Isaac Watts (1674-1748) is well known for his hymnody, his best known hymn being "Joy to the world;" however, most people are unaware that he was also a brilliant educator and logician. In his classic textbook, written for primary students, titled "Logic Or The Use of Reason In The Inquiry After Truth," Watts demonstrated that only through the application of logic and reason could a proposition be properly analyzed for truthfulness. In our modern culture, we find these methods of ascertaining truth have been abandoned for political correctness, subjective thinking and responding emotionally rather than objectivity reaching a logical conclusion based on the evidence. The following are two classic examples of this Abolition of Reason.

Historically speaking, every civilized society has held that it is immoral to take the life of an innocent human being, yet we in our culture have embraced the practice of killing pre-born children in the name of 'choice' due to a misguided Supreme Court decision. The U.S. Supreme Court has made similar misguided decisions in the past, such as those which upheld the idea that slaves were the property of their owner and not protected by the Constitution. How many advocates of "choice" would agree with that Supreme Court decision regarding slavery? Just because the Supreme Court says so does not always make it right!

Consider the practical consequences of subjective thinking regarding Roe v. Wade. First of all, approximately 56 million children have not only been denied their constitutional right to live, but have been subjected to a painful death. Consider how our economy would be positively affected as a large percentage of that 56 million would now be working, paying taxes and contributing to Social Security. Most of them would be consuming goods and services which would be a real stimulus to the economy. This being the case, it is an abolition of reason when business people and corporations contribute to abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood.

Now I ask you, what would you think of a business that sent money to an organization to help them reduce their future customer base?

Another example of The Abolition of Reason is the absurdity of same-sex marriage, which is easily demonstrated logically. Marriage is as much about human sexuality and procreation as it is about feelings of affection. Anyone with a cursory knowledge of human anatomy understands that only male and female are the normal and naturally compatible sexual union, therefore, logic dictates that the use of any other of the body's orifices for sexual purposes is a misuse of the natural, and is deviant according to nature.

This demonstrates the absurdity of representing gay rights and same-sex marriage as a civil or human rights issue. All civil rights are codified into laws and all citizens share equally in the privileges and limitations codified in those laws, therefore, it is an abandonment of logic and reason to say that same sex marriage is a matter of fairness and justice when state lawmakers pass same-sex marriage legislation and their Governors that sign them into law. Either these normally intelligent, erudite people are extremely gullible or they do so for their personal or their political party's agenda. One political party (and we know which one it is, don't we?) makes it a regular practice to pander to special interest groups such as gays, illegal immigrants and abortion rights groups to get elected and stay in power, regardless of the deleterious effect it has on our society.

Interestingly, many people who support the illogical concept of same-sex marriage, adhere to and vociferously defend Darwin's evolutionary concept of natural selection. This contradictory and convoluted idea is another classic example of the abolition of reason.

Ron Catlin is a Coeur d'Alene resident.