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Preach: Ceiling Fan Lobotomy: The Box. |
Posted by
Sticupus on Monday, October 21, 2002 - 04:09 PM PST
One Saturday afternoon, I was having a lovely conversation with a friend who is a comfortable intellectual equal of mine. She, a psychologist, and was visiting my house to see both my brother (exclusively) and myself. Our conversation lead from fundamental particles (and how stupid string theory is), to sex, then to glass beads. She, very intelligent, is also very religious. No problem there between us, but is a disagreement on occasion.
She asked me why I don't believe in god. I answered because the only record and account of god (The Holy Bibble) has been mistranslated, edited, added to, and used as toilet paper for millennia, by popes, kings, monks, scholars, and the average Joe. If there was any clear wisdom in it, it is probably gone, for I did not see any when I read it. (Also, I do not have access to the Dead Sea Scrolls and cannot read Judaic cuneiform- but oh well.)
Then she prodded further. As with most people with faith, belief, or religion, it is a pivotal and important cornerstone to their life. Life with out that sense of enlightenment and comfort of knowledge would be dark, confusing, and horrible. Understandably, without such a force like a god to explain the universe, existence can be perceived to be quite lonely and confusing. She didn't understand why I would deprive myself of this 'knowledge': why I choose to be 'in the dark' and why have 'no faith' at all. It was difficult to find the words to describe the way I feel and believe. So I took a few minutes, (because I hate not having a reason for everything I do) and thought.
Here was my answer:
Ever since I was a child, I found answers to questions that I came across. As I became older, the questions became more complex, and difficult to answer- beyond Mom. Thus I began to read, discovering that it is impossible for her to know everything, and possible for many people to know a little about everything. More answers came into my mind. The insight, the knowledge was wonderful; it crept into my mind, and refined everything before it.
As I grew older still, I began to ask 'bigger' questions, like "Why".
In that, I first found god; a vengeful, all-powerful white man that lives in the clouds, with whom you do not fuck nor ever question. I accepted that answer as I would cough medicine, because I had to, nothing else was available. Science and books seemed to avoid the question, as this was ready to give an answer.
Then I discovered other religions; what a wonderful thing this variation, this diversity of thought. All were oddly similar, yet it became obvious and clear that culture influenced the structure of these religions. Then I researched the time and origin of these faiths. The correlation in my mind is that religion is a very safe and easy way to explain my question "Why?" because nothing else, at this moment, can explain it for all of these people. Also, no religion seemed to hold a 'truer' truth than another. They were all equals, with different names but the same answers. That inconsistent pattern was insufficient to answer my 'why'.
So where is the answers? -I am still looking.
The answer to questions like “Why?” can be found in a philosophy that came into my mind from all of my experiences. Keep in mind that this answer in this post is not the final one, nor does it answer any other question other than “Why do you have no faith”, but is a point of view that may allow other more profound answers to come for easily in my mind.
Science is stagnant in its answer and religion is too sure of itself with a total disregard for any questioning (all the while providing no concrete answers sufficient for myself). I feel atheism is as ignorant a point of view as religion of any sort, because it too has the qualities of being too sure without proof. Thus my answer is-
"I have no idea".
No experience, nothing in my life has even come close to explain what is existence, and everything beyond that.
I have no clue what the answer to the questions "Why?", "What is existence", "What is life", and "Is there a God?". I feel that taking a religion, or a belief on this subject is too cocky of an approach because I feel naive on the subject. I don't understand the universe, why should I act like it.
I find assumption on something so beyond the grasp of humans right now to be dangerous. However, that does not mean I cannot seek, or even find these answers.
I believe that everything has a reason, every question an answer, every problem a solution. The answers can be strange and surreal as Quantum Theory sometimes reveals. It can be a single letter or number long, or several Library of Congresses long. It may be too big for one mind to grasp, or simple enough for an insect to contemplate. But I accept the fact that I do not know.
When I ponder any of these questions, I like to think of a void. In this void, there is a box, a black box. Inside this box is the reason, the answer, THE solution. It is infinitely large, infinitely small, exists in no place in the void at once, and is timeless, so it can adequately hold the answer inside it. Throughout my life, I will learn, and most importantly think. I will seek out the answers, because the journey to these thoughts is fun as my childhood had demonstrated. I may find the answers while I am alive, I may find them also when I die. I may, and probably never find them, but no harm in trying. I assume nothing, and I keep an open mind. As she, my friend, stated, “Be careful for the answer may be right in front of you". I will keep that in the back of my mind.
