tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post2219783008596820243..comments2024-03-28T14:14:11.551-06:00Comments on Unabashedly American: In Love of BeautyDarrell Michaelshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05474956372325309461noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-15668193753099165962014-09-23T09:26:04.747-06:002014-09-23T09:26:04.747-06:00The true hero is usually a hero by mistake he drea...The true hero is usually a hero by mistake he dreams of becoming an honest coward just similar to everyone else.<br /><br /><a href="http://drdavisdrdavisdrdavisdrdavis.blogspot.com/2014/09/jaket-kulit-pria-bermutu-terbaik-asli.html" rel="nofollow">jaket kulit pria</a><br /><a href="http://drbillnaglerandphenterminenpw.blogspot.com/2014/09/jaket-kulit-wanita-asli-garut-murah-dan.html" rel="nofollow">jaket kulit wanita asli garut murah</a><br /><a href="http://drawyourbreaks.blogspot.com/2014/09/jaket-kulit-asli-garut-kebanggan-rakyat.html" rel="nofollow">jaket kulit asli garut</a><br /><a href="http://drewposts.blogspot.com/2014/09/belanja-murah-di-toko-jaket-kulit-garut.html" rel="nofollow">toko jaket kulit garut</a><br /><a href="http://drewbarrymorenaked.blogspot.com/2014/09/jaket-kulit-bikers-untuk-pria-dan-wanita.html" rel="nofollow">jaket kulit bikers</a><br /><a href="http://drmouzoon.blogspot.com/2014/09/awas-jaket-kulit-palsu-bahan-kambing.html" rel="nofollow">jaket kulit bahan kambing</a><br /><a href="http://drmdrecomendation.blogspot.com/2014/09/tips-tepat-memilih-jaket-kulit-bikers.html" rel="nofollow">jaket kulit bikers</a><br /><a href="http://drugsomatestingwmw.blogspot.com/2014/09/harga-sebagai-patokan-temukan-jaket.html" rel="nofollow">jaket kulit asli</a><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12595478141241682847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-38050037694940444572014-05-25T20:25:51.514-06:002014-05-25T20:25:51.514-06:00Thank you, Jerry.
And indeed it is my faith and...Thank you, Jerry. <br /><br />And indeed it is my faith and the love of my family and friends that have sustained me these past seven months. Without any of the three, I cannot imagine how I would have survived thus far. That is particularly so of God and my faith in him, because I know that my wife is now always in his presence.Darrell Michaelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05474956372325309461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-82960239076204505162014-05-25T09:17:32.952-06:002014-05-25T09:17:32.952-06:00Believe me, your answers are more direct and well ...Believe me, your answers are more direct and well thought out than most people. <br /><br />I am truly sorry for the passing of your wife. I should have expressed it sooner. It is a difficult time and I imagine that your faith gives you great comfort. Jerry Critterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870618647449723147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-58140862788397355002014-05-25T08:53:51.470-06:002014-05-25T08:53:51.470-06:00Jerry, I apologize if my final comment came across...Jerry, I apologize if my final comment came across as condescending. I truly did not mean it to be. You asked questions of what I thought and what I took to be sincere curiosity. I tried to answer as charitably as I knew how. I re-read my answers to you and was able to see how my lack of being able to clearly articulate things caused some confusion.<br /> <br />I know that you and I have had some adversarial debates in the past, and truth be told, probably will again in the future. That is fine, but going forward I am going to try to explain the reasons for my beliefs in conservatism, capitalism, faith, and God without having that challenging edge. Approaching things from the point of arrogance and condescension does little to further the debate of ideas. I have been guilty of this at times, particularly with you and Ryan. I want to apologize to you accordingly.<br /><br />In all honesty, my ability to write clear, concise, and articulate thoughts and blog postings has been exceptionally difficult these past months. I am having a difficult time with the passing of my wife and I know that is the reason for my handicap. I am just now making attempts to write again accordingly. <br /> <br />When I apologized for your having to hang with me despite my poor attempts to explain my thoughts, it wasn’t self-deprecation and condescension which were my goals. I really was struggling to sincerely answer your questions clearly. I appreciate you asking those questions – truly!<br />Darrell Michaelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05474956372325309461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-21705600435439616832014-05-25T00:53:44.975-06:002014-05-25T00:53:44.975-06:00TP,
