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This discussion reminds me of a few parenting conundrums:
1. No one would ever have a baby if they made a cool, rational, balanced decision. But most people decide to do so. Faith or Hormones guided by the Darwinian continuation of the species?
2. Most parents who adopted from China, where a government office in Beijing matches the child with the parents (as in “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”), myself included, are amazed at the fact that they were matched with the child who is just right for them. I can’t imagine my life without my kid–this particular kid. Many parents believe that a guiding hand gave them the right kid. I really think it’s random and I would have equally strong, but totally different, feelings about whatever child I was matched to. And for parents that do it the usual way–what if it were a different egg, different sperm? Different baby. God or random selection?
I am a very concrete thinker (as is my daughter: coincidence or is she that way because I am that way?) and I can’t fathom anything that is not logical or explainable. I know that life is random and with randomness there are many coincidental outcomes that appear to be guided but could just be part of the draw–the infinite number of monkeys that could write War and Peace with an infinite number of typewriters. But how did I get this kid, who is my heart?
The worst thing about hangovers is they fill me with a nagging feeling like I’ve done something bad to someone somewhere. I never get that feeling unless I’m hung over.
I tried ordering from that noodle restaurant again. You know, the one that was out of noodles yesterday? Their food sounds really good and I want to try it. STILL OUT OF NOODLES. Seriously?
Fair enough, bxgrl, I think your perspective would argue for there being little real difference between perception and belief (in / of God or anything else)and would seem to take it away from the ‘hard’ definition which I thought lech was tending towards and Arkady used. The way you put it, seems like belief is just a sequence of perceptions that point in a particular direction.
Don’t have a problem with defining it either way. More importantly I also think that both ways argue against God being in a different category or ‘on a higher plane’ than lots of things we think about as rather mundane.
I don’t think the perception / belief thing speaks to whether God actually exists or not. Although as I mentioned, from the human perspective I’m not sure how or why one would believe in God without some ‘perception’ of Him, or at least His presence.
I believe, in my own heathen kind of way. I’m not sure what it is that I believe in exactly, but there is *something* larger than ourselves that connects us. I just have a little” Jesus problem” that prevents me from “taking Jesus as my lord and savior”.
I’ve had enough experiences that could probably just be chalked up to “coincidence”, but they make me think there is *something* out there, something we are all a part of. Maybe it’s just a consciousness, humanity.
This discussion reminds me of a few parenting conundrums:
1. No one would ever have a baby if they made a cool, rational, balanced decision. But most people decide to do so. Faith or Hormones guided by the Darwinian continuation of the species?
2. Most parents who adopted from China, where a government office in Beijing matches the child with the parents (as in “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”), myself included, are amazed at the fact that they were matched with the child who is just right for them. I can’t imagine my life without my kid–this particular kid. Many parents believe that a guiding hand gave them the right kid. I really think it’s random and I would have equally strong, but totally different, feelings about whatever child I was matched to. And for parents that do it the usual way–what if it were a different egg, different sperm? Different baby. God or random selection?
I am a very concrete thinker (as is my daughter: coincidence or is she that way because I am that way?) and I can’t fathom anything that is not logical or explainable. I know that life is random and with randomness there are many coincidental outcomes that appear to be guided but could just be part of the draw–the infinite number of monkeys that could write War and Peace with an infinite number of typewriters. But how did I get this kid, who is my heart?
Enough philosophizing for me.
The worst thing about hangovers is they fill me with a nagging feeling like I’ve done something bad to someone somewhere. I never get that feeling unless I’m hung over.
I tried ordering from that noodle restaurant again. You know, the one that was out of noodles yesterday? Their food sounds really good and I want to try it. STILL OUT OF NOODLES. Seriously?
FAITH.
Fair enough, bxgrl, I think your perspective would argue for there being little real difference between perception and belief (in / of God or anything else)and would seem to take it away from the ‘hard’ definition which I thought lech was tending towards and Arkady used. The way you put it, seems like belief is just a sequence of perceptions that point in a particular direction.
Don’t have a problem with defining it either way. More importantly I also think that both ways argue against God being in a different category or ‘on a higher plane’ than lots of things we think about as rather mundane.
I don’t think the perception / belief thing speaks to whether God actually exists or not. Although as I mentioned, from the human perspective I’m not sure how or why one would believe in God without some ‘perception’ of Him, or at least His presence.
Lech:
Jesus Saves
Moses Invests 🙂
Sorry, legion. and here I thought I was being nice to you by agreeing with you
Embrace the suffering, lech. Like god incarnate to feel along w/ humanity.
soda and bitters is good for hangovers.
I believe, in my own heathen kind of way. I’m not sure what it is that I believe in exactly, but there is *something* larger than ourselves that connects us. I just have a little” Jesus problem” that prevents me from “taking Jesus as my lord and savior”.
I’ve had enough experiences that could probably just be chalked up to “coincidence”, but they make me think there is *something* out there, something we are all a part of. Maybe it’s just a consciousness, humanity.