medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Luis Gutierrez wrote:
> However, the Thomas Aquinas teaching
> is still perpetuated in many churches
> that refuse to ordain women and give them
> roles of religious authority.
> This goes back to a literalist reading
> of St Paul and Genesis 3:16.
The fact that the Church only ordains males has nothing to do with Aquinas,
who wasn't even born, until 1225. Neither has it anything to do with the
mythos of creation in Genesis. It has to do with following that which was
established by the individual whom Luiz described as the one "who was fully
human without ceasing to be fully divine."
Luiz states in his original posting, "my working hypothesis is that the human
propensity to violence is rooted in pre-historical religious violence."
If we take his presuposition that there is a "human propensity to violence,"
one wonders how he manages to make the category leap from a "characteristic"
of humanity to blaming that "characteristic" on religious inculturation. Of
course, if religious inculturation is genetically transmittable to the next
generation, then one might posit such a view. However, such a view as genetic
transmission of religious inculturation is patently absurd. Religious
inculturation happens subsequent to one's birth. We are humans at birth. To
state that humans have a propensity toward violence, and further to state that
such propensity toward violence is an effect of religious inculturation
presents a problem. It requires the effect to antedate its own cause. And
this, being absurd, cannot be.
Now, from Luiz's webpage, under "Mission Statement," we read:
"Violence is the main obstacle to human development. There is an intrinsic
link between violence and religion, ...."
He states that "there is an intrinsic link between violence and religion"
(quad erat demonstrandum). How does this develop?
I.. Religion is intrinsicly linked to violence.
....(A) Religious people are people who being linked to religion are therefore
..........intrinsicly linked to violence.
....(B) Which is to say that they are violent people.
II. The "Society of Friends" (Quakers) is a religious Society.
....(A) Quakers are a religious people.
....(B) Religious people (as it has been adduced) are intrinsicly linked to
violence.
..........(1) Therefore, Quakers are intrinsicly linked to violence.
..........(2) Which is to say that Quakers are violent people.
III. If violence is not perfectly all right, then it is a sin.
......(A) If it is a sin, then it is ipso facto immoral.
......(B) Because violence which is immoral is a sin, and because religion is
............intrinsicly linked to violence, it necessarily follows that to
adhere to a ............religion is a sin.
......(C) It follows of necessity, then, that when religion tells its follower
to eschew ............sin, it is also telling them to eschew religion.
......(D) But "sin" is an appellation that flows from religion.
...........(1) Therefore, the call of religion not to sin is a call from
within sin not to .................be itself, which would be absurd.
Consquently the call of religion not .................to sin must of necessity
be a call to sin, if Luiz's adduction is right.
IV. Inasmuch as Jesus told his disciples to "go ye, therefore, and make
disciples of ......all nations," Jesus by commanding the increase of religion
was ipso facto ......commanding people to sin.
....(A) Since the encouraging of people to sin is itself a sin, Jesus is of
necessity a ...........sinner, on two counts.
..........(1) By encouraging people to make more people adhere to religion,
Jesus is ...............guilty of sin, as an accessory before the fact.
..........(2) Jesus established a religion--religions being sinful endeavors,
which of ................necessity flows from Luiz's reasoning, for religion
is intrinsicly linked ................to violence--it follows as a necessary
conclusion that:
...............(a) Jesus was a sinner, and that
...............(b) Jesus was a violent person.
Oh well, enough! Luiz's posting reminds me: Last Friday I drove through
Corsicana, Texas, and while there, I stopped at the world famous Collin Street
Bakery. <http://www.collinstreet.com>
Now, it's late, so I think I'll have my milk and cookies, and go to bed. Or,
perhaps, to quote Ebeneezer Scrooge's remark to Jacob Marley, "I'll retire to
Bedlam."
Violently yours,
Terrill
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