Re: virus: Faith, Logic and Purpose

David McFadzean (david@lucifer.com)
Sun, 09 Nov 1997 13:29:12 -0700


At 12:48 PM 11/8/97 -0800, Tim Rhodes wrote:

>On Fri, 7 Nov 1997, David McFadzean wrote:
>
>> Sorry, I didn't realize that the traditional religions owned the term.
>
>The term "Faith"? You didn't think that had religious overtones?

So what if it does? Does that make it sacred? untouchable? Should
I be ridiculed for even thinking about criticizing faith?

>But really, I don't think I do understand what you're trying to
>accomplish. Could you drop a lil' science on the homeboy here and lay it
>out for me?

I believe <faith> is a pernicious, deleterious, unnecessary meme.
I believe the best way to combat <faith> is to create and promote
a counter-meme that makes sense from a rational perspective.

So what do you want from me? I could give you a good rational argument
to justify my position, but I'm not sure you would find that convincing.
Would you like an emotional appeal? Some witty rhetoric? A post-
structuralist deconstruction of the (ir)relevant ethno-discourses?
An interpretive knife dance?

>> All I can suggest is you read again what I was replying to. I didn't say
>> what you think I said.
>
>Why do you think Reed used that particular analogy/example, David? Didn't
>you see where he was heading with that one? I know you didn't mean it

I don't know and no, I didn't see where he was heading.

[interesting stuff about music deleted]

>It occurred to me that this is the real beef I have with the sciences, by
>the very nature of their analysis the sciences give up the flexibility, and
>thus adaptivity that the arts maintain. They are the main force, the
>occupying army, but they cannot lead the charge. By their nature of the
>beast, the sciences will always be following someone else's lead, getting
>their inspiration from another source. Differing to Science Fiction to
>task of pointing new direction to explore in the future.

If you think science isn't art then you've fallen into the same kind of
trap you're warning me about (how ironic :-).

--
David McFadzean                 david@lucifer.com
Memetic Engineer                http://www.lucifer.com/~david/
Church of Virus                 http://www.lucifer.com/virus/