Hiranyakashipu 2

The Glory of "Why?" and the Anti-Intellectual Approach of Christianity

I think everyone (save for the most gullible among us)
would agree that there's alot of bullshit out there; alot
of faulty conclusions. It's just something we accept: other
people lie to us. And it's for that reason that I would
argue that the everyday thinker must be like the
philosopher. The philosopher is not so much concerned with
the conclusions made by an individual or individuals, but
rather with the premises which this individual or group of
individuals bases those conclusions on.

I would also argue that "Why?" is a question which is a
primary function of the mature mind. I would state as
evidence for this the "rebellious teenager." Just as our
minds begin to reach a level of any maturity, we begin to
rebel against society, our parents, teachers, etc. Parents
often say that they can't understand why their teenagers
won't "just mind" them. But the answer is obvious: the
teenager is asking "Why?" "Why should I have to go to
school everday?" "Why can't I stay out later." It's a shame
that we "get this out of our system." We begin to reach a
point where many of our "why's" are answered by "That's
just the way it is," and we begin to accept that that's
just the way things are. We begin to get lazy.

As a final conclusion, I would also argue that Christianity
is highly responsible for our "just the way things are"
attitude. As Christians, "we" are taught not to question
things. Ethics is summed up as "God said so." It presents a
morality of obedience, never allowing the follower to
question "Why shouldn't I covet my neighbor?" This anti-
intellectual approach can be traced back to Adam and Eve:
Adam eats an apple from the Tree of Knowledge because his
wife thought it would be a decent idea, and they are cast
out of "paradise" for it. If they'd just been happy with
their ignorance, we'd all still be in Eden. Christianity
thus teaches us to not do that which it is natural for us
to do: question. "God chose what is foolish in the world to
shame the wise." (I Corinthians 1. 27)

Sidenote: "Demon" derives from the Greek "Daemon"
meaning "wisdom."