Over on Postmodern Conservative, Helen Rittelmeyer provides a reply to my criticisms of her proposal for a bioethics of love. In her original essay I was in agreement (mostly) with her basic premise—love should be the foundational principle of bioethics—but disagreed with her conclusion. In her latest post, I disagree (mostly) with her new premise—“Sometimes we get closer to God by striving for perfection; sometimes we do it by turning our imperfections up to eleven: fasting, asceticism, bodily mortifications, drunkenness, etc.”—but agree with the conclusion (see her last paragraph).
There are some writers that are enjoyable to read because you agree with them and they help you understand what you already believe; others because you disagree with them and they help you understand another point of view. Helen almost always does both—often in the same article—and yet does so in a way that you would never expect. (Drunkenness as a helpful metaphor for the kingdom of heaven? Never saw that one coming.) She is a truly original thinker whose writing is always worth your time. Be sure to check out her post and encourage her to contribute more often at PomoCon.
