The Chronicle: Colloquy: Responses

Denis Wilde is a danger. He commands us to do what some imaginary being called "God" bids - even though we have no evidence that there is such a being - and he tells us not to try to do what is rational (can you imagine it?!). The reason he gives (oops! contradiction, Mr. Wilde!) is that "man's reason alone a la Descartes has ever plummeted him downwards." Can you imagine the cognitive dissonance in the mind of a person who thinks he has reasons that reason is not to be trusted? Can you recognize the threat in his attempt to spread this virus to others?

Nonsense, and scary nonsense, at that. It is the rigor of godless reasoning that figured out physics and biology, freed blacks and women (to be sure, with the help of people of faith, but not of Wilde's irrationalist sort of faith), and found cures for the diseases. And we should stop relying on reason? Mr. Wilde, "should" means "more reasonable". Your mind is in chaos. And you want to spread it. You want us to stand idly by watching the newborn die in unspeakable misery. And, as you yourself admit, we are to do this FOR NO REASON! Mr. Singer is not the threat. Mr. Wilde, you are the threat.

: -- Jim Ryan, Huron College (posted 3/9, 11:33 a.m., E.S.T.)

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