god

#FOWC — Unknown and Unknowable

Fandango8 Comments

6E37E964-2C2A-467A-B326-0ACAEC45DA4BIf there is something you don’t know, it’s unknown to you. When something is unknown, it means it’s not known or it has an unknown value, like, say, Bitcoins. Well, at least I have yet to figure out the value of Bitcoins. Their value is unknown to me. And probably to most people who own them, as well.

But the good thing about something being unknown is that with enough time and effort, it can potentially become known. There are many things that are known today that were unknown just 100 years ago, especially in science and medicine.

And there remain many things that are knowable, but are just not known yet, such as an undiscovered elements that may be part of the universe or chemical compounds that no one has discovered. Even though these things might not be known today, they may become known in the future, which means they are knowable.

But if something is unknowable, that’s a whole different ball of wax. If something is unknowable, it’s not knowable. For example, where the expression “a whole different ball of wax” came from is unknowable. Unless you’re talking about ear wax, in which case the answer is knowable but just kinda gross.

But seriously, folks, if something is unknowable, it lies beyond the limits of human experience or understanding.

I’m not going to get into a deep philosophical or religious discussion in this post about God and the contradiction of those who tell me that I should get to know God shortly after having explained to me that God is unknowable. Nope, I’m not going to do that.

Instead, I’m going to say that I understand that we human beings are a curious lot and we generally don’t like the idea that anything is unknowable. That said, I accept that there are certain things that are beyond the limits of human understanding and comprehension.

And I’m okay with that. I’ve got enough going on inside my head just trying to know what’s knowable that I don’t need to hurt my head trying to know what’s unknowable. If something is truly unknowable, not knowing about it is not going to make my life any worse. Because it’s not that it’s unknown to me (although it might be), it’s unknowable.

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge from yesterday, “unknown.” Sorry, Fandango, that I’m a day late. Hey, no worries. I know you’re a busy guy. Things to do, places to go, and people to see, right? It’s all good.

All Dressed Up and No Place to Go

Fandango26 Comments

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I probably shouldn’t do this. It’s against my better judgment. After all, my philosophy is “you do you and I’ll do me.” So I’d be better off just keeping my mouth shut and minding my own business.

I also suggest, should you decide to take a moment and continue reading this post, that you lower your expectations, since I have no special qualifications or knowledge on the subject matter. I am merely expressing my opinion.

So what, exactly, is the subject matter? No biggie. Just the purpose of life is all.

I read a blog post earlier today in which the blogger wrote, “the reason for life is for God to know me, love me, and serve me.” Then the blogger said that our life’s purpose, our mission, is “to know, love, and serve God in this life so we will be happy with Him in Eternity.”

Now I’m not being critical of this blogger for her beliefs. Hey, whatever floats your boat, you know. But what she wrote did confuse me. The two statements seem contradictory to me. Is the purpose of life to let God know, love, and serve us? Or is it for us to know, love, and serve God? Which is it? Or is it both?

The blogger also can’t understand why anyone would fear death, because death is what allows us to be happy with God for eternity. Death, the blogger contends, is life changed, not life taken away.

I think the blogger has a point. Why bother fearing death if the sole purpose of life is to “be happy with God for eternity” and death brings you closer to it?

You see, this is why I’m an atheist. I believe that death is the end, that there is no afterlife, no eternity to be spent at the right hand of God. So I want to live my life to the fullest because death, I believe, is life taken away.

The blogger ended her post by writing, “The atheist reasoning best explained from an epitaph etched on a gravestone. ‘All dressed up and no place to go.’”

Yes, I agree with that. When it comes to death, the end is not a new beginning. It’s just the end and there is no place else to go.

Written for today’s Your Daily Word Prompt, “qualification,” for the Word of the Day Challenge, “expectation,” and for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge, “moment.”

Song Lyric Sunday — Dream Weaver

Fandango17 Comments

Helen Vahdati’s Song Lyric Sunday prompt this week is “dream.”

I listen to a lot of classic rock and just the other day I heard Gary Wright’s “Dream Weaver.” So it just seemed to fit perfectly for this prompt.

