Theology & Thoughts

One thing I've noticed more and more as different aspects as we cover different aspects of theology at heresy is how pointless much of it is, and how often the church has split over issues that in many cases seem rather pointless to me. Some seem sensible such as the Reformation, where I can understand why those involved felt they need to split when the heads of the church decided to ignore the issues they raised and persecuted them for questioning the church's authority and traditions.
It is frustrating how human the church is and has been. We believe in a God who accepts all that call on his name, who loves all, a God who's message was to "love your neighbor as you love your self". Yet given the smallest opportunity and disagreement, so often the first reaction has been to throw out those who disagree and secondly attempt to eliminate those who disagree via what ever method was considered acceptable at the time be that by fire and the sword, social or economic means.
Looking at the early church the ideas they declared heretical were so often things that could not be proven either way. Who truly knows the nature of the Trinity, do you think it matters to God that one guy believes that Christ was God incarnate while another believes that Christ was both human and God having both natures, and another that Christ was simply a "side" or "aspect" of God? Why would God care as long as they all believe in him and attempt to follow Christ's teachings.

In many cases the we end up effectively arguing about what we think the "nature" of God should be, rationalising a God that comfortably fits with our world view. I see this when I look at open theism and free will which I consider to be the most accurate description of part of God's nature. While I consider them to be logical and self evident for a number of reasons, in part I agree with them because they fit with what I imagine God to be somewhat like, and thus fits with my image of a God who loves us for who and what we are not as an object or a toy. An image that is undoubtedly a product of my genes, my mind, my upbringing and my culture. While in all reality I suspect that God can not be truly understood by a living human and is complex beyond our wildest theories, dreams and nightmares.


What I'm trying to say I guess is that our views of and on God are influenced by many thing, and lacking clear and exact knowledge about the nature of God we choose unconsciously a view of God that we then try to fit everything else to or choose a view of the world that we then try to fit God to.


But being human means we doubt and doubt leads to Insecurity about our choice, which makes us try to convert/convince others to/of it, because if every one believes we must be right. We don't like doubt and thus attempt to stamp it out even though with out doubt what is faith? For faith is defined by doubt.

Complete and utter certainty is easier than faith for it requires no justification just action faith/trust on the other requires the possibility of alternatives.



Well I've no idea if that makes sense to any one else, I hope it does at least in part, and that it gets you to think a bit about the fact in the end only God matters not how we believed in him.

Right

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The Scanner Photography Project

If you want to see some really cool photos have a look at this site. The Guy's been making digital cameras from Scanners and old Style box cameras. The use of a scanner to take the image produces some REALLY interesting effects.
The Scanner Photography Project
The first photos on these two pages are cool, Vehicles and Portraits.
While the 4th photo on this page is quite cool.

The essence of a Geek

An interesting little article looking at geeks. The essence of a Geek.

Rather cool if rather Dangerous!

Wicked Lasers! Lasers with a power rating of up to 125mW. Apparently the upper legal limit on laser pointers is under 5mW so these things are quite abit more powerful! Supposedly powerful enough to light matches and pop ballons, they claim a range of up to 80km!

Wanabe Light Sabre

CandlePowerForums - 1kW Xenon Arc Tank Light

A couple of rather impressive images there.

None of these Diseases

I've been skim reading and interesting little book that I found in the shop recently. It briefly looks at old testament laws regarding such things as treatment for disease and hygiene and a compares them to modern (well 1966) practices. Interestingly early on in the book it suggests that a number of the biblical laws directly cut down and reduce the incidence of certain diseases.
As your'd expect it covers sexually transmitted diseases, more interesting to me at least is the way it compares laws for dealing with diseases such as leprosy and infections, to the modern practices that were developed hundreds of years latter after enumerable deaths.

Most of the book though seems to focus on Stress related diseases and how the biblical life style reduces stress.

The author also touches on the link between Circumcision and Cancer prevention a rather interesting topic. With a number of studies showing that infant Circumcision reduces certain cancers in both men and woman.

Interesting Ideas and the New Year

Here is an interesting article that you some of you might find worth reading Your Dangerous Idea. It's a collection of the Answers a number of famous Scientists, Doctors and Philosophers gave when asked the Question "WHAT IS YOUR DANGEROUS IDEA?". Well worth a look Last years "WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS TRUE EVEN THOUGH YOU CANNOT PROVE IT?" is also quite interesting.
You will need to scroll down 5 or 6 pages to get to the questions.

2006
Another year I wonder what will be big this year, what things will rivet our attention and alter they way we live? Or will the year bring nothing new just a continuation of what has come before? For some this new year brings big changes as they finally break free from the clutches of the education system and move out in to the supposedly big wide world. For others though it is simply an extension or a step furthers down the pathway they were already one.

Any way I personally will be spending much of this year in the Lab at Uni as I work through my Master's research project, which hopefully will go some what according to plan.
A part from that very little appears to be happening, I'll turn 22 in a couple of weeks but that is nothing exciting just a further step down the pathway to equilibrium.

Any way have a good year people as I most likely will.