insufferable
I don't like that word, Dogma
Sophia: Jeremy, when we talk of morality, is it enough to reason or speak, or must there be a deeper measure?
Jeremy: Reason alone is insufficient. The capacity to suffer, to feel the consequences of actions, is what truly defines ethical understanding.
The question is not, can they reason? Nor, can they talk? But, can they suffer?
— Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832)
Sophia: And yet, William, memory and belief often lead us before reason can even take hold. Our convictions endure longer than our conscious recollection.
William: Precisely. We carry beliefs that shape our lives, often without questioning them, long before reason or memory fully intervenes. Dogma thrives in that space.
Memory believes before knowing remembers. Beliefs longer than recollects, longer than knowing even wonders.
— William Faulkner (1897-1962)
Gore: And let’s be honest—there’s a certain satisfaction in seeing predictions confirmed, in moments when “I told you so” rings true. But it can easily harden into arrogance.
Carl: That is why curiosity must temper certainty. Science shows us that understanding and wonder are compatible with the sacred. Spirituality arises when we explore the unknown, rather than cling to untested claims.
The four most beautiful words in our common language: I told you so.
— Gore Vidal (1925-2012)
Sophia: So dogma is not merely rigid belief—it is the refusal to reconcile reason, suffering, memory, and curiosity. True wisdom navigates all four, embracing inquiry over certainty.
Jeremy: And compassion over judgment, always.
Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality.
— Carl Sagan (1934-1996)
William: With awareness of the invisible patterns that memory and belief leave upon us.
Gore: Without letting pride make a virtue of “I told you so.”
Carl: And while remaining open to awe, discovery, and the vast mysteries that reason alone cannot explain.
Sophia: Then let us live between understanding and wonder, skepticism and empathy, reasoning and feeling. That is the path beyond dogma.
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