In that post, I mentioned, "I don't feel a strong identity as an American and that, more or less, I dislike the mainstream ideas associated with "American" : obnoxious cultural elitism, 'freedom' in an absence of truth, a sense of entitlement, consumerist values. (Okay, that is the cynical approach to what it means to be "American." Newsflash -- I'm cynical.)"
In reply to this post, Frank commented:
"My favorite Mark Twain quote is 'patriotism is supporting your country all of the time and your government when it deserves it.'
May I ask what you mean by "'freedom" in the absence of truth?'"
I am neither the philosopher nor the theologian to answer Frank's question fully, though I hope to one day be much closer to that. Here's a weak stab at what I meant.
In our society (mainstream United States) we tend to view freedom as "the ability to do what I want." I am free to live where I want; vote the way I want; practice the religion I want; and so forth. For the most part, this is fine and dandy, especially when dealing with the government. As a Catholic, I certainly have a rich history of government interfering the religion, both for and against my faith, neither of which turned out well. But the fact is that the framers of our Constitution wrote in all these "freedoms from" based on the idea that a Truth exists and no government should interfere with the rights determined by this Truth. While Jefferson, a deist, certainly did not mean the Christian God when he wrote, "All men... are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights," he recognized that a government does not find its basis in itself, but in a greater reality.
Our Revolution found its justification in the idea that some greater Truth existed and that men had a right (or even a duty) to seek a government based on that Truth when theirs failed. If you take away any idea of truth, the government loses its foundation and freedom loses meaning.
In reply to this post, Frank commented:
"My favorite Mark Twain quote is 'patriotism is supporting your country all of the time and your government when it deserves it.'
May I ask what you mean by "'freedom" in the absence of truth?'"
I am neither the philosopher nor the theologian to answer Frank's question fully, though I hope to one day be much closer to that. Here's a weak stab at what I meant.
In our society (mainstream United States) we tend to view freedom as "the ability to do what I want." I am free to live where I want; vote the way I want; practice the religion I want; and so forth. For the most part, this is fine and dandy, especially when dealing with the government. As a Catholic, I certainly have a rich history of government interfering the religion, both for and against my faith, neither of which turned out well. But the fact is that the framers of our Constitution wrote in all these "freedoms from" based on the idea that a Truth exists and no government should interfere with the rights determined by this Truth. While Jefferson, a deist, certainly did not mean the Christian God when he wrote, "All men... are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights," he recognized that a government does not find its basis in itself, but in a greater reality.
Our Revolution found its justification in the idea that some greater Truth existed and that men had a right (or even a duty) to seek a government based on that Truth when theirs failed. If you take away any idea of truth, the government loses its foundation and freedom loses meaning.
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