Well it's only one more month till the due date and we got everything we can ready for the alien baby. A new dresser, child seat, etc. The shopping part was kind of fun. So we just sit back, relax, and worry about stuff. Honestly though it doesn't seem quite real yet though... I guess thats normal for a guy though. I mean the woman has this thing growing in her for 9 months or so, while we just watch really. I assume it will feel real once its actually born. Unless it really is an alien, then I suppose it will take a little longer.
It is apparently going to be a big baby. And if its a boy i think we'll name him Eli. What do you think? We haven't decided if its a girl. If it is a sexless alien then Xrblixs.
By the way, I finally gave in a rented X-men 3. It was total crap. Why on earth did they fxxk it up so bad.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Religious Babble
I felt like writing about religion today. I wrote this essay a while ago about inter-religious understanding, you know if and how someone from one religion (or someone with no religion) can even have a meaningful conversion with someone of a different religion. I said yes but only if one accepts that the other religion is true. I figure there are 4 positions one can make in regards to another religion. (And since I'm Christian I'll use that as an example)
First you can say everyone else is wrong except those who share your faith (or lack thereof) -- obviously not much conversation happening here. Or you can say "Yeah, those guys say some great things, I lot of it is true -- I mean the parts that agree with my own faith. Maybe we had the same origins but they screwed if up somehow." This only sounds more tolerant at first but actually its no more tolerant than the first. The other guys still end up in Hell, or may Heck. The third position is to say that all religions are the same and only appear different. This sounds pretty good too, but it ends up being just as intolerant as the first position. Why? Well, first of all to say all religions are the same you have make pretty strict definitions of what religion is. One I often here now is "inner spirituality" or something. Or maybe morals. If you say that REAL religion is your own inner feelings or whatever, your saying all the millions of people that believe otherwise are wrong. Again, it amounts to the same thing as the first position.
So we seem to be stuck then. But there is a fourth position. Religions all claim some absolute and universal Truth. But why does there have to be just one? Why can't we say that different religions give their own interpretations of what Truth is and have their own religious "goals." Liberation is True according to the Buddhist way of life AND salvation is Truth in the Christian one. And what about Hell then? I say why deny it (I mean as a Christian) Hell means being without God. Now this is a moot point for A Buddhist who's world-view contains no God (and by God I mean Judaeo-christian-muslim God). Only then can we talk and learn from each other. There is no point in trying to find some one ultimate truth that ties everything together, and from a Christian point of view at least, this is something only God knows.
Well, this all sounded great. I can keep my own faith while accepting those of others. However, recently I've gotten interested in Islam. Now Islam and Christianity are talking about the same God! What I was saying might work great for Buddhists and Christians who are different enough from one another to talk about two ultimate Truths, but what about Muslims and Christians. We talk about the same God but say totally different things about Him. Can we even have a conversation with each other without saying "you're wrong"? If I admit that Islam is true, I have to admit that mohammed is a prophet and accept the Quran. If I do that how can I say accept the Trinity? Can I still be a Christian an not believe that Jesus is the living God?
And thats where we're ending today because I don't have any good answers.
First you can say everyone else is wrong except those who share your faith (or lack thereof) -- obviously not much conversation happening here. Or you can say "Yeah, those guys say some great things, I lot of it is true -- I mean the parts that agree with my own faith. Maybe we had the same origins but they screwed if up somehow." This only sounds more tolerant at first but actually its no more tolerant than the first. The other guys still end up in Hell, or may Heck. The third position is to say that all religions are the same and only appear different. This sounds pretty good too, but it ends up being just as intolerant as the first position. Why? Well, first of all to say all religions are the same you have make pretty strict definitions of what religion is. One I often here now is "inner spirituality" or something. Or maybe morals. If you say that REAL religion is your own inner feelings or whatever, your saying all the millions of people that believe otherwise are wrong. Again, it amounts to the same thing as the first position.
So we seem to be stuck then. But there is a fourth position. Religions all claim some absolute and universal Truth. But why does there have to be just one? Why can't we say that different religions give their own interpretations of what Truth is and have their own religious "goals." Liberation is True according to the Buddhist way of life AND salvation is Truth in the Christian one. And what about Hell then? I say why deny it (I mean as a Christian) Hell means being without God. Now this is a moot point for A Buddhist who's world-view contains no God (and by God I mean Judaeo-christian-muslim God). Only then can we talk and learn from each other. There is no point in trying to find some one ultimate truth that ties everything together, and from a Christian point of view at least, this is something only God knows.
Well, this all sounded great. I can keep my own faith while accepting those of others. However, recently I've gotten interested in Islam. Now Islam and Christianity are talking about the same God! What I was saying might work great for Buddhists and Christians who are different enough from one another to talk about two ultimate Truths, but what about Muslims and Christians. We talk about the same God but say totally different things about Him. Can we even have a conversation with each other without saying "you're wrong"? If I admit that Islam is true, I have to admit that mohammed is a prophet and accept the Quran. If I do that how can I say accept the Trinity? Can I still be a Christian an not believe that Jesus is the living God?
And thats where we're ending today because I don't have any good answers.
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