Monday, August 3, 2009

Concerns

I know it is late, but -as usual- I am unable to sleep. I have been busy thinking; which is suppose is the fulcrum of my plight. Nevertheless, if I am to sleep, I must write down these thoughts. About two weeks ago I commenced to study one of my introduction to logic books. I decided to do this so as to refresh my understanding of some of the more basic tenets of predicate and syllogistic logic. While examine a particular argument contained within the book that I was reading, a curious thought was spawned in the deepest parts of my mind. Due to such an occurrence, it was necessary for my sanity that I deposit those thoughts into something more manageable in my mind -thus, I began to obsess over, and extensively analyze, the meaning behind the argument that I was exposed to. Unfortunately, I do not have access to the book at the current moment, so I cannot provide a precise quote. However, I will, for the time being, provide what I can remember.

"And, as a last characteristic, we are told that this God, who prescribes forbearance and forgiveness of every fault, exercises none himself, but does the exact opposite; for a punishment which comes at the end of all things, when the world is over and done with, cannot have for its object either to improve or deter, and is therefore pure vengeance. So that, on this view, the whole race is actually destined to eternal torture and damnation, and created expressly for this end"
-Author Schopenhauer
When Reading this quote, what is it that comes to your mind? Perhaps, you feel anger and contempt for the words that your are reading on your monitor. Or, you may wish to react to Schopenhauer's claims by dismissal or pitiful justification. This quote is strong; I do recognize that it has much validity upon first glance. While we all live on this earth and experience a quantities upon quantities of injustices, we are left with the ever-looming preoccupation and wonder that manifest itself in the form of "why?". This quote demands a more substantial "why?". For if this quote is right, then you, me, and all other living creatures have been used like some type of puppet that was created out of pure hate and desire to witness the suffering and pains of conscious beings. God is all loving is he not? Does it not follow that there is a greater meaning? Is it not true that we have value? If not then why, when we move, interact, think, dream, and wonder, do we feel that there is something more something.... say.... unfathomable about existence? These were just parts of the many wholes that were crossing my mind as fast as my neurons were capable. I began to look at the structure of Schopenhaure's claim and I began to look for errors, perhaps something that he had missed or overlooked. However, before exposing to you what I might have found, take a moment and think about this quote and what it requires to be true -the scary thing is that most religions and spiritual beliefs that invokes or recognizes God, holds that there will be a judgment and the in that moment retribution will be executed and that justice in its totality will be satisfied in conjunction with the purity of mercy. But will it? If God is to judge us and provide any type of punishment how will that be possible? Is it even conceptually the case that finite beings -like ourselves- that are subject to desires, passions, and the causal conditions of this universe, are able to be judged and, in some cases, punished forever? Would God be good if he were to do so? I think that the answer is obvious. I began to provide some counter arguments like: well, since God knows all men and the individual propensities, then it must be such that God is able to assign a punishment based upon his understanding and knowledge. However, there is a very serious problem with this claim -if God is able to make such omniscient judgments, then why was the earth necessary? Why make men go thought hell and suffer? If he knew what I would do and how I react and how I think and choose and move and act and react and want..., then it appears that this earth is arbitrary and we should have just proceeded onward. So, their must be something more. Something more significant. Before proceeding, I want to make it explicit that I do not claim that I know God's will or mind. I believe such a feat is impossible. However, the claims that I make are what I have arrived at via deep thought and consideration... And will be completed at some future time -BUT NOT TONIGHT. (I do have them written down, I am just now to tired)

1 comment:

  1. riley im glad you got tired at the end of your post... it was a good one but it did make me a little sleepy!

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