I appreciate your answers to my questions. H...TP,<br />I appreciate your answers to my questions. However, your self-deprecating comments at the end sound a bit condescending. I think you are above that.Jerry Critterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870618647449723147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-76793827778593193382014-05-24T22:30:02.712-06:002014-05-24T22:30:02.712-06:00John, I recall our friend Mr. Deming’s story of th...John, I recall our friend Mr. Deming’s story of the physicist and the horseshoe. I have to admit that I chuckled when I first read that in spite of myself.<br /><br />“The mere concept of beauty, for example, is not easily explained by science. It is a sentient experience, and how experience came from a place where none existed before is not explained by the fact of evolution.”<br /><br />Indeed this is true, Mr. Myste. I would go one step further and say that it is not explained by any of the sciences, just as some aspects of morality that transcend all cultures and geographical locations are not explainable thusly either. I am honestly curious if you have an opinion for where a human’s appreciation and longing for beauty, justice, and goodness might come, if not from God?<br /><br />Jerry, you stated, “He is the source, but he does not require belief to access goodness and beauty if I understand what you are saying.” Yes, that is indeed what I am saying, my friend. One can still follow that innate inner voice, that conscience, in seeking to do good and seek out beauty in the world, even if one denies or does not understand that this comes from God. <br /><br />While I certainly don’t expect you to necessarily believe this, I am glad that you understood what I was trying to say, despite my poor attempts to explain. Thanks for hanging with me!<br />Darrell Michaelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05474956372325309461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-14741893018313586562014-05-24T09:41:34.601-06:002014-05-24T09:41:34.601-06:00"God is the source of all goodness and beauty..."God is the source of all goodness and beauty."<br /><br />He is the source, but he does not require belief to access goodness and beauty if I understand what you are saying.Jerry Critterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870618647449723147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-1863386779596938952014-05-24T09:35:53.507-06:002014-05-24T09:35:53.507-06:00Let's assume that "To deny goodness, beau...Let's assume that "To deny goodness, beauty, and love is to deny God." But the converse is not necessarily true. To deny God is to deny goodness, beauty, and love, is it? Jerry Critterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870618647449723147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-19553413033528976592014-05-24T09:10:10.008-06:002014-05-24T09:10:10.008-06:00Jerry, forgive my lack of clarity, sir. I must ha...Jerry, forgive my lack of clarity, sir. I must have given you the wrong impression. We are indeed dealing with absolutes here.<br /><br />God is the source of all goodness and beauty. Indeed he is goodness itself. He writes that longing for goodness and beauty into each of our hearts and minds in the form of our inner-most consciences. <br /><br />Even if ones doesn't know or believe in God, one's desire to find goodness and beauty in the world still is a powerful force that is innate to our species. <br /><br />To deny goodness, beauty, and love is to deny God. Accepting and seeking the same is an act of doing that for which you were created, whether you understand or even deny that fact. Such is my understanding and opinion anyway. Darrell Michaelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05474956372325309461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-21406529595755891622014-05-24T09:03:41.700-06:002014-05-24T09:03:41.700-06:00Jerry,
As you know, I am not one “of the faith,”...Jerry, <br /><br />As you know, I am not one “of the faith,” regardless of the flavor of faith in question. However, I think <a href="http://fairandunbalanced.com/blog1.php/2011/10/16/what-makes-an-atheist-or-agnostic-a-good" rel="nofollow">Burr Deming also answered your question</a> in one of his posts. He said this: <br /><br />“Danish physicist Neils Bohr, a founder of much of our understanding of atomic science, was once chided by a visitor to his island home who spotted a horseshoe above a door. Did he really believe a horseshoe would bring him luck? "Of course not," he answered. "But I am told it works even if you don't believe in it."”<br /><br />Assuming some Christians are correct in their beliefs about some Gods, and, as Mr. Paine said, evil is the absence of God, then a “good person,” who does not believe, could still have God in his life, and could still be good to the degree that he does. <br /><br />I daresay that if God exists, as understood by one or more Christian flavors, then the concept of pure evil would be virtually impossible to realize in practice. The influence or effects of a pervasive, near ubiquitous goodness, would be inescapable. The only question would be how close to pure evil can one be. <br /><br />To even acknowledge goodness a “real” thing, not a label for an illusion, you have to stop into the realm of divinity in some sense, though I acknowledge that if there is such a thing as “goodness,” there is no evidence that it points to an entity, per se. <br /><br />“Does it follow then that beauty and goodness also do not require the presence of God? Actually, I think you already answered that. It comes automatically.”