Book Description

This is a book about viewpoint. Point of view can be physical, “I am facing south while you are facing north”. Point of view can be rational, “I see this idea as true while your idea is false”. Have two people stand back to back in strange surroundings and each will ask the other what they see and will listen very carefully for the information that can be gleaned from each other's replies. Curiously, once we stand side by side, we begin to find some disagreement with each other. We might not disagree so much with what is viewed as with how things are viewed. Yet we can still discuss differences in physical viewpoint without viewpoint itself getting in its own way. But this is not the case with rational viewpoints. We tend to argue our rational viewpoints to our deaths and pursue the deaths of others who dare see differently. We have little if any real regard for the value of information contained within other rational views. We call this conviction. We praise our steadfastness and laud these beliefs as though they reveal something other than ignorance beyond personal perspective. Yet, since God also seems to exist beyond physical perspective, what might we inadvertently devalue through our convictions? Yes, our values have religious implications that our beliefs conspire to conceal. Here I present the basics of realism and show how realism influences our psychology, informs our values, and reveals a path forward that avoids the pitfalls of belief. It is my hope that we can learn to stand side by side while valuing back to back views.