I was eating some sushi and the train station today waiting for my train. I had popped in the grocery store to get some items and couldn't resist the 5 piece 350 yen sushi box. It's flesh was all ripped open wide, beckoning for me to devour it whole. I had an 18 min. wait once at the station and I didn't want my sushi to go bad (...plus I was hungry) so I decided to eat it right then and there. Opening the package I discovered that what I thought to be a small packet of shouyu (soy sauce) was really a small packet of nama-wasabi (fresh wasabi). I like wasabi- it goes very well with sushi. Usually at places such as a kaiten-zushi they tuck a small dab of wasabi between the fish and the rice, so I was obliged to do the same. Lifting the slice of flesh I squeezed a small amount of the green paste onto the rice, and lifting the sushi I placed the whole piece into my mouth. I chewed into its soft goodness until the wasabi kicked in strong. The fresh wasabi experience such as this is like a small brute crawling into your nasal cavity and punching you from the inside of your head. It took me aback for a moment until I regained the capacity to take another bite. Luckily a few slices of ginger were also provided to cleanse the palate and restore the senses.
I learned today from Sarah that, according to Chinese medicine, you're not supposed to eat spicy foods when you're sick, but that ginger is soothing cure. I have a bit of a cold yet (I think it moved to my lungs- maybe walking pneumonia? I should probably see a doctor soon) and a couple of times a day resort to coughing fits that make my stomach muscles hurt. I had eaten spicy fried rice at a Chinese restaurant for lunch, which was quite delicious - much better than the dried out stuff they serve in the states - but which also evoked the Chinese medicine assertion by Sarah. I wasn't reminded of the saying until I was halfway through my wasabi, but I figured then that the ginger would at least nullify the adverse effects of the spice.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
TGD Commentary 1
These commentaries, responses and questions were all written with the author in mind. I do hope to compile all of these typed responses and send them in an e-mail to Richard Dawkins when I'm finished. The following should be read and considered in this light. I am not perfect, and my understanding of Christianity is not perfect either. I have commented based on the best of my knowledge, and will seek to include Scriptural reference wherever relevant. Please don't hesitate to add more verses or discuss my theology at any point.
Dear Richard Dawkins,
I read your book The God Delusion and liked it very much. I think it made me smarter. For example, I now know the anthropic principle. I will be upfront and say that I am a Christian. So sorry, you didn't make a convert out this reader! At least you'll always have Douglas Adams. Anyway, I took notes during the read and I have some genuine questions to ask you as the author. Some of these questions or comments may be stupid. Some may be easy to answer and maybe some more difficult. Some may simply be my ill-supported musings. I hope that some of them at least will make you think. Whatever they are, they are not intended to be rhetorical- I'm really looking for a response from you the author (and in this blog, I'm looking for any responses from atheists who may read it. Please post, comment, or e-mail me luther.flagstad@gmail.com). I appreciate your time. I know you have a very busy schedule and understand if you cannot write back; however, I though it might be worth a shot. All page references are from the book published by Houton Mifflin with ISBN# 0618680004. Thanks, Luther.
Let's begin.
My initial reaction to the book The God Delusion (TGD) is this: I am ashamed. I am ashamed at myself and my fellow Christians who have misrepresented Christianity so grievously. Dawkins quotes many people who say they are Christians, yet their quotations are not Biblical. He sites many examples of behavior by Christians throughout history that are simply atrocious. And I think about my daily life and how many of my actions hurt people. Add to this their knowledge that I'm a Christian and Christianity, yes even Christ, becomes a despicable thing to them. This is so sad, regrettable, shameful.
pg. 52. Dawkins cites Bertrand Russell's celestial teapot parable. Russell says that the onus must be on dogmatists to prove their dogmas (aka Christianity) rather than on skeptics to disprove them. He brings forth the hypothetical situation that there is a teapot orbiting the sun somewhere between Earth and Mars. The teapot is too small to be revealed by our most powerful telescopes. "But if I were to go on to say that, since my assertion cannot be disproved, it is intolerable presumption on the part of human reason to doubt it, I should rightly be thought to be talking nonsense. If, however, the existence of such a teapot were affirmed in ancient books, taught as the sacred truth every Sunday, and instilled into the minds of children at school, hesitation to believe in its existence would become a mark of eccentricity..."
