Go Find God
Last night, I undertook the homework project I’ve given to students in the philosophy of religion class: Go Find God.
I looked in Nature, with Friends, among Strangers, and at Home, first with family and eventually by myself.
After leaving school safely on my bike, I observed the interconnectedness among all things and also the mysterious complexity and great visuals before us every day; there was a flowering azalea covered with bees that illustrated how it all works together ever so perfectly, and which convinced me that what I was observing was certainly worthy of awe and worship, but which still failed to provide me with evidence that something could possibly be responsible for all this besides itself.
Moreover, the idea that the universe has any special interest in what happens to me seemed untenable; perhaps I can take some normative guideance about how I ought to act from nature, but then all I get is an amorphous “contribute to the pattern,” or something equally vague.
Thus, any perspective that requires a specific mode of worship is, to me, immediately disqualified. Any God who expects me to behave in a certain way without providing clearer directions doesn’t get my vote.
As I pedaled through the slough behind Husky Stadium and marveled at everything from the gravel to the sky, I experienced a moment where all that was flowed through me in a manner which convinced me of how we are all one, but even then, the simpler, more reasonable explanation emanates from within, not something out there, invisible.
Consequently, in the end, I didn't find God, unless, by “God” we mean Nature. I remain convinced that nothing's out there other than what is out there; maybe I’m missing something not to perceive the thing that making this thing possible.
But even if I am, then that thing stands in need of an explanation, and so on and so forth, so I may as well stop right here.
I looked in Nature, with Friends, among Strangers, and at Home, first with family and eventually by myself.
After leaving school safely on my bike, I observed the interconnectedness among all things and also the mysterious complexity and great visuals before us every day; there was a flowering azalea covered with bees that illustrated how it all works together ever so perfectly, and which convinced me that what I was observing was certainly worthy of awe and worship, but which still failed to provide me with evidence that something could possibly be responsible for all this besides itself.
Moreover, the idea that the universe has any special interest in what happens to me seemed untenable; perhaps I can take some normative guideance about how I ought to act from nature, but then all I get is an amorphous “contribute to the pattern,” or something equally vague.
Thus, any perspective that requires a specific mode of worship is, to me, immediately disqualified. Any God who expects me to behave in a certain way without providing clearer directions doesn’t get my vote.
As I pedaled through the slough behind Husky Stadium and marveled at everything from the gravel to the sky, I experienced a moment where all that was flowed through me in a manner which convinced me of how we are all one, but even then, the simpler, more reasonable explanation emanates from within, not something out there, invisible.
Consequently, in the end, I didn't find God, unless, by “God” we mean Nature. I remain convinced that nothing's out there other than what is out there; maybe I’m missing something not to perceive the thing that making this thing possible.
But even if I am, then that thing stands in need of an explanation, and so on and so forth, so I may as well stop right here.
posted by Professor Dave at 9:47 AM
1 Comments:
I did a little bit of research. Here are my conclusions:
1. Azaleas are members of one of two Rhododendron sub-genera: subgenus Pentanthera (deciduous), or subgenus Titsushi (evergreen).
2. Azalea leaves tend to be thinner, softer and more pointed than rhododendron leaves.
3. Most azaleas have only 5 or 6 stamens, while most rhododendrons have 10 stamens.
sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azalea
http://www.azaleas.org/index.pl/azaleas.html
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