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News & ArtsWednesday, August 12, 2009
Religion Awake God
Posted by Charles Mudede on Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 3:55 PM
On page 214 of Graham Harman's wonderful book, Prince of Networks: Bruno Latour and Metaphysics (a book I read a week or so ago), there is this marvelous passage:
In passing, we must also reject those hasty traditional analogies that refer to death as a long peaceful sleep... Death shatters the bond between a creature’s component objects to such an extreme that its essence is shattered, as opposed to internal survivable changes such as the death of component cells. By contrast, sleep preserves the creature perfectly intact—but free for now of relation, ready for another day. The highly refreshing character of good sleep has the metaphysical significance of freeing us from the various trivial encrustations of relation in which we become enmeshed. It restored us for a time to the inner sanctum of our essence, subtracting all surface ornament. Reversing the usual association of higher organisms with greater wakefulness, it might be the case that higher entities are higher precisely through their greater capacity to sleep: ascending from insects through dolphins, humans, sages, angels, or God. If someone took the gamble of an object-oriented theology, the omniscient God of monotheism might be abandoned in favor of something resembling Cthulhu, the sleeping monstrosity of H.P. Lovecraft.
This is precisely the problem with the Christian God—he does not sleep.
Matthew 10:29 "Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father."He is always awake, always aware, always watching things fall, things rise, break, breath, beat, weep. Every eyelash is not missed by this God who refuses to close His own penetrating eyes and let the world be without him for a moment or two. The Christian God is the ultimate insomniac.
2
So many synapses aimlessly firing. Waste your words on something more plausible, like the Easter bunny.
4
This is my most basic problem with worshiping God (from any tradition)--it is always defined in human terms. God should sleep because we sleep?
God, if it exists, is so beyond human understanding that we CAN ONLY define it from our own experience which is far, far too limited for comprehension of, well, something as all encompassing as God.
God, if it exists, is so beyond human understanding that we CAN ONLY define it from our own experience which is far, far too limited for comprehension of, well, something as all encompassing as God.
6
Religions other than Christianity worship that god you call the "Christian God."
You should be more encompassing when you make these sweeping generalizations.
You should be more encompassing when you make these sweeping generalizations.
8
Harman is full of shit and doesn't know anything about how the brain works.
The brain's tendency to occasionally blur the line between sleep and wakefulness may help explain the phenomenon of near-death experience, preliminary research suggests.
10
Why would God sleep, need to sleep, or want to sleep? The attributes of omniscents, omnipresent, omnipotent, merciful, and just don't require sleep. Sleep is a requirement for mortal beings (and a pleasant one in my opinion).
11
No Charles, the problem with the Christian God is that millions of people have died in his name and millions more have suffered (and will continue to suffer) under his bizarre book of rules. As much as I enjoy the works of H.P. Lovecraft, any philosopher who seriously references him should be ignored; as should anyone who attempts to define the world based on a single, simple concept such as sleep.
12
@10:
"And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made." Gen 2:2 KJB
yeah, because what all omnipotent beings really need is a union break now and then.
"And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made." Gen 2:2 KJB
yeah, because what all omnipotent beings really need is a union break now and then.
13
@ 12: Is rest synonymous with sleep? Not necessarily. Perhaps, he only stopped to admire his work?
14
"Perhaps, he only stopped to admire his work?"
or perhaps he doesn't exist and is merely a convenient idealized projection of human foibles and weaknesses.
then again perhaps she wanted to turn off her cell phone & play some Grand Theft Auto heaven edition in peace.
and it's kind of a vain slacker move to stop and admire his work; what; he didn't know how it was gonna turn out?
or perhaps he doesn't exist and is merely a convenient idealized projection of human foibles and weaknesses.
then again perhaps she wanted to turn off her cell phone & play some Grand Theft Auto heaven edition in peace.
and it's kind of a vain slacker move to stop and admire his work; what; he didn't know how it was gonna turn out?
15
@13: and ohh yeah, I was just reinforcing your point @ 10, I have always found that god resting thing to be silly. but then again it is from the bible, not really a great source of logic and consistency that.
16
And yet our ever present God in all his might and power gives us simple humans the option to choose (free will). Because if a person does not have free will to choose goodness and faith, then all the commandments of the Bible to love Him and our brethren are of no value 'cause none of us can choose to do them (the commandments), and it is impossible for a God who's Love and wisdom to teach inconclusive commandments.
We are all extensions of Him. Since God is Love and Love is God, then He remains (cares) for things that are outside of Him (Love) regardless of what we (humans) do with our free will.
We are all extensions of Him. Since God is Love and Love is God, then He remains (cares) for things that are outside of Him (Love) regardless of what we (humans) do with our free will.
17
"We are all extensions of Him. Since God is Love and Love is God, then He remains (cares) for things that are outside of Him (Love) regardless of what we (humans) do with our free will."
well, kum-ba-fucking-ya, and let us stone all the blasphemers and harlots and homos and theives and philistines and pagans and eaters of pork and wearers of blended fabrics together.... & we can call it a Yahweh team building Exercise. it's worked so well in the past.
christ yer a clueless dolt.
well, kum-ba-fucking-ya, and let us stone all the blasphemers and harlots and homos and theives and philistines and pagans and eaters of pork and wearers of blended fabrics together.... & we can call it a Yahweh team building Exercise. it's worked so well in the past.
christ yer a clueless dolt.
18
I cannot cannot cannot stand your rants. I love Slog but you are truly the most annoying person in the blogosphere.
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