I see what Russell is getting at here, and I say this: But there aren't ancient writings about teapots. People don't claim to have been spoken to by a teapot. We don't teach about the teapot in our schools today. There are ancient writings about the Christian God. The historical evidence should make the possibility that Christianity is the Truth more likely than the Celestial Teapot is the Truth. Why is it that millions of people happen to believe in Christianity and not a teapot? Did it just happen to turn out that way?
pg. 54 Ok, we see Richard Dawkins say it cannot be proved that God doesn't exist (in the same way we can't prove there isn't a teapot orbiting the sun). His argument lies with probability.
pg. 47 Dawkins is very logical with the following thoughts, and I quite like him for it:
TAP - Temporary Agnosticism in Practice. "There really is a definite answer, one way or the other, but we so far lack the evidence to reach it" Either there is a God or there isn't a God -and one of them is true- we just don't know yet which one is. One day we hope to know.
pg. 61 Richard Dawkins doesn't know what prayer really is. If you want to know what Christianity is, go to the Bible. It's totally fine if you think it's a bunch of bunk or if you disagree. That's not the point. It doesn't matter. The Bible is what Christianity is. Look to it for what Christianity is, not to how Christians behave. You want to know what prayer is? Read every verse that has to do with prayer. Look at who uses it and when and what the results are. Read what the authors have told us to do with prayer. Think critically then write a definition based on the text. Give it some thought. Compare it to the culture of the time. Look up cross references. Just don't get your definition from what Joe Shmoe Christian tells you.
pg. 66 In response to The Great Prayer Experiment. The point of prayer isn't to get what we want. Read about prayer in the Bible. It's not a formula where we ask for something and then God delivers.
pg. 55 I don't believe NOMA. Dawkins doesn't believe NOMA (NOMA is basically the argument that science and religion don't overlap). I've never tried to espouse it. I think science and a creator are inseparably intertwined. If there is a creator of the universe he should be completely compatible with the physical realm. In fact, the physical realm will point to him. Totally agree on the NOMA is bunk statement.
pg. 67 Gerry Coyne writes that "While religion can exist without creationism, creationism cannot exist without religion." I disagree. Creationism can exist without religion if that's what happened. I made a similar point when I gave my testimony at a Navigators meeting last semester: God exists far outside of my ability to say he does. Too often we as Christians cite evidence from our own lives for his existence. While this has its place and is often very helpful for others, it shouldn't be the basis for a proof. God simply is. He was here before we were. Our belief in him doesn't make him any greater, and our disbelief doesn't make him any less. If there were no people on this earth to think about him, he would still be. This isn't a proof, nor is it intended to be. It is a statement that, if this worldview is true, then this is what is.
On a related note, I rarely close my eyes when I pray. God doesn't just exist behind my eyelids. He is everywhere and his presence is always around me. I talk with him the same way I talk with a friend sitting with me in the room.
Dear Richard Dawkins,
I read your book The God Delusion and liked it very much. I think it made me smarter. For example, I now know the anthropic principle. I will be upfront and say that I am a Christian. So sorry, you didn't make a convert out this reader! At least you'll always have Douglas Adams. Anyway, I took notes during the read and I have some genuine questions to ask you as the author. Some of these questions or comments may be stupid. Some may be easy to answer and maybe some more difficult. Some may simply be my ill-supported musings. I hope that some of them at least will make you think. Whatever they are, they are not intended to be rhetorical- I'm really looking for a response from you the author (and in this blog, I'm looking for any responses from atheists who may read it. Please post, comment, or e-mail me luther.flagstad@gmail.com). I appreciate your time. I know you have a very busy schedule and understand if you cannot write back; however, I though it might be worth a shot. All page references are from the book published by Houton Mifflin with ISBN# 0618680004. Thanks, Luther.
Let's begin.
