Comments | fpb: Upon hearing an Eric Clapton guitar solo

fpb

Upon hearing an Eric Clapton guitar solo

Oct 16, 2009 19:32

At times like this, I really do feel sorry for atheists. One has to be grateful for artistry so miraculous, but they have nobody to be grateful to. (And don't give me any crap about "the human spirit" - that is what we owe the Murdoch press and robotic dance noise to.)

atheism, polemics

Comments 57

shelestel October 16 2009, 22:22:37 UTC

Don't you think that if atheists could not experience gratitude, or some other related good state of mind, they wouldn't enjoy beauty altogether?

fpb October 16 2009, 22:32:05 UTC

Gratitude is personal. Gratitude for what? Gratitude to Whom? And at any rate I do not say they cannot enjoy it - the very nature of something as miraculous as the white lightning that Clapton unleashed on this and many other occasionsis that it is open to any person who is decently instructed in music to enjoy it; I just say that the experience is incomplete.

shelestel October 16 2009, 22:49:46 UTC

How about being grateful to Eric Clapton? Surely, those guitar riffs didn't spend months upon months learning themselves? Perhaps more broadly, to his teachers, and to the general set of circumstances that made it possible for his talent to manifest: it isn't often that things come together so well.

Another thing: if only the "decently instructed" can enjoy Clapton, does it mean, by extension, that it requires education to appreciate God?

fpb October 16 2009, 23:01:20 UTC

And why on God's green earth should Eric Clapton be more talented than anyone else? Why, out of hundreds of thousands of guitarists throughout the world, is there one - or a few - or a few dozens - whose work absolutely shines, which is compulsive again and again? Clapton has no control over the fact that he is a genius at his trade, any more than someone else has no control over the fact that he or she is not. So why should anyone be grateful to a man for something that is outside that man's control?

Thread 41

dustthouart October 16 2009, 23:31:04 UTC

Hey, I love robotic dance noise!

fpb October 16 2009, 23:37:10 UTC

That makes one of us.

notebuyer October 16 2009, 23:48:07 UTC

Not fair! You made me laugh before I was ready!

minnesattva October 17 2009, 13:15:21 UTC

What if we're just grateful to the artist? All the time and effort put in to learning his craft and performing it for us, and the myriad of good people and good chances around him that have brought him to a place where his music can be heard by people who will never meet him or otherwise have anything to do with him.

WARNING: THE NEXT PERSON TO REPEAT POINTS ALREADY MADE WILL BE DELETED AND BANNED fpb October 17 2009, 13:21:32 UTC

Good grief, how many times do I have to repeat myself? And do you really think you get any brownie points for repeating unintelligently points that others have already made not just ad abundantiam but ad nauseam? Why don't you people just read the comments thread before leaving the umpteenth repetition of things already answered?

Re: WARNING: THE NEXT PERSON TO REPEAT POINTS ALREADY MADE WILL BE DELETED AND BANNED minnesattva October 17 2009, 13:24:32 UTC

Well it's good to see religion has made you such a nice person. :)

Re: WARNING: THE NEXT PERSON TO REPEAT POINTS ALREADY MADE WILL BE DELETED AND BANNED fpb October 17 2009, 13:38:38 UTC

Where is it written that you have a right to intrude in someone else's blog, make no intelligent or novel point, show no empathy or interest, and expect polite responses?

Thread 12

(The comment has been removed)

fpb October 18 2009, 12:43:52 UTC

Buy the video of the Bob Dylan thirtieth anniversary concert - there is an avalanche of great musicians, and he still stands out. I also saw him on the Queen's Golden Jubilee concert - I hope that is available to buy, but if not I can make you a copy. I can only use the expression I already used - white lightning.