Pub Theology Questions 10/24/2017 – The Folly of Fanaticism of Every Kind

Ice Breaker Question:

 

Winston Churchill ~ A fanatic is one who can’t change his mind and won’t change the subject.  You must be (or must have been) a fanatic about something, what is it?  Talk about the whats and whys?

 

Question of the Night:

Lee Gruenfeld ~ Religious fanaticism comes not from deep faith, but from a lack of it.
Fanatics – Beware! Being zealous for the Lord of Hosts [1 Kings 19] is not the same as being a fanatic. Fanaticism is a serious spiritual dysfunction.  What are some symptoms of religious fanaticism referred to here?  What specific examples of religious fanaticism have you witnessed?  Describe.

Other Questions:

 5 Plays by Moliere

Synopsis The Imposter ~ A pious fraud has incriminated himself beyond all help, yet his believers refuse to act to exile him.  Describe a life situation where your fanatic belief in a person or entity led to impossible choices or dreadful consequences.  How did the situation resolve?

 

Synopsis The Misanthrope ~ The cynic is tremendously unpopular, and he laments his isolation in a world he sees as superficial and base.  Talk about your experience of living by high standards in an earthly society.  When has isolation or escape worked to resolve social conflicts?

 

Synopsis The Middleclass Gentleman ~ Aspiring to something you can never be, brings mockery and exposes vanity, grifters who flatter you openly while despising you secretly and who seek to take your money.  What vulnerabilities and related calamities surfaced when you chose your path to high aspiration?

 

Synopsis The Hypochondriac ~ If you believe in a single system for a cure or a single person for all of your answers, your remedy will be the death of you not your illness. Talk about blind allegiance to the opinions of experts (Medical, Legal, Financial, Religion, Psychiatric, etc.) and actual or possible consequences.  What could be an antidote to fanatic allegiance to the vested interests of professional expertise?

 

Synopsis The Learned Ladies ~ Education and academic achievement become merely pretention and obsession when they overlook true desire and free will.  Reflect on the pursuit of education and the satisfaction or disappointment it has brought.  What learned ideal might you pursue today, given the opportunity?  Why?

 

Humor

 

Bertrand Russell ~ The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.