If arson was legal, I wonder how much I would have enjoyed it because I love burning down straw man arguments. I have probably erected a few myself, but that's enough of my abeenormal brain for now. This blogisphere is riddled with them. And our beloved lone pony has baited me with another one (devilish woman; she knew of my hunger for rants; and placed this burden upon me which cannot go unanswered. Thanx!). I found the following in her post about another individual quite 'intriguing':Realized there was no God..."when i was a very young kid."
On the surface level; the argument should die here. At an age when driving, drinking and sex is not warranted because of the physical & emotionally immaturity, I would venture that the conclusion here is immature. Our circumstances do not dictate the reality to God's existence/non-existence. For this person at a young age to absolutely believe this despite the overwhelming evidence and acknowledgment by the rest of the world's understanding, shows an ineptness in the teaching positions of those who were in the life of this individual. What further is said by this individual prevents me from fully blasting the individual on the idiocy of the statement save this: "YOU'RE GROWN UP NOW! WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED NOW?"
"when my parents beat me up for what seemed like the millionth time and dog (God) didn't strike them dead on the spot with a lightning bolt as they so richly deserved."
Everyone of us experiences unfortunate things in our lives; however, EXPERIENCE IS NOT THE MITIGATING FACTOR FOR TRUTH! My father was irrational and beat the beans out of me on many occasion (some of which I rightly deserved), but that didn't nullify God's existence. There were many occasions of our refrigerator looking like the showroom model: empty! However, that didn't nullify God's existence. My mother died of breast cancer 31DEC88; but that didn't nullify God's existence. I may have ventured on crazy paths to find truth, but even in those difficult times; I never denied God's existence. Worse yet, this was all composed from an individual who was never taught who God was! Yes, I went to Catholic church growing up and even visited a few bapticostal churches on the way; but there never was a clear concise presentation and instruction as I receive now and am able to instruct on as well. I may have ignored my accountability to Him, but deny: NO! This is exactly the reason why pragmatism & existentialism are the death-dealers to intelligence and society as a whole. These are the paradigm of this post-modern era. Sadly though, people today do not see the harmful destruction 'unthinking' like this produces.
A friend of mine; helped me to empathize with this person because as a kid they were probably given the whole "God loves you and protects" lessons but never heard of hardships, struggle and tribulation. The parents probably attempted to shelter their kids as did Buddha's father. However, we know how that went! The people in this person's life whether they were parents, teachers. family or friends; who failed to instruct the person on reality deserve the white glove smack! However, their negligence only carries so far. Sooner or later, we all must be accountable for our own decisions and for this person to ignore God's grace & mercy thus far is quite saddening. I'll conclude this thought in a minute.
"...things only continue to get worse. basically; i am unemployed/unemployable. i am scraping by on unemployment insurance (UI), which covers my rent, just. a short time ago, i gave up hope that i might EVER find anything. my current dilemma; after UI ends, i don't know what to do with my (1) birds, (2) books, (3) CD collection. i am surrounded by successful people here, so how do i write about a worthless, meaningless, miserable life wasted on simply trying to survive when there is nothing whatsoever for me to survive for? as it is, this blog and my readers are the only parts of my life that give me any pleasure that have not yet been taken away from me. "
Not knowing this person's plight fully, I can only fault the individual and society (I am not a Marxist) in many ways. I blame this individual in that the voice doesn't seem to echo any culpability to their plight. What makes this individual "unemployed/unemployable"? Is it a disability? Is it negligence on their part to get further education? Was it countless bad decisions that has alienated themselves from the realm of reason or opportunity? Society's culpability is that if this person has done no wrong and is truly incapable of providing for themselves, then there is a moral obligation to meet this individual's needs. I blame the successful people who surround this individual (if they are not referring to fellow bloggers); who are able to help and they choose not to.
Yet, I am intrigued in that this individual has birds, books, and a CD collection. That means that at some point in time the person was able to afford these items. Was God non-existent then as well? When leaving the home and finding new residence, which was a blessing in and of itself, where did God go?
My biggest contention with this is that God's existence for people normally such as this is determined based on the sucess of the individual's life. Be that the case, does Moscow not exist because I haven't been there? Air cannot exist because I cannot see it. Lava isn't really hot because I hadn't a chance to go sun bathing in it. Plane hijackers are only myth because I was never on a hijacked plane. The concentration camps could have never existed because I never experienced the gas chambers!
Said enough? If experience were the final arbiter of truth then we would never have a basis for truth because it would be literally impossible for 6.5 billion people to experience everything and come to the same conclusion on the same experience. So, logically we must yield to the undeniable fact that truth was established before our feable brains could comprehend it. Did the laws of gravity cease to exist before we could comprehend it? No! Gid established the set realities and truths we explore and experience on a daily basis long ago.
a worthless, meaningless, miserable life wasted on simply trying to survive when there is nothing whatsoever for me to survive for?
Such despondency! Too many drugs and not enough reality could make one come to such a conclusion. The great philosophers of the Great
this blog and my readers are the only parts of my life that give me any pleasure that have not yet been taken away from me.
I love you guys, but this blog is not my life. Maybe it could be me married to lone pony (smile) or any of my other female single blogging Christians. However, there is much to do outside of this great realm of thought and passion. If this is all this person has then I think someone needs to be reintegrated with civilization. There needs to be classes like Humans 101, Why we interact (See Genesis 1 & 2; main textbook)?