My initial reaction to the book The God Delusion (TGD) is this: I am ashamed. I am ashamed at myself and my fellow Christians who have misrepresented Christianity so grievously. Dawkins quotes many people who say they are Christians, yet their quotations are not Biblical. He sites many examples of behavior by Christians throughout history that are simply atrocious. And I think about my daily life and how many of my actions hurt people. Add to this their knowledge that I'm a Christian and Christianity, yes even Christ, becomes a despicable thing to them. This is so sad, regrettable, shameful.
pg. 52. Dawkins cites Bertrand Russell's celestial teapot parable. Russell says that the onus must be on dogmatists to prove their dogmas (aka Christianity) rather than on skeptics to disprove them. He brings forth the hypothetical situation that there is a teapot orbiting the sun somewhere between Earth and Mars. The teapot is too small to be revealed by our most powerful telescopes. "But if I were to go on to say that, since my assertion cannot be disproved, it is intolerable presumption on the part of human reason to doubt it, I should rightly be thought to be talking nonsense. If, however, the existence of such a teapot were affirmed in ancient books, taught as the sacred truth every Sunday, and instilled into the minds of children at school, hesitation to believe in its existence would become a mark of eccentricity..."
I see what Russell is getting at here, and I say this: But there aren't ancient writings about teapots. People don't claim to have been spoken to by a teapot. We don't teach about the teapot in our schools today. There are ancient writings about the Christian God. The historical evidence should make the possibility that Christianity is the Truth more likely than the Celestial Teapot is the Truth. Why is it that millions of people happen to believe in Christianity and not a teapot? Did it just happen to turn out that way?
pg. 54 Ok, we see Richard Dawkins say it cannot be proved that God doesn't exist (in the same way we can't prove there isn't a teapot orbiting the sun). His argument lies with probability.
pg. 47 Dawkins is very logical with the following thoughts, and I quite like him for it:
TAP - Temporary Agnosticism in Practice. "There really is a definite answer, one way or the other, but we so far lack the evidence to reach it" Either there is a God or there isn't a God -and one of them is true- we just don't know yet which one is. One day we hope to know.
pg. 61 Richard Dawkins doesn't know what prayer really is. If you want to know what Christianity is, go to the Bible. It's totally fine if you think it's a bunch of bunk or if you disagree. That's not the point. It doesn't matter. The Bible is what Christianity is. Look to it for what Christianity is, not to how Christians behave. You want to know what prayer is? Read every verse that has to do with prayer. Look at who uses it and when and what the results are. Read what the authors have told us to do with prayer. Think critically then write a definition based on the text. Give it some thought. Compare it to the culture of the time. Look up cross references. Just don't get your definition from what Joe Shmoe Christian tells you.
pg. 66 In response to The Great Prayer Experiment. The point of prayer isn't to get what we want. Read about prayer in the Bible. It's not a formula where we ask for something and then God delivers.
pg. 55 I don't believe NOMA. Dawkins doesn't believe NOMA (NOMA is basically the argument that science and religion don't overlap). I've never tried to espouse it. I think science and a creator are inseparably intertwined. If there is a creator of the universe he should be completely compatible with the physical realm. In fact, the physical realm will point to him. Totally agree on the NOMA is bunk statement.
pg. 67 Gerry Coyne writes that "While religion can exist without creationism, creationism cannot exist without religion." I disagree. Creationism can exist without religion if that's what happened. I made a similar point when I gave my testimony at a Navigators meeting last semester: God exists far outside of my ability to say he does. Too often we as Christians cite evidence from our own lives for his existence. While this has its place and is often very helpful for others, it shouldn't be the basis for a proof. God simply is. He was here before we were. Our belief in him doesn't make him any greater, and our disbelief doesn't make him any less. If there were no people on this earth to think about him, he would still be. This isn't a proof, nor is it intended to be. It is a statement that, if this worldview is true, then this is what is.
On a related note, I rarely close my eyes when I pray. God doesn't just exist behind my eyelids. He is everywhere and his presence is always around me. I talk with him the same way I talk with a friend sitting with me in the room.
