I just don't even want to think about this anymore. Maybe I just want to watch Free Willy and forget all the rest of it is even asking me questions and telling me answers before I have time to figure them out for myself. Yeah, yeah, I think so. How can anyone know? ... anything?! I sure don't.
I am so there too. That's why I think it's most accurate to label myself a Christian agnostic. If I know for sure, then I don't need faith. If I can't know for sure, that's admitting my agnosticism. Put on Free Willy already!
I can't understand it myself - this came about as a reaction to everyone of my church friends who say "God's got this" or "God has a plan." So, then wtf with free will?
I hope we have free will, but gotten from Nature--a thing that doesn't truly care if we live or die. It just makes us--trees, dirt, fish...--and lets us be. For, if some all-knowing supreme being is in charge of everything, and is just sitting back while some monsters do what they do, well, then said supreme being would be too much of a bastard.
I'm thinking the mishandling of the gift is what's causing the problem. Us and our decision to interpret the wrapping as being " edible" ☺ Much love...
Reminds me of the old story of the man who took refuge on a rooftop in a flood. In turn, a tree, a boat, and a helicopter came by and he refused each saying "God will take care of me". He drowned and on reaching heaven berated God for forsaking him. God shook his weary head and said "But I sent a tree, a boat, and a helicopter ......
I think as Gillena does, it is the mishandling of the gift that has caused the problems. I think it's up to us to solve it. A big job which, at my age, makes me weary as we step back into the world I was born into and erase the progress of seventy years.I agree with you and Kerry too, about the years ahead.
Not to be argumentative, but how does one "mishandle" free will? Mishandle implies that there's a proper way to handle free will - is that God's will, which brings me back to the illusion of free will. I'm with Iris - put on Free Willy already. :)
Well, there you go! The choice then is to act as if we have free will no matter what. (Though i think some would rather pretend they don't have it.) Even under the repression that's coming, we don't have to grin and bear it. Some will die, yes. But that's an argument against human injustice, not existential freedom.
I wish I had answers, but often it's the questions that matter. The fact that you examine concepts about a God, implies, that you have faith that there is a God in the first place. Anyway, I think we all search and find or learn to live with the mystery.
I honestly think it's easier to trust someone's faith more when they admit it's faulty. That makes sense to me. Blind devotion, with no wavering, I just cannot grasp.
Know, this may sound circular, but the answer is found, in the question, being asked. Which each individual having a different answer, that personal to them, only.
I just don't even want to think about this anymore. Maybe I just want to watch Free Willy and forget all the rest of it is even asking me questions and telling me answers before I have time to figure them out for myself. Yeah, yeah, I think so. How can anyone know? ... anything?! I sure don't.
ReplyDeleteI am so there too. That's why I think it's most accurate to label myself a Christian agnostic. If I know for sure, then I don't need faith. If I can't know for sure, that's admitting my agnosticism. Put on Free Willy already!
DeleteThank you for taking care of me.
DeleteYou make sense to me. I can count on you completely. You genuinely care; you won't let go or leave. That's all I need to know.
I hope there is free will... but there are times when I feel there are strings attached.
ReplyDeleteI can't understand it myself - this came about as a reaction to everyone of my church friends who say "God's got this" or "God has a plan." So, then wtf with free will?
DeleteBuddah, I completely agree. It makes no sense.
DeleteThought-provoking...!
ReplyDeleteThanks, the life of a Christian is puzzles and torture, largely self-inflicted.
Delete*giggle* Questions like this got me to Paganism. I still have questions though, although they are a tad different.
ReplyDeleteI liked the cleverness and honesty in this piece.
Thanks, these are basic questions that are never answered to my satisfaction.
DeleteI hope we have free will, but gotten from Nature--a thing that doesn't truly care if we live or die. It just makes us--trees, dirt, fish...--and lets us be. For, if some all-knowing supreme being is in charge of everything, and is just sitting back while some monsters do what they do, well, then said supreme being would be too much of a bastard.
ReplyDeleteThat's the argument against the theistic god.
DeleteThat's the big question isn't it!
ReplyDeleteI think so, but to most others it's just "Do You Believe?"
DeleteI was just asking for clarification.
I'm thinking the mishandling of the gift is what's causing the problem. Us and our decision to interpret the wrapping as being " edible"
ReplyDelete☺
Much love...
Thanks, Mosk
DeleteI think our concepts of freedom are going to be severely shaken in the years to come.
ReplyDeleteAgreed.
DeleteReminds me of the old story of the man who took refuge on a rooftop in a flood. In turn, a tree, a boat, and a helicopter came by and he refused each saying "God will take care of me". He drowned and on reaching heaven berated God for forsaking him. God shook his weary head and said "But I sent a tree, a boat, and a helicopter ......
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, there's an old joke with the Lord delivering the punch: If you want to win the lottery, you gotta buy a ticket!
DeleteI think as Gillena does, it is the mishandling of the gift that has caused the problems. I think it's up to us to solve it. A big job which, at my age, makes me weary as we step back into the world I was born into and erase the progress of seventy years.I agree with you and Kerry too, about the years ahead.
ReplyDeleteNot to be argumentative, but how does one "mishandle" free will? Mishandle implies that there's a proper way to handle free will - is that God's will, which brings me back to the illusion of free will. I'm with Iris - put on Free Willy already. :)
DeleteWhat are we snackin' on? Definitely wearing our fuzzy socks on the couch. :)
DeleteWell, there you go! The choice then is to act as if we have free will no matter what. (Though i think some would rather pretend they don't have it.) Even under the repression that's coming, we don't have to grin and bear it. Some will die, yes. But that's an argument against human injustice, not existential freedom.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had answers, but often it's the questions that matter. The fact that you examine concepts about a God, implies, that you have faith that there is a God in the first place. Anyway, I think we all search and find or learn to live with the mystery.
ReplyDeleteI honestly think it's easier to trust someone's faith more when they admit it's faulty. That makes sense to me. Blind devotion, with no wavering, I just cannot grasp.
ReplyDeleteKnow, this may sound circular, but the answer is found, in the question, being asked. Which each individual having a different answer, that personal to them, only.
ReplyDeleteI feel you... I am full of a lot of questions these days.
ReplyDeleteSt. Thomas Aquinas should have been so succinct ~
ReplyDelete