Re: Rationalism v. Superstition

From: J. R. Molloy (jr@shasta.com)
Date: Thu Jul 12 2001 - 23:09:38 MDT


From: Olga Bourlin
>Was Bertie intolerant?

"The world at the present day stands in need of two kinds of things. On the
one hand, organization - political organization for the elimination of wars,
economic organization to enable men to work productively, especially in the
countries that have been devastated by war, educational organization to
generate a sane internationalism. On the other hand it needs certain moral
qualities the qualities which have been advocated by moralists for many ages,
but hitherto with little success. The qualities most needed are charity and
TOLERANCE, not some form of fanatical faith such as is offered to us by the
various rampant isms. I think these two aims, the organizational and the
ethical, are closely interwoven; given either the other would soon follow.
But, in effect, if the world is to move in the right direction it will have to
move simultaneously in both respects. There will have to be a gradual
lessening of the evil passions which are the natural aftermath of war, and a
gradual increase of the organizations by means of which mankind can bring each
other mutual help. There will have to be a realization at once intellectual
and moral that we are all one family, and that the happiness of no one branch
of this family can be built securely upon the ruin of another. At the present
time, moral defects stand in the way of clear thinking, and muddled thinking
encourages moral defects. Perhaps, though I scarcely dare to hope it, the
hydrogen bomb will terrify mankind into sanity and tolerance. If this should
happen we shall have reason to bless its inventors."
--Bertie, _Unpopular Essays_, 1951 p.165
[emphasis added]



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