Imperishable Inheritance

A dear friend of mine, and one I have enjoyed the discussion we have shared, has decided that I am not seeking the truth and will no longer discuss theology, philosophy, and spirituality with me. The following ideas are what he sent me, and I want to address them.

It's interesting that you have already revealed your intentions before you have even began an honest study of Ibn 'Arabi's work [Sufism/Taoism]. Your intention is to find something wrong with his ideas, to see how they do not agree with your agreements, and then to disagree. The result is that you will further solidify your own viewpoints and beliefs, and achieve a feeling of rightness and hence a sense of safety.

In doing apologetics, which I why I originally asked him for articles, is to defend the truth. The difference between my friend and I is that I have found the truth. "Truth" is not subjective, relative, or perceptive only to the reality of the individual person. My friend fails to realize, as I have told him, that I was a professing Buddhist, Taoist, Unitarian Universalist, Postmodernist, and on and on. The search for the truth was not based on one fact to which I was given as a child and I henceforth spent my life defending something that I never understood why I believe what I hold dear (cf. the last post).

He fails to realize that my career in apologetics continues to give me pain, anguish, tears, grief, and the like. To continually question your beliefs is a very hard process, and that is exactly what apologetics is. I still struggle to reconcile my former new age beliefs with that of Christianity. He has illogically assumed that my intention was not to look intently upon the ideas in Ibn 'Arabi's work (to which I say Taoism had the greatest impact on me of all my religious studies outside of Christianity; Lao Tze was a stud).

The fact of the matter is that the logical fallacy that I revealed on your blog is insuperable [the transcendence of God]. But fortunately, I have and will forever cease all activities on there. And as far as discussing philosophy, theology, spirituality, etc. with you, this too will cease. It seems more and more that we have nothing to learn from one another anymore.

The next post I do will is to confront his accusation of the apparent "logical fallacy" of the Christian God (in fact, I've had his question saved for a while, but my study of the foreknowledge of God has kept me from addressing it as soon as I'd like). But back to the accusations from his letter.

Why is it that we have nothing to learn from each other anymore? I learn the most from people who are devout in their beliefs. Truthfully, I don't try and go "find" truth from people who don't even have the faintest idea of what that is. He has also apparently forgotten how much I am indeed open to discussing ideas with him. I ask my friend, how much I have I talked about Jesus around you? Little to nothing, I'm always interested in hearing his new ideas. From Scientology to Sufism I have been interested in what he has been studying. The most I've talked about my beliefs were that of my reformed theology at our last meeting.

It's a shame that someone would stop talking to someone just because they thought they couldn't learn something from someone else (narcissistic view). My friend's not there when I spend hours studying different religions, philosophies, and other world views. Just because someone has found the truth doesn't mean we should stop trying to understand where someone else stands (one of the core tenants of apologetics). Further, my friend himself is doing exactly what I am attempting to do. I know he took a class on the "complete" gospels; my guess is that he wasn't genuinely looking for truth in that class, but moreover to further his cynicism towards Christian theology.

The closer one gets to something, the better one will understand it. So, with this in mind, to totally understand something one would need perfect affinity. This means you get so close you become this thing (some call this love). And to do this requires willingness and an ability to let go of one's viewpoints and beliefs. Since your unwillingness is evident before the endeavor has even began, a study of Ibn 'Arabi's work would be useless for you. But, good luck nonetheless.

I remember the exact time when I did my Descartes: "Cogito ergo sum." He speaks as though I never went through such a process (which apparently would prove he wasn't listening to some of our conversations). My unwillingness is not that I do not desire to learn, understand, and articulate a viewpoint; but rather I am held fast to the Truth (of which I am grateful for). I spent my time out there looking around the bottomless, dark pit of intellectual uncertainty. The interesting fact is that, if my friend ever does discover some form of truth, he himself will take such presuppositions into such studies. Whether he will acknowledge it or not (which I doubt he will); in fact, if he doubts such a claim then that means he has not manifested any truth for himself. Otherwise, he would fight for it. (Also, wasn't he doing just that when he was claiming logical fallacies of Christianity?)

I love the friendship I've had with this man. I leave discussions excited, stimulated, and re-kindles my desire to study different thoughts and philosophies. This letter was an attack directly on my character as a friend and a fellow seeker of truth. The difference to this whole matter is that, I have found it. And if I need affinity (as he is apparently proclaiming), why is he denying the very affinity that spurred on our friendship for so long? And if you are to use a word (in which he himself didn't declare the means for the ends but only proclaimed that "some" see it that way) like love, you really need to qualify a word that strong.

I hope the conversation doesn't cease due to a small disagreement. I was not attacking his search for truth, only that I wanted to see how the worldview he possess contrasts with my own. If he were to stop talking with me, he would be committing the error he is claiming that I am committing.

The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them. The LORD keeps all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.
Psalms 145:18-21