I ran across a statement he made in one of his letters that caught my eye:
For, even if they should say something true, one who loves the truth should not, even so, agree with them. For not all true things are the truth, nor should that truth which merely seems true according to human opinions be preferred to the true truth, that according to the faith.
Now, I realize that true ideas can be misrepresented in a false sense.
And as a former Christian, I can understand imploring someone to never agree with Satan, even if he seems to be saying something true.
But this piece here caught my eye even more:
. . . . nor should that truth which merely seems true according to human opinions be preferred to the true truth, that according to the faith.
If human opinion suggests that HIV could be controlled in Africa by condom use, should the "preferred true truth" still prevail?
That was just an example.
What happens when a valid human opinion does come along that contradicts someone's "preferred true truth"?
Regardless of the ideology-- whether religious or non-religious, I think this is a mindset that hinders the progress of society at large.
And when I consider that the Mystery Religions and Christianity seemed so similar in Clements view, I wonder on what grounds or by what criteria did he judge Christianity to be the "true truth" as opposed to truth that only seems true? I figure that all he had was faith.
I will venture to say that this sort of thinking brings about the harmful aspects of fundamentalism. Not faith. But adhering to a "true truth" that ignores contradictory, verifiable facts. And I will also venture to say that fundamentalism can be found in any ideology-- whether religious or non-religious.
Everyone should endeavor to avoid this mindset, in my opinion.
Yep. that includes me, too.
Eh . . . I'm working on it.
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