Why do bad things happen to good people, Papa?

2008-01-19

And also, where do babies come from?

This (the title, not the birth question) is one of the classic questions asked of religious thought. If there is a God, and if He is as described in the Bible, the Quran, and other such religious texts as "all-merciful" and "compassionate," then how can bad things happen to good people?

Now don't fret: this will not be that long of a post. You can still catch Oprah and see her gives all those houseses to the poor peoples. I only intend to tackle what I view as the single, most important aspect of this question: the thin line between fate and free will. This is one of the great mysteries of life, as it presents in it's mere conception an apparent dichotomy. Assuming you believe there is a God, it follows that he is all powerful, all mighty, and therefore that he is in charge of all things. He has power over all things. He directs all things. Such facts are necessarily implicit in the supposed existence of an all powerful Creator.

However, we also have our free will. To confirm this, just put a pile of dynamite under your bed and light it with a long fuse. Did a divine being reach down and snuff it out? Drat, guess we still have free will after all. There can be no doubt to an impartial observer that some of the worst periods in history were of our own making. God did not cause the holocaust to happen. God, for all that He might have been mentioned a lot, did not cause the crusades or any of the other examples of strife caused by fanatical religious belief. This is simple but crucial: the realization that just because God allows us our free will, does not mean that he necessarily approves of what we do with it. Equally, however, if He stopped us when we acted foolishly, it wouldn't actually be free will.

There are many other aspects to this debate, and perhaps this  series of posts will become that most dreaded of phenomena among bloggers: a post suffering from Continuum Disease. The symptoms include fever, backpain, and an irrepressible urge to post multiple times on the same subject.

For now, however, I merely wish to point out that this dichotomy is clearly false. In the same places where it states that God is all-powerful and all-knowing, it also says that he has given us free will. What do we think that means? Kind-of-free will? Free will only during the week, but directed paradise on the weekends?

So, something-like-next-time: Bad things - what exactly do we even mean when we say bad things?

Good things and bad people part 1.5

2008-01-22

In response to my earlier post (just two down from this one!) my fine, upright compatriot gave the following comment:

"I guess a follow up question for youwould be: if God doesn't sit around making bad things happen all day(or perhaps even good things for that matter), what then does he do?"

Ahhh, yes. The classic question: What the heck does God do all day? Have endless bowling sessions (if you're God, you don't have to pay or borrow germ infested shoes)? Draw really impressive/hilarious caricatures of the most embarrassing moment of every human being ever yet born and soon to be born? Watch Rachel Ray?

The shortest of answers is that I have no idea. No one has any idea. It is a philosophical fact that God, as a concept, is an oxymoron. By extension, almost all religion is contradictory to itself. Consider: Religion exists (and by religion here, I refer to the major monotheisms of the world, as well as Hinduism) so that mankind will know God's will. However,  it is also stated by these religions that we can never know God. He is, in point of fact, the Unknowable.

Luckily, we live in a sophisticated enough age where we can at least partially deal with oxymorons! The trouble with the conceptualization of God, and indeed the trouble with understanding what He does, is that the very concept of God is necessarily outside the bounds of human thought. If there truly is something out there that made everything, it only follows that we would be unable to grasp it's essence.

For proof of this, consider our existence. We humans are pretty cool, with our growing sophistication and our dominance of this planet, but, unfortunately for us, our planet is only one in a system, and that system is only one of billions in the galaxy, and that galaxy is only one of billions in the Universe. So, naturally, we would have no chance at understanding something that created all of that, when by comparison we are not even specks. We're not even specks of specks! We're like...specks to the negative million exponent of specks.

Therefore, the first thing one must do when trying to understand God is to understand that you can't understand God. I know, it sucks. It's all Zen Buddhist sounding and crap. And frankly, who has the time? But though it may sound convoluted or downright silly, this is logically the only first step that allows for any kind of progressive thought.

So next time: Why never being able to know God does NOT make trying to know God a worthless, frustrating endeavor. And in case this thesis sounds too crazy to be allowed, let me assert here that there will be candy. Delicious candy.

A Note To You, The Reader:

Half of the intention of the Candy Coating is to engender discussion. As such, we ask that if you are someone who thinks things occassionally, that you go ahead and post a comment containing those thoughts! It is preferred on so many levels. So just do it, ok? Ok.

Glad we had this talk. Let's never fight again.

Can We Eat Yet

2008-03-06

Well, it would seem that Dangerboy is off gallivanting in the land of Chicago, doing work for "school," trying to get his "degree," so that he can "make something of his life," which means I am left to entertain you all.  So, seeing as how it's of such immediate relevance, I wanted to talk about the month of the fast.  If you have not heard of such things, I can assure that it is not a month where you are encouraged, nay, required to break the speed limit.  I have tried several times to get such a holiday ratified, but, alas, it would seem that my lobbyists are less than fit for the job.  No matter, the month of fasting of which I speak is totally legal.

By the Baha'i calendar, the last month (the month of Ala) is spent fasting from sunup to sundown.  I think that this is an activity that puzzles a lot of people, so I just wanted to give my interpretation of the event in question.  In modern American society, if you tell someone that you are giving something up for religious reasons, there tends to be an exchange which communicates "why would you do that?"  Sometimes people ask out right, and sometimes it's just the look on their face like you've just asked them to solve a calculus problem.  Well, the basic answer is that it is a lesson in detachment.  Of all the physical things in this world, food and air are probably the most vital.  Abstaining from the intake of air for more than a minute, or so, usually ends with a trip to the emergency room, and, as such, probably wouldn't make a very good learning experience.  Thus air fasting should be reserved for people who prefer to learn things the hard way.  By abstaining from the consumption of food and drink during, the fast teaches us that even the most vital of material things can be done without and we'll still be okay.  That's a pretty neat realization to come to, that even without stuff, we'll be okay.

In my personal experience I do not see the fast as a punishment, or something I have to do.  It has become something I want to do.  I'll admit.  I wasn't sure if I would be ready this year, but still I do it because I want to.  There are a couple of reasons for this.  On one level it feels like I'm giving back.  It's like I say that I believe in this religion and that I love god, but this is a way to prove that I mean what I say without having to resort to Yakuza-like displays of allegiance.  Not that there's anything wrong with that, I just happen to like my pinkies.  Another that I'm fond of is that you're not alone.  There are millions of other Baha'is out there supporting you.  Often, because you are fasting, family and friends will act in a supportive manner.  On a few occasions I've had friends who weren't Baha'i try fasting for a day, just to see what it's like. Because you're doing something so unusual in common culture, the fast becomes an excellent way for Baha'is to tell others about the faith.  Finally, the reason that I think is most important to me, is that fasting changes your perception of what you do have in this world.  An example: my first day breaking fast after work, I had half an Asian pear, 8 - 12 pretzels, and a big glass of water.  For just a moment, I felt like I had discovered true happiness.  Apparently Zen has a recipe and it's comprised of fruits and snack foods.  Seriously, on a normal day we spend the passing hours stuffing our faces with whatever strikes our fancy without giving it a second thought.  When I fast, and I'm finally able to eat, I have a different appreciation for what I do have, and there's something sacred about.

So, there you have it.  Those are just my thoughts on the fast; however, we want to know what you think.  Is your experience similar, or do you have a completely different take on it?  Even further, maybe your thoughts differ on fasting in general and you have a different perspective on the importance of material objects in this existence.  Either way, we want to know, so leave your questions, comments, and recipes for Zen below.  Just click the little link that says "Leave A Comment" and let us know what you think.