Certainty not faith
Salon is running a fascinating interview with James Carse, whose new book The Religious Case Against Belief raises all kinds of interesting questions about the nature of faith and religion. I haven't read it yet, but based on this article the book has jumped to the top of my pending list. He emphasizes the differences between religions, which I find somehow refreshing given the warm fuzzy "all religions are pretty much the same" vibe that permeates Los Angeles. Eclecticism and ecumenical harmony are fine and welcome, but we shouldn't pretend that there are not real differences between (say) Judaism and Hinduism.
"All words are sacred and all prophets true," but each says true things in different ways, about different things, in different contexts. I rather like a world with that kind of vibrant variety in it. It would be even better if people would stop killing each other over such differences.
In entirely unrelated news, we finally let Wafer out to wander the neighborhood on his own yesterday; we figure he's had enough time to get used to the idea that family, safety, and (most importantly) food are located in the new apartment now. He came in and out several times during the afternoon, clearly building up his nerve with ever-longer expeditions.
Then he disappeared for more than an hour just as twilight was deepening. The last light was fading from the sky when we heard the unmistakable sounds of a feline territorial battle under way behind the neighboring condos. We called his name now and then so he'd know where to run if he decided to retreat, but otherwise just kept our fingers crossed.
An hour or so later, Wafer scratched at my bedroom window, and I went to the front door to let him in. He was covered with leaf-litter, but didn't have a scratch on him. I guess we've introduced the new alpha cat to the block.
madelineusher imagined him saying to the other cats "I used to fight coyotes. Stay out of my way."
"All words are sacred and all prophets true," but each says true things in different ways, about different things, in different contexts. I rather like a world with that kind of vibrant variety in it. It would be even better if people would stop killing each other over such differences.
In entirely unrelated news, we finally let Wafer out to wander the neighborhood on his own yesterday; we figure he's had enough time to get used to the idea that family, safety, and (most importantly) food are located in the new apartment now. He came in and out several times during the afternoon, clearly building up his nerve with ever-longer expeditions.
Then he disappeared for more than an hour just as twilight was deepening. The last light was fading from the sky when we heard the unmistakable sounds of a feline territorial battle under way behind the neighboring condos. We called his name now and then so he'd know where to run if he decided to retreat, but otherwise just kept our fingers crossed.
An hour or so later, Wafer scratched at my bedroom window, and I went to the front door to let him in. He was covered with leaf-litter, but didn't have a scratch on him. I guess we've introduced the new alpha cat to the block.
madelineusher imagined him saying to the other cats "I used to fight coyotes. Stay out of my way."