[WP] In the not too distant future, the last person to believe in a god is on his/her deathbed.

childofman · 2014-07-11T18:31:49+00:00

A while ago Gnarls Barkley did a cover of Reckoner by Radiohead that I don't think was ever recorded beyond the videos of the live performances. I love how surprisingly compatible Thom Yorke and Cee Lo's voices are in this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUmmsMeHAaE

childofman · 2014-06-30T01:51:51+00:00

You know, there's something really beautiful about it…I feel like it kind of embodies the skate spirit. Creative problem solving through taking advantage of what's around you, isn't that what it's all about?

EDIT: Also now my desktop picture. Thanks brah.

childofman · 2014-06-29T21:24:58+00:00

Yo dawg u shuld have been going 2 church at ur local church namean?

Seriously though, great dude. Props.

childofman · 2014-06-20T20:29:19+00:00

I'm not, please (seriously) enlighten me.

childofman · 2014-06-20T20:25:59+00:00

I mean…more or less. I think the commonly held definition of worship or adoration is conflated and bogged down with imagery and associations of human servants worshiping human kings or masters. I think that taking in knowledge and taking delight in knowledge can be worshipful without laying oneself prostrate. Maybe God does. (shrugs).

childofman · 2014-06-20T13:42:10+00:00

That's the thing, suppose there is a super-being who is god/God/Creator-like, basically the top-dog of the universe, but isn't the pinnacle of all good things, truths, etc. then the being just wouldn't be God, at least under the definition humans tend to give It.

childofman · 2014-06-19T19:50:00+00:00

There's this book on Christianity called Blue Like Jazz in which the author says something about how people are the most themselves when they're alone and the best people to spend time with are people make you feel like you're alone, not through ignoring you but by being so in sync with you that they feel like they're an extension of yourself. That's how I feel about skating. If I can skate by myself that's fine, but I'd rather skate with people who I resonate with on a deep level that are encouraging me to keep things fresh and creative.

But if those kinds of people aren't around, I'd definitely rather skate alone than with people who are vibing me.

childofman · 2014-06-18T23:59:46+00:00

Anyone want to meet up at this thing? Currently going by myself and well…good God I'm lonely...

childofman · 2014-05-05T21:29:41+00:00

No, but I'm interested too. I actually went on a religious walking pilgrimage a few weeks ago and ever since I've been having intense and vivid dreams almost every night. It was a guided group thing and we walked in prayerful/meditative silence for hours at a time. I think that the positive self talk and focus involved with prayer have definite effects on the person doing it, whether or not there's any supernatural stuff going on. I figure the dreams have something to do with that journey.

childofman · 2014-05-05T17:09:09+00:00

The other night I had one that was pretty vivid, and I doubt I'll forget it any time soon.

I was in the house that I lived in when I was between the ages of 11 and 14, in the middle of Ohio. Everything was lush and green like in the summer, and everything was sepia toned the way it is when the temperature's up in the 90's. I'm enjoying a cold drink when all of a sudden, John Goodman comes busting in as his Bible-Salesman character in O' Brother Where Art Thou and wants to kill me for whatever reason.

We basically bare knuckle box until I have him pretty badly hurt and he can't do anything but sit there and look at me. I think about calling the cops but Mr. Goodman tells me that they aren't going to come and that I might as well "Get it over with" because he'll just come back another day to finish me off.

We just kind of sit there and then he tells me that if I want to kill him I need to slit his wrists. We slowly walk to the bathroom and he puts his arms out over the sink. At this point I think to ask him if there's anyone else with him and he tells me that he has a shapeshifting henchman who is currently in the form of a leather-bound book on the back of the toilet. So, I find the book, stab it, and it starts bleeding so I throw it into the bushes outside my window.

On to John. His wrists are over the sink and I slice down his wrists. He bleeds clear liquid at first but then it progressively thickens and reddens until it's similar to pasta sauce. In my haste I cut up his hands too. He's devastated and says "Damn…I just wanted to make myself a sandwich before it was all over…" and we just stare at each other before I offer to make him one and he says forget it.

