From: hayesstw@risc1.unisa.ac.za (Steve Hayes)
Subject: Re: The arrogance of Christians
Organization: University of South Africa
Lines: 51

In article <Apr.11.01.02.46.1993.17799@athos.rutgers.edu> mhsu@lonestar.utsa.edu (Melinda . Hsu   ) writes:

>belief that their faith is total truth.  According to them,
>their beliefs come from the Bible and the bible is the word of
>God and God is truth - thus they know the truth.  This stance
>makes it difficult to discuss other faiths with them and my own
>hesitations about Christianity because they see no other way.
>Their way is the 'truth.'
>
>But I see their faith arising from a willful choice to believe
>a particular way.  That choice is part faith and part reason,
>but it seems to me a choice.
>
>My discussions with some Christians remind me of schoolyard
>discussions when I was in grade school:
>
>A kid would say, "All policemen are jerks!"  I'd ask, "How do
>you know?"  "Because my daddy told me so!"  "How do you know
>you're daddy is right?"  "He says he's always right!"
>
>Well the argument usually stops right there.  In the end,
>aren't we all just kids, groping for the truth?  If so, do we have
>the authority to declare all other beliefs besides our own as
>false?

I find this argument very strange, though not unfamiliar.

An analogy someone used a while back can perhaps illustrate it.

Say, for example, there are people living on a volcanic island, and a group 
of geologists determine that a volcano is imminent. They warn the people on 
the island that they are in danger, and should leave. A group of people on 
the island is given the task of warning others of the danger.

They believe the danger is real, but others may not. 

Does that mean that the first group are NECESSARILY arrogant in warning 
others of the danger? Does it mean that they are saying that their beliefs 
are correct, and all others are false?

Some might indeed react to opposition with arrogance, and behave in an 
arrogant manner, but that is a personal idiocyncracy. It does not 
necessarily mean that they are all arrogant.


============================================================
Steve Hayes, Department of Missiology & Editorial Department
Univ. of South Africa, P.O. Box 392, Pretoria, 0001 South Africa
Internet: hayesstw@risc1.unisa.ac.za
          steve.hayes@p5.f22.n7101.z5.fidonet.org
          stephen.hayes@f20.n7101.z5.fidonet.org
