Disclaimer: I am not a learned scholar, merely a curious schoolboy. I make little effort to define my terms- this is a blog, not a doctoral thesis. This is intended for an audience of people who are already familiar with the bible and basic Christian beliefs.
What is the opposite, or antithesis, of God?
I have been asking this question all day, and the most commonly presented answer, and perhaps the one on your mind, is Satan. So:
The antithesis of God is Satan.
So is Satan equal with God?
Well, no, we couldn’t say that.
Than how can he be the antithesis of God if he is not on the same level as God? For I can say the opposite of a bad apple is a good apple, but I can’t argue that the opposite of a good apple is say, a paper clip, for they do not inhabit the same plane.
All right, how about this:
Evil, which is represented by Satan, is the antithesis of God.
But even that doesn’t quite work, for from where did evil come?
God created Lucifer, who then became evil incarnate as he rejected God and His attributes. So, then, evil is the deviation of a created being from the Law of God. Since evil is from and pertaining to God’s creation, it cannot be the antithesis of God either.
So then let us refine our statement by changing it to:
The antithesis of God is no God, or un-God.
But that still doesn’t argue, for “by God were all things made, without Him was nothing made that was made.” so a “un-God” concept does not exist; there is only God and His creation.
So what is the answer?
Well, we know that God is all-powerful.
But God is also goodness, (in fact the goodness) and that He by his own nature limits Himself, which He alone has the power to do since He is self-existent.
So by God limiting Himself, he is in effect positioning Himself on the other side of the equation. Thus we have arrived at the conclusion that God is His own opposite!
Now, this does not mean that there is a “good God” and a “bad God” engaged in some super-cosmic battle, for this statement has nothing to do with good or evil. Nor is it that God is split in half with some kind of multiple personality, for we know that God is consistent with himself.
So, we now arrive at the final (at least for now, anyway) thesis statement:
The antithesis of God is God.
What do you think?
Feel free to debate.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
And this is attractive how?
"and blue Irish eyes put there by a smutty finger..." (Taken at the Flood, by Agatha Christie)
Apparently this is preferable to eyes that were placed in their sockets with clean hands.
English is weird.
Take for example the word "weird". If memory serves the word comes from the Old English word wyrd, meaning fate, or destiny.
Oh, here's another one: because. That one's a little tricky to define without actually using the word "because", but I've done it...
You know where because came from?
Well, it's etymology is steeped-or may I say, shrouded- in thick clouds of mystery. No one really knows for sure, but I have read one account that attributes the origin of the word to a man in a Nordic tribe about to go a' viking.
Said man, one Svet Björnik by name, when asked why he left his faithful Nordic crow Bji behind, replied with these immortal words: "Bji caws."
Not really.
I made that up.
I think it's actually Elisabethen and is a contraction of "be the cause" or something. Which isn't nearly as interesting as my definition...
But there really was a Nordic crow, however. Unfortunately, they died off along time ago.
Couldn't keep up with the the whole sandwich demand.
I made that up, too.
You're very gullible today.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
My musings...
On the importance of positive thinking:
Very. But positive thinking isn't everything. Let me try to explain.
You're falling off of Carew Tower. Now, as you soar through the air with the greatest of ease, you can think "Wow! Look at me! I bet I'll beat everyone else to the bottom..." and be really positive about the whole experience, but all the positivity in the world is not going to change the impact you'll have on the street below. =) Positive thinking can make an unpleasant ordeal more bearable, but sometimes if you use common sense you wouldn't have been in that situation in the first place.
Therefore, I say a positive attitude WITH intelligent decisions is great gain.
On hype, cliches, etc:
I think many people use cliches and hype as an attempt to ease certain social situations because they really don't know how to comfortably express how they actually feel. However, to simply say "Never use cliches!" doesn't really reflect an accurate view of our social protocol. A cliche doesn't necessarily reflect the person's total opinion on the subject; it doesn't have to. It's just an easier, faster method of communication with less potential for awkwardness. So do I think cliches have their place in society? Yes. As long as you don't over use them. I think that just like knowing which fork to use, the art of cliche usage is valuable.
Now let loose the dogs of comment...
Very. But positive thinking isn't everything. Let me try to explain.
You're falling off of Carew Tower. Now, as you soar through the air with the greatest of ease, you can think "Wow! Look at me! I bet I'll beat everyone else to the bottom..." and be really positive about the whole experience, but all the positivity in the world is not going to change the impact you'll have on the street below. =) Positive thinking can make an unpleasant ordeal more bearable, but sometimes if you use common sense you wouldn't have been in that situation in the first place.
Therefore, I say a positive attitude WITH intelligent decisions is great gain.
