Since we are on the subject of apologies (and lack thereof) related to
remarks made by the pope on his recent visit to Bavaria, here is an
'apology' from me addressed specifically to Benedict XVI (and even more
specifically, to the person, Joseph Ratzinger - the man 'behind' all of
that paraphernalia of authority) in response to one of his recent
comments about me and my colleagues:
I am truly sorry that we have not been able to find a way to express
ourselves so that you will take our arguments seriously; so that in
response to our skepticism - i.e., reasoned inquiry - with regards to
the soundness or validity of arguments in support of your religious
dogma, rather than giving reasoned counter-arguments, you merely
pronounce 'ad hominem' condemnation of any 'inquirer' as someone who is
'deaf - through fear - to God'.
I would like to assure you that *I can hear quite clearly*, thank you.
Moreover, I have through the years listened most carefully not only to
the 'Word of the Lord' (as spoken and written in the original Hebrew
and Greek, as well as Latin, English, French and German translation),
but also Christian apologists through the centuries right up to current
pronouncements of 'our Holy Mother the Church', along with a good many
of those of her 'brothers' and 'sisters' as well. And, although I was
brought up with a very (un?)healthy 'fear of the Lord' by parents,
teachers, and priests whose voices I am also in no danger of growing
deaf to or forgetting (and to many of which I still listen, in spite of
fundamental disagreement, with genuine love and respect), I assure you
that it is not due to *fear* that I continue with my inquiry into what
has been whispered, pleaded, argued, preached, proclaimed or shouted
into my ear. (Perhaps on *this* point it is presumptuous for me to
speak of myself - I will openly acknowledge to be in some circumstances
very 'cowardly' indeed. But I will here not hesitate to proclaim the
courage of a great many of my colleagues and teachers, who have
maintained their faith in inquiry in the face of persecution to the
point of paying the ultimate price: 'greater courage - to say nothing
of love - hath no man …'.)
On the other hand, dear Joseph, could it be possible that I have a
right to be somewhat concerned about *your* hearing? For you continue
to *make assertions* on such topics as 'faith and reason' which could
only find support in arguments that have for some time now been
seriously undermined (to put it politely) by critique such as - well,
to state just one example that lies readily at hand - that found in
'Zur Kritik der reinen Religion' [On the Critique of Pure Religion] by
Hans Allbert, one of your fellow countrymen and contemporaries. For
similar reasons, I am also concerned about the hearing of those with
whom you surround yourself, who, on the basis of a few of your
pronouncements (no, not arguments, but *pronouncements*) on reason and
religion, proclaim you as one of the 21st century's greatest
intellectuals and leading philosophers. (The coincidence that these
same people were recently heard loudly proclaiming John Paul II as 'one
of history's great humanists' has led me to suspect that my problem
with them lies not so much in the 'hearing ability' of one side or the
other, as in fundamental disagreement about the meaning of certain key
terms, or perhaps 'language use' itself!)
No, I assure you, I am not deaf. I have been listening *very
carefully* - to *a great many voices*, arguing, whispering, pleading,
preaching, proclaiming, chanting, shouting, screaming ….
And to the silence ….
Chris Bruce Kiel, Germany -- ------------------------------------------------------------------ To change your Lit-Ideas settings (subscribe/unsub, vacation on/off, digest on/off), visit www.andreas.com/faq-lit-ideas.html
