Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.     Frank Zappa

One cannot be sure progress is not regress in today's mix. But I like the spirit of this quote. There isn't a dictionary printed that can satisfactorily define progress. I think, for me, the word change would be better here.

Signs and wonders

Faith Critically More Important

 Couldn'thelp overhear an intense discussion about signs and wonders at a side table in the Naked Eye recently. 

What did Jesus say about "this" people desiring a sign? (Checking location) I am myself not overly impressed with blood coming out of stones and such. The fact that there was even universal donor blood involved does not rate any big discussion for my part. The Shroud is, on the other hand, quite interesting but is still not pivotal in any way. 

Of course, now that I think on it, I am very concerned about healings. They seem worthwhile since they are so very appreciated and attracts faith. It is still, just the same, all in the seen world, and in the end, the flesh will not help us. This according to Jesus.

Grin and bare it

 

I hate it when Albert gets on my case. 😉

Some thing is getting funny around here...

 I am now finally become rather bored with all the old chestnuts dealing with the existence of God, having settled everything in that drawer to my own satisfaction. God is the I am that I am, which is to say God is Existence. My foundational view is that existence itself is good by definition, or else it could not exist. Anything bad is destruction destroying itself by definition.

So where will this lead next?  I sense a stream of consciousness coming over my spirit. It is not a time to carve anything in stone. So, I will say what I will say and let no one tell me what I am saying in my place.

Gingerbread maybe, but not foundational. Everyone says what they say, and they can keep on saying it, but not hold to making as if I am saying it for them. So let the tremble chins line up and tell me what I am saying if they want. I just will say "No, that is what you are saying, saying all for yourself, from yourself, about yourself, on your own."

My faith no more has a foundation in logical arguments made from routine believable concepts, bordering on the mundane. I am venturing on my own, off by myself all alone. I think so in any event. Both faith and fact are logically equal it seems to me in this particular moment. 

Faith experienced is always new and dynamically moving. Fact on the other hand is rooted in a final settlement, a fixed stone marking something that in time will be thought of as, "once was but no more."

Now that is getting to too toot far ahead of even me!

The original short green foliage seen earlier on Churchill's stone has been replaced with a newer inscription seen in today's Memory Stones.

Faith the full story

 I suddenly find myself isolated amid all my logical spin weaving with the proof there is not only an existing God, but that there is something greater... "a faith" in God. A faith that renders all my logical proofs redundant at best. I sense there are beliefs and there is something quite another, "believing in God". 

A Good Quote

 Nothing is impossible. 

The word itself is I'm possible.             

                                                                   Audrey Hepburn

It is more difficult to write a good short story than a good novel. It is more difficult to write a good poem or lyric than write a good short story. To write a good quote is another story.

Out of the treasure the heart the mouth speaks

The illustration highlights an example of why attacking the man begins, by attacking his argument with the logical fallacy of argumentum ad hominem.

Truth takes courage

Whenever accusations arise, they are often directed to the person rather than his issue. This reveals how true the position is. The stronger the hatred the weaker the position. I do not like entertaining such attacks, largely because they too strongly resemble the devil's operation in the mix. I avoid reactionary positions because they do not particularly outline any of my positions, but rather publicize those very likely I oppose.

Maybe the Red Sea actually parted

Red Sea seen from space on a clear day.

Does anyone believe the Red Sea ever parted and let the Hebrews cross on firm land in time for the pursuing Egyptians to find themselves caught in the Red Sea with it closing in over them?   Climatologic theories have proposed it could have actually happened at one time. It is entirely possible if the Red Sea had access to the Mediterranean Sea in the North and the Indian Ocean to the South. If this had occurred, which it could easily have as I already suggested, then this would make the Red Sea a river with two opposite tidal river sources at each end. This theory made me begin to realize proof was eroding the chance, and therefore the ability, to believe.  What belief in God do we have if it could really be so easily believed? 

When God became Man

Was not the existing pagan 

Holiday Before Christmas  

Christianized to Christmas?

The Baby in the manger theme this time of year was just slowly seeming to merge with a fading view of the incarnate God, and in turn be absorbed by a diluting Xmas. This in my instinctive view at least. 

The mother comes before her son. But is this mother before, or after "her" Son? It was not until I focused on the word incarnate that I realized it was beginning to replace the incarnate view in my view at least. 

I was internalizing the view of the seen "Baby in the Manger World." In it I was about to lose the significance of the incarnate transition from the unseen to the seen. 

The Great I am

 Anyone with an epiphany is never at the mercy of someone with a theory.

Are we to be judging God?

Who Causes Suffering?

 If there is a God, then why does He allow suffering to exist, since He is Existence Himself? My quick answer is because we, many of us at least, insist on it. Why did we insist on it? My view is because not a few gave themselves over to the chief spirit of suffering, the devil of doubt and destruction.

 So how did we do that? We were born into it, as children of suffering. How could that be true? Why would not God intervene? There was originally no need for Him to intervene since all existence is good. We ourselves intervened instead. 

We became convinced that knowledge of our own, the knowledge of good, and as it turned out, evil, would be better than God's given knowledge. So, it did turn out that our new knowledge included not only knowledge of good, but something new, the knowledge of, evil.

Knowledge not a one-way street

Much evil knowledge seems good until one gets deeper into it and then find the seeming good, changes, changes into destruction. All I can tell myself now is that since I do not have access to all knowledge, I have to trust someone I believe has. 

Why would I do that? I found the more knowledge I gained included knowledge of more questions I did not know ever even existed. So, my knowledge turned mostly the knowledge I was more ignorant of than when I was unaware the extent of my ignorance.

The daring leap

So now that our knowledge includes evil, knowledge some of us assume is based on what is only presently known. This forces them to take the only action they can take under the present circumstances of which they are limitedly aware. I find my conclusion of all these complications is that I may have been maneuvered into the unenviable position of judging God. I suggest a hasty retreat. So, I take Job's position of trusting God no matter what. Maybe this is what actual believing is, believing in an incredible God worth believing.