<br /><br />The mere concept of beauty, for example, is not easily explained by science. It is a sentient experience, and how experience came from a place where none existed before is not explained by the fact of evolution. <br /><br />As I think your last comment suggested, beauty and goodness do not require the presence of God. Those things could be construed as the presence of God, rather than something that accompanies it. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />John Mystehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16263634313238599515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-64641600140180267542014-05-23T20:00:54.023-06:002014-05-23T20:00:54.023-06:00I, too, despise auto correct having fallen victim ...I, too, despise auto correct having fallen victim to it many times.<br /><br />So, we are not dealing with absolutes here. The absence of God does not necessarily result in evil and ugliness. Does it follow then that beauty and goodness also do not require the presence of God? Actually, I think you already answered that. It comes automatically.<br /><br />Thank you for your answers.Jerry Critterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870618647449723147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-82152862733057676382014-05-23T17:48:15.111-06:002014-05-23T17:48:15.111-06:00I despise auto correct. In my second sentence &qu...I despise auto correct. In my second sentence "their" should be "there".Darrell Michaelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05474956372325309461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-80324123188891428472014-05-23T17:45:25.425-06:002014-05-23T17:45:25.425-06:00No, not necessarily, sir. I am absolutely certain...No, not necessarily, sir. I am absolutely certain that their are Muslims and Toaists and atheists and so forth that live good and beautiful lives despite not knowing or believing in God. I know and love several such people. <br /><br />Not knowing or believing in God does not negate the fact that he is present in all of our lives and has given us various gifts and graces, whether we acknowledge him or not, so I believe.<br /><br />It is also my belief that if you live a life of love towards others and attempt to be moral in your comportment, then whether you believe in God or not, that moral compass and loving heart that you are using are from the gifts he has given you. <br /><br />That said, it is also my belief that a true fullness of joy in this life can only be known by knowing and loving God.<br /><br />Goodness and beauty come from him whether we are aware or acknowledge this.Darrell Michaelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05474956372325309461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-42668249461363906842014-05-23T16:34:15.866-06:002014-05-23T16:34:15.866-06:00Or perhaps a Buddhist? Or someone who believes in...Or perhaps a Buddhist? Or someone who believes in a different God?Jerry Critterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870618647449723147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-61114094541755257832014-05-23T16:02:44.007-06:002014-05-23T16:02:44.007-06:00Jerry, that is a very good question, sir.
If yo...Jerry, that is a very good question, sir. <br /><br />If you will, please follow my analogy for a moment.<br /><br />Most people think cold is the opposite of hot, dark is the opposite of light, and evil is the opposite of good. That actually is not the case.<br /><br />In physics, cold is an absence of heat or warmth. Cold is not something in and of itself but rather the lack of heat. In space it is very cold. That is not because some source is “causing” it to be cold but rather it is because there is nothing there but the vacuum of space. There isn’t any air or any substance to reflect and absorb light through much of space; therefore, that lack of warmth is called cold.<br /><br />The same is true for darkness. You cannot make a place “more dark”, but rather you remove more light. Complete darkness is a total absence of light.<br /><br />The same is true of good and evil. Evil and ugliness in the world are not creations of God but rather are a lack of God in our lives. Where God is the very essence of goodness, the complete lack of God, whether in one’s heart or in a culture’s morals, is where evil exists. The greater that lack of God and his goodness is where the greatest evil is. Such are not creations of God but rather the self-chosen absence of God.<br />Darrell Michaelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05474956372325309461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-408858764761620479.post-71198718875947105062014-05-23T15:02:11.914-06:002014-05-23T15:02:11.914-06:00Isn't evil and ugliness also God's creatio...Isn't evil and ugliness also God's creations.Jerry Critterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870618647449723147noreply@blogger.com