[Dean's World] Dean: AnswersFor what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

[notify at powerblogs.com]

Posted by Dean:
AnswersFor what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1172701994.shtml


   Good bye and good luck to contributors [1]Ron Coleman and [2]Kevin
   Dombrowski. I know Ron Coleman's going to keep doing great work. Kevin
   I'm a little worried about, considering the horrific crowd he's just
   thrown in with. My hope is that he learns a lot from his experience
   with them, though.

   I can't technically say goodbye to [3]my lovely wife, since were just
   having dinner and chatting amiably, and are going to be watching
   American Idol soon. We don't take blog stuff personally, in case you
   were wondering. Ask her if you don't believe me. ;-)

   Anyway, I'm sure there may be some more fallout from my line in the
   sand. Maybe some other resignations or whatever. All I can say is,
   "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and
   lose his own soul?"

   You make choices, and you live by those choices.

   I will say that I wound up rethinking slightly this afternoon. Which
   is the nature of blogging I guess. I crossed a few words out of the
   original post and made some slight addendums. Nothing big, but perhaps
   enough to assuage some of you.

   Others of you, not so much.

   I note that much is being made of assertion #3:

     3) Islam as a religion is no more inherently incompatible with
     modernity, minority rights, women's rights, or democratic pluralism
     than most religions.

   The words "no more" and "most" are operative, of course. Further, none
   of this demands that you accept that Islam is true or right, Muhammed
   was a prophet, etc.

   Some have argued that the assertion is empirically impossible to
   verify one way or the other, and thus cannot be either agreed with or
   disagreed with. I merely point out that if it's empirically impossible
   to verify, it is a question of perception, and moral judgment.

   And if it's merely a question of perception and moral judgment, then
   it's my moral judgment that you've got an obligation to presume #3 is
   true absent inarguable evidence to the contrary. And to ask yourself
   why the perception is there, and what should be done about that
   perception besides ranting about the Muslim Threat.

   In any case, I cannot look every day on this blog and wince at what I
   find morally reprehensible. Not to mention deeply destructive to the
   goals of defending freedom against terrorism (Islamofascist and
   otherwise).

   I hope Ron Coleman will remember one thing though:

   I'm no Jew. Ain't never been one, ain't never gonna be one. Ain't
   related to any. And I'm no Evangelical Christian who is convinced that
   by helping Israel he's going to speed the coming of [4]the Rapture in
   accordance with God's plan for the eventual conversion of all the
   currently living Jews--all the dead ones (men, women, and children
   alike of course) already being condemned to eternal Hellfire. Please
   do remember that these are the folks who are your friends at the
   moment, Ron.

   Anyway, why do I care about anti-semitism, and why do I defend Israel?
   It's the same humanist values that drives me to rage when I see hatred
   of Muslims.

   We all have different motivations I guess.

   Anyway, as for comment accounts: I nuked one. I have no intentions of
   nuking any others. Another couple left on their own, which is up to
   them. The rest of you can answer the dicatates of your own conscience.
   I edited to require that you start with certain presumptions if you're
   going to enter discussions on these matters. Make of that what you
   will. I won't run a blog that promotes things I consider morally
   repugnant.

   I can't get up every morning wondering if something else appearing on
   this blog is going to make me ashamed as a human being.

References

   1. http://www.likelihoodofconfusion.com/
   2. http://rightspin.powerblogs.com/
   3. http://www.qoae.net/
   4. http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1168709461.shtml