070823 Maybe two gods are better than one.

I think the Greeks had something back in the day.  They had gods who they could thank for the good stuff and gods who they could blame for the bad stuff.  They didn't have to split one god up into different personalities.  I think the problem with one god is the mental and emotional dance a person goes through to balance the good stuff and the bad stuff.  

We can do it better with humans. We can see both sides in our relationships and credit the polarities to humanity.  But how do you do it with a god?  Especially a "God"  that is all of everything.  

I think having two gods would work better - one good god and one bad god.   It wouldn't work as well to have one god and a "fallen angel"… it is better to have two gods with equal power. The "fallen angel" still puts the onus on the good god for creating a bad angel.  This makes the good god still bad.   One god has your best welfare in mind while the other god is "hellbent" on destroying your joy and purpose on earth.  That way when things go good you can say thanks to the good god and when things go bad,  that good god is saved from your accusations, confusion and questions.  The bad god gets the earful of rants instead.  The bonus… no questions asked.  

No questions, no confusion, no trying to figure out why a good god lets bad things happen.  No need to defend the good god's actions because they are all good.  I wonder how many atheists we would have had if we had been given this as a original narrative.  Just a thought.  Maybe no gods makes better sense, but if one needs a god… maybe two gods are better than one.  

(Written July 8, 2023)

070623 "What is Truth"

If the truth is one thing, I don’t know what that one thing is. I live in a world that is full of a vast array of diverse opinions claiming truth as their identity. How am I supposed narrow down that list to one item as the ultimate truth? I can’t even call, with any degree of confidence, any of my opinions “truth”.  Maybe nothing dwells at the top of that mountain, but some opinions are closer to the top than others. I only have what works for me and what makes sense to me.  

(Written July 6, 2023) 

070623 The Impossibility of imagining Non-existence

How do we as humans grapple with the idea of nonexistence? Maybe it isn’t easy at all. Once being aware of our existence, as the human species is, how do we go to a place in our imagination where we don’t exist. Maybe going there it is even impossible. 

It explains beliefs of heaven, nirvana and reincarnation. It explains the desire to procreate. It explains things like books, blogs,  movies and photographs. Somehow, we as humans need to go on, be that in our children, accomplishments or pictures. 

It is harder to resist something once we've experienced it. Now we have the desire for it.  We have tasted something we can’t un-taste. We have all experienced life.  No matter how difficult life is, for the most part, we desire to go on and if possible to give that experience to others. What is it about life that makes it so addicting? What is it about life that once having experienced it, it is impossible to imagine never experiencing it again? 

(written July 6, 2023)

070223 Meaning Makers

The Universe came into existence. and with it brought no meaning, no purpose, no reason for being. It was and that was enough. It asked no questions and gave no answers. It just existed. 

The Universe eventually brought into existence a collection of beings called Humans. 

Humans evolved to need a meaning to their existence. They looked to the Universe to give them meaning, but it was silent 

So they turned to Mythology and within these stories, they created meaning. That was enough for most Humans. But not for all. 

Some didn’t find meaning in the stories and myths passed down to them. They went looking elsewhere, to the work of their hands and their minds. For some it was enough, but not for all. 

Some went looking for meaning in other humans and in their relationships with them. That worked for some, but not for all. 

Some gave up the search for meaning, laid down and stopped existing. They concluded that existing without meaning was pointless. That worked for some, but not for all. 

Some were left to ponder their existence beyond the silence of the Universe, beyond their work and beyond the others. They didn’t want to stop existing as some had. Their very breath and body and the world around them amazed them so much that they figured there had to be meaning somewhere, so they wanted to keep on searching for it. 

It was then that some of the remaining humans looked inward.  They found a canvas and paint inside themselves that they could take and create their own meaning. These unique canvases looked so beautiful to the others that soon they also looked inside to find their own supplies for making meaning. One by one beautiful canvases of meaning spread across the Earth. Their sparkling luminescence made the Universe take notice. 

The Universe still void of meaning itself couldn’t help but smile. For it realized that it had brought into existence something better than meaning. It created meaning makers. 

(Written June 2, 2023) 

070123 No room to listen

You can't afford to listen. 

To listen - you risk thinking, 

To think - you risk doubting, 

To doubt - you risk changing your mind

To change your mind - you risk losing that treasure which is most precious to you.  

If you don't want to lose the treasure, you can't listen. 

So your only option is to close your ears and open your mouth.  This is is where Evangelism and Apologetics get their power.  There is no room to listen.  

(written July 1, 2023)