Wednesday, September 6, 2006

And Knowing is Half the Battle*...

That's probably a trademark phrase, and if it is, someone should let me know and I'll change it (although it happens to be really really fitting for this post...)

What is knowledge?

Cori brought up a really great point in her comments under my This I Believe post (which also might be trademark... "Knowing" if they are or not may cost me the war, I think...) She wrote:

[...] I always struggle when people talk about what we can 'know' and not 'know'. I guess the very term 'know', and what we mean by knowledge varies somewhat. For example, (and its hard to avoid cliches, sorry!) how do you 'know' your mother loves you and does that kind of 'knowing' differ from your 'knowing' that there is such a thing as gravity? [...]
Knowledge is defined by Websters as:

  1. the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association
  2. the range of one's information or understanding [answered to the best of my knowledge]
  3. the circumstance or condition of apprehending truth or fact through reasoning : COGNITION
  4. the fact or condition of having information or of being learned [a person of unusual knowledge]

I think when we talk about knowing whether or not there may be a god, a lot of people who believe in such a god speak of him or her as if they know. My mother is one of these people. She knows god exists and has a very personal walk with him through the minutiae of her daily life. But when we look at the definition of knowledge above, we can see she (and many others like her) are missing a few key aspects in regards to this knowledge: namely "the circumstance or condition of apprehending truth or fact through reasoning." What they feel they do have is "the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association."

Cori's example of "knowing my mother loves me" is definitely not something I can look up in a book and read about. This isn't something I can take a college course on, test in a laboratory, or even base a degree on (unless your name is Dr. Ruth). So how do I know my mother loves me?

Some may call it a natural feeling, some may call it intuition or common sense, others may say, "How can you not know? What kind of a silly question is that?" Love is typically shown and verbally acknowledged; my mother not only says "I love you," but she sacrifices of herself to do things for me; she buys small gifts; she calls to chat; she shows a myriad of verbal and physical acts to show her love, not because she feels she has to or needs to prove it to me or anything. She just does things out of her consciously perceived knowledge of what love is and should be. I believe this falls under the "fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association" part of the definition. Through repeated experiences and association, I have come to know of my mother's love for me. Some may think this is a given, but one only need look at some of the lives children lead in this country (and world) to know that a mother's love isn't always there, nor is it always unconditional when it is there. It is also something that is not just a given under any circumstances, otherwise people would never doubt love and what it means or how it affects their lives. "Love," I believe, is not only a learned condition, it is more than anything an active choice. (I may post on this later, but for a quick summary, see the next paragraph; otherwise, continue your adventure below the following paragraph...)

There are some people in life we cannot stand. They get on our very last nerve; they find our buttons and not only push them, but push fast and repeatedly. And some of those people in my life, I share blood with, and I have to choose to love them; otherwise I simply wouldn't bother or care about these individuals... and that can be very very hard to do sometimes. I think you know what I mean here. "Love" is not simply something that is felt (although on the surface it may seem so, and at times may the whole extent of "love" we feel for a given person), but for true love to be realized and actualized, it must be a conscious decision and action...

Hmm, that tangent went longer than expected, but I think it exemplifies what a knowledge and experience of "love" is, and how "knowledge" plays a factor. But if not, feel free to express it below on comments! :)

Now when we speak of a knowledge of a god(s), a lot of us say we "know" god through experience and association. But "knowing" god--and this I feel is key to why "knowing" god simply isn't knowledge but something else entirely--not only takes into account the "can't study, can't test, can't learn" scenario of my mother's love for me, it also is only "experienced" (and I use that term loosely here) in the mind of any given individual. What you see as an example and showing of your god's love for you may be just a daisy growing in the cracks of an alley in inner-city New York. Or perhaps a chocolate candy in the shape of Mary. Or maybe something like being the only miner to survive a cave-in in West Virginia. Who knows?

It's all subjective. God never sends an e-mail letting you know he loves you (Hey, Jason, this forward made me laugh so hard I stomped my feet in the Indian Ocean and flooded the Philippines--again. LOL! Love, God): it's a feeling you get when you stare at the daisy. God never leaves you a voice-mail extolling the depths of his love for you ([Beeeeep] Hey Jason, God here. We still on for burgers after the Wednesday night service? Give me a ring or a prayer or something; otherwise me and the kid are hitting some strip joints in San Fran after smiting a few Palestinians--thanks!): it's a feeling you get when reading the Christmas story. God never pats you on the shoulder (physically or metaphorically) (Hey, Jason, way to go! Now, to really get on my good side...): it's a feeling you get when you feel you've done the right thing ...

