Happiness and God? - whereto from here??
*Final post from my friend's blog
After all this criss-cross between our group of friends, where to from here? Well, it's up to you now to find out for yourselves. And by the way... I didn't mean to start a debate. I was looking for comments, yes, and I'm glad people have poured out their views :) But it was never meant to be a debate...
This sort of debate has been going on for centuries... Personally I didn't want to start a debate at all, because I knew it'd be never ending. Now that you know what I think, I'll leave it right here
Happiness & God? (part 3)
*Again taken from my friend's blog with the comments
I know I've treaded on dangerous waters, but I just couldn't leave the entry open-ended without finishing it off... So please bear with me as I write my concluding thoughts on this matter... And I'd like to continue where 'Unconvinced' left off (iltalics 'Unconvinced')
"Since you agreed that no one needs a doctor when they're well and healthy, and since you have been referring to God as the one true divine doctor, doesnt this mean that you yourself don't need God when things are going ok?"
No, it doesn't. Firstly, I said no one needs to see a doctor when they're well and healthy, but it doesn't mean they don't need a doctor. If our bodies were perfect and we will never get sick, then yeah maybe we don't need doctors anyway. But fact is our bodies deteriorate, and we do get sick, thus we do need doctors. Secondly, I need God even when things are going ok, because the fact is, I sin. Sin is the spiritual 'sickness' that I intended to make analogous to our physical illnesses - and we all have it. It's a spiritual abnormality, and because of it we cannot be perfect, and we cannot have a relationship with God, who is holy. Yet God loves us so much that He sent His son to pay the penalty for me, and all of humanity, such that through Him we can receive forgiveness, and enjoy eternal relationship with God once again. It doesn't mean I have suddenly become perfect and won't sin anymore, I still sin. But by God's power, I know I can overcome, and sin less! I am no longer in the bondage of sin! I am free...
"Since you believe in only the one God and believe that you only need the one God, does it then follow that you believe you only need the one doctor."
Again, no... the analogy was not meant to go the other way round, so I don't believe I only need one doctor! Definitely not. By the time I'm 70 (if i live that long), I'm sure I would've seen various different specialists already :P You can say I chose a bad analogy, or that 'Unconvinced' interpreted the analogy further than what I intended...
"It would be funny to read how you came to the conclusion that there is only one true divine doctor or God. I'm sure the religious fanatics in the world who kill for their religion have arguments that are the same as yours."
I don't think I have the wisdom to draw out another analogy to show how I have come to believe there is only one true God. And no I wouldn't be surprised at all if the 'religious fanatics' have the same arguments as me... Islam, Hindu, and Christianity (and some other religions as well) all believe in only one God - would the arguments be the same? I'm not sure but it's possible! But I'm sure they won't be all the same. But if you ask me why I believe what I believe in, I can only say it's because of what Christ has done for me on the cross...
"If you want your own religion to be respected and accepted, you should learn to do the same for the other religions. Your comment is the kind of behaviour that fosters narrow-minded thinking rather than the understanding and compromise Jesus himself tries to instill in his followers. I think this message gets lost in all the hype. But it is clear that Jesus was looking for people to more considerate and tolerant. Question is: are you? Unfortunately, calling their religions' head as 'god' and calling your own God as 'God' is the first step in the wrong direction. It breeds intolerance rather than understanding, narrow-minds rather than open minds."
As I said in my letter to 'Unconvinced', the difference in using 'god' and 'God' was not out of intolerance or disrespect. Guess using Chinese would have rid 'Unconvinced' of this argument :P But true, I do only believe in one God, and I do not call any other gods God. Also, tolerance != compromise (for non-computing people, that means not equals to). I am not intolerant (if I were I wouldn't associate with anyone but Christians), and I respect people's choices, but that does not mean compromising my own belief. I do not try to convince people by force, but I do not stop telling others about God either because I believe He is true. When you know something is good and true, you would want to share with others too wouldn't you?
After all that, you may ask, what is my conclusion?
My conclusion is that, when we are sailing well in life, we often don't realise our greatest need. Neither do we realise our limitations as human beings. We do not realise we are sinful, and that we have no hope beyond this life. Not all of you will agree with me on this one I know, but I do believe our greatest need is only fulfilled by God. So, even when life is going well, and we are happy with life, it doesn't nullify our need, and we still need God... And we know He can be found, because He found us first :
To Unconvinced
*This is also taken from my friend's blog, including the comments.
To Unconvinced:
Thank you for your comment! Would you care as to leave your name, so I can at least know who has left me this comment? :) I've long awaited someone to leave their thoughts on this, and you have, so I thank you. (i'm guessing you are someone i've known for the past six years, and someone who's going to be a pretty good doctor in the near future ^^ tell me if i'm wrong)
You're right - I think I stepped on a ground which I shouldn't have stepped on, and chosen an analogy which is of course, no good analogy at all. I admit my flaws, and I am not afraid to do so. Who am I to expect I can convince anyone anyway? I'm just a mere human being, and in all my foolishness, by my words there can be no way to convince anyone - I'm too stupid for that. So please don't think I'm trying to 'convince' you, or anyone else. You know me, I've never been good at computing, never good at logic, so if i try to use something like this to convince people, haha, I've bumped a wall.
