9/11 Revisited - catholic world report

If we want to call this a “war of civilization,” well and good, provided that we realize, following Christopher Dawson, that civilizations are themselves expressions of religions

Yet, we are perplexed by the myriad of conflicting and contradictory explanations for the central cause of this day, now called, without further reference, “9/11.”

The best anyone can do in these circumstances, it seems, is to provide a solid and well-considered opinion

This is what I shall try to do here. An “opinion” is an informed judgment based on suitable and available evidence concerning possible actions or explanations.

The opinion on which one acts could be wrong, but we always act with some lack of clarity. We are irresponsible in many crucial instance.

All human action takes place with partial information. The fear of being wrong in practical affairs is not the beginning of wisdom but the beginning of self-chosen paralysis.

Still, we cannot pretend that such errors do not occur; they must be dealt with. Opinions are necessarily the grounds of all political actions, including wars, especially wars

They can (and in the case of prudence do) penetrate to the reality that stands midst the flow of other views. Nor, however tempting, are opinions excuses for theoretic skepticism.