Oh, the usual..

Religious discussion does seem to crop up in the most unlikely of places. I should have known then that one of the more likely locations among my regular web surfing haunts would return to said subject. Here's my own contribution to a thread on belief in God, on a UK rugby league forum I regularly visit. It's good when a forum can allow for mature discussion and without anger due to differing views. I certainly wouldn't have found that on any of the teenager dominated Aussie football forums.


On God and faith..


I believe that it's a fine thing for people to place their faith in something that might help them set a standard for good living, if they are incapable of developing their morals individually or with less structure than what a church might offer. I choose to place my faith in family and friends, and that's enough for me. If others require a belief in a higher power in order to lead a good life then so be it. I'm not one to argue against other people's interpretation of the unknown except where such interpretations are so readily illogical that they fly in the face of history, science and human achievement. I can accept that some might believe in God or in Jesus the man, but an idea like the Earth being no more than a few thousand years old makes a mockery of both faith and science.

I don't believe in an all powerful intelligence that has wilfully shaped the universe or its inhabitants, but since I can't prove that belief I'm not about to try and construct an arguments for or against it, only the issues attached. My belief is that having faith in the unknown is illogical, whilst having hope in the same is the sort of gamble that has lead to many of our species greatest breakthroughs. With that in mind it's easy to see how some of the greatest scientific and philosophical minds can accept God, as there is only a fine line between a person who has blind faith and one who is questioning and has hope. It would also seem that a majority who speak of their own faith have questioned more than they have accepted when it comes to religion.

I readily accept that some people believe in God. It's quite easy to be comfortable with the fact that other people have faith in something they can't explain. Where I take issue is when personal faith comes with a set of rules that twist and change to fit the whims of a church construct and include advice on how to deal with, act against or convert those with opposing views. Faith under scrutiny in its many religious guises looks a lot more like a mixture of blind hope and stubborn ignorance than anything worthy of praise, in particular when it won't allow for the tolerance of differing views.

Whilst I'm not bothered by those who have faith in the unknown rather than having hope, I have a problem when ignorance in the known and readily explainable is mistaken for faith. There should be no excuse for holding a belief where science or human advances have shown that previously held beliefs are faulty.

Quiz thingy #4305873409587

I love these useless, time thieving dalliances..

1. How old will you turn in 2009?
32

2. Do you think you'll be married by then?
I'd like to be, but that would depend on how expensive those Russian women are, and how best to perform adequate mind control.

3. What do you look forward to most in the next 3 months?
Start of the 2008 Centenary football season.

4. Who was the last person to call you?
Angie. Well, she texted me.

5. Do you prefer call or text?
Text. I fucking hate phones. I really do.

6. Do you have any pets?
A dog and a cat. I want a shark.

7. What were you doing at 1:30 am?
Stuffing around on facebook and wading through the many invites to applications Skye had left me. I do wonder if she was taking the piss haha. I also spoke with Phill on msn.

8. What were you doing at 3:00 am?
Finally crawling into bed.

9. When is the last time you saw your mom?
Today, when cutting her birthday cake.

10. How many houses have you lived in?
Eleven.

11. How many city/towns have you lived in?
Five - Yamba, Grafton, Western Newcastle, Wagga Wagga, Lithgow

12. Do you prefer shoes, socks, or bare feet?
Bare feet when hot, socks when cold, shoes when outdoors.

13. Are you a social person?
Yes. Although I do like my quiet down-time.

14. What was the last thing you ate?
Birthday Cake.

15. What's your favorite color?
Cobalt Blue, and then Scarlet.

16. What are you doing for your next birthday?
Nothing. My last birthday resulted in me pressing charges against a couple of idiots for assault.

17. What is your favorite TV show?
Who Do You Think You Are. It's a genealogy program.

18. What kind of jam do you like on your PB & J sandwich?
I fuckin' hate peanut butter. But the jam would be blueberry & cranberry.

19. What are you listening to?
Everything. Ears are like that.

20. Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed?
I sleep in the cool spot during summer, wherever that is.

21. Do you know how to play poker?
I like Texas Hold-Em' but the regular game isn't as fun.

22. What are you thinking about right now?
Women.

23. What are your plans for this weekend?
Go to Parramatta. Shopping. Borders.

24. Have you ever been in an ambulance?
Yes, when my dad had a stroke. When they said he was OK I walked home to the far side of the city.

25. Do you prefer an ocean or pool?
Ocean Pool.

26. Do you know how to drive a stick shift?
No.

27. What is your favorite thing to spend money on?
Books.

28. Do you wear any jewelry 24/7?
Just my musical cock ring with its built in laser show.

29. Who is the funniest person you know?
It's a toss up between my mate's Angie and Sim. Both crack me up, but are funny in very different ways.

30. What is the main ring tone on your phone?
It goes.. "ring ring... ring ring..." I really hate the majority of intrusive ring tones.

31. Do you shut off the water while you brush your teeth?
Yes.

32. Do you wish someone was with you right now?
Yeah, someone female, a nice arse and a high sex drive.

33. Are you mad about anything?
I don't get mad, I quietly and without warning react to the situation as most appropriate.

Been a while

Yep, it's been some time since my last update and plenty of water and waste products have passed under the bridge and into the ocean in that time. So a quick run-down..

- An Aunt died on the North Coast, and I only found out via email after the funeral service, because nobody bothered to ring any of us here in the mountains.

- I'm going to be an uncle. First point of order is to ensure that said niece/nephew(s) is indoctrinated into the fine social craft that is the support of the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

- I find that I make excellent banana & pear muffins. No, you can't have any. Not unless you beg or offer sexual favours, and that only works if you're female, reasonably attractive and can also dislocate your jaw at will.

- My mate Jill had her baby - A precious baby girl by the name of Morgan.

- John Howard is gone. Yes I know that is old news, but it's so good that I thought it was worth repeating.

- I now appreciate why my team doesn't win too often at pub trivia. It's because the team that wins with regularity has been taking a stack of reference books. This being the same team that stopped my mate Jill from going to the ladies room, when she was heavily pregnant, by blocking her way with their chairs, all because they believed that she was text messaging people in there for answers. These people are all in their 50's or above, so they should really know better.

- I've become somewhat of a facebook addict. I find it a lot more entertaining than I ever did myspace, which if anything is only incredibly annoying. It's also better at helping to locate friends far and wide and those from long ago. Excellent stuff.

Evel

Very few people or events ever truly amazed me has a kid, or impressed me. One guy who never failed to capture my attention or fill me with awe was Evel Knivel. By the time I was born his career was already winding down, but that never interfered with the man's popularity. An amazing guy and he will be missed.

Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel, Jr. October 17, 1938 - November 20, 2007