Dr. Hippler asks 'whether one can have an obligatory moral claims without a supernatural being as the source of those claims' [sic]. Absent coercion, I have no ability to force others to accept my moral arguments. (As a practical matter, that doesn't prevent me from enjoying life. Should it?)
Dr. Hippler writes that a 'discussion of the foundations of morality would also allow us to contrast the Christian view of man to the “evolutionary” one that Mr. Sullivan seems to accept.'
Just a moment ago, Providencers were bellowing that evolution is accepted within the school. If so, I must then ask Dr. Hippler who among us holds any non- or anti-evolutionary 'view of man'? When that person reveals himself, may we ask him for some opening remarks, that we may observe his distinguishing features?
I am thunderstruck by Dr. Hippler's new revelation that 'The Church does not address the way in which life arose.' I was given to understand the Church held an opinion on this topic.
Concerning the Church's conduct during the Holocaust, Dr. Bill Stevenson believes no contrition is in order:
Now, regarding the supposed crimes of the Church, especially during WWII, nothing has suffered so much damage in the last few years as the theory that Pius XII was complicit in Nazi atrocities. So, no, I don't grant it. But let us say that there was full and complete cooperation between the Church and National Socialism, it would hardly equal the evil of Nazis themselves.If the Catholic Church bears any significant responsibility for abetting Nazism, then Stevenson's perspective is morally repulsive in the extreme.
The Nazis' fanatical Jew-hatred emerged after centuries of Church-promoted antisemitism, during which--for generations--Christian children were raised to view the Jews in their midst as Jesus' killers. During the war, there was a significant number of vocally pro-Nazi priests.
If you held a position of social stature in the community and you failed to take action to prevent the rise of Hitler, couldn't reasonable people agree--with benefit of hindsight--that this would constitute an important moral failure?
The Roman Catholic Church formally apologized Monday for failing to take more decisive action in challenging the Nazi regime during World War II to stop the extermination of more than 6 million Jews.To consider organized Christianity (including the Catholic Church) innocent as regards the Holocaust reveals an utter lack of moral seriousness. Shame on you, Dr. Stevenson.
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The question is not whether Providence is a good school--no one in this parley has disputed that--the question is 'Would Providence be better if it
jettisoned religious bias, and adopted an attitude of skepticism regarding magic-based claims?'
