Posted by AF [AF] on November 11, 1999 at 21:40:19 {mJnjjpluA61EwaxRomAMdaOt1gg/Zk}:
In Reply to: **I knew it... posted by Friend on November 11, 1999 at 20:46:17:
To a certain extent I agree with you, except that your comments apply just as well to groups like the Scientologists, Moonies, Jim Jones type cults and just about every other nutcase group you want to name. Therefore as far as I'm concerned, thinking persons not only have the right but the obligation to make judgments about whether these groups and their values are good, bad or indifferent.
It seems to me that you're plugging a sort of spiritual relativism, which says that all ideas should be put on an equal plane. To be sure, some philosophers these days do this, but to me it's like arguing that a choice to believe that the earth is flat is on an equal footing with a choice that is made on the basis of solid evidence to believe that the earth is a sphere.
To the extent that religious beliefs or any other beliefs err on the side of flat-earthism I will ridicule or be condescending toward them.
That doesn't mean that I don't find many good things in the JW religion. I do. But those good things don't offset the bad things, and when I feel that a spade should be called a spade I will do so. Experience proves that the Watchtower Society will respond to ridicule, especially when it impacts them financially or is perceived as causing a decrease in membership.
AF