Knowledgability

Knowledge is so much more than most persons perceive it to be.  That extension is good and generates action necessary for sustaining and advancing human life.  Knowledge, or that which we presume to be knowledge, becomes a part of us, and we act on it – to greater or lesser degrees depending upon our human energy, status position, education, and responsibility.  We have a monumental problem in the life of this in that we may not understand the knowledge we have or believe we have.  Not understanding it for proper interpretation leading to action causes some of the ugliest events in human history for both individuals and societies.  At this time period in history the world is confronted with terrorism, especially found in radical Islamic groups who have interpreted their faith as reason to attack other groups interpreted as irreverent to Allah.  On occasion some of this terror is carried to other Islamic groups perceived as to be timid in their religious interpretation and relationships with others than those of their own orientation.  All this is complicated in the history of hatred toward Jews, Christians and any persons perceived as violating the exclusive position of Allah.  Recently comic writers were attacked in France for negative interpretations as acts of blasphemy.  National leaders met in France to show solidarity against such illegal acts, acts that are generally related to the September 11, 2001 attack that destroyed the Twin Towers in New York City, taking 3,000 lives.  International concern has distracted nations from normal activity since the attack.

While writing this Page I was interrupted by a pollster calling me to answer a questionnaire sponsored by the Minnesota legislature trying to find out what state residents hold on a long series of questions related to health, habits, and other details related to future considerations on legislation that will extend or limit laws related to health and medical treatments, on habits and treatments for excesses – and so the story goes.  Moving right along the poll required a bit more than a half hour to complete.  It is implied that future laws will be formed not on the evidence of the effect that habits (alcohol, cigarettes, drugs) have on health, but on the opinions of the people on the trafficking (making legally available) and treatment of the uses of substances by the public (if the known problems related to excess emerge).  Respondents are asked if the problem of the use of a hallucinogenic drug is a risk – very high, high, moderate, somewhat risky, low risk.  These are the five common categories used to determine the affirmative or negative in a factor.  In point of knowledge, rather than opinion, I would like to know what the experience has been so to determine laws for the good of the people – not to meet public opinions to determine the right thing to do.

We search for knowledge that may be lost in conflict with opinions, but the complexity fights us.  For example, David Shaywitz reviewing the book, Left Brain: Right Stuff by Phil Rosenzweig notes the differences and problems in human thought and action related to knowledge and its uses.   Shaywitz writes: Rosenzweig steps us through example after example, reminding us of changing variables and unquantifiable unknowns he reveals the complexity of . . . decisions.  He also shows why executives might look at decision research skeptically.  Their lived experience is messier than the conditions of experimental science.  Shaywitz summarizes the book as a call: to action for social science researchers, imploring them to expand their scope and refine their methodology so that their conclusions will be more pertinent to the thorny choices faced by . . . leaders.  Christians are committed to truth, both natural and supernatural – and both hard to come by in the complexity of life.  We begin by faith in a holy God.  He loves and forgives, not vengeful.  He offers divine peace, not terror.  He is able to care for himself – unembarrassed.  It is assumed that God can do all he believes he can do, including the redemption of wandering mankind.  He functions in the affirmatives of life.  Faith persons are the seed of the church.  The choice of Christianity is the choice of all that is right, and in faith that doesn’t have to prove more than its fulfillment.  God is affirmative and active in all that is right.  He resists all that challenges the right.