My mother actually pats me on the back. She leaves me messages on my voice-mail saying she loves me. She sends e-mails just because. I don't think she's loves me because I heard a pretty bird singing in the park; I don't feel her love by listening to the wind in the trees. Not only is the physical realm the extent to which I am shown my mother's love, it is the things she physically does that extends to me her love for me. It is in the physical realm which she also occupies and from which she affects my world in measurable and easily objectively viewable ways to which my knowledge of her love is confined.

We can never know of anything which isn't in the physical realm, and we certainly can't take a physical trait and/or attribute and/or thing and assign it to a nonphysical, nonobservable being and say its an act of love or a knowledge of said being. And while we will also never know everything there is to know about the physical realm, the things we do know are only based on the physical realm; and anything we imagine we know outside of the physical realm can only be based on the physical realm which is the whole reason society's concepts of god(s) always changes through time. Because god and his attributes and his rules and laws and such are what we imagine they are and should be: based on our perceptions of our physical world; our present concept of right and wrong based on what we like and dislike about our physical world; and our knowledge and gained perspective on ourselves and our world.

You can never know anything about god(s). You can never test god. You can never prove (or disprove) him or her because they are not in the physical world [i.e., the four dimensions of our existence].

You can't claim a knowledge of god. You can only claim perceived imaginings, faith, and belief. And for some, that's all they need, and that's fine. I'm not here to tell you what your reality should or should not be (unless it infringes upon my perceived reality in a detrimental way).

I am here to simply say,

Stop Saying You Know.

Claim belief. Claim faith. Claim whatever the hell you want (no pun intended). But to say you know is not only misleading, I think it tends to make your god(s) seem less godly, and thus, less marketable, and ultimately, more like the Pet Rock than a deity...

As always, this is just my two cents, and if you have something to add, something you disagree with, or something totally off-topic but even remotely interesting, please feel free to let us know.

For further musings and posts about knowledge, imagination, and the physical world, see Imagination Vs. Reality by me, Musing on Metaphysics by Ergo, or even Reality Versus Imagination and Illusion.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jason,
You said it yourself, no one has to tell you your mother loves you - you know it because of the things she does for you. God does everything for you and you still refuse to see it (or actually WILL NOT admit it). The earth and all the people on it, the intricate beings and beauty that you see around you are not just here by accident. If you believe that they are an accident then you have more problems than just lack of faith. You are blind and deaf. Just because you continue to beat this dead horse over and over in your endless rants on your blog doesnt make the reality that there is a higher being, a God who created you untrue.
Just like you say there is no God because no one can physically show you evidence to prove his existence, you cannot show physical evidence that He doesnt exist either. Some things are just a matter of faith. I say all that anyone has to do is look around them and they will see evidence of God - the God of the Bible - the God who predicted all the happenings that are occurring in the world today. You say there is no God, I say there is - how can you say that I am completely wrong in my faith? I can show you proof of God's existence - can you show me concrete proof that He does not exist? No, you cant - so my question is this: If you are so adament that God is nonexistent then why is your whole blog dedicated to defending your belief? Why not move on with your life and get past your hatred of God and the things associated with Him? I believe its because you are really trying to convince yourself that He doesnt exist. He does, Jason, He really and truly does. Your unbelief does not make Him nonexistent.
You said you welcome comments and opposite viewpoints - we'll see if thats true. I am sure you love to debate - most bloggers do otherwise they would keep their opinions to themselves, but really the only debate here is in YOUR mind - whether you will accept what you know is true (God and His existence) or whether you will continue on in your unbelief. I know you would never admit on this blog that I am right, but you know in your heart of hearts that down deep you know there is a God.
"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it"......you were trained -----are you old enough and wise enough to go back and use that training? "It is a fool who says in his heart there is no God" Dont be a fool, Jason, you seem too smart for that - God can use you if you will just let go of past hurt and resentment toward Him and people who wronged you in the name of the church. You have been stubborn and hard hearted long enough - come home where you belong.

Anonymous said...

The entire catchphrase is "And now you know, and knowing is half the battle," from the public service announcements at the end of each episode of the beloved animated series G.I. Joe: Great American Hero. Continue to use it... it fits you.

:)

Jason Hughes said...

Two Anon's? I think so...

Anywho, henceforth to be known as Anon #1:

You said: how can you say that I am completely wrong in my faith?

