The Importance of Critical Thinking - 3,000 Widgets Per Hour

One sociopolitical issue where I am relatively progressive (at least on the American political spectrum) is when it comes to the rights and interests of workers. I support unions. I support at least many of the legal protections employees have in the United States and believe there are more we should have. I do think regulation (to a point) is necessary because one party is always going to have far more power than the other, and history demonstrates the ill effects of this. 

I do believe that generally free markets are important because it is the best way to generate the wealth for society that is necessary to keep everyone fed and out of poverty. But this is for practical reasons, not due to a pure, ideological commitment to the free market.

That said, one value that I hold dear is one that is truly non-partisan, but also one that unfortunately is increasingly becoming considered a conservative value (to the extent that anyone still values it at all). This value is sound, logical analysis apart from one's interests and emotions. It is the value of critical thinking.

This matters so much to me, in no small part, because of the human element to it. Poor thinking leads to bad outcomes that genuinely hurt people. It's not that I care about theoreticals over flesh and blood humans. It is specifically because I care so much about flesh and blood humans that I believe we need to think through these things clearly. People adopting what feels right and kind without caring about the actual result leads to far more suffering and heartache in the end.

The Meme of the Exploited Machinist

The meme below is a bit old, from a deleted page on Mastodon (reposted on Reddit), but the general message behind it still pops up on social media today. Its message, and my response to it, illustrates this concept.

Guess Who's Back, Back Again...

Hello there,

It's been a few years since I last posted here, but that doesn't mean I was going to be gone forever!

No, I didn't die lol I wasn't even disposed of or anything. Really, just a mix of life getting busy and writer's block took me away for a while.

I haven't totally stopped by writing and theological musings, of course. During this time, I have written a number of articles for Rethinking Hell, including my most recent here: https://rethinkinghell.com/2024/10/31/implications-of-evangelical-conditionalism-eternal-life-becomes-more-meaningful-vs-the-traditional-view/

Nevertheless, I figured it was time to dust off my old general blog. I don't know how frequently I will post here; after all, it was just an occasional thing well before the long hiatus. Nevertheless, there will be more coming, including a post I have ready to go (and I hope you'll like it).

One major development is that I began and recently completed a master of theological studies degree at Regent University (with a concentration in biblical studies). Not much about my doctrinal beliefs have changed, but now no one can say I am a nobody who has never even been to seminary. Now, I am a nobody who has been to seminary lol