Newsgroups: bit.listserv.christia
Date:         Tue, 14 Apr 1992 12:28:14 CST
From:         Tom Purcell <GE0110@SIUCVMB.BITNET>
Subject:      "Correctness" and "Truth"

I have been interested in recent posts regarding possible ways to deal
with the fact that persons have "conflicting" views on a particular matter.
Possible ideas presented included the notion that "the other guy may be
right and I am wrong", the reverse, both of us are wrong, etc......
Another possiblity, I believe, especially when one is dealing with
many religious views is that there may be more partial truth and that
all of us are both right and wrong due to our lack of knowledge and
capacity to know.  A favorite poem of mine which illustrates this
principle is one I have posted below.  Many of you will be familiar with
it.  It may present a new way to view at least some of our differences.
Perhaps we should seek to have more faith rather than more certainty of our
views and more convincing evidence of the wrongness of others.  See what
you think.

    THE BLIND MEN AND THE ELEPHANT

     It was six men of Indostan
      To learning much inclined,
     Who went to see the elephant
      (Though all of them were blind),
     That each by observation
      Might satisfy his mind.

     The First approached the elephant
      And, happening to fall
     Against his broad and sturdy side,
      At once began to bawl:
     "God bless me! but the elephant
      Is nothing but a wall.

     The Second, felling of the tusk,
      Cried: "Ho! what have we here
     So very round and smooth and sharp?
      To me 'tis mighty clear
     This wonder of an elephant
      Is very like a spear!"

     The Third approached the animal,
      And, happening to take
     The squirming trunk within his hands,
      Thus boldly up and spake:
     "I see", quoth he, "the elephant
      Is very like a snake!"

     The Fourth reached out his eagar hand,
      And felt about the knee:
     "What most this wondrous beast is like
      Is mighty plain", quoth he;
     "'Tis clear enough the elephant
      Is very like a tree".

     The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
      Said: "E'en the blindest man
     Can tell what this resembles most;
      Deny the fact who can,
     This marvel of an elephant
      Is very like a fan!"

     The Sixth no sooner had begun
      About the beast to grop,
     Than, siezing on the swinging tail
      That fell within his scope,
     "I see", quoth he, "the elephant
      Is very like a rope!"

     And so these men of Indostan
      Disputed loud and long,
     Each in his own opinion
      Exceeding stiff and strong,
     Though each was partly in the right,
      And all were in the wrong!

     So, oft in theologic wars
      The disputants, I ween,
     Rail on in utter ignorance
      Of what each other mean,
     AND PRATE ABOUT AN ELEPHANT
      NOT ONE OF THEM HAS SEEN!

          John Godfrey Saxe

May I also call attention to Paul's confession in I Cor 13:11 and 12
and the reality we are reminded of in Isiah 55:9

Perhaps we should be less inclined to assert the certainty of our
views and instead focus on sharing the uniqueness of our experiences.
We are all different, having different knowledge, etc.  A physicist can
have insights to aspects of God's glory that I can never share in the
same way.  Similarly, those trained in archeology can have perspectives
on the religious experience that are strange to me.
Also, musicians can know things about worship that most of us
can only experience as observers......  Each of us has a unique insight
resulting from the particular tunnel vision we have due to our
unique combination of skills, training, emotional character, etc.
By sharing our unique views, we can all, perhaps, come closer to
the reality of experiencing God.  It seems very unlikely that any
of us is so well informed that we are totally certain of our views
on many topics and totally certain of the wrongness of another's,
especially when it comes to spiritual matters.  If we are so absolutely
certain of the correctness of our views, where then is faith?

It just could be that we are, like the blind men, all right in a
limited sense but all wrong in other potentially important ways......
Maybe we should listen more and "broadcast" less.

I am sure some on CHRISTIA will disagree.  OK, it is your turn!

PEACE! Purcell
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