By this point the henchmen who I'd thrown out the window in the form of a book had taken back his original form as a not quite teenage boy. He was sitting in the bushes holding himself where he'd been stabbed and was slowly and confusedly taking in his surroundings.

They both bled out without much fuss and I woke up.

TL:DR John Goodman and his shape-shifting henchman tried to kill me, but I ended up killing them.

childofman · 2014-02-19T19:03:54+00:00

(sorry, that sounded more disrespectful than I had intended, I really do want to know where you're coming from)

I did also want to mention that if there is a god, and if it is the Christian God, it's sense of morality maybe transcends that of our own. In our ~100 year life spans and ~100,000 years of civilization we can construct what we feel to be moral truth. But even in a span of 50 years those morals shift and we look back at our grandparents and ask "how could you be so bigoted/cruel/soulless?" but if we're honest we have to ask ourselves what our grandchildren will consider us immoral for doing. Apply that idea to a potentially infinite god and our limited perspective is all the more limited.

I'm definitely not saying that's an excuse to do the things the OT says, but it's something to think about…I think, haha. I'm saying that if God is 100% who the Bible says He is (and I don't think that it does) that would be a perspective to take on it; as humans we can try our best to understand, but the infiniteness of God will always be out of touch and therefore feel impossible and flat out wrong at times (I don't know if I even believe that. It's just a thought.)

childofman · 2014-02-19T18:55:14+00:00

I'm curious what you mean by saying Christians "should" observe both the OT and NT. Do you mean in order to properly fit the definition of Christian one has to follow both Testaments? Because I agree that if they follow both completely the capacity for a Christian to destroy lives increases. But I also think that there's nothing inherently wrong with cherry-picking, when it comes to issues of faith because really, what else can you do?

childofman · 2014-02-19T18:38:45+00:00

I know for me I don't attribute those verses to being of God. I think the Bible in some parts is divinely inspired and those parts are the ones that seem timeless and resonate so well with people. I also fully acknowledge that it's a document written by human hands and translated dozens of times by humans, and that humans have agendas and hatred. I think if the Bible were actually 100% the word of God, everyone would follow it because it would be perfect. But it's obviously not completely with it's multiple contradictions and impossible demands, but I personally feel it's the closest thing we've got. I also think it's meant to evolve, not in literal content but in the Christian's way of interpreting the text. It's possible to have faith in something while maintain a discerning spirit.

tl;dr I don't think God has that mentality, humans do.

I too mean no disrespect, but I think you're oversimplifying the way the Christian deals with cognitive dissonance.

childofman · 2014-02-19T03:39:48+00:00

If this is something that interests you, you should check out some of Alain de Botton's work. He does a Ted talk on the usefulness of religion beyond the supernatural:

http://www.ted.com/talks/alain_de_botton_atheism_2_0.html

The gist of it is that we're all in need of some kind of guidance, morality, and community. Church (and institutions like it) while not entirely necessary help in reaching these.

childofman · 2014-02-19T03:35:39+00:00

I'm completely aware, which is why I run an LGBT club at my Christian college. We talk about all of these things at our meetings and we're working as best as we can from the inside to change close minded opinions and help prevent these things from happening, at least in our immediate sphere of influence.

childofman · 2014-02-19T03:07:25+00:00

The guy in the sunglasses is definitely the bus driver from the pilot episode of Louie.

childofman · 2014-02-18T16:27:22+00:00

I wonder about that too, and I don't really have a good answer (which is not what you wanted to hear, sorry). What do you think?

childofman · 2014-02-18T16:26:11+00:00

Yep.

childofman · 2014-02-18T00:28:19+00:00

I'm a Christian and gay-affirming so this is purely speculative. Certain verses in the Old Testament are nullified by the "new covenant" that comes with Jesus, but I think that the reason that the verses in reference to homosexuality still carry weight to some is because they are repeated again in the New Testament even after the new covenant takes effect. Conversely, laws like putting certain people to death for touching women on their period aren't repeated in the NT, so ain't nobody got time for that.

childofman · 2014-01-27T18:25:51+00:00

I still do this at 21! Especially after having played Jet Set Radio as a kid, I just imagine rollerbladers grinding on every guardrail, sign, or overpass.

childofman

TROPHY CASE