RSS
 

Archive for the ‘thought’ Category

the necessity of knowing and writing

20 Nov

What does anyone have to say that has not already been said in the arena of theology, philosophy, and life? Ecclesiastes tell us that there is nothing new under the sun. So why should we continue to write?

First, my experience has been that just because something has already been said, doesn’t mean that the people reading (or listening) haven’t heard it before. Second, it seems that just because something has been said, doesn’t mean that it has been understood. So, sometimes we need to say it again, in a different sounding way, so that the reader (or listener) can understand. Further, it seems that just because something has been said, doesn’t mean that it was correct. True, if everything has already been said then the truth has already been spoken to correct what was wrongly spoken. However, that doesn’t mean that the people listening have heard what is correct. In fact, many readers (or listeners) may be subscribing to a incorrect idea simply because they have not heard (point 1) or have not understood (point 2) what the truth is. So it seems that writing (and speaking) is necessary, even if the content has been said before.

 
1 Comment

Posted in philosophy, thought

 

Shared Experience and Knowledge of God?

11 Aug

The question of gaining knowledge about God is an ancient one. Is there a god? Can we know about him/her/it? How can we know about him/her/it? What is he/she/it like? All these and more are questions which people have sought to answer for years. One small wave of discussion in the ocean of conversation concerning this topic is the idea that shared experience of all humankind leads us to a knowledge of God. Is there a shared experience among all humans that gives us common ground upon which to stand? Is there something that we all have in common that links humanity and forms a foundation upon which we can build our knowledge of God?

Augustine seemed to argue that indeed there was such a common ground. This common ground is our shared experience of frustration with the world. Things ought not to be as they are. We cannot put our finger directly on it, but we know there is something missing. This is summed up with his famous quote, (speaking to God) “You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

Karl Barth, similarly ,points to conscience as that shared experience among all men which brings us to knowledge of the righteousness of God. He argues in the opening of his work The Word of God and The Word of Man that such knowledge cannot come through our reasoning alone, nor can it come by communication from one man to another, but instead it is found seated in the depths of man’s conscience. All men have the experience of conscience, thus it appears (at face value at least) that this experience is common among men and able to give us knowledge of God.

Yet Ludwig Feuerbach’s critique of such an idea of shared experience challenges well this notion. Is this idea of conscience, or frustration and longing for fulfillment simply human awareness of itself and nothing more? Has anyone really spoken about God, or was it simply a projection of our own thoughts and fears?

So does shared experience lead to any common ground upon which we can find knowledge of God? Is this the right starting point for knowledge of God, the wrong starting point, do we need a starting point or can we obtain a starting point? What do you think?

 
No Comments

Posted in philosophy, theology, thought

 

Thoughts…

06 Aug

The mind does not stop. Even if you stare unblinkingly at the television and do not react when called upon, even if you try to stop your mind, and even if you go to sleep, the mind does not stop. So where do all these thoughts go? How many of your thoughts actually see the light of day through speech, writing, or action? I would wager that some of them ought not to ever be exposed, but sometimes, there are those thoughts that seem to dangerous to explore. Thoughts that you might try to hide or not inquire upon for fear of losing who or what you are or out of fear that we might lose the esteem of others. Those very thoughts are often what we need to visit most, yet are pressured into pushing them aside into the abyss of emptiness. I want to explore all thoughts and ideas that the mind touches upon. Some of them will be rather docile and tame. Others will be extreme and radical. Some will be commonplace, while others may be rare. Let’s not avoid our thoughts, let’s not cover them up out of fear, let’s explore the places that they take us and see if they are worth the ride.

 
No Comments

Posted in thought

 
Newer Entries »