On Sat, 8 Jan 2000 21:30:10 -0500 Carrol Cox <cbcox at ilstu.edu> wrote:
> I think religion in this abstract way is only attractive to those who,
because they have never worked with Christians politically, are under the
illusion that to do so you have to relate to their religion.
In other words, forget theory?
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I just gave you a theory didn't I? The theory (for guiding political practice) is that Xtians and non-Xtians not only can but regularly do unite around
political principles without interference from relgiion. Of course if by
theory you mean TOE, then yes, forget it. Actually, I can develop the theory a bit further. Marxists who through their own practice and learning from the practice of others the theory just expressed need not argue the point, but it is worth while making the observation (as I did in my first point) for the guidance of others should they be interested.
My interest is strictly political. That carries the need to be interested in a good deal of fairly far-reaching theory, but it does not carry the necessity, for example, to have a theory of the proper procedures to follow in preparing evening snacks or fussing about Christian theology. (As a Milton scholar, I've had to fuss with Christian theology quite a bit, but never as a marxist engaged in political practice with Roman Catholics, Mennonites, AME, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, and a scattering of other religiohs. We always got along fine.
Carrol