The God Delusion Commentary Intro
I have realized a few things from reading works from atheist authors like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. These authors do not have an understanding of Christianity, and err in 3 general ways. First they think the Bible is simply a book of moral guidelines or rules and so begin arguing down the wrong path. The law shows us our fallibility. It points out a standard, and then makes us realize that we don't live up to that standard. It reveals our daily sins. The Bible then goes on to say that we need Christ as Savior, and only an identity in Him will make us righteous. Out of thid we are to do good, knowing still hta twe will not act perfectly. The second thing they miss is that Christianity is all about God and nothing about ourselves. What is the greatest commandment? Love the Lord you God. The meaning of life and existance is to bring God glory. The Bible needs to be viewed from through this perspective. Third, they do not take into consideration the forces of good vs. evil. There are 2 forces at work in this world. The hateful and deliberately cruel things that people do are not motivated from a connection to the creator of the universe. I intentionally and unitnetionally am swayed by the spinner of all lies and originator of all sin and evil (the devil). The atheists fail to take Satan into the picture when they are considering the Christian perspective.
All three of these things are essential to understanding the message. There are more, but I felt these were the three big ones that I see atheists continually skipping over when they address Christianity. If someone is going to write a criticism, that's totally fine. But they need to have a proper understanding first of the core theology. Accepting the theology and the Bible or not is completely irrelevant. Simply study the tenets so that you have a legitimate base to argue from.
Romans is a great place to start. Especially the first 8 chapters. Alright, there I will stop, for I will address many more specifics in the next few posts.
All three of these things are essential to understanding the message. There are more, but I felt these were the three big ones that I see atheists continually skipping over when they address Christianity. If someone is going to write a criticism, that's totally fine. But they need to have a proper understanding first of the core theology. Accepting the theology and the Bible or not is completely irrelevant. Simply study the tenets so that you have a legitimate base to argue from.
Romans is a great place to start. Especially the first 8 chapters. Alright, there I will stop, for I will address many more specifics in the next few posts.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
A Quick post and some pictures
Just some random picks from the last couple weeks:
http://uwec.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2102079&l=4e086&id=59501063
Sports Day!:
http://uwec.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2102081&l=a7183&id=59501063
The following was born from a conversation with my friend Will over AIM.
You know when you're doing a puzzle and one of the pieces falls out of the pile and tumbles under the couch? But you don't notice because there are so many other puzzle pieces out of place. So you keep putting the puzzle together until you've got just one empty space left, right in the middle. Not until then are you able to know what's missing. My life is like that puzzle. I didn't know what I was missing until I put all the other pieces together. And now that I've come this far, I've realized that you're the missing piece that fell under the couch. And my life won't be complete until I search under every cushion, through every strand of carpet to find you and bring you back.
http://uwec.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2102079&l=4e086&id=59501063
Sports Day!:
http://uwec.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2102081&l=a7183&id=59501063
The following was born from a conversation with my friend Will over AIM.
You know when you're doing a puzzle and one of the pieces falls out of the pile and tumbles under the couch? But you don't notice because there are so many other puzzle pieces out of place. So you keep putting the puzzle together until you've got just one empty space left, right in the middle. Not until then are you able to know what's missing. My life is like that puzzle. I didn't know what I was missing until I put all the other pieces together. And now that I've come this far, I've realized that you're the missing piece that fell under the couch. And my life won't be complete until I search under every cushion, through every strand of carpet to find you and bring you back.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
As I was biking to work this morning I passed by an obaasan (grandmother) walking her small house dog. I got to thinking about dogs as I usually do in this scenario. I often see older men and women walking various breeds of small dogs here in Kambara. I thought about dogs living in Japan; do they act differently here than they do back in the states? Of course they understand different language- do their Japanese owners tell them to “suware” (sit)? If I reproduced these same syllabic utterances, would their dog sit for me as well?
I thought about Yori living here in Japan. Would she be any different? I thought about it for a moment and then determined that no, she’d be just as inane. She’d still look at you with that same puppy dog innocence. She would still be hot on the trail after the same imaginary rodents. And that sideways trot, I’ll never forget that.
Last night I went into Shizuoka again. I’ve been going with increasing frequency, and this trend will probably continue. Now I have a draw. Ruth has introduced me to several of the Shizuoka Navigators, and I’m beginning to get involved. I went to Joy Fellowship church on Sunday with Ruth and met Brain and his wife Marjorie as well as Mark and his wife (I forget her name now). Mark has been serving with Navs overseas for more than 20 years now. He just got back from a 6000 km road trip in the US to glean laborers for the Japan mission field. He was also there to raise support and make new connections with Navigators based in the states, since he hasn’t lived there for so long.
