Great post and fisking, Dale. Küng's arrogance is indeed legendary, and his legend is indeed arrogant. When his memoir/rant was first published, I was struck by the self-imporant title: MY Struggle for Freedom. Good grief. I think that Küng envisions himself as some sort of 20th/21st century Martin Luther — with the notable difference that Luther did believe in Jesus, the Bible, sin, salvation, etc. Küng believes in himself, which is probably why he pushes such a vapid neo-pantheistic and syncretistic "ethic/theology" these days. But, I agree that his book Does God Exist? is actually quite valuable and worth having. As for the rest of his works...well, they're sitting in large stacks at my local used book store, ready for a cold winter and a fireplace in need of fire starter...
This was thoroughly entertaining. Regarding Kung's swimming workout, I wonder if the bicep feeling, tri-athlete rubbing Bishop Lynch made the trip from Florida to Phoenix for the show. A man of Fr. Hans stature should not have to towel himself off.
Well, anyway, as regards "arrogance," you might want to remember what then-Cardinal Ratzinger had to say about Kung when he was admonished: "he confuses the simple-minded faithful." But let me guess, Dale, you have an explanation/excuse for that, too, right?
All the classic symptoms of the Post-V2 Academic. The arrogance. The I Know More Than The Magisterium So There. The I'm So Oppressed Even With Academic Tenure And A Worldwide Audience of Other Aging Cranks. A living breathing period piece- along with tie-dyed shirts, 20-minute guitar solos, and War Is Not Good For Children And Other Living Things Posters. No more, no less. So five minutes ago.
Sorry- War Is Not HEALTHY For Children And Other Living Things Posters. Designed by ex-nun Carita.
Anonymous:
I'm not interested in debating the ether. Provide an email (Haloscan doesn't publish emails for all to see in my account), and we can talk--Actually, I think there's the beginnings of an interesting point/discussion in your comment.
Failing that, forget it.
Carl, Tim, Gerard:
Many thanks!
He started working with leaders of the world’s great religions
Heh, except for Pope John Paul II.
I guess ecumenism only stretches so far.
And let's try to avoid the depressing topic of Bp. Lynch and his tenure in office in its entirety. Even thinking about the fellow is not good for me. He is over 10 years from retirement, so let's just let it go.
'Well, anyway, as regards "arrogance," you might want to remember what then-Cardinal Ratzinger had to say about Kung when he was admonished: "he confuses the simple-minded faithful.'
And I'm certain he wrote that unambiguously in Latin that could be easily and accurately be translated without any hint of bias or misinterpretation. The compound "simple-minded" has connotations in English that aren't necessarily present in a dead language such as Latin would have to be added by the translator. It's linguistic sophistry if anything.
Hello Dale,
Great fisking - as usual.
But you missed a spot:
"After a brief stay at Fr. Küng’s University of Tübingen, Germany, Fr. Ratzinger became the archbishop of Munich, and a cardinal, and, four years later, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, formerly known as the Holy Office, in Rome."
Maybe this is bootless, but notice how this dizzying portrait of a young periti on the curial make at warp speed leaves a vast chunk of Der Panzerkardinal's career completely out of the mix: namely, the eight years Ratzinger spent (1969-1977) as professor of theology at the University of Regensburg - where, by the way, he helped launch Communio, mentored a few odd doctoral students like Cardinal Schonborn and Fr. Joseph Fessio and ended up as dean and vice president. Kaiser makes it sound like he took the cab straight from Tubingen to Paul VI's cabana.
The less said about Lynch, the better. If ever there were a case for episcopal keel-hauling...well, let us just say we are a long-suffering lot down here in Florida. De Leon named our fair and humid land for Easter, but it is still a bleak Saturday for many in St. Pete.
P.S. "Extra Absorbent" was a nice touch.
Dale,
"Avoid the topic". I will.
Thanks
All that laughing, all that exuberance, all that fun. And us unthinkers are missing out on all of it. But you know all 1,100 are signalling to each other: "Let's laugh real loud over here on our side of the fence so it sounds like there's a lot of us and it's a really great party.....we'll show THEM!"
http://awingandaprayer.blogspot....e-and-
dice.html
Too good to pass up. And you do some great fiskings.
Is this guy the president of the HK fan club? I swear, this guy sounds like he has a man-crush or something....
>Fight the power! K to the Umlaut to the N to the G! HK is in the hizzouse!
Oh yeah. Loved that line.
You guys got it all wrong - this editorial was a PARODY that was slipped into the NC Distorter at the last minute by [fill in orthodox villain here]. C'mon, it has *way* too many cliches to be the real thing.
As a German-American, please, please, correct the "German" references to "Swiss". I know it's just a stone's throw away, but the German's have enough on their plate. Let the Swiss take credit for Kung!
Excellent! Still laughing.
Carl and Dale,
As I recall, Alasdair MacIntyre did a nice fisking of DOES GOD EXIST? in the Times Literary Supplement when it came out.
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