You wrote:
“Thank you for demonstrating the validity of my comment.”
Oh, no, sir or madam, thank you for demonstrating mine. You clearly could not come up with a single American Indian intellectual or spiritual achievement that overshadows Christianity and Christendom. NOT ONE. Zip. Zero. None.
“Some of us seek knowledge for the sake of acquiring knowledge. Some of us don’t. You appear to be in the latter group.”
Some of us recognize some bits of knowledge as having more worth than others. It’s called “discernment”. Those who lack discernment believe all bits of knowledge are of equal value. This same group of people are usually de facto supporters of lost causes, multi-culturalism and other outdated, out moded and empty leftist ideas.
“While that may be comfortable for you, dismissing someone else’s quest for knowledge appears to be not only ignorance, but militant ignorance.”
And your point makes no sense since I didn’t dismiss anyone else’s “quest for knowledge”. I asked why I - THAT’S ME - should want to know “coyote” stories from the American Indians. Three or four posts into this nonsense and I have yet to receive any type of affirmative case for their worth - which would just seem to prove that they don’t have much.
“Wallow in ignorance all you like, but what’s the point of dragging the rest of us down with you?”
I have never wallowed in ignorance, but I expect a certain discipline to my studies. I have five university degrees. I see no reason to study “coyote” stories. Can you provide a single reason that is worthwhile why I should? No, apparently not. Also, I have spoken for myself, and have not tried to drag any of you down anywhere. Your latent paranoia seems to have gotten the better of you. Snap out of it and come back to reality.
“I’d be interested in knowing, which appears to be the difference between us.”
Not at all. I already know. You don’t. That is the difference between us. Here’s a similarity between us: I can’t think of a single worthwhile reason to study “coyote” stories over other things and apparently you can’t either.
Thanks for proving my point twice over.
Belief gets in the way of learning.Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough for Love, 1973
Oh, no, sir or madam, thank you for demonstrating mine. You clearly could not come up with a single American Indian intellectual or spiritual achievement that overshadows Christianity and Christendom. NOT ONE. Zip. Zero. None.
You didn't ask for one. Is an "intellectual or spiritual achievement that overshadows Christianity and Christendom" your minimum requirement before you'll take a look? What are all those university degrees in? I hope they're all subjects that have overshadowed "Christianity and Christendom." Or are you slyly admitting you were wasting your time?
Gumlegs: Some of us seek knowledge for the sake of acquiring knowledge. Some of us don’t. You appear to be in the latter group.
Some of us recognize some bits of knowledge as having more worth than others. It’s called “discernment”. Those who lack discernment believe all bits of knowledge are of equal value. This same group of people are usually de facto supporters of lost causes, multi-culturalism and other outdated, out moded and empty leftist ideas.
I didn't say "all bits of knowledge are of equal value," you did. Is there a value to studying mold?
Gumlegs: While that may be comfortable for you, dismissing someone else’s quest for knowledge appears to be not only ignorance, but militant ignorance.
And your point makes no sense since I didn’t dismiss anyone else’s “quest for knowledge”. I asked why I - THAT’S ME - should want to know “coyote” stories from the American Indians. Three or four posts into this nonsense and I have yet to receive any type of affirmative case for their worth - which would just seem to prove that they don’t have much.
I’m impressed that you stuck it out for three or four whole posts; I stand in awe of your tenacity. But, what you actually posted was this:
When you guys can demonstrate that American Indians have achieved success at anything in the intellectual or spiritual realm that overshadows Christianity and Christendom you let me know. Until then I have no reason to believe they have much that is worthwhile other than casinos and I don’r gamble much.
Lacking five university degrees myself, I'm missing the "asking" part of that. Would you point out the question mark? (I'm asking. See the question mark?).
Anyway, from that quote it would appear you were dismissing studying American Indians a priori. I suppose if you consider anything less than overshadowing Christianity and Christendom being beneath study you at least have a hermetically sealed argument. Of course, a lot of the answer depends on just who it is who decides what it is that "overshadows" "Christianity and Christendom," how that might be done, why, or what the criteria might be for the decision. Sounds just a little self-serving to me, but that's just me.
Gumlegs: Wallow in ignorance all you like, but what’s the point of dragging the rest of us down with you?
I have never wallowed in ignorance ...
Except here:
When you guys can demonstrate that American Indians have achieved success at anything in the intellectual or spiritual realm that overshadows Christianity and Christendom you let me know. Until then I have no reason to believe they have much that is worthwhile other than casinos and I don’r gamble much.
... but I expect a certain discipline to my studies. I have five university degrees.
Is that all? Wait, don't tell me ... your degrees can beat up my degrees. I'm so humiliated.
I see no reason to study “coyote” stories. Can you provide a single reason that is worthwhile why I should? No, apparently not.
You didn't ask, remember? Besides, it's not your willful ignorance that's objectionable, it's your apparent disparagement of anyone who might have the temerity to introduce what could possibly be another line of enquiry, interest, or evidence. You've dismissed it out of hand, or haven't you noticed? (That's another question).
Also, I have spoken for myself, and have not tried to drag any of you down anywhere. Your latent paranoia seems to have gotten the better of you. Snap out of it and come back to reality.
The implications of what you're writing are obvious ... if not to you.
Gumlegs: I’d be interested in knowing, which appears to be the difference between us.
Not at all. I already know. You don’t. That is the difference between us.
How many of your degrees require courses in missing the point? If what you're trying to say is that you know all about Black Elk, so what? Did you know the guy next door to me knows all about stuff of which you are entirely ignorant? Come to think of it, so does coyoteman. So do I. No doubt you are as impressed with us as we are with you. My point was you had no interest in American Indian stories, dismissing them out of hand. I admitted I didn’t know about Black Elk, but said I was interested in learning. That strikes me as a more important a difference than what you know versus what I know.
But perhaps you have a point -- with five university degrees, you already know everything. I won’t bother you again.
Here’s a similarity between us: I can’t think of a single worthwhile reason to study “coyote” stories over other things and apparently you can’t either.
Again, you didn't ask for one. And if I supplied one, you'd probably hand-wave it away. Whereas I expressed interest in the Black Elk story you brought up, you've ignored that, too. And then you post ...
Thanks for proving my point twice over.
We disagree.
In the words of Frank Nelson, “OOOOOOOOooooooo, do we! (Look it up).
Oh, no, sir or madam, thank you for demonstrating mine. You clearly could not come up with a single American Indian intellectual or spiritual achievement that overshadows Christianity and Christendom. NOT ONE. Zip. Zero. None.
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It’s not a zero sum game, vlad. That Christianity has fostered tremendous intellectual and spiritual achievements in no way suggests that there is nothing of value one can learn from non-Christian sources.
Wow. 5 university degrees. And so quick to denigrate an area of possible learning, because, you, in your 5 degree wisdom, have deemed it unworthy. Of course, how you have deemed it unworthy without any knowledge is a bit odd - one might think 5 degrees would have taught you that one expresses only one’s ignorance when they out-of-hand dsmiss something about which they are completely uninformed. Given that you are uninformed on the topic seems like a great reason to look into it.
But please, don’t feel the need to take yet another degree, this time in Native American studies, just read a book sometime. How hard can that be?
Hey I’m going to go contemplate the possibility of 2+2 = 5 now ok? Because I’m open minded.