I am not here to start an argument, nor am I here to publish narrow-minded intolerant comments as you have said. You are right, Jesus teaches us to love our neighbours as ourselves. Jesus Himself loves all mankind. That's why He died on the cross - for Christians and non-Christians alike! Please don't take me as being narrow-minded or intolerant because i called other religions' heads 'god' and the Christian one 'God' - this just represents what I believe. Another person from another religion can equally call their god 'God', and call mine 'god'. But yes, that is what I believe - that God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for all of us, and that He rose again, and that through Him we may be able to once again have a relationship with God - and yes that He is the one true God.
Having said all that, I do agree that I've put my foot in dangerous waters and my choice of analogy is far from appropriate (edit: considering that you took it the other way). Thank you for pointing out my mistakes (edit: the possible flaws of an analogy), and my apologies to those who have been lost and confused in all this 'hype'.
Maybe one day you would be convinced - not by my words or any other person's words, but by God Himself.
Happiness and God? (part 2)
*Copied from my friend's blog. The post Happiness and God is the one that I wrote in response to this post:
"You don't know what you've got till it's gone..." - sounds familiar, doesn't it?
It seems that this is how it's like with us humans - we tend not to know how important and precious something is until we've lost it... We don't know how delicious home cooking is until we move out and realise mum's cooking was the best... We don't know how precious parents' advice is to us until the day comes when we wish they were still here to tell us what we should do... We don't realise how important health is until we get sick...
Ah... that last sentence reminds me of another one - "who needs a doctor when they're well and healthy?"
In a way, it's true... You don't need to see a doctor when there's nothing wrong with you. But does that mean you don't need a doctor? Of course not! There needs to be a doctor somewhere, some time, some place, such that when you need to see one, you can find one...
Getting back to the question - "If I'm happy with my life, does that mean I don't need a 'god'?"
Yes, it's funny that most people go back to a 'higher deity' when they come across troubles in their lives, and suddenly realise humans are not so all-powerful anymore, that they can't take control, that they need 'divine intervention' in their lives... For the time being, let's just say it seems that the 'god' that people believe in is sort of like a doctor... When life is going well, and people think they have it all, they wouldn't realise their hidden weaknesses and powerlessness, and thus don't realise they really need the one who is truly all-pwerful and has total control over all...
Problem is... just like there may be a lot of 'yellow-green' doctors around, how do people know who that one true divine doctor is? In other words, with so many 'gods' around, how do we know who that one true God is? (yes, i have jumped a huge step to come to the argument that there is only one God of all...)
(to be continued...)
Happiness and God? part 1
*The post that started it all :) I've copied it from from my friend's blog sohbear:
Some people say as long as you are happy with life, nothing else really matters...
A lot of people think that people only really find 'god' when they're down, when they're experiencing some really bad things in their lives, or when they just don't know who else to turn to for answers - that's when people believe there is a 'god', and hence the notion of 'believing in god' is nothing more than trying to find something, or someone, to depend on when there is no one / nothing else... Thus a 'god' is really born of imagination, and people who believe - well, let's just say they're imagining things too... This argument stands for those who do not believe a 'god' exists
Others may believe that there exists a higher being, but it really doesn't matter who that higher being is - whether it's the Christian God, the Hindu one, or whichever religion's one - it's all the same... People only go to religion when life ain't going so well
So, the argument is, as long as I am happy, I don't need to believe in a 'god'... Do you agree?
(To be continued...)
Happiness and God? Read the original posts!
Hi all, I'm printing the posts of my friend here along with the subsequent comments and posts made by other friends who have access to her blog. Since it's not public I just thought I would post it on my blog here. I just think that some of the comments I posted up were actually thoughts that I want to share with others on my blog.
If you don't want your post/comment up on here, let me know I will take it off.
Happiness and God?
I had a friend who recently blogged about the seemingly inherent nature of man to take for granted what he has, only looking towards God in his hour of need. She compared God to a doctor who she believed is someone that we all need regardless of whether we are well and healthy, or sick and dying. In a funny twist, she somehow also came to the conclusion that her God (she's Christian) is the one true divine doctor, unlike other 'gods' (this is a quote of what she had on her blog).
I posted up a comment on her blog regarding this as it inflamed me to think that there is another narrow-minded person that I know who has both blind faith, and intolerance for other religions. I am now posting my comment up on my blog. Perhaps it will open up someone else's eyes to the dangers of spouting religious fanaticism and possibly starting future religious wars. It is my belief that we should learn to be tolerant of each other, to compromise and understand, not to dictate and impose so that we may all learn from each other.
