I'm a fan of tolerance and I have to admit that historically it has not been the strong suit of religions. In Europe, different flavours of Christian only decided to try to live together after failing to wipe each other out (and they tried pretty hard). Our modern culture of tolerance is the one unambiguous achievement of the secular left.
So what happens now that the secular left have become the country's biggest bigots themselves? And why has this happened? Some lefties have noticed that it is all going wrong and are disturbed. Foremost among them is Nick Cohen whose new book What's Left? asks what happened. Other journalists have their own tales of left-wing bigotry. If you really want to see the secular left cover themselves in muck, then check out the discussion boards of Richard Dawkin's new website. I've already been described as 'lying scum' there and I haven't even posted (although someone else kindly recommended Bede's Library).
The cause of the secular left's descent into intolerance and prejudice might well be that it now has the whip hand. Throughout history, persecuted minorities have pleaded for toleration which they have not extended to other minorities when they become top dogs themselves. In the UK, the left control the government, the broadcast media, half the print press and most of the public sector. This allows them to dictate to the rest of us, which they do with abandon, even as they continue to preach about discrimination. Only one question remains. If the secular left has abandoned its one great achievement, its one contribution to human wellbeing, what is the point of it?
Comments or questions? Post them at Bede's dedicated yahoo group.
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Welcome to Quodlibeta
The Latin word Quodlibeta means "whatever you like" and refers to the special occasions at medieval universities when the students (or clerks as they were known) could test their masters by asking any question they fancied. This blog is primarily concerned with religion, science, history and their interface. But like the medieval clerks, we reserve the right to post on anything we want.
Meet the Clerks
James Hannam
I am a historian of the relationship between science and religion, and also write on the UK tax system. My first book was published as God's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science in the UK and The Genesis of Science: How the Christian Middle Ages Launched the Scientific Revolution in the US. My apologetics website is Bede's Library. I am also the author What Everyone Needs to Know about Tax and write about tax at my other blog. I can be found on Twitter as @DrJamesHannam.
Humphrey Clarke
I am a historian of a very middling and amateurish sort. Having taken a Masters in Modern History at the University of St Andrews (2004), I completed a law conversion course at Nottingham Law School and embarked upon what has been an exciting career in legal technology. My chief interests are in Twentieth Century History, Colonial America, Historiography and, most recently, the History of Science. I also write a satirical blog at The Diary of Humphrey Clarke. I hope my contributions to Quodlibeta capture something of the pleasure I get from trawling my dusty collection of second hand history books.
Jim S
I have a Ph.D. in Philosophy and Master's degrees in Philosophy and Theology. I'm a generalist, my areas of expertise being epistemology, logic, philosophy of mind, philosophy of religion, and science and religion. I did my philosophical studies in Continental Europe, and currently reside in the Pacific Northwest. I also write the Agent Intellect blog. In my mid-20s I decided to refute Christianity to set my conscience at ease. Two subjects I turned to in particular were science and philosophy. I accidentally argued myself into it.
I am a historian of the relationship between science and religion, and also write on the UK tax system. My first book was published as God's Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science in the UK and The Genesis of Science: How the Christian Middle Ages Launched the Scientific Revolution in the US. My apologetics website is Bede's Library. I am also the author What Everyone Needs to Know about Tax and write about tax at my other blog. I can be found on Twitter as @DrJamesHannam.
Humphrey Clarke
I am a historian of a very middling and amateurish sort. Having taken a Masters in Modern History at the University of St Andrews (2004), I completed a law conversion course at Nottingham Law School and embarked upon what has been an exciting career in legal technology. My chief interests are in Twentieth Century History, Colonial America, Historiography and, most recently, the History of Science. I also write a satirical blog at The Diary of Humphrey Clarke. I hope my contributions to Quodlibeta capture something of the pleasure I get from trawling my dusty collection of second hand history books.
Jim S
I have a Ph.D. in Philosophy and Master's degrees in Philosophy and Theology. I'm a generalist, my areas of expertise being epistemology, logic, philosophy of mind, philosophy of religion, and science and religion. I did my philosophical studies in Continental Europe, and currently reside in the Pacific Northwest. I also write the Agent Intellect blog. In my mid-20s I decided to refute Christianity to set my conscience at ease. Two subjects I turned to in particular were science and philosophy. I accidentally argued myself into it.
1 comment:
Tolerance, real tolerance, had nothing to do with the left, whether secular or not. This may explain why leftists never yet, in 200 years, have actually been tolerant when they have held power in a society.
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