Most Christians that I have listened to, entertain this immense logical fallacy within their stated beliefs, one which cries out to the wilderness for resolution.  But human beings have evidently a limitless capacity to deceive themselves when it is convenient to do so, and so everything proceeds as if all is well.

     Most Christians claim that they believe that God created the entire universe and everything in it.  Most Christians claim that He is all-powerful and all-knowing.  Many also claim that He knows everything about what is to come.

     But then, they turn around and staunchly state their belief in the Devil (never mind that nearly everything they believe about Satan originated in the mind and poetry of John Milton, some 14 centuries after everything in the Bible was codified and set in stone; we can discuss that another time.) and they name the Devil as the enemy and the source of evil and usually the perpetrator of all evil .... which reduces to a belief that there is such a thing as evil, that there exist  bad ideas,  bad actions and many easily induce that therefore there are bad people.

     The fallacy is glaringly obvious, is it not?  Is God in control?  Diod He create everything?  Then where did this devil fellow come from?  and how can he do all the things attributed to him, unless God actually chooses and wants for him to do so?

     I have my own answers for all of this .... God's been more than patient with me in working them out and leading to udnerstandings which do not require any such paradoxes and hypocrises, because for some reason I can't function that way, I won't tolerate lying to myself, I cannot live with that kind of internal conflict.  How you all do it is beyond me.

God bless .....

Cabbages and Kings

It occurs to me that if Charles Dodgson were alive today, he would have so much of the same crap to make fun of, except that only it seems to be a lot worse ....

On the other hand, he would never be allowed to publish, and in fact he would no doubt have been thrown in jail and the key ceremonially destroyed (or placed upon an extremely oversized glass table, out of his reach?), for his relationship with Alice, now wouldn't he .....

Socializing

     This past week has seen about a dozen different incidents which all reiterate an old, favourite theme of mine.
     I have had communion and discourse with a retired far eastern man and broken bread with him.  We've talked about religions; he styles himself as an independent, loves nature and the earth and this world, but does not fully trust any human being or any organized faith.  At heart he and I see eye to eye; I attend a protestant church mainly for the friendship and warmth (an AME church, actually!) and to make music, but I commune privately with God and do not accept the assertion that Jesus is the only way to find Him.
     I have had communion and discourse with an indian man and broken bread with him.  He has training in the Hindu faith and traditions and teaches Yoga, but he also styles himself as an independent and he and I also find common ground in matters of the heart and spirit.
     I have had communion and discourse with a young african american man and broken bread with him.  We share much frustration at the continuing disintegration of our society, of customs and propriety and common decency, of a work ethic, of the spread of willful stupidity, sloth and decadence.

     All three of them, and others, silently cry out to me of their loneliness and isolation.

     Through all of this I keep coming back to this simple fact in our society now.   That there is basically no place left where people can congregate and socialize and meet other people, chit chat or debate or tell tall stories or play .... with just certain exceptions, one being inside ones own family IF one has a family, one being church IF one is willing to embrace whatever particular flavor or furniture style of mythology which that church espouses, or a bar IF one has money and is willing and able to continually buy and consume drinks for the duration of one's attendance.

     I see that as a problem.  In fact, I think its fatal.  No, I can't fix it, I have no idea how to go about it.  But I think it accounts for the inexorable breakdown of everything else. Want to blame something for the lone gunmen, the mass murders which seem to be occurring with more and more frequency these days?  Or the crime, the lack of trust, the high prison rate, the recidivism, the high divorce rate, the lack of family cohesion? I guess there's nothing to do but to wait for total collapse.  It won't be much longer ....

animals

     I think that the only difference between men and other animals is that men think that there is a difference between men and animals.  Think about it ....

Social

     Seldom ever addressed, one of the crises, the crying unmet needs of our society, are opportunities for socializing.  No longer may kids go out and play" on the street, and teenagers will be routinely harassed by authorities any time and place they get together.  If adults do it, its called "loitering."  There are a few places left where people can still go, like bars or churches, during restricted hours, but there is a strong expectation for money to change hands for the opportunity.  Why should people always be required to spend money in order to meet, congregate, converse, and relax together?  Obviously not everybody can afford to do so.  The problem is the most acute for people who don't have families.  This has to be a contributing factor towards all the craziness today ... what is called "normal" in our culture and society is something bordering on total escapism and autism, like adapting to a permanent cocoon ....