Offering a pile of quotes like this as evidence against someone claiming that Christianity promotes curiosity is reasonable if what they’re claiming is that it consistently, reliably promotes curiosity, but pretty worthless if what they’re claiming is that on the whole it does so. (Compare with this example of piling up lots of low-quality evidence in order to persuade.)
What is your goal in posting the list here? Do you have the impression that the LW community underestimates the tendency of Christianity to suppress curiosity and rationality? Do you think that LW readers would be acting rationally if, as a result of reading your list, they ceased to do so?
Do you have the impression that the LW community underestimates the tendency of Christianity to suppress curiosity and rationality?
Some do, based on some comments in “Marketing rationalism”, as I already explained.
I responded to your comment by deleting quotes from people who were not among the 1 or 2 most influential Christian theologians of their century (excluding the papal condemnation quote, which is famous in its own right).
You may be right, but that’s too fine a distinction for me to make without putting more thought into it than I have time for now. He is the least-important figure on the list, but is still regularly quoted in sermons today.
Offering a pile of quotes like this as evidence against someone claiming that Christianity promotes curiosity is reasonable if what they’re claiming is that it consistently, reliably promotes curiosity, but pretty worthless if what they’re claiming is that on the whole it does so. (Compare with this example of piling up lots of low-quality evidence in order to persuade.)
What is your goal in posting the list here? Do you have the impression that the LW community underestimates the tendency of Christianity to suppress curiosity and rationality? Do you think that LW readers would be acting rationally if, as a result of reading your list, they ceased to do so?
Some do, based on some comments in “Marketing rationalism”, as I already explained.
I responded to your comment by deleting quotes from people who were not among the 1 or 2 most influential Christian theologians of their century (excluding the papal condemnation quote, which is famous in its own right).
I don’t believe Spurgeon was a particularly influential Christian theologian. (An influential Christian preacher, for sure.)
You may be right, but that’s too fine a distinction for me to make without putting more thought into it than I have time for now. He is the least-important figure on the list, but is still regularly quoted in sermons today.
...and today his sermons are even harder to read/understand than the kjv.