to believe that we ourselves are the perfectible creators.
Posted by: monkeyfan at December 9, 2009 1:35 PM