On hype, cliches, etc:
I think many people use cliches and hype as an attempt to ease certain social situations because they really don't know how to comfortably express how they actually feel. However, to simply say "Never use cliches!" doesn't really reflect an accurate view of our social protocol. A cliche doesn't necessarily reflect the person's total opinion on the subject; it doesn't have to. It's just an easier, faster method of communication with less potential for awkwardness. So do I think cliches have their place in society? Yes. As long as you don't over use them. I think that just like knowing which fork to use, the art of cliche usage is valuable.
Now let loose the dogs of comment...
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Self-Titled
An astonishing act
of LITerary limberance lies
as centER sagaciously
hidden half hAbily
in a diagonal direcTION.
you figure it out.
School is going great. I've been getting up around 4:30 every morning to study, vocalize, and have devotions before my 7:00 class. This practice has led to me turning in to a zombie around 9:00ish...
On a related note, there's Nigeria. Known for its oil reserves, poor taste in dictators, and susceptibility to deadly infectious diseases, now is branching out to the do-it-yourself safety gear niche with this innovative idea:
Can't afford a motorcycle helmet? No problem, says the resourceful Nigerians.
Simply slap a pumpkin on your head and call it good. All is not peaceful, however, as local officials are contesting the functionality of this avant garde in vegitable fashion accessories.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Microwaves: Are They Occult?
Okay guys, I know I just posted something, but I couldn't sleep.
So I got up and investigated the source of all that is good in this world: The refrigerator.
I perused its mysterious depths and soon emerged victorious with a broccoli/ cauliflower casserole and several thick slices of ham. The next question I had is a familiar one to fellow dorm guys;
Do I microwave this, or do I eat it cold?
Microwave ovens. They're spooky.
My microwave has all sorts of helpful buttons I could push. There's a pizza button, and a popcorn button, and a potato button, and a...
How does my microwave know that I'm putting a piece of pizza in instead of last nights pot roast?
I stood in front of this mad machine, pondering this.
I reach out my hand and twiddle with the knob as I think, inadvertently sending the microwave into a symphony of beeps as I do so. Not seeing a week-old-broccoli-and-cauliflower-casserole-with-ham button, I now am faced with a decision.
Do I just leave the setting on high, and risk the mutation of my ham into bacon?
(Incidentally, I'm on to you Canadians.) I remember when I was young(er), my Dad, my brother, and myself put a marshmallow in the microwave. That thing got as big as a softball, and about as hard, too.
Do I try my luck with the power settings, and attempt to manually gauge the correct time/power/weight set of variables?
Nowadays there's a third option.
Sensor Reheat.
I stare at those words illuminated in blue against the dark metallic skin of the oven face.
Sensor Reheat. What on earth does that do? How does it work? What is involved in the "sensor" part? (i'm picturing little french fries dressed in star trek uniforms going "kepten, we're being scanned! red alert!") I pause.
...
The moral implications hit me. Should I really be using something if I have no idea how it works? I go with yes, and taking it by faith I press the button.
My food came out great, by the way. Exactly the way I like it.
So are they of the occult? Well, lets just say that although this claims to explain it all away, I know better. Like I said:
Microwave ovens. They're spooky.
So I got up and investigated the source of all that is good in this world: The refrigerator.
I perused its mysterious depths and soon emerged victorious with a broccoli/ cauliflower casserole and several thick slices of ham. The next question I had is a familiar one to fellow dorm guys;
Do I microwave this, or do I eat it cold?
Microwave ovens. They're spooky.
My microwave has all sorts of helpful buttons I could push. There's a pizza button, and a popcorn button, and a potato button, and a...
How does my microwave know that I'm putting a piece of pizza in instead of last nights pot roast?
I stood in front of this mad machine, pondering this.
I reach out my hand and twiddle with the knob as I think, inadvertently sending the microwave into a symphony of beeps as I do so. Not seeing a week-old-broccoli-and-cauliflower-casserole-with-ham button, I now am faced with a decision.
Do I just leave the setting on high, and risk the mutation of my ham into bacon?
(Incidentally, I'm on to you Canadians.) I remember when I was young(er), my Dad, my brother, and myself put a marshmallow in the microwave. That thing got as big as a softball, and about as hard, too.
Do I try my luck with the power settings, and attempt to manually gauge the correct time/power/weight set of variables?
Nowadays there's a third option.
Sensor Reheat.
I stare at those words illuminated in blue against the dark metallic skin of the oven face.
Sensor Reheat. What on earth does that do? How does it work? What is involved in the "sensor" part? (i'm picturing little french fries dressed in star trek uniforms going "kepten, we're being scanned! red alert!") I pause.
...
The moral implications hit me. Should I really be using something if I have no idea how it works? I go with yes, and taking it by faith I press the button.
My food came out great, by the way. Exactly the way I like it.
So are they of the occult? Well, lets just say that although this claims to explain it all away, I know better. Like I said:
Microwave ovens. They're spooky.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
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