June 4, 2007

no he didn't!

I have some exciting things to post, however, I can't until I get this off my mind!

Getting ready for work this morning I was listening to the news and I heard the name, Al Gore. This wasn't the bad part. The broadcaster said he had come out with a new book, The Assault on Reason.

After hearing this I stopped dead in my tracks. Of all people to write such a book?

For those who know me well know that in addition to becoming a teacher, I was also a sociology major in college. And the ONE thing I became MOST PASSIONATE about what the fact that, in our society, no one talks from REASON anymore! Almost everyone I hear on the news, in commentaries, and in editorials is speaking from emotion and a lack of framework in their arguments. Is this because we have done away with philosophy and rhetoric? Is it because we don't care and just want to get our point across and be right? I think it's because we have lost sight of one of the most crucial gifts from God: REASON.

I did a lesson with my 3rd graders in math called Logical Reasoning. We talked about what logical and illogical mean and that God gave us 2 things that separate us from animals: the gift of FAITH and the gift of REASON. We have a God given duty to know what we're talking about and to make sure it makes sense in the light of history, scientific facts, and within the context of our topic. There are some things in life that are required to take by faith and they may seem illogical, like the Eucharist. However, God wanted us to come to true enlightenment about his creation and his teachings that he gave us reason to be able to figure it out!

My senior year of college I unwillingly signed up to debate against same-sex "marriage" in a class where, after 4 weeks of being posted, no one had signed up to be on this side. God told me I had a duty to at least try, and I discovered how amazing reason is!. I won't get into my debate (at least not right now!) but I was able to argue the point that there is and never should be a thing called same-sex "marriage" purely by using reasonable arguments. I didn't use the words God or faith once, and in a very liberal sociology class, I ended up winning the argument! It just goes to show that we have to be informed before we should speak!

Going back to the topic of Mr. Gore, I just stumbled upon this review of his book:
"He mourns the loss of dialogue and skillfully ponders how we could have gotten to this point: a place in which there is no conversation, least of which is intelligent conversation; a place that has forgotten truth and accepts misinformation; a place in which this country has lost its way."
~Michelle Kraus

I agree to everything in the statement above, except the fact that it applies to Al Gore. How can he boast reason and be anti-life? How can he claim to be reasonable when he supports same-sex "marriage," among other things? It will be a sad day when we follow a leader who claims to possess reason, yet nothing reasonable comes out of his mouth.

We have to get informed! We have to follow the Truth. Yes, there is objectionable Truth. We have to stand up and call people out when they're not being reasonable. We HAVE TO know about our faith so that when people ask us questions we don't look illogical. I am so afraid of what will happen when reason is disguised by "false prophets," people who lie and claim they're telling the truth.

I will leave you with another quote from the same reviewer, that scares me even more:

"Al Gore makes it "cool" to care about the environment. He has become our voice. He has filled the conversation with passion and knowledge. He has unleashed the world of information to the people and been nominated for the Nobel Prize for this work.

Al Gore is the cool guy now. He is really smart. He speaks the truth. He still uses big words and has even bigger ideas. He talks about the information eco-system! He references the Age of Enlightenment and he has a dream and a vision for this country."


I do not want to live in a place where Al Gore has "become my voice" and is the "vision for this country." I want to live with reasonable people and have reasonable arguments that help us find our way again.

5 comments:

The Herring family said...

“I agree to everything in the statement above, except the fact that it applies to Al Gore. How can he boast reason and be anti-life? How can he claim to be reasonable when he supports same-sex "marriage," among other things? It will be a sad day when we follow a leader who claims to possess reason, yet nothing reasonable comes out of his mouth.”

Well said.

“Al Gore is the cool guy now. He is really smart.” ~Michelle Kraus

Sounds more like a book review of The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri.
http://www.allbookstores.com/book/9780689873416/Nancy_Tafuri/Busy_Little_Squirrel.html

Unknown said...

haha! good point, tom. at least squirrels use instincts and their brains to make decisions. i know i should get off my soap box and be "nice," however tolerance isn't sitting back at letting the Truth be disguised as something it isn't. i guess we must make our points of view known or face the consequences of being afraid. i think i'll make my point known.
-kristine

Andrew said...

Great post!!!

"He still uses big words and has even bigger ideas." HAH! Not to mention a bigger ego, considering he now possesses all reason.

Obama-Gore '08??

:)

The Herring family said...

"i know i should get off my soap box and be "nice," however tolerance isn't sitting back at letting the Truth be disguised as something it isn't." -Kris

No, no. Stay up on that soapbox.

And always remember what G.K. Chesterton said about 'tolerance:' "It is the virtue of a man with no convictions."

:)

Oh, and Andrew, do you have some space on your lawn for an Obama '08 yard sign? I've got a few extras I'm trying to hand out to people.

Unknown said...

i love it that Jesus says we can stand up for Him, even if we get persecuted! at first I'd shy away from it, but when he gave us the beatitudes, especially the one about receiving the Kingdom of Heaven when others look down on us because of Him, I'm putting it all out there!

thanks for your comments!
-kris