Two brief points to avoid belaboring this any further.
Re: the Truth that Christ revealed being contra-the
world's "truth" -- we can cite lots of scriptures that
say that this is the case, by being conformed to
Christ we reject what the world tells us to hold
important and how to behave.
You engage in the fallacy of saying isn't contra the
natural contra Ockham's razor... there are two
fallacies here. First Ockham's razor, the answer is
no. Being contra to perceived reality has nothing to
do with Ockham's razor. Second, I should have been
more precise in saying that Christ shows a way that
seems contra to the world. However, if you look
deeper into reality, there are hints that Christ's is
the deeper truth. There has been lots written about
this, but I won't belabor the point. Simply, Christ's
way appears contrary to common sense, until you enter
on the path of that way, in which you see the world in
an entirely different light. You have missed this
point before. William James makes this point well
(albeit generally) in the Will to Believe.
The other major point that needs to be addressed is
that you miss my point about the transforming power of
Christianity and adopt an unwarrantedly negative and
insulting view towards Islam generally by succumbing
to the ecological fallacy. I am not defending Islam
as Truth, far from it, but to ascribe to Islam broadly
the actions of certain overzealous sects, is like
ascribing all Christians the mindset of YECers (taken
in the pejorative sense of that reference).
My point about the transforming power is how the
tradition transforms the individual to the good. In
Christianity, I think there is very good evidence for
the power of the Holy Spirit in people's lives.
Ultimately, it is the other centered love expressed by
Christians that is a mark of their Lord, Jesus and His
Truth. This is clearly what I meant. If Islam does
transform people to be suicide bombers (which I would
dispute as you have so facilely put it), it just goes
to prove my point that the Truth of Christianity is
evidenced in the fruit of those dedicated to taking up
their crosses and following their Lord. This other
centered love and love of the enemy would be sharply
contrasted against the pastiche of Islamic
fundamentalism that you present of someone willing to
die, as long as they kill infidels in the process.
I am sure you can objectively see the difference
between the outworking of the two different systems,
as you characterize Islam and as I have characterized
Christianity.
So, with those needed clarifications, I will, to
borrow a page from your book, let you have the last
word, since I think we have sufficiently beaten this
long-deceased horse.
Peace,
Blake
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