tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4690119989265676870.post557105536724781553..comments2023-03-25T15:32:51.744+02:00Comments on Mine for the Taking: Chapter Six: Tales from the Trails (Part V)FreeFoxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00096319447345952569noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4690119989265676870.post-68456338937901579132011-03-08T07:17:53.024+02:002011-03-08T07:17:53.024+02:00Ok, I've avoided this for about as long as is ...Ok, I've avoided this for about as long as is healthy, I guess.<br /><br />I didn't want to say much because, in essence, your post seems to confirm my own little pet theory about God. We all come to a personal understanding of God that is pretty much an image of what we want to see, that give us what we want at the time. We go after the stories that attract us and then define our personal God through them. Heck, even atheists pick and choose their stories, and they love the contradictory parts to prove their own point...<br /><br />Another blogger friend of mine, a Christian, openly talks about how he came to the faith as a boy without a father figure, and God filled the empty spot of 'Father' in his life. Now that he's older, and with a strange blindness to how he's changed his own faith, he has transformed God into more of a social activist friend and he concentrates on different parts of the bible now. <br /><br />It's a brilliant passage, to put your warm memory of your sister with the memory of that decision that condemned you to jail. In that painful memory and the situation, what else could you do but tell God, "well, f you, too!" In pain, see pain, be pain. <br /><br />The OT stories you list in this post reminded me of another thing I read about the OT God. He isn't so much the God = Love thing that is supposedly in the NT, but instead, he acts much like a proud man <em>in love</em>. (and therefore, quite capable of anything really, including hurting his beloved).<br /><br />I do like this post. It's placement is good too, right after the encounter with the Americans, and with the backdrop of the natural amphitheatre. (The name and story behind 'Devil's Point' dovetails beautifully, too :-) )<br /><br />I don't know. I'm starting to ramble, but it sounds like you've found your God, or at least an adversary to wrestle with. <br /><br />Just please take the time between matches to keep getting the story down.<br /><br />Be seein' ya. :-)Andrewhttp://godwillbegod.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4690119989265676870.post-55213694528212786422011-02-13T00:35:19.614+02:002011-02-13T00:35:19.614+02:00an immense natural amphitheatre made up of moss-co...<em>an immense natural amphitheatre made up of moss-covered rocks and steep slopes. And I felt very lost, and small, and terribly exposed to the heavens.</em><br /><br />I need to go and see this place. I read this and almost felt there, and then realized I need to see it.<br /><br />A very good post. I know that I could comment on some things, but this deserves some respect and silence. Maybe the next time through I'll pick at things, but not now.Andrewhttp://godwillbegod.com/blog/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4690119989265676870.post-59520766815287936282011-01-19T11:40:20.690+02:002011-01-19T11:40:20.690+02:00Perhaps logical was the wrong word, but, please, l...Perhaps logical was the wrong word, but, please, let's not go there! It will only distract you from your writing, which is what none of us want.Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11965535693027179744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4690119989265676870.post-80085008174270162282011-01-18T20:08:08.452+02:002011-01-18T20:08:08.452+02:00I'll prob go into this later a lot more, but I...I'll prob go into this later a lot more, but I have to disagree here a bit. While I can totally understand why someone would see no reason to believe in God, the only "inescapable" conclusion I can see is that obviously there cannot be a God who is all-powerfull, all-knowing, and all good. The Atheists choice is that God is not "knowing" at all - that there is no conscious being but just a set of natural laws that blindly rule everything. I can see why that is one logical conclusion. But it also quite possible to have a God who isn't all-powerful, like, the powers of Light and Darkness fighting each other, each of roughly equal strength, or many gods and spirits with their own domains, none absolute ruler over all, or - and that is the one I'm most inclined to see as pefect description for reality - God is almighty, and He is aware and knowing, but <i>He simply isn't good</i>, in any straight, meaningful human sense.<br />God's a bastard. If you accept that, the rest makes perfect sense.FreeFoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00096319447345952569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4690119989265676870.post-4120939202658544002011-01-18T12:51:11.966+02:002011-01-18T12:51:11.966+02:00Some of those conclusions about God and faith are ...Some of those conclusions about God and faith are inescapable for anyone with an analytical mind, I think. The logical result of those conclusions is atheism, but in some ways that's even more difficult to come to terms with.Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11965535693027179744noreply@blogger.com