Quote of the Day - Orthodoxy and the Supression of Ideas

The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the supression of ideas. -- Carl Sagan, The Demon Haunted World, p. 429

Why is it that Orthodox Jews and Orthodox institutions so often forbid or ignore dissenting arguments rather than making a better argument? What utility does a concept like "kefirah" (heresy) have? Why don't science or secular scholarship have a concept of heresy*?







* "Political correctness" is the closest analogue, but is rarely used to successfully surpress ideas except in conservatives' fantasies. Supporters of "politically incorrect" ideas may be shouted down or even fired, but their ideas are still discussed and refutations are attempted. Examples include The Bell Curve, and the recent comments by the president of Harvard, who by many accounts, is a jerk. But I digress.