From: Valence (valence10@hotmail.com)
Date: Wed Aug 31 2005 - 06:01:38 BST
Hey all,
Mark suggested the following topic:
"An MOQ analysis suggests Christianity is a cult."
Discuss.
Cult n specific system of worship; devotion to a person, idea, or activity;
popular fashion. Collins Gem English dictionary.
And
"Is it possable [sic] to be a free thinker AND a devout Christian"?
R
Greetings MFers, unless you've been living in a cave on Mars with your eyes
closed and your fingers in your ears you've heard by now about the prank
recently perpetrated on the MOQ Discussion Group "Conference" in Liverpool.
In the wake of that event, it has been suggested that the MOQ discussion
group may have certain "cult-like" characteristics. This suggestion has
been met by varying degrees of acceptance. Some think it's a substantial
criticism, some think it's bull. Either way, it seems like something that a
lot of members have on their minds, and maybe we should be discussing.
The definition of "cult" cited above by Mark raises some interesting issues.
While "specific system of worship" seems to capture things like
Christianity, it's hard to completely deny that "devotion to a person, idea
or activity" doesn't, at least in some sense, reflect the MOQ discussion
group. Surely, we are all at least devoted to the "activity" of discussing
Pirsig's philosophy. In varying degrees many of us are also feel devoted to
the "idea" of the MOQ itself. Finally, there are certainly those among us
who feel a certain amount of devotion to the "person" Robert Pirsig.
Moreover, Mark's second question above, also raises some interesting
philosophical issues. It would seem to me that to be a "devout" anything
would be at least somewhat at odds with calling oneself a "free thinker".
"Devotion," in this sense, seems to suggest a purposeful limiting of
freedom, giving up some freedom to embrace some particular thing. On the
other hand, is it possible that "devotion" to something could actually come
about as the RESULT of a process of free thinking? Or does being a "free
thinker" mean that one can never finally settle upon, and bind oneself to
any conclusions at all? And what exactly do we mean when we say "free
thinker" anyway?
I'd like to add a more general, and in my opinion, slightly more interesting
reformulation of Mark's questions to the list of potential topics. The
questions/topics would be:
1. In terms of Quality (the vocabulary of the MOQ), discuss what it means to
be a cult.
2. In terms of Quality (the vocabulary of the MOQ), discuss what it means to
be a free-thinker.
3. In terms of what you answered to parts 1 and 2, discuss why it is (or why
it is not) possible to be devoted to a person, activity, or idea (like an
organized religion, or a specific philosophy/metaphysics) and still consider
oneself a "free thinker".
I'm not totally attached to this formulation, so feel free to make further
suggestions if anyone has any ideas that might improve it further.
Take care
rick
MOQ.ORG - http://www.moq.org
Mail Archive - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_focus/
MF Queries - horse@darkstar.uk.net
To unsubscribe from moq_focus follow the instructions at:
http://www.moq.org/mf/subscribe.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Wed Aug 31 2005 - 11:33:02 BST