Censorship

On Monday nights, I coach a Dale Carnegie class and this we are talking about personal beliefs. I thought what better fodder for the blog. So, for today’s entry: my personal conviction talk for the class: Put A Stop To Censorship!

Everything in the universe is made of varying amounts of four elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. The world is a huge china platter balanced on the back of a giant tortoise as it moves through the cosmos. The sun is swallowed every evening by the sky goddess who then excretes it again every morning. The moon is made of cheese.

As much as we may want to dismiss these ideas as silly, they were each once seriously held beliefs that shaped the lives of those who believed them. We’re now in the midst of a battle of ideologies. Both sides, to some extent, want to codify their personal beliefs. We cannot allow this to happen. Belief is belief, science is science. (And as the poet once said: “Never the ‘twain shall meet!”)

Had we allowed the enforcement of belief, we would never have had Einstein, Galileo, or Newton. We would also never have had St. Thomas Aquinas, Thomas More, or Dante. Open discussion must be fostered. Censorship must be avoided! Faith cannot be enforced, knowledge comes from an open exchange of values.

Listen! Participate in an open discussion. You’ll be surprised what you learn.

Wherever you are today, I hope that you'll take a moment to exchange ideas with someone!

Don Bergquist - February 25, 2008 - Lakewood, Colorado, USA