I love words, and every once in a while one will pop into my head and I'll have to look it up again. For example: Recapitulate.
Fitting, seeing as how I want to continue (finish?) the discussion (rant?) I started yesterday.
I left off suggesting that we can't just "live and let live" because others would die (physically, metaphorically, spiritually, etc). But since people hold strongly to opposing views, what's to be done? Both sides often feel like the other is "The Enemy" and that truth resides on this side of the line. But as rational, intelligent, educated, and truly caring people, I think there are two things we can/should/must do:
1. Find the real enemy. While filming MathTacular, we said hunger is the enemy. The problem is not that Luke suggested we move a light. He's not trying to sabotage the shoot. No, we're just hungry and it's time to take a break.
As Christians we should have an even greater insight. And, no, it's not that Obama is the Antichrist. Rather, we know who the Enemy is. We know what he does, how he works, and know how to put him down.
Or, we should.
The problem--for me, at least--is that I often operate as a functional atheist. No wonder we have trouble recognizing the Enemy.
...that reminds me, for some reason, of one of my all-time favorite blog posts. If you haven't read it yet: Do so.
2. Consider your epistemology. How do you determine what is true/right/accurate? And the variance between these answers is what allows us to be ideologically 180° from each other.
If we could openly and accurately acknowledge our epistemological views, I think things would start to become much clearer. The step after that, the next impossible step, is to hash out where we are intellectually inconsistent. That would, I think, bring much more consensus in the world.
The difficulty of both of these steps often leaves me to throw up my hands. I can't do it. We can't get there.
And that, I propose, is why we find we can't do anything.
~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father
P.S. Of course, when I'm not functioning as an atheist, I realize that I can at least pray.
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