Post by Josh on Oct 2, 2010 10:14:26 GMT -8
When Christians refer to "the war we're in" or the "struggle between good and evil" or refer to abortion as a "silent holocaust", or believe they are "destined for greatness" and are God's "princes and princesses", are they just using overly simplistic hyperbole?
Moritz wrote:
I responded:
First off, the reason I say there aren't hyperbole is because as Christians we do believe there is a spiritual struggle going on "behind the scenes" that is actually more real than any physical battle.
I do not think the Christian view of the spiritual struggle is simplistic or black and white.... at least not in the ways I think you think it is.
And then said I'd like to start a new thread on this subject to finish my thoughts and have some dialogue about this. So, here goes. I'll be back with more thoughts but I'd love to hear from all of you about anything even roughly related to this topic.
Moritz wrote:
But of course they are hyperbole. They represent the classic Christian bipolar worldview with a visual angle of about 3 degrees. Black and white, with me, or against me. Such drastic simplifications are actually an insult of intelligence and reason. Reality is very complex.
What about eating organic stuff? It is undeniable that plants and animals are living things. Is it appropriate to say that those who eat salad are on the side of death? If that isn’t hyperbole… “Ladies and gentlemen, please choose sides”! I think the name for this fallacy was “excluded middle"
What about eating organic stuff? It is undeniable that plants and animals are living things. Is it appropriate to say that those who eat salad are on the side of death? If that isn’t hyperbole… “Ladies and gentlemen, please choose sides”! I think the name for this fallacy was “excluded middle"
I responded:
First off, the reason I say there aren't hyperbole is because as Christians we do believe there is a spiritual struggle going on "behind the scenes" that is actually more real than any physical battle.
I do not think the Christian view of the spiritual struggle is simplistic or black and white.... at least not in the ways I think you think it is.
And then said I'd like to start a new thread on this subject to finish my thoughts and have some dialogue about this. So, here goes. I'll be back with more thoughts but I'd love to hear from all of you about anything even roughly related to this topic.