Just wanted to let you all know that I had lunch yesterday with Austin Ruse of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute. As you might know, some of us on Vox Nova got into a little back-and-forth with him not so long ago. As often happens in the blogosphere, it became testy. I am therefore delighted to report that we had a very pleasant lunch together. We still have fundamental disagreements – we did not paper over these differences, and we tried to better explain ourselves in certain areas. But facing a person is far better than facing an anonymous devil behind a keyboard. It is so much more instructive to see a person, not a computer, to assume the best rather than the worst in somebody. There’s something about this medium, perhaps related to the anonymity, that leads all too readily to a tempestuous tone. I’m saying nothing new here – this has been as issue in the blogosphere from day one. It seems all-too-obvious for Catholics whose faith revolves around the Word of God embodied in a person to embrace this kind of human interaction, to address the very real person and not the false computer identity – but how often do we do it? I admit, I am often more comfortable composing words on a computer screen…
Austin is keen on working together on areas we have in common, and there are many. He’s thinking a lot about the role of big corporations in propping up the pornography industry. See here. I don’t necessarily agree with the tone of his criticism, especially the title, but the issues are important. As I told him, it relates to arguments I have been making about big business and big insurance companies getting into bed with the abortion industry, and facing very little pushback. If we can all agree to take on the vices of big business, and not just government, then this will be a worthwhile endeavor.
Anyway, it was a nice lunch, we had a great chat, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Hope to do it again! He’s not the devil, and I hope he now also feels the same about me!
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