I have been helping out with BEHOP twice a month, a Navigator outreach club for adults. Its draw is “cheap English lessons” which is a very common “in” for missionaries working over here. It has been a lot of fun, and I plan on attending every lesson I’m in town. Already the BEHOP organizer, Ginger, has roped me into helping her move furniture in her house after Church this Sunday, so I’ll be back in Shizuoka again. Ginger has been living in Japan for 12 years now, and I would guess she is getting close to 70. I asked her why she’s living in Japan and she said that she had hosted a Japanese college student each of three years in a row back in the states. Each student took a third of her heart back to Japan, so after the third one left, she just followed her heart. Ginger speaks perfect Japanese now and translates the Sunday services into English for the helplessly lost (aka, me).
Last night’s visit was to meet the new mid-termers who will be living and working in Shizuoka with the Shizudai (university) BEST Club students. BEST Club is very similar to a campus Navigators organization; however, the vast majority of BEST members are not Christians. They do all kinds of different activities together all led by Christian missionaries who also present the gospel, lead Bible studies for interested students, etc. Elbert and Mandy are the mid-termers; they’ll be here for 2 years and maybe more. At dinner I found out that Mandy is from Kearny, Nebraska, and knows Lois, my aunt! She said they went to the same Church and would say hi to each other on campus. I won’t say “small world” cuz everyone always uses those words and we know it’s true. I will say though that I think this world is more connected than anyone realizes. It really shouldn’t come as a surprise, as we discover these connections often. For me the best part about discovering the connection is not the excitement or the “what’r the odds?” but the ease of conversation that is inherent when two people share similar experiences and topics. So cool, I know new people and will be seeing them frequently this year.
I’ll leave you with one interesting observation, which apologetically I think may only be amusingly interesting to people who have lived here:
Why are the spoons so big and the toothbrushes so small when they’re both intended for the same mouth?
I thought about Yori living here in Japan. Would she be any different? I thought about it for a moment and then determined that no, she’d be just as inane. She’d still look at you with that same puppy dog innocence. She would still be hot on the trail after the same imaginary rodents. And that sideways trot, I’ll never forget that.
Last night I went into Shizuoka again. I’ve been going with increasing frequency, and this trend will probably continue. Now I have a draw. Ruth has introduced me to several of the Shizuoka Navigators, and I’m beginning to get involved. I went to Joy Fellowship church on Sunday with Ruth and met Brain and his wife Marjorie as well as Mark and his wife (I forget her name now). Mark has been serving with Navs overseas for more than 20 years now. He just got back from a 6000 km road trip in the US to glean laborers for the Japan mission field. He was also there to raise support and make new connections with Navigators based in the states, since he hasn’t lived there for so long.
I have been helping out with BEHOP twice a month, a Navigator outreach club for adults. Its draw is “cheap English lessons” which is a very common “in” for missionaries working over here. It has been a lot of fun, and I plan on attending every lesson I’m in town. Already the BEHOP organizer, Ginger, has roped me into helping her move furniture in her house after Church this Sunday, so I’ll be back in Shizuoka again. Ginger has been living in Japan for 12 years now, and I would guess she is getting close to 70. I asked her why she’s living in Japan and she said that she had hosted a Japanese college student each of three years in a row back in the states. Each student took a third of her heart back to Japan, so after the third one left, she just followed her heart. Ginger speaks perfect Japanese now and translates the Sunday services into English for the helplessly lost (aka, me).
Last night’s visit was to meet the new mid-termers who will be living and working in Shizuoka with the Shizudai (university) BEST Club students. BEST Club is very similar to a campus Navigators organization; however, the vast majority of BEST members are not Christians. They do all kinds of different activities together all led by Christian missionaries who also present the gospel, lead Bible studies for interested students, etc. Elbert and Mandy are the mid-termers; they’ll be here for 2 years and maybe more. At dinner I found out that Mandy is from Kearny, Nebraska, and knows Lois, my aunt! She said they went to the same Church and would say hi to each other on campus. I won’t say “small world” cuz everyone always uses those words and we know it’s true. I will say though that I think this world is more connected than anyone realizes. It really shouldn’t come as a surprise, as we discover these connections often. For me the best part about discovering the connection is not the excitement or the “what’r the odds?” but the ease of conversation that is inherent when two people share similar experiences and topics. So cool, I know new people and will be seeing them frequently this year.