Concluding my earlier thought. This person has accountability issues. They act as if there is not responsibility on their part for happiness. Also, the Bible shows that perfect contentment will be at the end of this age when evil is finally vanquished. Until then, to presuppose bliss without trials; to presuppose happiness without hell; to presuppose beauty without horror means you're out of touch with the reality of today. God never promised even Christians a perfect life on this side of eternity and I am sick of churches and Christians who teach such nonsense. Maybe, this person received faulty teaching on what life would be like; but sooner or later this person will have to own up to the fact that that reality was displaced long ago.
"Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" is one of the most famous phrases in the United States Declaration of Independence. It is listed as one of the "unalienable rights" of man. The phrase is based on the writings of John Locke, who expressed a similar concept of "life, liberty, and estate (or property)". Written by Thomas Jefferson, the words in the Declaration were a departure from the orthodoxy of Locke. Since Jefferson viewed the right to property, a concept tied to feudalism and such, as being potentially antithetical to liberty, he replaced the right to property with the right to the pursuit of happiness.1
Isn't it interesting that happiness/estate/property were things pursued but not things guaranteed? If our founding fathers could grasp something so key as contemporaries to the thinkers of the Great Excrement; how is it so difficult for people like this and the ULSR?
There is hope, and it is in Christ Jesus. Before being saved, and sometimes after, I had times of despondency. Yet, it was because I failed to keep my relationship with God at the forefront of my life. Without Him, I am nothing. With Him, life's hardships are put in proper perspective. Maybe, my answer isn't too scientific, sorry. I'll work on that end another time or shoprat, lone pony or a jacksonian can handle the charge.
Reference:
Wikipedia
thanx Al. Sorry to correct you but Alan Keyes has a sort of NEO, SOC type wisdom in what he says. LOL!
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely cool that we are on the same page
Great post Neo .. my take on it ..... she sounds like a little spoiled brat that got the boot, and has never had to take responsibility for anything until now with a lot of excuses for her own loose lifestyle ... but in both cases, yours and mine, she may have to face the fact that she might have to grow up and face life. It would be interesting to hear from this person in another 20 years. That's if she makes it that far....
ReplyDeletetrue abfreedom. I agree, in 20 years we will be looking for her if she IS alive.
ReplyDeleteNEO - I'm flattered! First I'm beloved, then say I'm worth marrying! (blush) You hit the nail on the head with this one. I was thinking as I read her post that she has a huge chip on her shoulder. I was thinking while reading her words that a change in attitude might be the precursor for a change in her bad situation. No wonder she was so condescending toward me, I must represent everything she hates. Thanks for picking this up. I've had several people defend my honor. Wish I could have read this earlier, but I'm away from blogs at work. Good post!
ReplyDeleteI will only repost what I have written at Saving Hope and you may judge for yourself. My comment follows:
ReplyDeleteI have no answer for saving hope.
I have experienced my Uncle Don, a man full of life and with some strange ideas on it, and still loved him anyway. One day he had his wife go out and she came home to find him dead by his own hand with a gun.
He had inoperable cancer throughout his intestines. It had been stable but then started to metastasize. He told no one of this, not even his wife.
He had seen his father die of this same condition, one that afflicts his family. That man suffered and suffered through the agony and the final times as they stretched into months then years. The pain medications ceased to be effective and he slowly lost his mind to it. In the end while his body still functioned in a way, his mind was gone.
Others in his family have faced the same choice, each making their own decision. He faced having to give up on each and every thing he loved and then, when legal medications would no longer ease the pain, he had the contacts to get those not available on the open market. And he knew he would become addicted to them and slowly bankrupt himself and his wife, to just get a slight easing of pain for scant hours.
He would be walking in a different land of Gray, one that is the Valley of the Shadow of Death. At some point even the strongest of medications would not ease the pain and he would be faced with losing his mind in poverty.
And pitied by everyone he loved.
When one walks into the fair arms of Death, ghostly white, She embraces us. She has a decision to make for those that have chosen to enter her embrace by their own hand.
For those that have acted foolishly or out of spite or in desperation to get attention, She can step them through what would happen *if* they had decided not to rush to her.
Her arm would be around you as you saw the happiness and love and warmth you would have had. She would hold you as you saw the pain and fears and those bad and evil things that life is wont to hand us. She would step us through until we can see our own end as it was meant to be.
Then She would turn to us and say: "That is the life you were meant to have, but gave up."
To those who only have the continuation of agony, wracking pain, unending sorrow and then mindlessness, She looks upon you and says: "Welcome. Your life is over."
I am a creature of Will in the land of Gray.
As the tag line for the Daredevil comic books go, so is it true: "A man without hope, is a man without fear."
So long as I have a semblance of mind and willpower to use it and a body that functions so I can communicate, I will do so and hope to help just one more person.
Even if just a little.
I cannot save hope, but I can give a little away to any who need it. That is worth living for until my mind goes or my ability to interact with the world disappears.
Help just *one* more person. And give them hope.
I cannot save hope.
But I can give you some of mine to share.
Given freely.
endith my comment
Wow! This is quite a post, Neo Soc. I too, had an extremely tough upbringing, and to top it off was raised by an atheist, but it didn't change the fact that I have always believed in God. Always! Thank you for a great read.
ReplyDeleteGood day to everyone
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