Colin McGinn on Faith and Reason

Colin McGinn on Faith & Reason. McGinn currently teaches at U. of Miami. Each segment below is relatively short. Part 1. A rough sketch of some of his comments: (1) People don't believe in unicorns, but we have good psychological reasons to believe in God that don't apply to unicorns; (2) We have moved from the Old Testament God of Wrath to an abstract God largely devoid of human characteristics; (3) A question is, How much is the longing for God part of human nature, and how much enculturation? (I will some day discuss Andrew Newberg, who hypothesizes a God Factor wired into the brain.); (4) McGinn dropped God from his life and sees no difference in it; (5) Religion, not indoctrination, can serve in schools as an important access to vital questions on the meaning of life and human values.



Part 2. A rough sketch of some of his comments: (1) In the dialogues between faith and reason, too much emphasis is given to faith, not enough to reason. (2) Intellectuals have told the world that truth and objective systems are all illusions. Ergo, we should accept subjectively-based systems and opinions as merely another way of thinking about the world. (3) A popular perspective is that because all things are relative, we are politically incorrect when we criticize the incoherence of somebody else's opinions or faith. Watch here.

Part 3. The story of Jesus is a powerful story. It has many ingredients, including injustice and justice . . . Watch here.