In this episode, Jason and I talk about an argument that takes place regularly within both our circles–the argument between so-called “firebrands” and so-called “diplomats” about appropriate methods of talking to our ideological enemies. The “firebrand” approach tends to emphasize the need to expose the foolishness and the danger of an opposing view by means of ridicule and passionate moral anger, involving perhaps a refusal to engage in “kind and respectful” conversation. The “diplomats,” on the other hand, tend to think that such displays of anger and ridicule are counter-productive, and they tend to prefer peaceful, civil and substantial conversation. Of course, there is a spectrum here, not just an extreme either-or. Jason and I discuss the pros and cons of each approach and conclude . . . well, you can find out what we conclude by listening to the podcast. : )
In the course of the podcast, we refer to an article and a YouTube video by Greta Christina, an atheist activist who has defended the firebrand approach while asserting the need for diplomats as well. Her article (actually a blog post), titled “Atheists and Anger,” can be found at http://freethoughtblogs.com/greta/2007/10/15/atheists-and-an/. Her YouTube video, titled “Why Are You Atheists So Angry?”, can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUI_ML1qkQE. (Note: Greta Christina and her blog sometimes engage in profanity and crude references that some might find offensive–M.H.) We highly recommend the article and the podcast as important portrayals of how many atheists view the culture wars and the concerns that motivate them.
We also read some portions from Letter XI of Blaise Pascal’s Provincial Letters. Pascal was a Jansenist Christian who lived in the seventeenth century and is famous both for his Christian writings as well as for his contributions to mathematics. Pascal wrote the Provincial Letters as a defense of the Jansenist movement (a movement, I am happy to say, which was an attempt to move closer to Calvinism with regard to the doctrines of salvation–although they would certainly not have put it that way) and an attack on the Jesuits. In Letter XI, Pascal provides what I think is an excellent and very well-balanced examination of the proper use of ridicule in making arguments and attacking false positions. The Provincial Letters can be found at http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/texts/pascal/letters-contents.html.
The Theocrat and the Infidel #4
