This is a reply e-mail I sent to the Arthur Young Group on Politics and Religion (i.e. - Hot potatoes)
God is God. Religion is the spiritual opinion of someone who died before his opinion on God's will could be openly challenged and/or verified. That person was either right or wrong. Having any intangible belief system punched into your brain from childhood will either benefit you if correct or detriment you if incorrect. Do parents have the right to send their kids to Hell because they picked the wrong belief system? And who can make that judgement call? This is why I believe all belief systems should be studied from grade school forward so that people can make a decision based on equal representation by every church. I had the good fortune of being dragged to dozens of different churches as a kid by my parents whose spiritual indecision worked to my benefit.
I believe hat if you don't get the important spiritual messages (pertinent to you) straight from God, then what good is it? All things being equal (or not) if you move to understand God...will he sit by and let you brag later on that you did all the work to get saved? Or will he move towards you twice as much as you move towards him because God lets no one beat him at anything?
As to proof of the existence of God...can a 'dead' universe create something 'greater' than itself? That being 'LIFE'?
To 'exist' at all requires that something which 'exists longer' than us, must be there to create us (or impell our existence).
To 'cease existing' after having existed means that something which 'exists less than you' must impart that 'non-existence property' to you as well.
My personal theory is that all matter has to be created and uncreated at the same time in order achieve 'stability'. If a bit of matter is being created faster than it is being uncreated (or vice versa) than you have an unstable element which either implodes (fusion) or explodes (fission). Matter must also have the ability to 'grow' up the periodic table as more energy is poured into it...and decay down the periodic table as less energy goes in or becomes available to stabilize it's existence.
I believe ETERNITY and OBLIVION interact to create TEMPORALITY wherein we exist and cease to exist. We are thus one half of each.
To continue to exist, we must stretch ourselves spiritually (during our alloted lifespan) using FAITH, towards the greater existence (which we can define or have defined for us) which theoretically impels us with life. We must 'JOIN WITH THE CREATOR' (Star Trek 1 & 5) in order to surpass death.
Politics must take into account the material and the spiritual...one being a theory on the 'tangible'...the other a theory on the 'intangible'. Everyone has the right to try and save themselves spiritually. When you take away that right...you become the architect of Hell wherein all hope is abandoned.
If you were God, would you reveal yourself at an appointed time and place to every inividual in order to instill FAITH/FEAR? Or wold you take care of the human aquarium and wait for those who sought you out on their own to reveal themselves? Or might you pick out a favorite (Abraham, Moses, etc) and give them a heroic life and a better chance for spiritual development? Or do you keep an open mind and send a savior to potentially/theoretically save everybody if they so desire?
Now teach the finer points of your best guess on religion and Politics to someone and see if millions die because you got it wrong.
It's been years since I've contributed...hope I'm not too far off topic.
GarthfromSeattle
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Been Awhile...
(Found this page was saved as a draft copy...so that worked out... )
Yeah...I've been remiss on this blog. What can I say?...life just steamrolls over a guy sometimes and you can't get centered enough to write. Just plug away at life and hope for the best. So here's the good stuff...
Today was a very good day in that I took my middle daughter to see her favorite writer who was in town, up in Ballard, doing a book signing. His name is D. J. MacHale and he is the author of the 'PENDRAGON' series. My daughter was absolutely ecstatic meeting him and got her books autographed and picture taken with him. She also gave him lots of her fan art. I also had a Kinko print made up of some Pendragon fan art I did (for my daughter on her birthday) and gave it to him. Great guy. Loved the art. Great speaker too.
Last Saturday (May 23rd 2009) I took two my daughters and my brother to the FOLK LIFE Festival at Seattle Center. This is Seattle's official 'Start of Summer' celebration...and there was thousands upon thousands in attendance over the Memorial Day week-end. Lots of musicians, lots of keen-o booths, lots of great food an such...plus the usual carnival rides. We did the ferris wheel and the 'Music Express'.
