In the summer of 1945, my dad was just 20 years old and had seen combat in Leyte Gulf Philippines and New Guinea. The invasion of Japan was gearing up. If the bombs failed to get the Emperor to surrender, the invasion would have taking place that month - August 45. They actually went in as planned eight days after Nakasaki. But nobody was shooting at them. Most were dead and or walking dead. Radiation killed more in the week after the bomb than the initial blast. I asked my father, if they had gieger counters or protective radiation suits. He said that nobody ever heard the word radiation and certainly nobody in his troop knew with radiation poisoning was. They marched into a leveled city with no building taller than a foot for miles just 8 days after the bomb exploded. He probably had a cigarette in his mouth walking through. You know, the religion of Japan is not talked about much. Emperor was God, military was the Church.
Decades later I worked in Japan and made monthly trips. My Dad use to say “One of these times I am going to come with you.” Never did. I regret that a lot.
Come on this is 2015. We need 2015 reasoning using all the information and knowledge available to us now. We live in a time when huge amount of information and knowledge is just clicks away. But we need reasoning in each of our brains to pull it all together and figure out what is the best way forward. Reason, take action, re-reason, adjust direction, take action, repeat.
Disagree. We know much more about a lot of things now. Do you get a flu shot? This year’s is projected to be more effective than last year’s. Are you getting one?
What did you want to invest your money in for 2016? Stocks or bonds or keep it in cash? Are you going to vote? For who? What causes are you going to support? Why?
How are you going to keep health now and into 2016? What doctors? What treatments, if any? How are you going to live now and the next six months?
Absolutely, as much misinformation as information. It takes a lot of reasoning to find the true nuggets of knowledge and wisdom.
I give you “maybe in the past” also give you that there are a lot Christians out there who make solid contributions to the benefit of humanity. But to me, they can give up the promise of an afterlife and live this life with purpose and meaning. As well as, stop worshiping a Master, stop praying, start doing what you want to do. Live now, stop looking backwards for patterns in the rear view mirror, plan ahead but not to far ahead because the future is random and chaotic.
Ops! I left out those many charitable organizations who are organized to do the right thing and help others.
They change all the time. Your thinking certainly changes with age, doesn’t it? I don’t agree that there is one absolute set of principles of correct thinking. Nor one set of rules for reasoning. Each person defines his/her’s principles of their thinking and their reasoning.
Of course, and only by the “whole person”. Each person has to come up with his/her’s own values. But they don’t have to be rigid. They can change.
I really don’t have time to do that, as I am quite busy living my life with the purpose and meaning that I redefine everyday.
I can’t believe you really mean that, Patrick. Sometimes in debates, I try to make a point by over-stating my position. It appears to me that you did that in your debate with Eddie. I’m sure I am not 100% in agreement with Eddie, but I’d probably lose a debate on the points we disagree. He carries a lot of ammunition.
Part of your quote above, “stop worshiping a Master” sounds like a caricature of a naked South Sea islander prostrate before a fearsome Idol with a bone through its nose. Every night before going to bed my mother led us in prayer, kneeling before a statue of the Sacred Heart. We clearly understood that the statue was just a symbol of the man, Jesus, who stepped into history to help us achieve heaven. As we matured, worship became more of a thanksgiving for the almost unbelievable invitation to become friends with the Being that created us.
I’m curious of how your 20 yr. old Dad looked on life when he faced combat in New Guinea and Leyte. Was his motto: ‘Do what you want to do. Live for now.’ I was 19 when my outfit, the 411th Infantry debarked at Marseille, France, and set up a tent camp a few miles outside the city. We unloaded cargo ships in the day, and often got passes to visit the city at night. I gave my passes to some of my buddies who believed in ‘do what you want to do, live for now’. On their return to ‘tent city’, they regaled me with tales of the delights that awaited soldiers on leave in Marseille. I was not envious in the least, even though my testosterone level must have been as high as theirs. Soon we were facing German tiger tanks and their feared 88’s, and that put priorities in order very quickly. And when my ‘friends’ left me for dead a mile behind German lines, my true Friend stayed at my side.
Patrick, I’ll bet your Dad felt as I do: that we are glad that both you and my son did not have to face combat like we had to. But, at least for those who survived the experience, it did give us a clearer view of Purpose, and its not 'looking at life thru a rear view mirror. God bless!
Al Leo .
Al,
Please don’t take my statement “start doing what you want to” as me advocating a life of debauchery, drunkenness, immorality, lewdness, and other self destructive behavior. I mean quite the opposite. As a parent I needed to rein in my kids between say 16 and 20. By 21, I would say they were well grounded and ready to live their lives the way they wanted to. My father at 20, given the circumstances must of had the maturity of a much older person. He had to in order to survive. If he would have acted rashly or impulsively, he wouldn’t have lasted long in combat. Today the world is very different. I teach at a local university. My students are around 20 years old. Some are goal oriented driven. Others are passive, just going to class because it is the thing to do. They are on somebody else’s plan, probably their parents plan. Both groups have a long life in front of them. What I do is to encourage them to look around at the world, stay focused on right now the present. Don’t look backward ot too far forward, i.e don’t plan your whole life based on what you think you want to do now. Try everything, explore, question everything and enjoy today.
No, my father never had one day like that. He was always worrying about the future and dwelling in the past. He died very young at age 66 in 1992.
Patrick, I knew that you did not advise living a life that your statement strongly suggested. Also, I am not surprised and am very pleased to learn you are goal driven and have discovered a worthwhile Purpose if life. That’s pretty common for anyone who has found a career that fits their talents (God given talents?) But how about the kids who spend hours each day glued to their Computer Games? Can anyone living in Virtual Reality find Real Purpose? Apparently you think that religion gets in the way, while I am sure the religious instruction I received was of immense help. Your comments on students in your university was illuminating:
[quote=“Patrick, post:34, topic:2744”]
Others are passive, just going to class because it is the thing to do. They are on somebody else’s plan, probably their parents plan
If they were my kids, I would rather they were seeking God’s plan, not just following my plan. We are in agreement that life on this earth is a marvelous gift that should be enjoyed and not to be considered as an ‘exile’ where we are expected to struggle to attain Heaven. Get with how BioLogos is spreading the Good News, Patrick. It’s not the ‘fire and brimstone’ preaching of the past.
Al Leo
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