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It's Me Again

5 More Thoughts

5. [Cool Movie Voice-Over Guy] "This Lent...One man...For the sake of humanity...will sacrifice everything." Well, no, not everything. Just some things. To hopefully gain the One Thing. Cue the Rich Mullins.

4. If you're too Catholic to know who Rich Mullins is, I pity you. I believe what St. Cyprian said, and what the Catholic Church has always taught. But Rich better be there. I'm not making demands, I'm just saying.

3. I think what I appreciate about him the most in what little I know of his music (though I've surely listened to Songs 8000 times) is that I really believed him when he sang. Honestly, most Christian music sounds like a pep talk, like we're trying to convince ourselves of what we believe, instead of believing it--and doing it.

2. John Mayer doesn't believe or do anything of great consequence, but I appreciate his earnestness as well.

1. For years, I woke up with "Creed," by Rich Mullins. This is what I mean when I say that "derivative authority" is a sham. If this creed is true, if it is an authority in any sense, the authority which gave it must be authoritative as well. There is a value in arbitrarily holding this creed true while rejecting other things from that same authority--for all I know, it's saving your soul--but ad hoc and arbitrary is what I mean when I accuse you of being "unprincipled" on the point. I digress.

Comments

An evil dictator speaks a true, authoritative statement.
If it is a true authoritative statement, then the one who spoke it is true and authoritative.
Therefore the evil dictator is true and authoritative.

It does not follow... re: point 1. :-P
Jason said…
Tim,

Actually, I gotta push back here, because I think it does follow. Consider: Hitler says that 2+2=4. As such, he declares that a billboard be placed on every government building attesting to it. Is it true? Yes. Does Hitler have the authority to declare the law concerning the sign? Yes. He has spoken truthfully and acted authoritatively in this case.

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