The Authority of Facts is Secondary to the Authority One Grants Assumptions
In a recent post, I suggested that a big problem with contemporary traditional Christians is their assumption that
. . . Christianity is not and cannot be a predominantly private, personal, and spiritual matter; it must be rooted in submission to the external authority—to facts, to churches, to doctrines, to the Bible, to society, to tradition, to authority, to “reality”. Christianity has to be mostly "out there."
Some traditional Christians interpreted this to mean that I reject things like facts and logic outright and embrace a purely solipsistic approach to life and Christianity (as if such a thing were possible).
Nevertheless, the same Christians then went on to basically affirm that my assessment of their assumptions was accurate by proudly declaring that they do indeed submit to the authority of facts and logic and could not do otherwise even if they wanted to.
A quick note about facts and logic.
We shape reality through our metaphysical assumptions, not facts or logic.
Metaphysical assumptions are the core beliefs and postulations that people use to form their explanations about the fundamental nature of reality.
Put another way, it is our metaphysical assumptions that allow us to search for facts and, subsequently, determine what we accept as facts or logic.
Thus, our assumptions shape reality, and no knowable reality exists without such assumptions.
Facts, therefore, are downstream from our metaphysical assumptions. They are secondary—not primary.
Moreover, facts and logic are symbolizations of reality, not reality itself. They offer potential symbolic knowledge about reality but are not a substitute for reality.
Thus, any declaration about submission to the authority of facts or logic is just a disguised expression of the authority granted to metaphysical assumptions.
Traditional Christians tend to regard reality as objectively given. Unfortunately, their core assumptions leave them with few other options. For them, reality basically boils down to the thrown-back knowledge of objects or beings “out there.”
I assume reality to be a co-creative, spiritual endeavor and achievement. Reality is creative transfiguration, not mere submission to objectively imposed facts.
. . . Christianity is not and cannot be a predominantly private, personal, and spiritual matter; it must be rooted in submission to the external authority—to facts, to churches, to doctrines, to the Bible, to society, to tradition, to authority, to “reality”. Christianity has to be mostly "out there."
Some traditional Christians interpreted this to mean that I reject things like facts and logic outright and embrace a purely solipsistic approach to life and Christianity (as if such a thing were possible).
Nevertheless, the same Christians then went on to basically affirm that my assessment of their assumptions was accurate by proudly declaring that they do indeed submit to the authority of facts and logic and could not do otherwise even if they wanted to.
A quick note about facts and logic.
We shape reality through our metaphysical assumptions, not facts or logic.
Metaphysical assumptions are the core beliefs and postulations that people use to form their explanations about the fundamental nature of reality.
Put another way, it is our metaphysical assumptions that allow us to search for facts and, subsequently, determine what we accept as facts or logic.
Thus, our assumptions shape reality, and no knowable reality exists without such assumptions.
Facts, therefore, are downstream from our metaphysical assumptions. They are secondary—not primary.
Moreover, facts and logic are symbolizations of reality, not reality itself. They offer potential symbolic knowledge about reality but are not a substitute for reality.
Thus, any declaration about submission to the authority of facts or logic is just a disguised expression of the authority granted to metaphysical assumptions.
Traditional Christians tend to regard reality as objectively given. Unfortunately, their core assumptions leave them with few other options. For them, reality basically boils down to the thrown-back knowledge of objects or beings “out there.”
I assume reality to be a co-creative, spiritual endeavor and achievement. Reality is creative transfiguration, not mere submission to objectively imposed facts.
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