Classical Values :: The Lions are hungry!

May 05, 2005

The Lions are hungry!

At least that seems to be the idea here:

I once heard of a debate between a Christian group and a Pagan group - it could have been a pretty un-constructive rant like event where one group tells the other group what's wrong with it and visa versa - everyone would have gone home with the same opinions that they came with - however this debate was different.

Each side was told to prepare arguments against their own religion/faith perspective. The Christians had to say what they didn't like about Christianity, what they felt uncomfortable with and had to deconstruct and poke holes in their own framework for thinking. The Pagans had to do the same for paganism.

The result was fascinating - rather that the two groups coming away with reinforced hatred of and anger towards the other the event was incredibly constructive. Both groups found that they learned not only a lot about the other group - but about their own perspective.

Ok - so why am I telling you this on a blog about blogging? Have I mistakenly posted this here instead of on my Spirituality blog?

No - I''m actually wondering if it might be a helpful exercise as bloggers to do something similar.

Let's talk about what we don't like about blogging. What are its weaknesses? What are its limitations? How would you construct an argument against blogging?

Lets learn something about Blogging by deconstructing it for a bit. Put the boots in readers - lets kick it about for a bit - time for a bit of a bitch session!

By way of an exercise, the author goes on to solicit negative input about blogging.

But I'm more interested with his analogy to Christians and Pagans. As a Pagan/Christian (or Christian/Pagan) I've got no lion in the modern fight. I think the "war" between Christians and Pagans is an irrelevant holdover from the second and third century Roman culture war which should never have started.

Everyone lost.

What I want to know isn't spelled out in the Christian-versus-Pagan analogy: what are bloggers supposed to be?

The Christians?

The Pagans?

And who has the lions this time?

Is it time to prey? Or pray?

Now who said this blog was scary?

posted by Eric on 05.05.05 at 06:32 PM

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» A Little Humility Goes a Long Way from PlaidBerry
Call it a Carnival of Spiritual Examination or something like that. Of course, the foremost prerequisites for making any sort of progress in such a dialogue would be humility and consideration for the opposing viewpoint… [Read More] Tracked on May 14, 2005 08:33 PM

Comments

Yawn! BIG kitty yawn!

B. Durbin · May 6, 2005 01:46 PM

That would be an interesting exercise if you could pull it off with Conservatives and Liberals.

It would never work of course ("What I hate about liberals is we're so damn nice! So damn fair and thoughtful!" "What I hate about conservatives is we're so darn...ummm").

But it would be nice if it did work.

byrd · May 6, 2005 04:36 PM

I think it would be a good reflection for everyone to do that about every major portion in our lives. Name (1) good thing, (1) bad thing, and (1) thing you can do to improve the bad thing.
It's very self-helpish, but it would be helpufull now and then; as we all like to pretend we are part of unflawed groups (pollitical parties/relifions/nations/species/ourselves) when really we're just covering our eyes from the stuff we don't want to see.
So Blogging.... what's great about it is promotes discussion and digging into the issues at the same time. Even when someone's view point pisses me off, it makes me study up on the issue, develop a response and see if I can find a center. I think there is a real need for debate free of party-censorship, and blogs are probably the best way to do it.
Bad: It can also be the mouthpiece of unrelenting rhetoric. Welcome, Limbaugh's and Franken's of tomorrow, for as long as you are entertaining, and caustic to your opponents we will read on! I have seen a number of blogs where opponents are not just countered, they are removed from message lists to secure 'a single train of thought'. All of this just panders to politics as usual, and division continues.
Fix(?): the best thing bloggers can do is police themselves. Keep track of what bloggers are saying and keep track of who is making insightful comments/research meaningful stories, and which bloggers are out to delve into rhetoric.

alchemist · May 9, 2005 08:59 PM

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