1. Basic situation as I see it is this, God got it in the neck for the following reasons: a. Kant reduced demonstrations for his existence to a shakey moral inference. b. Philologists shredded the Bible so the text became unstable c. Voltaire & co mocked the inconsistencies.
Read Nietzsche? This chap (@vncvrrentevents) has a quite nice summary of the historical aspect: http://cosmosandhistory.org/index.php/journal/article/viewFile/518/894 …
I may have misunderstood you. I’m assuming you mean a sceptic of this thesis, not Xtianity?
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One further thought: Would this self-destructive tendency in Christianity apply to the other major monotheisms? If yes, how to account for their (somewhat) different historical trajectories? Islam, for one, appears to be ascendant, although that may of course be illusory.
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I don’t know. It strikes me that Judaism stresses adherence to law and Islam stresses obedience to the will of God (there is also an Islamic school of thought that says taqiyya, lying to enemies, is moral). It seems only Christianity priorities truth in particularly.
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I'd be curious as to whether insiders see these emphases the same way, and, in case of Christianity, whether parts of the sacred texts (or practices etc. central to the religion) provide support for Nietzsche's thesis.
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I read the Bible every day, I think so. The problem with “insiders” is that they can’t be honest. Can a priest, a Rabbi, a liberal (degraded Xtian), or an Imam be really honest about what they think of their faith—esp. to an outsider? Their roles prohibit this very thought.
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My thought was a bit more straightforward. I’m interested in whether the Nietzschean thesis can be supported by Christian texts that explicitly prioritise truth in the relevant way.
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I think the New Testatment is mostly about this. Jesus comes as a force against law (the Pharisees & Rome) and for something higher, which seems to me to be redemption found in truth & love. Speaking this is the highest good, and higher than religious law or the laws of state.
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It’s embodied in the Christian motto: “Cor ad cor loquitur”. This is literally about having a heart-to-heart with God. The love of God arises from speaking sincerely and truthfully with Him.
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No, no, you've read me correctly. Have just begun ploughing through the 3rd book of The Gay Science, so I may find what I'm looking for there. Any other Nietzsche sources you can think of off the top of your head?
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No, I can’t. I have read the Gay Science, but I’m not sure it’s in there. It was drilled into me by a comic book crib of Nietzsche as a teenager, perhaps it’s a misrepresentation of his view.
@nastyinmuhtaxi & @UntergangMindst know Nietzsche well & may provide precise quotes.
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And thanks for the link.
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