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Dogmatism: In accordance with the
teaching. Of course, what accords with the teaching depends on
the teaching, and what is dogmatically true, and holy, and noble
according to one teaching is as dogmatically false, and evil, and bad
according to another teaching.
Every religion, every faith, every sect, every political
ideology has
its dogmas and its dogmatists: The currently hallowed supposed truths as
laid down by the pope, the synod, the ayatollahs, the leader or the
polit bureau, and as taught by the priests, the
clergy, the mullahs, or
the party cadre, each and all in the full belief, if none too
intelligent, or else with the pretense, of teaching and saying what "everyone"
should believe and do, and what cannot and should not be doubted or
questioned by anyone.
Small and mediocre minds tend to be fond of such dogmatism as they
were raised in and may teach themselves. On the other hand, not all
dogmatism is necessarily false, and some dogmas may be
good. What is
certain, though, is that it is not a
valid argument that so-and-so is
true, or good, or holy "because it accords with the teaching". It may
be, but not for that reason.
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