tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38176608.post2654405227025660689..comments2014-02-19T21:28:44.058-05:00Comments on Coppers for a cat: Missionaries, part 1Sean O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04281839561200918652noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38176608.post-15441606485840336332009-12-22T02:26:42.773-05:002009-12-22T02:26:42.773-05:00In any case, this is all besides the point. My pos...In any case, this is all besides the point. My post was on missionary work. I just saw two Mormons biking down the road here in my wife's hometown in western Japan. I wasn't too happy with that.Sean O'Haganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04281839561200918652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38176608.post-29138741700201212002009-12-22T02:24:40.519-05:002009-12-22T02:24:40.519-05:00True, reality can appear to be peculiar. But, at e...True, reality can appear to be peculiar. But, at every turn we are discovering the 'hows' and the 'whys'. Things become more understandable every day.<br /><br />I'm always a bit stunned by the religious arrogance of people of faith. When people say the word "God", what god are they referring to? There are quite a few out there. Are they really claiming that the other 'x' billion people have got it all wrong? I just find that way of thinking incomprehensible.<br /><br />Whereas all believers (regardless of faith) state that theirs is the one and true God (or at least that their particular God exists), atheists refuse to make such inherently contradictory claims. We may also be arrogant, but not in a "Hey we're special" kind of way. In one of his talks, Hitchens says that, in a sense, we are all atheists. We no longer believe in Zeus, Juno, Ra, ... and the list is long.Sean O'Haganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04281839561200918652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38176608.post-90397829425619567532009-12-19T22:26:53.142-05:002009-12-19T22:26:53.142-05:00Watched it. Not bad either. It does seem peculiar ...Watched it. Not bad either. It does seem peculiar that God waited a long time before revealing himself, and doing so to a small nation. Then again, reality has many peculiar things about it—rarely is it smooth and obvious.Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00759347756359490466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38176608.post-46772190836120988852009-12-19T12:15:30.643-05:002009-12-19T12:15:30.643-05:00Watched that video. Not bad. I can't remember ...Watched that video. Not bad. I can't remember how much of the book contained those kinds of arguments. It may seem like a lot because he goes through most religions (including Buddhism) and demonstrates examples for each. However, there's quite a bit more substance to the book than that.<br /><br />I have a video for you to watch. Hitchens examining the last 100,000 of Homo Sapiens. Quite short.<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj_uv3tgrXMSean O'Haganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04281839561200918652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38176608.post-42379721383173501222009-12-19T01:37:16.065-05:002009-12-19T01:37:16.065-05:00I haven't read God Is Not Great or the other b...I haven't read God Is Not Great or the other books. I did see an interesting YouTube video on Hitchens' book by an eloquent Catholic speaker, Fr. Robert Barron. If you're curious, it's at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBp9Tgkmk7w" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBp9Tgkmk7w</a> (4 mins).Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00759347756359490466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38176608.post-67332279472185083202009-12-19T01:21:35.280-05:002009-12-19T01:21:35.280-05:00Hi Jonathan!
There is also a lot of wisdom in The...Hi Jonathan!<br /><br />There is also a lot of wisdom in The Analects of Confucius. And yet by various means (both aggressive and not) Christian missionaries have tried to supplant Chinese beliefs (or lack thereof) for centuries. How can Catholics claim to be right, and the rest of the world wrong?<br /><br />I have been an atheist for about 25 years now, and there is no hope of conversion here. :)<br /><br />I'd be interested in hearing your opinion on any of the various "God doesn't exist" books that are popular recently.Sean O'Haganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04281839561200918652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38176608.post-20099567185501231442009-12-19T01:02:25.864-05:002009-12-19T01:02:25.864-05:00Catholicism is a deep religion, and the Bible is a...Catholicism is a deep religion, and the Bible is an inexhaustible storehouse of wisdom. Currently I'm reading the Gospel of John. It is by turns wondrous, wise, and surprising. You should check it out sometime!Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00759347756359490466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38176608.post-50201647489624064312009-12-18T22:42:39.774-05:002009-12-18T22:42:39.774-05:00It is horribly ironic that in my vain attempt to m...It is horribly ironic that in my vain attempt to make pennies via Google Adsense, there are ads for missionary work below my post damning missionary work. Oh well.Sean O'Haganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04281839561200918652noreply@blogger.com