You Tube Theology

Robert P. George -- called by the New York Times "this country's most influential conservative Christian thinker" - is McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University, where he also directs the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions, and newly minted advisory board member of our DemocracyCafe.org nonprofit. The quote for the video title, Dr. George is characterizing his connection with another DemocracyCafe.org board member, Dr. Cornel West. They recently co-authored a book, 'Truth Matters: A Dialogue on Fruitful Disagreement in an Age of Division." Dr. George kindly spoke with me in this pre-recorded video hours before the latest tragic and senseless act of political violence last Wednesday, which serves to underscore even more deeply his very important perspective. In speaking of his abiding respect for and deep friendship with West, Dr. George says, ""Cornel and I can discuss anything without acrimony. If he thinks I am wrong about something, there's a good chance I'm wrong, and so I want to hear what his argument is. "Our book is a plea against partisanship. We try to model what it means to engage serious issues from different points of view in a reasonable and responsible way that's not politically or ideologically partisan "The foundation of our deep brotherhood, Cornel and me, despite our political and ideological differences, is a shared commitment to the proposition that truth matters. "It's better to live with inconvenient truths, than convenient lies.And it's better to know the truth even if it makes us anxious and unhappy. When asked about the state and straits of our democracy, in which polarization and extremism is ever on the ascent, Dr. George says, "I'm not panicking, I don't think we're about to go down the tubes and lose our democracy, but I do think that there are grounds for concern, and that those on the conservative side, and those on the liberal side, can work within their own traditions of thought and work with each other to try to strengthen the foundations of democracy... "Democracy is a necessarily imperfect system, because it's made up of human beings, and we're imperfect, and we're going to make mistakes, and our flaws and our vices are going to be reflected in democratic outcomes. I ask my students a simple question: "What was the form of government that murdered Socrates? Answer: 'A democracy! ' We bow at democracy. We think democracy is the greatest thing. But it's a human thing, it's an imperfect thing. Just because an outcome is democratic doesn't mean it is good or just or right. But I think the best form of democracy -- they're all fallible -- is what I call republican democracy.... there are competing elements [including non-democratic ones], and their purpose is to check government and render it more accountable." Listen in to this insightful exchange with Dr. George at this watershed moment in American political history.