You're right - and you did agree with yourself there - who does need a doctor when they're well and healthy? Are you concluding then that we shouldn't take our health and doctors for granted in the good times? Should we see the doctor when there's nothing wrong? I think not - realistically, you would only be taking precious time away from someone who really needs to see the doctor because there is something wrong.
Since you agreed that no one needs a doctor when they're well and healthy, and since you have been referring to God as the one true divine doctor, doesnt this mean that you yourself don't need God when things are going ok? That you only go back to him when you feel like you need divine intervention in your life?
Since you believe in only the one God and believe that you only need the one God, does it then follow that you believe you only need the one doctor. If so, would you choose your GP, an eye specialist, or a neurosurgeon? In reality, these different kinds of doctors work together to make a person healthy again. There are some times when you need an eye specialist more, and there are times when you need something totally different, like an ob-gyno. All the different doctors perform a function, each essential in its own way and important. So for you to only name one true divine doctor is unbelievable.
It would be funny to read how you came to the conclusion that there is only one true divine doctor or God. I'm sure the religious fanatics in the world who kill for their religion have arguments that are the same as yours. Will you be thinking the same way if you were reincarnated as an ant in your next life? You will never know until you actually go through the experience, and funnily enough, no one's ever really come back to tell the tale. And so it remains unknown territory.
Jesus once said in the Bible that thou should love and treat thy neighbour the way you yourself wish to be treated. If you want your own religion to be respected and accepted, you should learn to do the same for the other religions. Your comment is the kind of behaviour that fosters narrow-minded thinking rather than the understanding and compromise Jesus himself tries to instill in his followers. I think this message gets lost in all the hype. But it is clear that Jesus was looking for people to be more considerate and tolerant. Question is: are you?
Unfortunately, calling their religions' head as 'god' and calling your own God as 'God' is the first step in the wrong direction. It breeds intolerance rather than understanding, narrow-minds rather than open minds.
We didn't come last!
Well, it took a bit of effort and a large amount of luck, but we didn't come last in any of our races. Needless to say there was at least 1 team that was worse than us haha.
We came 3rd out of 5 boats in our first heat. Then we came 5th out of 6 boats in our second heat. Apparently there could have been another final that we could have gone into but there would not have been any point in it given that we didnt have a strong team.
It was a great day overall. Most of us came in colourful socks and our black, dark, solemn looking uniforms. A lot of fun was had and the weather actually cooperated with us that day too.
Will be glad to do it again though I think this time I would rather limit the team number to 9 instead of getting as many people as possible.
Now it's on to outdoor soccer ;)
Big 'W'
No, not the supermarket...
I'm talking about having a big whinge.
I noticed that I have an easier time blogging when I have negative things to talk about, like how:
* I have an assignment due next Tuesday
* I have another 7 weeks of uni to go before this semester ends
* My lecturer is a bit crap in explaining things during lecture
* I have 1 more subject to do after this semester ends
It seems easier to whinge about these things that it is to write something nice on the blog. Possibly attributable to the passion and anger said whinger experiences whilst in the process of whinging. Anger (even the misdirected type) is always interesting, and coincidentally the easiest emotion to have first. Said whinger is also likely to seek co-whingers to empathise with their situtation.
Maybe it's the hormones talking, or maybe this is just plain ol' cynicism bubbling to the surface of this normally happy-go-lucky girl. But I needed a bit of a whinge, so there!
Row, row, row your boat
I've organised a team for this corporate rowing competition and maan... I'm never doing it again ;)
Rowing itself is not tooo bad, I actually find it quite fun. I look forward to all the training sessions and it's something I may never have done myself if I weren't given the opportunity at work.
But what makes it hard is the whole admin side of things. Rostering people on and off, emailing people twice a week to tell them if they're coming or not, even deciding who's coming/not coming is waay hard - how do you tell enthusiastic people that they're not coming this week.
I've had my share of complaints about the rostering haha. So we've come up with a diplomatic solution whereby, everyone has to come to training. Extra people will either work on a rowing machine or watch others on a 'tinny' (slang for tin boat). We have to come up with a plan on how to swap people in and out of the boat. As I understand it, the process is that everyone else bends down over their knees, the person leaving/coming on has to walk on the sides of the boat or over them ahhaha Guess that means we'll only swap light girls on and off ;)
1 more week til the competition day though - I hope we at least make it into the top ... and that we don't come in last.
What resolution? *looking innocent*
It's been more than a month since my last entry.
And God how things have changed...
I now get less sleep than those days, averaging about 4 - 5 hours compared to 6 - 7.
It doesn't help that I now have uni classes again and have assignments to do *blech*
Have also been putting in crazy hours at work but it's not too bad now.
Pimples have gone worse due to lack of sleep... aargh ... I need to be picture perfect for my friend's wedding next Jan.
Weight: probably the same.
Though I pigged out on junk today, to try to keep myself awake.
I've half given up on the whole oatmeal in the morning, exercise idea, and unfortunately I've had chips on more than one occasion since the last blog entry... I really should get over this addiction to junk
~~bobbing my head to: More than This by Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music... gotta love the 80s!
