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Reader Post | By Latless Susan
Christmas Musings:
In quests for truth, leave no stone unturned to get to the original source and the context from which it generated, as much as is reasonably possible within the confines of our access. Own the limitation.
“There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments, and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance—that principle is contempt prior to investigation.” Attributed to British theologian William Paley (1743-1805) in epigraphs on title page of Canadian, Rev. William Henry Poole’s (1820-1896) book entitled: Anglo-Israel or, The British Nation: The Lost Tribes of Israel, 1879 (available archive.org).
Paley in context. (Context is king.)
Paley, William (1794). A View of the Evidences of Christianity:
“The infidelity of the Gentile world, and that more especially of men of rank and learning in it, is resolved into a principle which, in my judgment, will account for the inefficacy of any argument, or any evidence whatever, viz. contempt prior to examination.” in Paley, William. (1850). The Works of William Paley, D.D. Archdeacon of Carlisle; containing His Life, Moral and Political Philosophy, Evidences of Christianity, Natural Theology, Tracts, Horae Paulinae, Clergyman’s Companion, and Sermons. Printed verbatim from the original editions. Complete in one volume. New Edition. Philadelphia: Crissy & Markley, Page 372., available archive.org or see https://ia802804.us.archive.org/4/items/worksofwilliampa183100pale/worksofwilliampa183100pale.pdf.
“In this context, Paley was trying to give reasons why the Christian faith was rejected by the ancient Greeks and Romans. He was trying to boil down the cause of their non-belief to a single principle.” in The Survival Of A Fitting Quotation by Michael StGeorge (2005) at https://anonpress.org/spencer/index.htm#_edn3 or see https://anonpress.org/spencer/Survival_of_a_Fitting_Quotation.pdf.
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Two examples of the quote later apprehended for alternative use, or misquoted and/or misattributed by others, even if well-intended:
1) Theologian and Bible teacher Chuck Missler (1934 -2018) misattributes to Edmund Spencer as: “There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all argument, and which cannot fail to keep man in everlasting ignorance. That principle is condemnation before investigation.” at https://www.khouse.org/personal_update/articles/2009/shackles-our-presuppositions. Note: Chuck’s dvd “Return of the Nephilim” (recorded 2003), offers some interesting food for thought, see worldcat.org for some libraries containing or (https://store.khouse.org/products/return-of-the-nephilim).
2) Adaptation attributed to Albert Einstein, “Condemnation without investigation is the height of ignorance.”
Relatedly from Hebrew Scripture:
Proverbs 18:13 If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.
Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to [occult] things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.
Thank you for tuning in.
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