Belief, Knowledge, Wisdom

In the beginning, the elohim created skies and earth.

Welcome back.

I saw a bumper sticker the other day that explains why many conservatives remain ignorant and seem stupid.

First, I must let it be known that I respect well informed conservatives who maintain a sensible philosophy that my lights will not allow me to follow, as I understand why their lights do not allow them to follow my philosophy. 

However, I feel compelled to wag my head at others who are willfully ignorant and stupid.  I know for a fact that sensible conservatives do the same.  There we agree.

Indeed, I consider myself to be ignorant. For example, I have never studied physics, and I have a cursory comprehension of economics.  I know as much as others about biology, math, geology, and geography.  My ignorance is illuminated by what I know, not what I want to be true. 

I am always one book or one lecture away from learning how boundless is my ignorance, but I am unable to believe the earth is a few thousand years old just because I want to believe the creation stories in the Bible are history.  Maybe if I have a lobotomy or a stroke, that will change.

People who are willfully ignorant seem stupid.  Some are stupid, while others only seem to be lame brains.  There is a huge temptation to ridicule such people, but that is mean, so I prefer to poke fun at asinine ideas. 

Fun is the goal, not hurt, but I will not stay silent and run the risk of hurting someone’s feelings when pointing out that giving Saudi Arabia nukes is just plain dumb. Is that even a serious suggestion?

I love making people laugh.  I seek to ridicule in such a way that I hope the stupidity in some ideas is not forgotten.  I feel more comfortable saying the idea of giving Saudi Arabia nukes originated from radiated brains of billionaire hawks in the nuclear industry.

However, if I ridicule individuals who do not agree with me, we do not find common ground.  We do not achieve wisdom together.  Rather, we achieve estrangement from each other and may end up hating one another. 

The bumper sticker that inspired this post was one of many stuck to the back of an SUV parked in front of a Hampton Inn.  As I drove past, I saw that the driver was a busy woman, tall and ashen blonde, and she had children whom she was busy unbelting from car seats. 

All of her bumper stickers, not her appearance, shouted out to the world, "I Am Conservative (Maybe Radical) by God!"  

Here is the bumper sticker message that caused me to start blogging again today:  

THE MORE YOU KNOW THE LESS YOU BELIEVE.

Ponder that stunner. 

Blessings...