Two Fridays ago, my boss-lady gave me four free tickets to the Mariners game at Safeco Field. The Mariners beat the Boston Red Sox 5-4 in a comeback win. My middle daughter and my sister Rachael went with. My daughter was elated at seeing Ichiro close up. We had second row seats right by the right field foul post. This was my daughter's first baseball game...and a great one it was. She thought she might be bored but was pleasantly surprised at her own excitement level and the fervor of the crowds. The food was WAY EXPENSIVE!...but ya gotta have a hot dog and a drink at the ballgame. Saw Judd Hirsch at Seatac airport the next day...he was at the game too.
I worked the Big Microsoft CEO conference last week and chauffered some big corporate honchos (who shall remain nameless) and on the last day I caught a glimpse of Bill Gates driving by me at the conference center.
I picked up some Seahawks players on Monday and drove them to the new terminal 91 cruise ship docks for an autograph session/bon Voyagee event. This was my first time going there. Had lunch at 'Maggie's Bluff Grill' at the Smith Cove Marina...next to the Palisade Restaurant. What a great view of the new terminal and Marina.
Outside of all that good stuff, my 83 Olds had transmission issues. Cost: around $1,200. And this after nearly $800.00 worth of engine work was done earlier in the month. Plus tabs & title transfer fees. Financially I'm reeling.
My T.H.R.U.S.H website has attracted some attention...some weirdees too.
More later...
Garth.
Yeah...I've been remiss on this blog. What can I say?...life just steamrolls over a guy sometimes and you can't get centered enough to write. Just plug away at life and hope for the best. So here's the good stuff...
Today was a very good day in that I took my middle daughter to see her favorite writer who was in town, up in Ballard, doing a book signing. His name is D. J. MacHale and he is the author of the 'PENDRAGON' series. My daughter was absolutely ecstatic meeting him and got her books autographed and picture taken with him. She also gave him lots of her fan art. I also had a Kinko print made up of some Pendragon fan art I did (for my daughter on her birthday) and gave it to him. Great guy. Loved the art. Great speaker too.
Last Saturday (May 23rd 2009) I took two my daughters and my brother to the FOLK LIFE Festival at Seattle Center. This is Seattle's official 'Start of Summer' celebration...and there was thousands upon thousands in attendance over the Memorial Day week-end. Lots of musicians, lots of keen-o booths, lots of great food an such...plus the usual carnival rides. We did the ferris wheel and the 'Music Express'.
Two Fridays ago, my boss-lady gave me four free tickets to the Mariners game at Safeco Field. The Mariners beat the Boston Red Sox 5-4 in a comeback win. My middle daughter and my sister Rachael went with. My daughter was elated at seeing Ichiro close up. We had second row seats right by the right field foul post. This was my daughter's first baseball game...and a great one it was. She thought she might be bored but was pleasantly surprised at her own excitement level and the fervor of the crowds. The food was WAY EXPENSIVE!...but ya gotta have a hot dog and a drink at the ballgame. Saw Judd Hirsch at Seatac airport the next day...he was at the game too.
I worked the Big Microsoft CEO conference last week and chauffered some big corporate honchos (who shall remain nameless) and on the last day I caught a glimpse of Bill Gates driving by me at the conference center.
I picked up some Seahawks players on Monday and drove them to the new terminal 91 cruise ship docks for an autograph session/bon Voyagee event. This was my first time going there. Had lunch at 'Maggie's Bluff Grill' at the Smith Cove Marina...next to the Palisade Restaurant. What a great view of the new terminal and Marina.
Outside of all that good stuff, my 83 Olds had transmission issues. Cost: around $1,200. And this after nearly $800.00 worth of engine work was done earlier in the month. Plus tabs & title transfer fees. Financially I'm reeling.
My T.H.R.U.S.H website has attracted some attention...some weirdees too.
More later...
Garth.
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