“Dream Weaver” was released as the first single from Wright’s third studio album, The Dream Weaver, in December 1975. The song reached number 2 on the U.S. Billboard chart.

Wright said the song was about a kind of fantasy experience, a Dream Weaver train taking you through the cosmos. But he also said that the line, “Dream Weaver, I believe you can get me through the night…,” was about someone with infinite compassion and love carrying us through the night of our trials and suffering. “None other than God Himself,” Wright said.

Personally, I always thought the song was about a guy who was on an acid trip and was just trying to make it through the night until the morning light.

Here are the song’s lyrics.

I have just closed my eyes again
Climbed aboard the Dream Weaver train
Driver take away my worries of today
And leave tomorrow behind

Dream Weaver, I believe you can get me through the night
Dream Weaver, I believe we can reach the morning light

Fly me high through the starry skies
Or maybe to an astral plane
Cross the highways of fantasy
Help me to forget today’s pain

Dream Weaver, I believe you can get me through the night
Dream Weaver, I believe we can reach the morning light

Though the dawn may be coming soon
There still may be some time
Fly me away to the bright side of the moon
And meet me on the other side

Dream Weaver, I believe you can get me through the night
Dream Weaver, I believe we can reach the morning light

MMLM Photo Challenge — Bad Trip

Fandango6 Comments

img_1610“It was awful,” Erica said. “I was up to my chest in a sea of stones, unable to move.  A thorny, wire mask covered my head and it was tearing at the skin on my face. Blood was dripping down my neck onto my shoulders. It was horrible. I tried to scream, but I couldn’t.”

“Oh my God,” Joanna said.

“I looked up towards heaven and started to pray. ‘God,’ I said, ‘what have I done to you for you to do this to me?’ And then the clouds parted, the dark skies lightened, and God sent me a sign.”

“What sign?” Joanna asked.

“It was a large, beautiful moth,” Erica answered. “It landed atop of one of the wire protrusions at the top of the mask. It was flapping its wings in slow motion.”

“What did it mean?” Joanna asked.

“It meant,” Erica said, “that I was having a freakin’ bad trip on that LSD I got from Steve.”

Written for today’s Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Photo Challenge prompt. Image credit: Enzzo Barrena.

#writephoto — The Young Earth

Fandango14 Comments

img_1351Jason’s kids spotted the two large boulders, ran over to them, and started climbing on them. “Be careful, kids,” he yelled after them.

When Jason caught up with them, they asked him how the boulders got to be in this lush, green, semi-tropical forest surrounded by brush and trees. They seemed to be strangely out of place.

As an amateur geology buff, he was happy to explain. “Geologists believe,” he said, “that the boulders were deposited around here back when the planet was going through the ice age. That was about two and a half million years ago. Huge boulders like these were pushed south ahead of the massive, migrating glaciers.”

“That can’t be right, Daddy,” said Michael.

“Yeah, Daddy,” chimed in Susan. “Mommy’s boyfriend told us that planet Earth is only six or seven thousand years old.”

“Right,” added Michael. “That’s what Peter told us. He says that the Bible says so.”

“I see,” said Jason, irritated that his ex-wife was allowing her new boyfriend to fill his kids’ heads with this young earth bullshit. “Well,” Jason said, “some people believe in what is called the ‘young earth theory.’ But there is no science behind that theory.” The Earth was actually formed more than four billion years ago.”

“Peter said that the scientists are mistaken,” Michael said. “He said that, according to the Bible, God created the Earth, which is the center of the universe, just six or seven thousand years ago.”

“And he said that because the Bible is the word of God, it must be true and the scientists are wrong,” Susan added.

“Okay, kids,” Jason said, “we can talk more about this later. Go ahead and play for a few more minutes and then we’ll have to start heading back before your mother starts wondering if we got lost on our hike.”

When the kids were out of earshot, Jason pulled out his cellphone and called his ex-wife. When she answered, he simply said, “Jane, we have to have a serious conversation.”

Written for this week’s Thursday Photo Prompt from Sue Vincent.