Another attempt to compromise gets shot down by rationalists

Over at the Huffington Post, Matt Rossano, a professor of psychology at the Southeastern Louisiana University, attempts to look at St. Augustine as a role model for intelligent faith. Then, in the comments section, the typical group of HP posters swoop in and shoot him full of ink. There will be no compromise. Like Sam Harris, the only thing modern anti-religionists despise more than religion itself seems to be those moderates who are trying to walk down both sides of the road. Several of the comments are fun to read. You can feel the tolerance and open mindedness.

My favorite post was this:

“It looks like you’ve gone about 99% of the way toward conceding the obvious: There is no reason to believe any religion true. Why not go that extra 1%, as Bertrand Russell did, and quit wasting your time on a “discipline” that needn’t even exist? Moderate Christianity is just as baseless as the Bible-banging, ark-hunting variety you seem to be disparaging. It’s just slightly less embarrassing.”

That’s typically what happens when moderation of beliefs is the stratgey. I think progressive Christians may need to find a different tactic. Trying to find a middle ground with folks who see Christianity as a big lie at best, a force of evil that must be eliminated at worst, doesn’t seem to be working. A better approach might be standing firm on the teachings of the Faith, and challenging those who think now, in this day, on July 28th 2010, we have finally found the truths against which all other truths should be measured…until tomorrow when we discover these truths are silly and have new Truths to proclaim.