I would never say you are completely wrong--I simply don't know if you are or not. I did say to stop saying you know because you don't. That's the essence of faith, isn't it? The belief in things unheard and unseen. I believe from my perspective and from all I've seen and experienced that there is no god--and just as I can never prove to you there isn't, you can nether prove to me there is. I have not a lack of faith--I practice faith in almost everything I do; I just don't place my faith in the sky god you profess has done so much for me--which you are more than welcome to believe, but just as my unbelief will not change reality, neither will your belief--and neither of us will know this side of the grave...

You said: If you are so adament that God is nonexistent then why is your whole blog dedicated to defending your belief?

My blog is not defending my "nonbelief." It is a working through the de-brainwashing of my childhood, the fleshing out of what I feel I truly believe, what I think about what others believe, and so on. It's about belief and nonbelief in general.

You said: Why not move on with your life and get past your hatred of God and the things associated with Him? I believe its because you are really trying to convince yourself that He doesnt exist.

I'm sorry you read "hatred" toward the nonexistant sky god--I can't hate something that isn't there. I do hate the mindset perpetuated by the right-wing, which is why they make for great blogger-fodder; I hate the way the "moral majority" uses ancient words of dead men as weapons of pain and hurt against their fellow Americans; but hate god? Might as well ask why I "hate" the emporer of Pluto on the non-planetary grade it got... It isn't so much coinvincing" myself of anything so much as a true, deep analytical look at what I was taught, what I can learn, how they mesh, what works, what doesn't, what is real, what isn't, why I think this and that and so on... It is analysis of my childhood and my adulthood--what do I believe? Why? Is this good? Is this bad? Why? What is the purpose? Self-analyzation is never bad--I dare say, more people should be honest with themsleves about their doubts and beliefs! And just because I have come to a radically differing conclusion than you have is in no way a "proof" of anything, nor a "convincing" of anyone--it is simply what I believe, what I have learned and intergrated, what I have thrown away--this blog is about all that and more. Hence the title, "Life & Otherwise..." Am I being clear about this?

You said: I know you would never admit on this blog that I am right, but you know in your heart of hearts that down deep you know there is a God.

I love how you right-wingers "claim I know there is a god" all the time--what is that shit? I could very easily claim "you know in your heart of hearts there isn't a god, but you'll never admit it." It's the silliest thing to claim--that you know what's in my heart and mind. I have admitted that 10% of the time--on this blog and other places in my life--that I think, "Perhaps." But that "perhaps" has no correlation to your concept of god, that I can guaruntee. I could say "Perhaps you doth protest too much." You know there isn't one, but instead of admitting to the big bad scariness of the unknown, you keep a feeble claim on sky god to give you purpose in what you deem a big bad scary world without sense... Hoping to see something worth while in your miserable existence...

See? We can both play that game.

Thanks for stopping by, though.

And thanks, Anon #2, for the whole quote! I was wracking my brain, and knew I was missing something, but couldn't remember the beginning part--although I kept singing in my head, "G.I. Joe! A real American hero!!"

:) Thanks, also, for stopping by!

DaBich said...

Great thinking post, Jason, as usual. I love how you put things. So, I have faith that God exists and that He loves me. I won't say I know ;)

Jason Hughes said...

:) Dabich, you are such a sweetie!

I will always fight for your right to believe!

And yes, green tea is a very much acquired taste, one which I haven't yet acquired... but if I could get coffee and beer down, green tea will follow! :)

Anonymous said...

Have you ever noticed how you contradict yourself at every turn? In one statement you say there is no God, the next you say there might be a God and there are several other places that you are wishy washy, but I do not have time to go there right now. The point is - pick a side. Either you believe or you dont......pick one

Anonymous said...

wishy washy....what a fun word!

Anonymous said...

I'll make a few brief points:

I love the email and voicemail that God would send you, were he/she/it to exist! :)

Also, you make a very insightful comment. You said that based on our current norms and rules, likes and dislikes, knowledge and understanding, we constantly change the concept of God.
That's a very good point. The God of the bible, for example, seems to get updated almost by every 2nd book!

Now, some criticism, which I believe you will accept as points to make you re-evaluate your positions.

Your basic position on God, and on knowledge in general, is one of skepticism. You make no claims to knowledge, and you argue that no one else can legitemately make claims to know whether or not God exists.
If you think carefully, skepticism is self-refuting. If skepticism is your grounding principle, what makes you so certain that certain knowledge is not possible!? If no one can really *know* whether or not God exists, how do YOU *know* that no one can really know whether or not God exists??
In other words, the problem with skepticism is that you cannot make any claims whatsoever... even the claim of being a skeptic!! Hence, it is self-refuting.

