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The World is Thinking

Uncommon Knowledge: Bruce Thornton

The Hoover Institution
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Process Avatar
Process
Posts: 6
Posted: 04.01.08, 01:17 AM
He really ought to read some more books...
Nationalism is a dead concept in the postmodern world because it is a bankrupt concept that serves no purpose for
the individual. Nationalism like all isms demands that you accept, like and support whatever your ism stands for.
We like to believe that we are free to think what we want here. we dont have to like our governments and since
living in the same place has absolutley no bearing on weather or not you like them. Ideas and culture know no borders
and since the inovation of airplanes the world has gotten closer. Locality does not equal shared values.

Religion is a dead concept in the postmodern world because it is a bankrupt concept that serves no purpose for
the individual. we believe in the future and values. The unifying force in Europe is various forms of humanism.
Christianity is just another vehicle for the orwellian nightmare of Iran, North Korea and soon
the united States will revert to be a theocratic third world country.

Religious beliefs is incompatible with democracy because democracy requires discussion and there
is none when no argument can sway you which is the basic practical function of religion.
In europe we believe in democracy, we believe in freedom of expression and thought and we live
those values by not subscribing to religious creeds to any greater length (as far as we can throw them)

What is further embarrissing is his attempt at sounding profound by qouting plato and socrates.
I read "the state" and "dialogous" I also read books written AFTER these.

This person is just being ignorant trying to impose his dogmatic values and his closeminded worldview on the postmodern world
with which he is completly out of touch.
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rocketdog Avatar
rocketdog
Posts: 200
Posted: 04.07.08, 11:21 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Process
I read "the state" and "dialogous" I also read books written AFTER these.
Ha.
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Invictus_88 Avatar
Invictus_88
Posts: 83
Posted: 06.08.08, 05:51 PM
Process:

Dogmatic and warpedly simplistic he might be, but it is a profound overreaction to say that notions of Nationhood and Religion are "dead concepts"; doubly so when we consider the pressures of national identity on the Union of the United Kingdom and more broadly on EU Statehood/Constitution, and when we still frequently hear religious rhetoric from political leaders of both the American ruling figures and from their Islamist foes.

I will, of course, agree that it is very difficult agree with this man, however to go further and say that the principles he wrongly wields against the suggestion of future European success are in fact dead and nor truly real is profoundly misjudged.
__________________
Francis J.L. Osborn.

Philosophy Undergraduate, St David's College Lampeter.
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MTGRAY Avatar
MTGRAY
Posts: 102
Posted: 11.20.08, 05:27 AM
Nationalism creates dead concepts that create dead peoples. In the case of the Central bankers IMF for example stirring up mess is business.
Again as we have learned from the past century the game that the central bankers committed and walk away. It seems they are doing the same game 2008.
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merany Avatar
merany
Posts: 4
Posted: 08.17.09, 07:23 AM
Bruce Thorton is obviously a Christian fanatic and an anti islamist.
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hartley8184 Avatar
hartley8184
Posts: 3
Posted: 10.23.09, 11:01 PM
Who do you speak for? Not me. Not many people. You sound like a hypocrite. You don't believe in freedom of expression at all. Each of us can decide for ourselves how our faith meshes with the modern world. It's not for you to decide. You don't pay my bills.
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hartley8184 Avatar
hartley8184
Posts: 3
Posted: 10.23.09, 11:03 PM
Nonsense MTGRAY. The central bankers and IMF are globalists. It is they who promulgate the philosophy of anti-nationalism. You are so naive.
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hartley8184 Avatar
hartley8184
Posts: 3
Posted: 10.23.09, 11:10 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Invictus_88
Process:

when we still frequently hear religious rhetoric from political leaders of both the American ruling figures
Nonsense. The only religious rhetoric you hear from American politics is largely in the form of news stories generated by the left wing media to either bolster their favored candidates with progressive spiritual credentials, or to diminish the disfavored ones with the label of fundamentalism.

Otherwise, when was the last time you heard an American politician make a speech similar to the ones made by your average middle eastern leader on a regular basis? Achmadinejad, for instance, at the UN? I thought I was listening to a sermon.

Only leftist American politicians are safe to use religion in America. And it has to be liberation theology. Black liberation especially.
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kikl Avatar
kikl
Posts: 7
Posted: 11.03.09, 12:47 PM
Christianity did not create Europe. Europe was created in opposition to christianity. Giordano Bruno was burned by catholic inquisition. The ideas of the renaissance and enlightenment made Europe great... Democracy, human dignity, universal human rights, were all developed in opposition to religious belief... So the lack of religious faith, i.e. faith without evidence is a positive sign...
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