I’ll leave you with one interesting observation, which apologetically I think may only be amusingly interesting to people who have lived here:
Why are the spoons so big and the toothbrushes so small when they’re both intended for the same mouth?
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Yo
Don't you just wish you could stay up all the time and never sleep? I do. Think how much you could get done. Think about all the cool stuff you could do all night long and never have to think about how you're missing out on the slipping-into-unconsciousness-for-several-hours state, and that you'll be paying for it the next day at work.
Why do I have to be tempted with a second wind at 10 pm? This is the time I have to be in bed if I want 8 hours...
As it is, it's 10:01 and I'm just logging on. I spent around 45 min. dabbling in one of the books I bought today- one of the 6 random books I bought on a whim at a book store in Shiz City. Shizuoka-shi really is the "shiz." I love it. I am enamored every time I step off the train. I think it's the people, and the style. Here people aren't afraid to break the conformity spell, at least on the surface. I see girls with tattoos and boys with earrings. I see shades of the rainbow and blonde hair. It fills me with satisfaction that people are choosing a life on the fringe.
I met some of Ruth's friends from last summer today outside of a Starbucks. I couldn't tell you their names (except the one girl, her name was "ai" which means love, but it could have been different kanji) but I can describe their clothing. One girl was wearing a green and black striped dress with a thin sweater jacket, another was wearing a spaghetti strap baggy summer shirt over a body-hugging, black long-sleeved T. Japanese fashion is totally cool; it makes American college co-eds look base.
I have so much I want to write, and so much I want to read. I truly feel that reading is fuel for writing. It's fuel for my thinking too. I have a lot I want to write here about my reactions to The God Delusion. I think I'll start a multi-part series of posts about my reactions.
For now I want to leave you with something I wrote down that was the result of some reflection on this past year's thoughts about love and relationships:
"Dating and courting - it's not a game. It's not a formula. She's a human being in all her glorious humanness and uniqueness and you cannot put that in a box or in a 5 page handout. There are obviously guidelines for Godly behavior and correct action - but in the end it's her you should be responding to, it's her you should be cherishing. The Lord will be your center and you will be a reflection of his incredible love for and pursuit of the church. Remember this as you love."
Why do I have to be tempted with a second wind at 10 pm? This is the time I have to be in bed if I want 8 hours...
As it is, it's 10:01 and I'm just logging on. I spent around 45 min. dabbling in one of the books I bought today- one of the 6 random books I bought on a whim at a book store in Shiz City. Shizuoka-shi really is the "shiz." I love it. I am enamored every time I step off the train. I think it's the people, and the style. Here people aren't afraid to break the conformity spell, at least on the surface. I see girls with tattoos and boys with earrings. I see shades of the rainbow and blonde hair. It fills me with satisfaction that people are choosing a life on the fringe.
I met some of Ruth's friends from last summer today outside of a Starbucks. I couldn't tell you their names (except the one girl, her name was "ai" which means love, but it could have been different kanji) but I can describe their clothing. One girl was wearing a green and black striped dress with a thin sweater jacket, another was wearing a spaghetti strap baggy summer shirt over a body-hugging, black long-sleeved T. Japanese fashion is totally cool; it makes American college co-eds look base.
I have so much I want to write, and so much I want to read. I truly feel that reading is fuel for writing. It's fuel for my thinking too. I have a lot I want to write here about my reactions to The God Delusion. I think I'll start a multi-part series of posts about my reactions.
For now I want to leave you with something I wrote down that was the result of some reflection on this past year's thoughts about love and relationships:
"Dating and courting - it's not a game. It's not a formula. She's a human being in all her glorious humanness and uniqueness and you cannot put that in a box or in a 5 page handout. There are obviously guidelines for Godly behavior and correct action - but in the end it's her you should be responding to, it's her you should be cherishing. The Lord will be your center and you will be a reflection of his incredible love for and pursuit of the church. Remember this as you love."
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