Thus, we discard skepticism and move towards one of the various philosophical perspectives: subjectivism, relativism, intrincism, etc. Of them, ofcourse, I subscribe to the one that is most representative of reality--Objectivism.

Another point related to your post: when two (or more) people love each other, they make absolutely NO sacrifices for each other. A morality that preaches sacrifice as a virtue and as a package-deal with love is an evil and harmful morality--it implicitly says that all that you love, all that you value, all that you desire, you must attain through suffering and pain and sacrifice.

Note the proper definition of sacrifice is to lose something that is of value to you. A mother who saves money for her sick child so she can him medicines rather than buying for herself a pretty dress is NOT sacrificing anything! Her greater value is her own child, not the pretty dress. Therefore, she is giving up the lesser value (dress) for a greater value (her son)... a rational person always pursues his higher values without ANY NEED for sacrificing.
However, if the mother were to spend the money on the pretty dress rather than buy medicines for her son--assuming that she still loves her son--she has committed a sacrifice: she gave up her higer value for a lesser value.

If you give up something that would cost you $10 so you could buy something that is $20... you didn't sacrifice anything, but obtained a higher value. However, if you give away something you own for $20 in exchange for only $10, then that is a loss.. a sacrifice.

Your mother loves you. It is NOT a sacrifice for her to take some time off to write you emails, leave your voicemails or visit you. She loves you dearly, and therefore, you are more important to her than many other things.

Sacrifice is the morality of altruism. Proper, earned happiness is the morality of egoism.

(I'm sorry this got longer than I anticipated).

Kel said...

Okay, fine, I'll throw my two cents in since Anon #1 said, "Either you believe or you dont......pick one."

You don't have to pick one. I think that's Jason's point. It's great that some believe so strongly, but others don't and we can't really say which is "right." (And we shouldn't even try!)

"I do not consider it an insult, but rather a compliment to be called an agnostic. I do not pretend to know where many ignorant men are sure -- that is all that agnosticism means."
-Clarence Darrow

Jason Hughes said...

Okay, in the order of which you were recieved after my reply to Dabich...

Anon #1:
I have to choose? What bullshit is that? Much like I don't have to choose whether I prefer lavender over fuscia, as neither has a great bearing over whether or not I have to pay my bills this month or get up for work, I don't have to choose whether I believe in sy god, or Zeus, or even Flying Spaghetti Monster for that matter! That's almost as bad as your claim to know my heart--let me guess, you dressed up as the Holy Ghost on Halloween and now you think you can act like him too?

Choosing would imply that I have found what it is I seek--and I have not. Sometimes I'm not even sure what I seek. Maybe I never will. Is this wishy-washy? I doubt very much that term would suffice, as the questions, thoughts, and feelings set forth in the post were very heartfelt--yet you denigrate them to "wishy-washy"? You pick up that term in Sunday school with your fellow five-year-olds? Why the need to disrespect and trivialize someone else's beliefs and thoughts? Do you find them that troublesome?

I digress. Saying I sometimes ponder the possibility of god existing 10% of the time, and 90% of the time I doubt it entirely, but still try to keep myself open to anything someone might have to contribute is the antithesis of "wishy-washy." I am open to learning, but I also realize where my conceived notions stand at the moment, and all those need consideration when pondering something new or unthought-of by myself. While you stonewall and say "No! It can't be! You are wrong!" I at least entertain notions and thoughts of possibility, pencil in what fits at any given time, erase what needs reevaluated, and maybe, one day, when I am satisfied with my journey (which I hope to never be, which is as you appear to be), I may set it in stone. But not before. You remember what happened to Moses the first time he carved out some beliefs in stone, don't you? He got all pissy and lost a few weeks worth of carving due to a short temper that couldn't handle something new and different at the camp... And I'm sure the wife wasn't too happy about yet another "camping trip" up the mountain to carve some more...

Call it wishy-washy if you will. Just because you are happy stagnant and willingly ignorant to experience and thought doesn't mean the rest of us have to be. I willingly don't choose to believe or disbelieve at this time; it's just icing on the cake that it pisses you off. (This is where you claim I cannot piss you off or I am not worthy to piss you off with god's grace, and you will pray for me, and you won't be back but have faith I will "return" to the church... or some other such nonsense...)

Thanks for stopping by, sorry you hate "wishy-washy"-ness (heretofor known as thought and consideration...) and hope you find the happiness you seem to be lacking at this particular moment in time... Maybe take some time you would have wasted convincing me of your posistion and have an ice-cream cone--it may improve your outlook on the wishy-washers in your life...

