[Buddha-l] Re: Diversions, distractions and off-topic discussions

[Richard P. Hayes]

On Sun, 2005-10-09 at 07:29 -0400, Dan Lusthaus wrote:

> What has impoverished the old right vs. left polemics is the absence of any
> intelligent thought emanating from the left since the mid-60s. The left has
> fallen into mindless, ineffective demonization prattle, while the right has
> fallen into clever, effective demonization prattle.

The designations "left" and "right" have become perfectly meaningless,
as have the labels "conservative" and "liberal".

> Berry is harmless enough, kind of the old school of Huston Smith-ish
> globalization based on pegging each religion into an alleged archetype that
> rounds out the human picture. I wouldn't recommend his typology of religions
> to undergrads or anyone else if what they were seeking were accurate
> portrayals of any of those traditions. Would you?

He is required reading in some of my classes. The accuracy of his
typology of religions is not important to me. Typologies of any kind
strike me as fundamentally simplistic and unworthy of giving much
thought. But Berry is an eloquent spokesman for a view that is dear to
my heart, and I like for his thinking to be one of the many points of
view to which I expose my students. 

> I won't go through your recent posts pointing out where all the cartoons are
> and why they are cartoons. 

I know you won't, because you won't be able to find any cartoons. All
you would manage to do is to show us, yet again, your own deep
prejudices against reason and evidence.


-- 
Richard Hayes
***
"Above all things, take heed in judging one another, 
for in that ye may destroy one another...
and eat out the good of one another."-- George Fox