[thechat] Mythology was comics

Joe Crawford jcrawford at avencom.com
Thu May 24 02:50:35 CDT 2001


If I may...

    Things are.

Rightness and wrongness are constructs not in synch with the way the
universe works. I have spied beautiful sunsets. I have lived in fear of
nuclear annihilation. I have lived through flooding homes. I have lived
through injustices to my person, and to my family, and to my friends. I have
taken, and given cruelty. I have watched life leave peoples' bodies.

I have been there to 'unplug' ventilators, and wipe the brows of the dying.
I have seen people who /should/ have died live. I have watched infants be
born. I have watched infants die.

I have seen people of great faith, and people of no faith.

As for religion & faith - I have seen it be the rock on which people build
their lives. A rock which gives them the strength to do great things for
their fellow human beings. I can't shake the thought that so many of the
very religious people of the world, are also on the right side of things in
places where injustice is happening. Some of the first folks who headed for
the American south during the struggle for civil rights were priests and
other faithful. That to me is an indicator that religion just might be a
legit way to go.

I have also seen people use their faith as a blunt object against those they
love, and seen the effects of that cruelty. And certainly religion has been
central to lots of bloodletting, an indicator that religion, like other
human endeavors (like science!) might likewise not have all the answers.



But to me, it boils down to how you treat people.

And as to the whole reality thing:

    Things are.

What more do you need to know?

Things are, and we are meant to enjoy them, and not get in the way of other
people enjoying them. Justice, beauty, aesthetics, - all stem (to me) from
an appreciation of the "universe" around us, and of the people, who are also
part of that universe. And actually, myself, who is also likewise a part of
that universe.

I don't weigh in on the issue of first causes, or of guiding intelligences,
or cruel gods, or forgiving gods, or ambivalent gods. It's a worthy
question, which must be asked, but I don't find the answer particularly
compelling. I /don't/, however, begrudge anyone who seeks these answers,
this would violate the principle of people trying to enjoy the world.

And that's my first attempt to put my -- er -- faith? philosophy? religion?
way-of-life? operating system? -- into words.

Thanks for the excuse to ramble. And thanks also to those of you sharing
your own perspectives on the some of the really /tough/ questions of life.

^_^

    - Joe <http://artlung.com/>





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