Friday, November 1, 2019

The Intellectual Death toward which Secularism is Taking Society, part 2

                Furthermore, secularists commit the double-standard fallacy by imposing alternative absolutes onto others with a level of conviction that resembles moral authority, while they at the same time deny moral absolutes on their allegation that they are not a rationally-valid category of argumentation.
  
               Equally bewildering is the propensity of secularists to subordinate scientific data to a merely pragmatic[1] (as opposed to absolute) role, thereby betraying their true indifference toward the authoritative role science ought to play before us all.  It is after all because of its long-acclaimed deference to science as the ultimate arbiter in scientific truth matters, that secularism derides “religious” people for elevating creeds above scientific facts.  I actually affirm the privilege of scientists to identify as scientific[2] truth what is discovered by following where evidence leads, independent of religious dogma.[3]  So it is galling for secularists to then deride Christians for opposing scientific evidence[4] when the former ignore it too when (because?) it conflicts with, to give but one example, the transgenderism (TG) movement.[5]  TG persons insist not only on the right to use whichever showers they desire; they also demand that society as a whole identify TG people by the gender they each prefer, irrespective of their anatomical and genetic constitution.  Furthermore, bureaucrats have recently legally obligated citizens to ignore these facts under the threat of debilitating lawsuits.  At bottom, biological facts concerning genetic and anatomical realities are officially being suppressed [6] to the end that ideology is now trumping science.

Furthermore, it isn’t only members of TG, but public educators too, who although mandated to instill critical-thinking skills in the light of reality, instead propagandize students away from the facts of life (in the larger sense).  This ploy undermines the very consciences of the latter.  In addition sadly, the scientific community, despite the guidance our society expects it to provide; by its failure to rebuke these falsehood instead encourages the intellectual travesties to continue unchallenged.  None of these errors are complex to such a degree as to require formal training in philosophy in order for lay people to discern their flaws, provided they aren’t badgered into silence.  Both errors violate the golden rule of “doing unto others what you would wish to be done unto you” (Rom. 2:1-3), while the second error also entails “cherry-picking” which facts to embrace and which to ignore based purely on their own private wishes.  Notice that St. Paul’s very first reference to sin in his Letter to the Romans entails suppressing evidence that, in his context, pertains to confronting and thereby convicting sinners that there must be a Creator of all things (Rom. 1:18-20).  In addition, the rest of that chapter prophetically narrates the path toward self-destruction which logically follows from denying God’s rightful lordship in the first place.             To be continued...



[1] Pragmatism considers whether a given proposition seems beneficial as opposed to whether it is actually true.
[2] That is, scientific conclusions only. Theological conclusions are based on revelation which is manifest through the Bible.
[3] See my essay, “Defusing the Alleged Conflict Between Scientific Fact and the Text of Genesis 1,” which can be accessed, together with all of my essays, at my website: www.christianityontheoffense.com.
[4] I do concede that Christians partly contribute to the secularist’ impression I just described by their misinterpreting Scripture. See my essay,   “Does the Bible Permit Denigrating Science in order to Maintain our Faith?” Op.cit. (19).
[5]I am NOT passing on persons experiencing sexual identity confusion, but on the irrational ways this matter is treated by societal leaders.  
[6] See my letter to the editor of the Everett Herald, “Self-Contradictory Policies of ‘Liberal’ Transgenderism Public Policy.” Op.cit. (19).

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