Anonymous #3? (or #2 again?) :)

Ergo: As always, your comments are always more than welcome, no mater how long they become! I will need more time to think through your points, although I am unsure as to whether I agree with the "skepticism" conclusion you come to yet or not...

I also like the take on "sacrifice" that you put forth, but as I said, the whole "love" thing will require further in-depth discussion, but your comments concerning it are under advisement. :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Kelly You better still stop by with your two cents after your last day at work tomorrow!!! I'm gonna miss having you around, esp. the way you roll your eyes whenever Wendy or Rita approach your general direction! LOL!

Great quote too! Very fitting for some in this crowd!

Anonymous said...

Jason, it appears that I have done an exremely awful job of trying to bear witness of my beliefs to you. For that I am terribly sorry. I hope that you will accept my apology. It is not my intention to never visit your blog again - I have several blogs I look at from time to time and yours was a link on a link on a link - well you get my point. I have visited before and I probably will again. I have a hard time with your position (which I still see as wishy-washy fence sitting - I know you hate the term wishy-washy, but I cant think of a better one at the moment). I am sorry that you have taken offense at what I have said - I thought this was a blog where alternate opinions were welcome. I see that I was wrong about that. I will not say that I will be praying for you. As cliche as it sounds I do pray for all the people who do not KNOW God everyday - so I guess in a way I will pray for you, but not specifically unless you wish for me to do so. We all have our questions about God,but we will never know the why's and how's until we meet Him face to face. There is something to be said for having faith and persevering in that faith. My intention was not to anger you or put you on the defensive - my intent was to make you examine yourself, make you think. I am sorry I did otherwise - please accept my heartfelt apology. God does not push Himself on people and I dont intend to push Him on anyone either.

Jason Hughes said...

Oh, Anon #1, you seem to take things so personally sometimes... and while we are discussing very peronal beliefs between you and I, you should not apologize (as you realy have no reason to), and you should realize that I am not angry with you. And your opinions are welcome, in that, people should feel free to express their opinions both here and anywhere.

That does not mean I will not engage your opinion against my opinions set forth, and compare them, and tell you what I think, both about what you said and how it comes across, and what I think it means or may mean. Of course I will!

"Welcome opinions" is very different from "I will disagree vehemently at times with your opinions." Both are true, and will always be true, on this blog...

And while at times I make take offense at what you say (and, you, of course, are welcome to be offended by what I say), that certainly doesn't mean a semi-constructive dialogue has not taken place and we can both take things away from it.

Hate "wishy-washy" all you want, and use that term if you so desire--I was simply expressing an opinion about the term and the way it sounded within the context of which it was used...

You have no need to apologize for expressing your beliefs and opinions, just as I never will, and I don't expect an apology for offending me! Land's sakes, apologizing for offending is one of the silliest things I've ever heard (although, of course, I've heard of people doing this before)! So, no, I will not accept it, as it is not warranted in my mind. :)

Be offended! Get angry! Voice your thoughts! Disagree! Be passionate about what you believe and know why you believe it!!

I promise to do the same in return (insomuch as it is posible!).

Kel said...

Dear Flying Spaghetti Monster,

From Spaghetti O's to Fettucine Alfredo to the Neverending Pasta Bowl at Olive Garden for $8.99, you have blessed us so. Thank you for your guidance. Please continue to watch over over carb-ridden guilt.

Amen.

Ergo said...

I'll make a few brief points:

I love the email and voicemail that God would send you, were he/she/it to exist! :)

Also, you make a very insightful comment. You said that based on our current norms and rules, likes and dislikes, knowledge and understanding, we constantly change the concept of God.
That's a very good point. The God of the bible, for example, seems to get updated almost by every 2nd book!

Now, some criticism, which I believe you will accept as points to make you re-evaluate your positions.

Your basic position on God, and on knowledge in general, is one of skepticism. You make no claims to knowledge, and you argue that no one else can legitemately make claims to know whether or not God exists.
If you think carefully, skepticism is self-refuting. If skepticism is your grounding principle, what makes you so certain that certain knowledge is not possible!? If no one can really *know* whether or not God exists, how do YOU *know* that no one can really know whether or not God exists??
In other words, the problem with skepticism is that you cannot make any claims whatsoever... even the claim of being a skeptic!! Hence, it is self-refuting.

