When I was told "God is omnipotent"
I looked the word up to see what it meant.
Good job I did, because it let me see
that all such God stuff was mere fantasy.
"All powerful" ? Well, could he make a stone
so great he couldn't lift it on his own?
Please tell me what you think
Comments
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This page introduced me to Rachael (below). You are both very smart people. I think there is plenty of evidence for Intelligent Design of the Universe.
On the Personal level, do you think this physical life (matter in motion - Thomas Hobbs) is a test to get into a world in spiritual dimensions where total trust is required and it is practiced here by those who earn passage to it?
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ohhh ryme! me likey
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You are an excellent writer with a very thoughtful mind. So, in writing this comment, I will take the chance that me respecting your choice to have no faith, will be reciprocal, and you will do the same for me in my choice to have a faith...hopefully.
But my answer is that, God is more than just Omnipotent. God is not human. Thus not understandeable by our terms. A toymaker creates a toy, can the toy understand the toymaker entirely? Can the toy be the toymaker? It does not have the same grasp of all the dimensions as its Creator.
The same, I suppose, would apply to humans and God. God is also omnitient...I am not, you are not, none of the created are. Thus I, you, no one can understand, because we do not, and cannot, ever possess His abilities - His knowledge, His power, His grasp of His own creation. Just as a toy cannot understand itself and it's world better than the toymaker who envisioned it, and then brought that vision into being.
Regardless, excellent write. Fascinating little riddle. I may not agree, but I can appreciate and admire the brilliance behind it.
Smile♫
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Hi. Many thanks for your very interesting comment. Of course, the human mind is incapable of comprehending the true and fundamental nature of existence (we perceive our environment with our five senses which, being physical, (mis?)interpret it into purely physical phenomena). Which is the point I'm making, really: it's nonsense to give quasi human attributes - e.g. 'knowledge', 'power' 'compassion' et al to what we sense is the wholistic "otherness" of the existing universe. In my view, because our psyche can only sense that otherness while being incapable of comprehending it, to equate or describe that which we cannot possibly 'know' in purely human terms is to actually cloud our rightful sense of wonder in a conceptual fog which I, for one, find stultifying. I believe Art (in all its forms) is a celebration of that wonder without 'explaining' it while Religion
is our attempt to explain and rationalise that which is way beyond our comprehension. In "A Word to the Wise" I was trying to point out that by using such a very human concept as "All Powerful" to describe that which is beyond our comprehension, we only add confusion to our non comprehension. It's a very interesting subject! Thanks again, cheers, jimmy -
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I enjoyed your reply...that is much more to my preference. I happen to agree...you cannot use the existing terms, or our rather limited senses, to describe an entity (or not just even that, but many things, as you mentioned, Art) that we are supposed to be the mere shadow of. That would be like my reflection in the mirror trying to define me, simply by the way I looked, and by her limited knowledge of what she learned whenever I passed mirrors sporadically. What a spotty portrait of me she would draw...entirely incomplete, and lacking the proper terms.
And I agree...religion is a thin attempt at trying to explain what what is unexplainable, trying to exercise a little control, that way people don't feel so "powerless"...I don't like religion...rules, regulations, and a box that tries everything possible to douse my desire to learn, discover, and explore. But...I don't define faith and religion as the same thing. Religion places the existence of God (so many other wonderful things) in human terms, explainable terms, which means there is no mystery...faith, to me on the other hand, leaves concepts open to my curiosity and exploration.
Your poem was perfectly clear...It is just that I am still young, and there is a lot that I don't know, or cannot express, thus I rely on learning from what I can uncover around me, and enjoy probing... in this case I desired to probe deeper into the thought...so I did.
Thank you for indulging me.
Smile♫
Rachel -
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Hullo again Rachel. I'm just popping back to give you a friendly slap on the wrist for excusing yourself for being young and saying you cannot express yourself. In the first case, it is the young mind which is free to explore most widely. It would be nice if increasing age endowed us with increasing wisdom. Alas, in most cases, "experience" usually means having had time to reinforce those acquired habits of outlook and thinking with which we wear ever deeper the particular rut we've chosen to travel in. As to the second point, you express yourself remarkably clearly! I have genuinely appreciated our brief exchange - you have a good mind and an unusually fine facility in expressing it.
As to the subject of our exchange, if you have the time and inclination, you might take a peep at two other of my pieces that touch on it:
http://allpoetry.com/poem/3337207
http://allpoetry.com/poem/3803698
Keep seeking, Rachel and, remember, if you think you,ve found the answer, it's most likely you've lost sight of what you were looking for. All the best, mate. Cheers, jimmy
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Hello, haha...thank you very much...
No fear, I appreciate my youth. I only meant that, while perhaps age may create ruts to become stuck in (as you pointed out), it can also grant a better grasp of the subject, because, obviously, one has had more time. I desire to grasp and learn and drown myself as much as I possibly can, but no matter my endeavors, there are some things (both good and bad) that I can only obtain with time.
And in answer to your closing...if you're seeking and you think you've found the answer, most likely you've only found a stepping stone to another stage...And oftentimes, when we become to tunnel visioned and are searching for a single object (things are too often like intricate, inner connected webs), we overlook a million other equally important details.
SMile♫
Rachel -
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Right on! Once again, all the best. jimmy
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well penned.. short and meaningful.
Best wishes and good luck,
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a wonderful approach to the popular subject "God" ...
I guess you were a child, when you started to question the reality of "God", or maybe we can say "the concept God" ...
only an innocent and still relatively unconditioned child can come up with such amazing insights ! I love it ...
I have a friend who, as a child was taught that blasphemy would lead straight to hell ... from this moment on, he started to call God the most horrible names ... he felt guilty for two days until he confessed it to his mother ... she just said not to worry ... his conclusion ? well : if it's so easy to get away with sins, religion can't be a serious thing ...
thanks so much for sharing your childlike innocence ...
maa
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Good stuff! I'm happy wrestling with that image; thank you.
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Superb!!!
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