12AR17-15

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Apologia Report 17:15 (1,107)

April 25, 2012

Subject: America the most "profoundly philosophical" culture ever?

In this issue:

MORMONISM - why asking "Are Mormons Christian?" is the wrong question

ORIGINS - Skeptical Inquirer takes on Reasons to Believe

PHILOSOPHY - an intellectual who argues that Americans aren't anti-intellectual

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MORMONISM

"Mormons and Christianity: Asking the Right Questions" by Howard P. Kainz -- writing for First Things (Mar 22 '12, n.p.), Kainz begins with a brief review of the magazine's previous treatment of Mormonism and the surprised and indignant reactions of Mormons themselves. He then reaches an interesting conclusion: "Evidently, the more we know about Mormonism, the more we can see that we have been asking the wrong question. From the Mormon point of view, the question to be asked is not, 'Are Mormons Christian?' but, in view of the alleged apostasy in early Christianity after the death of the Apostles, a more appropriate question would be: 'Are any non-Mormons Christian?'

"Posing this question changes the criteria by which we can evaluate Mormon claims, and helps put some of the more exaggerated fears of orthodox Christians into perspective. Yes, Catholics and Protestants are viewed by Mormons as practicing an incomplete Christianity (at best)." <www.bit.ly/GPqk6i>

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ORIGINS

"A Feeble Challenge to Evolution from 'Reasons to Believe'" by retired Georgetown, Texas, psychologist Brian Bolton -- this "Special Report" from Skeptical Inquirer magazine (May/Jun '12, pp8-11) is a good example of what we noted Jonathan Haidt pointed out (see last week's issue of AR) regarding a cultural conflict that's hardening into "incomprehension and dysfunction."

Bolton attended a "multipart audio-visual ... series of thirteen one-hour presentations ... composed of chapter-by-chapter critiques of ... Richard Dawkins' book The Greatest Show on Earth [1]." The program was developed by Reasons to Believe (RTB) <www.reasons.org>. Bolton argues: "There are many problems with the assumptions, rationale, and logic of the RTB curriculum.

"RTB cannot be regarded as a legitimate scholarly endeavor, because it begins by asserting that the truth is known before any investigation is ever carried out. ... The divine creation explanation cannot be refuted because it is assumed to be true a priori as an article of faith - a textbook example of circular reasoning.

"The brochure that announced the RTB program ... suggested an association between evolution and the philosophy of atheism. ... In fact, evolution is not an atheistic doctrine.

"The strongest argument against this unwarranted insinuation is that the vast majority of people who endorse evolution are religious believers. They are called 'theistic evolutionists,' typically devout Christians...." In his conclusion, Bolton underscores this point by claiming that "mainstream Christian and Jewish denominations reject biblical inerrancy and endorse human evolution."

As Bolton sees it: "The foundational postulate of RTB theology is that the Bible is God's word and is therefore without error. Rephrased, the Bible is absolutely accurate and truthful in every statement. This assumption is rejected by most Christian and Jewish denominations.

"The Bible contains hundred of erroneous assertions and contradictory statements...." Bolton complains that "the inerrantists cannot agree among themselves, with young-Earth advocates promoting a literal six-day creation and old-Earth proponents conforming their beliefs to the geological time scale.

"The doctrine of inerrancy is accepted by adherents on the basis of faith, which entails a commitment or allegiance that reflects personal conviction alone. Because faith operates in the absence of evidence, or may even contradict evidence, it is by definition not a rational process."

Bolton adds: "The critical issue for creationists is their belief that God created man and woman as adults 100,000 years ago exactly as described in the Bible. They reject the overwhelming evidence that modern humans evolved from apelike ancestors over a span of several million years."

Bolton's specific criticisms are: "The RTB program is predicated on the fallacies of false equivalence and arguing from ignorance. ... The underlying strategy assumes that identifying problems with evolution will enhance the case for biblical creationism. This premise violates two basic logical principles.

"First, evolution and biblical creationism do not constitute 'two sides of a debate.' ... To suggest that creationism is a legitimate theory is a woeful misuse of language.

"Second, the RTB presumption that specifying difficulties in some lines of evidence will weaken the multidisciplinary argument for evolution and thereby establish support for Genesis creationism commits the fallacy of arguing from ignorance. This tactic would be valid only if there were just two acknowledged alternative explanations, only one of which was true. ...

Bolton triumphantly concludes: "True faith does not require any justification, because faith *is* the unquestioning justification for all doctrinal beliefs. If there were reasons or evidence that supported Genesis creationism, then faith would not be necessary because creationism would be a valid scientific theory. The creationists' dogged search for reasons to believe betrays their claims of faith."

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PHILOSOPHY

America the Philosophical, by Carlin Romano [2], Critic-at-Large of The Chronicle of Higher Education, literary critic of The Philadelphia Inquirer for twenty-five years, and Professor of Philosophy and Humanities at Philadelphia's Ursinus College -- "Though de Tocqueville argued that 'in no country in the civilized world is less attention paid to philosophy than in the United States,' award-winning book critic and former Ursinus College philosophy professor Romano sets out to prove, in this engaging tome, that America is the 'most philosophical culture in the history of the world.' America's philosophy is a pragmatic one, Romano argues, aimed not at locating absolute truth in the ether, but instead confronting real world problems and finding real world solutions. ... At its core, the work seeks to shift our definition of philosophy from an emphasis on reason and truth-finding to philosophy as a form of persuasion that aims to find better solutions to problems. With illuminating anecdotes and an addictive prose style, Romano renders complex ideas lucid without sacrificing depth of understanding or his splendid sense of humor. His breathtaking intellectual range and passion will make every reader want to be a philosopher." Publishers Weekly, Mar '12, #4, n.p.

Library Journal (Nov '11, #1, n.p.) adds: "Take that, Richard Hofstadler! Americans aren't anti-intellectual. In fact, argues Romano, a distinguished book critic and professor of philosophy, American culture is more profoundly philosophical than any other culture in history, with ordinary Americans quick to question specious reasoning and trained minds just as quick to throw over stuffy debate for something refreshing."

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SOURCES: Monographs

1 - The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution, by Richard Dawkins (Free Prs, 2010, paperback, 496 pages) <www.tinyurl.com/c4qv6jo>

2 - America the Philosophical, by Carlin Romano (Knopf, 2012, hardcover, 688 pages) <www.tinyurl.com/7xfxr63>

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