Thus, we discard skepticism and move towards one of the various philosophical perspectives: subjectivism, relativism, intrincism, etc. Of them, ofcourse, I subscribe to the one that is most representative of reality--Objectivism.

Another point related to your post: when two (or more) people love each other, they make absolutely NO sacrifices for each other. A morality that preaches sacrifice as a virtue and as a package-deal with love is an evil and harmful morality--it implicitly says that all that you love, all that you value, all that you desire, you must attain through suffering and pain and sacrifice.

Note the proper definition of sacrifice is to lose something that is of value to you. A mother who saves money for her sick child so she can him medicines rather than buying for herself a pretty dress is NOT sacrificing anything! Her greater value is her own child, not the pretty dress. Therefore, she is giving up the lesser value (dress) for a greater value (her son)... a rational person always pursues his higher values without ANY NEED for sacrificing.
However, if the mother were to spend the money on the pretty dress rather than buy medicines for her son--assuming that she still loves her son--she has committed a sacrifice: she gave up her higer value for a lesser value.

If you give up something that would cost you $10 so you could buy something that is $20... you didn't sacrifice anything, but obtained a higher value. However, if you give away something you own for $20 in exchange for only $10, then that is a loss.. a sacrifice.

Your mother loves you. It is NOT a sacrifice for her to take some time off to write you emails, leave your voicemails or visit you. She loves you dearly, and therefore, you are more important to her than many other things.

Sacrifice is the morality of altruism. Proper, earned happiness is the morality of egoism.

(I'm sorry this got longer than I anticipated).

Anon #1 said...

Jason, it appears that I have done an exremely awful job of trying to bear witness of my beliefs to you. For that I am terribly sorry. I hope that you will accept my apology. It is not my intention to never visit your blog again - I have several blogs I look at from time to time and yours was a link on a link on a link - well you get my point. I have visited before and I probably will again. I have a hard time with your position (which I still see as wishy-washy fence sitting - I know you hate the term wishy-washy, but I cant think of a better one at the moment). I am sorry that you have taken offense at what I have said - I thought this was a blog where alternate opinions were welcome. I see that I was wrong about that. I will not say that I will be praying for you. As cliche as it sounds I do pray for all the people who do not KNOW God everyday - so I guess in a way I will pray for you, but not specifically unless you wish for me to do so. We all have our questions about God,but we will never know the why's and how's until we meet Him face to face. There is something to be said for having faith and persevering in that faith. My intention was not to anger you or put you on the defensive - my intent was to make you examine yourself, make you think. I am sorry I did otherwise - please accept my heartfelt apology. God does not push Himself on people and I dont intend to push Him on anyone either.

Anonymous said...

Jason,
You said it yourself, no one has to tell you your mother loves you - you know it because of the things she does for you. God does everything for you and you still refuse to see it (or actually WILL NOT admit it). The earth and all the people on it, the intricate beings and beauty that you see around you are not just here by accident. If you believe that they are an accident then you have more problems than just lack of faith. You are blind and deaf. Just because you continue to beat this dead horse over and over in your endless rants on your blog doesnt make the reality that there is a higher being, a God who created you untrue.
Just like you say there is no God because no one can physically show you evidence to prove his existence, you cannot show physical evidence that He doesnt exist either. Some things are just a matter of faith. I say all that anyone has to do is look around them and they will see evidence of God - the God of the Bible - the God who predicted all the happenings that are occurring in the world today. You say there is no God, I say there is - how can you say that I am completely wrong in my faith? I can show you proof of God's existence - can you show me concrete proof that He does not exist? No, you cant - so my question is this: If you are so adament that God is nonexistent then why is your whole blog dedicated to defending your belief? Why not move on with your life and get past your hatred of God and the things associated with Him? I believe its because you are really trying to convince yourself that He doesnt exist. He does, Jason, He really and truly does. Your unbelief does not make Him nonexistent.
You said you welcome comments and opposite viewpoints - we'll see if thats true. I am sure you love to debate - most bloggers do otherwise they would keep their opinions to themselves, but really the only debate here is in YOUR mind - whether you will accept what you know is true (God and His existence) or whether you will continue on in your unbelief. I know you would never admit on this blog that I am right, but you know in your heart of hearts that down deep you know there is a God.
"Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it"......you were trained -----are you old enough and wise enough to go back and use that training? "It is a fool who says in his heart there is no God" Dont be a fool, Jason, you seem too smart for that - God can use you if you will just let go of past hurt and resentment toward Him and people who wronged you in the name of the church. You have been stubborn and hard hearted long enough - come home where you belong.