Someday that box may hold a shape, exist at the same time and place I do, and allow me to pry it open to see its contents.
Until then: Why do I lack faith?
My answer is The Box.
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Ceiling Fan Lobotomy: The Box. | Login/Create an account | 8 Comments |
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Karma and its Draw-Backs.
by MorteAscendo (corpsmanwix@aol.com)
on Oct 21, 2002 - 04:43 PM
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I totally agree and understand where you come from on that. I am agnostic, and choose not to have faith in something because there is not proof either way, i keep an open mind, but i do not choose either way. Your explination is the best ive heard so far. But if there is anything that deals with faith or fate, i choose the power of Karma. You do something bad, you will get it back in time and vice-versa. The "Bible" is and no matter how it is explained was writen by man, and is and always will be infoulable. All ive ever asked when these religous people come to me is: "Show me proof".
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Don't for get existentialism and the cookies! by Sticupus (sticupus@hotmail.com) on Oct 21, 2002 - 06:04 PM (User info | Send a Message) http://www.obolisk.com | Yeah, you can go the karma route, or you can be like me and stick to existentialism. Karma isn't always a fast process, however you can just try thinking really hard till you get your way. Of course that is cocky, but it suits me better.
In my view point, agnosticism is still not keeping my mind open enough, i simply don't have a clue.
Oh well cookies! ^_^ |
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Re: Ceiling Fan Lobotomy: The Box.
by weremouse on Oct 21, 2002 - 05:20 PM
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Scientists are trained to "stick by their guns". Religious people consider any serious Question a sacrilege. What if someone found information that they (Scientists and Religionists -- aka "The Experts") would go into a dead faint over?
What if "They" are both right and wrong? If you knew Truth, would you tell either or both? Or, would you keep it to yourself and watch them all debate, agonize and die?
Ha! Ha! Ha! I'll choose the latter!
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Re: Ceiling Fan Lobotomy: The Box. by Arthegarn on Oct 22, 2002 - 09:45 AM (User info | Send a Message) | Hey! Not to all of us is sacrilege any serious question! There are some who have a fundamental faith and work from there wqith methodical doubt... |
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I am feeling very, veeery old
by Arthegarn on Oct 22, 2002 - 12:32 PM
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You know, 6 months ago I would have jumped at this oportunity to meddle with my favourite subject. I would have claimed that believing in God does not necessarily mean believing in the jew-chistian one, that native religion influences almost uo to the point of definition native culture and not the other way around, that some religions (such as my own) part from a very few fundamental leaps of faith (the Dogma) and ask many, many questions from there. And I'd say that for us people with faith, the lives of faithless people don't appear gray or wanting, just different, that it is much more like having a wonderful experience you just can't share with these people no matter how hard you tried it because they can't, or they won't, see things your way.
And I would also have agreed in the Way idea. Even though we might never be all that we aspire to be, the struggle yields its own rewards up to being an end on itself. And I would have argumented and caused debate and crossed swords with Callei and Bettie_X and Rogue and thrown knives with Comedian every now and then (no offense).
And now... Now I feel somewhat unwilling. I don't know if it is that I am growing older and wiser and allowing everyone to believe what they will, or that my heart is tired. Perhaps it is that I fundamentally respect Sticupus's opinion and that I see nothing offensive in it to provoke me. Perhaps it is that I don't wish to offend anyone with my inflamed rethoric, who knows.
Nice reading, anyway.
Arthegarn
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Re: Ceiling Fan Lobotomy: The Box.
by feralucce on Oct 26, 2002 - 07:44 AM
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"I have read this book... Torah! "
"and I didn't understand a word of it!"
10 brownie points if you know the quote... but I loved what you read... but I do have something that has been bothering me from the beginning... God... It is a fairly judeochristian mindset that labels him all inclusively like that... Jehovah, I am, and thousands of other names he gives himself... but he never says I am God... the closest is I am the Lord your God... still giving himself another title...
I guess it bothers me because it diminishes the importance of the Rom dieties, the star eyed maid and the nameless one... or Eris... Loki, genesha... just my two cents worth...
Feral
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Re: Ceiling Fan Lobotomy: The Box.
by Comedian (eccentrically_long@yahoo.com)
on Nov 24, 2002 - 10:33 PM
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huh? why is string theory stupid? Could you go into a bit more detail on that part?
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