H.L. Mencken's Creed

If only more folks thought like this ...


Mencken's Creed:


I believe that religion, generally speaking, has been a curse to mankind - that its modest and greatly overestimated services on the ethical side have been more than overcome by the damage it has done to clear and honest thinking.
I believe that no discovery of fact, however trivial, can be wholly useless to the race, and that no trumpeting of falsehood, however virtuous in intent, can be anything but vicious.

I believe that all government is evil, in that all government must necessarily make war upon liberty...

I believe that the evidence for immortality is no better than the evidence of witches, and deserves no more respect.

I believe in the complete freedom of thought and speech...

I believe in the capacity of man to conquer his world, and to find out what it is made of, and how it is run.

I believe in the reality of progress.

I - but the whole thing, after all, may be put very simply. I believe that it is better to tell the truth than to lie. I believe that it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe that it is better to know than be ignorant.

Not bad, but...

[ QUOTE ]
I believe that all government is evil, in that all government must necessarily make war upon liberty

[/ QUOTE ]
This is nonsense. In forming a government, people willingly give up certain liberties in return for great benefits, and ironically, greater liberty. This is just anarchist rubbish.


[ QUOTE ]
I believe that the evidence for immortality is no better than the evidence of witches, and deserves no more respect.

[/ QUOTE ]
Evidence of either should be considered. Neither question is settled. (I assume the author is talking about an afterlife.)


[ QUOTE ]
I believe in the complete freedom of thought and speech

[/ QUOTE ]Noble, but spoiled by the word 'complete'.


[ QUOTE ]
And I believe that it is better to know than be ignorant.

[/ QUOTE ]
I wonder if the author would change his mind if he was ever truly put to the test...

[ QUOTE ]
Not bad, but...

[ QUOTE ]
I believe that all government is evil, in that all government must necessarily make war upon liberty

[/ QUOTE ]
This is nonsense. In forming a government, people willingly give up certain liberties in return for great benefits, and ironically, greater liberty. This is just anarchist rubbish.

You can still think govt is a necessary evil and not be an anarchist. But it would be wise to remember that govt as an institution requires the sacrifice of some liberties, and thus it should be empowered with those necessary functions so as to limit the amount of liberty that must be sacrificed.

[ QUOTE ]
I believe that the evidence for immortality is no better than the evidence of witches, and deserves no more respect.

[/ QUOTE ]
Evidence of either should be considered. Neither question is settled. (I assume the author is talking about an afterlife.)

So, you are saying that belief in witches deserves respect. His point is that beliefs based on no evidence are not inherently deserving of respect.

[ QUOTE ]
I believe in the complete freedom of thought and speech

[/ QUOTE ]Noble, but spoiled by the word 'complete'.


[ QUOTE ]
And I believe that it is better to know than be ignorant.

[/ QUOTE ]
I wonder if the author would change his mind if he was ever truly put to the test...

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't even know what you're saying here? You'd prefer the path of ignorance over knowledge 'if put to the test'????

[ QUOTE ]
You can still think govt is a necessary evil and not be an anarchist.

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe he was misquoted, I don't know. From the quotes you provided, there's a huge difference between:

[ QUOTE ]
I believe that all government is evil, in that all government must necessarily make war upon liberty

[/ QUOTE ]
and
"Government is a necessary evil that acts against our liberty."

I think his language is clear. He's presenting a hyped up statement which is either a boring tautology if taken without the hype, or radical sounding (but false) statement with the hype. In the minds of people who don't challenge it, it lives in between. Such methods are not the sign of an insightful thinker or one who seeks to inspire clear thought in his readers.

[ QUOTE ]
And I believe that it is better to know than be ignorant.

[/ QUOTE ]
He's not really saying much here...I don't know of many people who would prefer ignorance to knowledge most of time. Or of anyone who would prefer knowledge to ignorance in certain circumstances. But it does sound good. The test of whether the author really believes this statement is whether he lives according to this principle in real life. As a statement by itself, it's pretty much meaningless.

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know of many people who would prefer ignorance to knowledge most of time.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have an entire family of christians who prefer ignorance and aren't afraid to admit that they don't want to know about it more (or other things like science & philosophy) because they don't want their beliefs challenged and have to think about it.

[ QUOTE ]
I have an entire family of christians who prefer ignorance and aren't afraid to admit that they don't want to know about it more (or other things like science & philosophy) because they don't want their beliefs challenged and have to think about it.

[/ QUOTE ]
That's usually not the reason.

kidluckee is right about those Christians, i come from a family of fundimentalist Church of Christers, they REFUSE to read or study anything outside of their thought system or comfort zone due to the fact they they just might find something that makes sense even thought it is contrary to their belief system

[sexdrugsmoney]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I don't know of many people who would prefer ignorance to knowledge most of time.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have an entire family of christians who prefer ignorance and aren't afraid to admit that they don't want to know about it more (or other things like science & philosophy) because they don't want their beliefs challenged and have to think about it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Then you family are more honest than you.

All you have done is trade pro-religious ignorance for anti-religious ignorance.

It appears you now only read texts that are compatible with your new beliefs, and you are unwilling to do your own independant research on matters, yet you have no qualms about making constant dogmatic statements that are not only ignorant, (and in many cases recycled) but you also are inept at even masquerading impartiality in anything you write.

If you are happy like this, Ç'est tu Vie, but don't delude yourself that you are any better than your Christian family.

You're cut from the same cloth, you've just dyed the material another color.

yawn

[IronDragon1]

[ QUOTE ]
If only more folks thought like this ...


Mencken's Creed:


I believe that religion, generally speaking, has been a curse to mankind - that its modest and greatly overestimated services on the ethical side have been more than overcome by the damage it has done to clear and honest thinking.
I believe that no discovery of fact, however trivial, can be wholly useless to the race, and that no trumpeting of falsehood, however virtuous in intent, can be anything but vicious.

I believe that all government is evil, in that all government must necessarily make war upon liberty...

I believe that the evidence for immortality is no better than the evidence of witches, and deserves no more respect.

I believe in the complete freedom of thought and speech...

I believe in the capacity of man to conquer his world, and to find out what it is made of, and how it is run.

I believe in the reality of progress.

I - but the whole thing, after all, may be put very simply. I believe that it is better to tell the truth than to lie. I believe that it is better to be free than to be a slave. And I believe that it is better to know than be ignorant.

[/ QUOTE ]

What's up [insert comically poorly developed, one-sided, Ayn Rand archetype]?