[MD] Ham & swiss cheese

[Scott Roberts]

Kevin and Ian,

Ian said [to Kevin]
Anti-theistic - correct, it's not explicitly so. It is anti the
"static" baggage that seems to go with most theism, and most religion
for that matter. Beyond that, it is agnostic on theism / religion per
se. (Clearly anyone bringing their religion / god into the MoQ is
however going to face some tough tests of fitness.)

Scott:
Here's what Pirsig said in the Copleston Annotations 
(http://robertpirsig.org/Copleston.htm):

"The MOQ would add a fourth stage where the term "God" is completely dropped 
as a relic of an evil social suppression of intellectual and Dynamic 
freedom.   The MOQ is not just atheistic in this regard.  It is 
anti-theistic. "

>From the same source is also his ridiculous statement "faith is the 
willingness to believe in falsehoods" (who ever thinks "such-and-such is 
false, but I am going to believe it anyway"? -- and most any theologian will 
note that faith is not about the truth content of propositions).

Of course Ian is correct that it is the static baggage of theism (and other 
religions, and atheism) which is the problem. But there are many theists who 
are very much aware of that static baggage, and want to do something about 
it, but who get excluded from the conversation by those who share Pirsig's 
attitude. In this case, it is Pirsig who is carrying around some static 
baggage.

- Scott