tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907752.post7041583763721174773..comments2024-03-27T07:18:39.229-05:00Comments on In Medias Res: Ray Bradbury, a Wonderful LiarUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907752.post-7837197699197513182019-04-26T22:05:26.368-05:002019-04-26T22:05:26.368-05:00Ah... I remember this oh so well! Ah... I remember this oh so well! Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03339044293973721200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907752.post-90582968040616825442012-06-06T22:41:03.054-05:002012-06-06T22:41:03.054-05:00Kent,
It was apparently--at least according to pe...Kent,<br /><br />It was apparently--at least according to people with a better memory than I--in the winter semester of 1988, so sometime that spring.Russell Arben Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03366800726360134194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907752.post-89655326785798440852012-06-06T22:35:15.122-05:002012-06-06T22:35:15.122-05:00Wonderful post, Russell.
Now I'm wondering ho...Wonderful post, Russell.<br /><br />Now I'm wondering how I missed Bradbury's talk at BYU. Could it have been during the summer or fall of 1988?Kent Larsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05893161961963720939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907752.post-87148281821000175602012-06-06T16:14:22.413-05:002012-06-06T16:14:22.413-05:00Fbisti,
I'm afraid I don't quite know whi...Fbisti,<br /><br />I'm afraid I don't quite know which way, or how far, to take your comments. Like most people with of an intellectual bent, I recognize that Mormonism, like every other religion, in some ways makes use (intentionally or otherwise) of the old Platonic conceit of a "noble lie"--a story which tells a (useful, necessary) truth, but not <i>the</i> actual, historical (often unknowable) truth. I "lie" in that sense to my children all the time, for example; we read from the Book of Mormon, and I don't suggest as we go along that there might be any number of reasons to doubt the literal accuracy of what's on the page. And I think I can make a defense of that kind of rhetoric. If that's all you're saying--that Bradbury's story parallels something about how we Mormons (or at least intellectual ones) talk about Noah's flood and other bits of Biblical literalism or other bits of Mormon errata--then I don't disagree at all; in fact, I think I acknowledged the truth of such a parallel in my post. But you then seem to what to include "most of what is promulgated as scriptural history, scripture, church history, doctrine, and religion in general"--and I absolutely don't go that far. There may well be, in the things I pass along from those I hold to be prophets to my children, a not insignificant number of morally beneficial, Platonic "lies"--but there is truth too, I believe. So for me, when it comes at the least to the foundations of Christianity, the Bradbury parallel breaks down, because there's a historical truth there, as well as moral benefit.Russell Arben Foxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03366800726360134194noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7907752.post-28149023549082482262012-06-06T14:23:18.398-05:002012-06-06T14:23:18.398-05:00Russell,
I too enjoyed much of Bradbury's stu...Russell,<br /><br />I too enjoyed much of Bradbury's stuff, but was far from being very familiar.<br /><br />But the reason for my comment is with regard to your summary of his short story where the supposed time traveler (having created a widespread motivation toward innovation and other positive attitudes) confesses, at the end, "I lied."<br /><br />Prefaced by my assumption (having read much by you on BCC.com) that you are an experienced Mormon, do you not see the parallel with our reality/religion?<br /><br />The confession that lies served a very positive function in the fictional story sums up my belief about most of what is promulgated as scriptural history, scripture, church history, doctrine, and religion in general--including our Mormon version.<br /><br />At a minimum, there was no Creation, Garden of Eden, Flood, etc. God does not have a unique plan for each of us, there is no specific "award" (Sterling W. Sill) or reward for obedience. Blessings from God (dependent on our obedience) don't actually exist, and so on.<br /><br />Yet, belief and faith in the best parts of this (religion stuff) serves an immensely positive purpose and results in a lot of good. So, I surmise, justifies all the lies told by God and His prophets, seers, and revelators.Fbistinoreply@blogger.com