Back when we learned that Big Love was planning to show scenes of the temple ceremonies, I remembered some less than respectful jibes I had taken a few years earlier toward Scientologists. And I felt bad about that and decided never to do anything of such a nature again.
One elective I took and enjoyed while in college was a Classical Mythology class. Our professor told us not to regard the myths as true or false; in fact, he posited that even the Greeks and Romans didn't necessarily see them that way. Instead, we were to regard them as neither true nor false but as a third category altogether: myth. This is hard for me to really do conceptually. Maybe for those people who don't believe in objective truth and right it is doable, but that is not a part of my religious tradition. There is absolute truth and there is absolute right. And while some things are matters of opinion, most are either true or false.
Of course, there are other mental gymnastics that others can't see a solution to where I don't even see a problem. I recently started reading a book of my father's, Mathematics in 10 Lessons by Jerry P. King. It teaches the basic concepts behind mathematics, from counting through calculus. Just the concepts, no formulas or processes. In the very first chapter, he briefly discusses whether mathematics is created or discovered. He himself favors the idea that mathematicians create mathematics, saying "Obviously, you can discover only that which already exists. The Platonist (one who claims that mathematics is discovered) must then provide for mathematics a creator other than a mathematician... I have none to offer. Neither have the Platonists. Mathematicians create mathematics."
Well, I see no reason for mathematics to need a creator. Matter has always existed. So has God. So have I, in some form. And so has mathematics.
But back to myth.
Although I have a hard time conceptually allowing a grey area between truth and fiction, I can express it perfectly well. So I have decided that when presenting other people's religious stories that I do not believe, I will treat them as myth. I will not claim that they are true. But I will also not say that they are ridiculous, strange, silly, or even merely false.
I will present them as mythology. Which, in the dictionary definition of the word, they are.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Friendly Dilemma
One of the regular posters on a message board I sometimes visit (I will call her Cat) was talking about a girl she used to be friends with but has grown away from. This other girl still feels very close to Cat and tries to keep the connection strong, including trying to get together with her in person frequently. But Cat is busy and does not particularly want to hang out with her old friend, but doesn't want to hurt her feelings by saying so.
When I read this, I worried about whether I am being the other girl in any of my relationships, annoying someone who I think really does appreciate my friendship but is really just trying to figure out how to get me to leave them alone.
Later that day, one of my friends said something about how she sometimes feels unwanted by her friends. I've felt that way too, especially when it seems like nobody has put in any effort to contact me for a while. And I don't want any of my friends to feel like I don't still care about them or want them in my life. The best way I can think of to keep them from feeling this way is by reaching out to them, calling or texting or writing.
But if they don't want to still be my friend, I don't want to be the annoying former friend who won't leave them alone.
So how do you tell which friends really want your friendship and which would rather you just move on with your life without them but are too polite to say anything? Especially when the friendship is long distance.
When I read this, I worried about whether I am being the other girl in any of my relationships, annoying someone who I think really does appreciate my friendship but is really just trying to figure out how to get me to leave them alone.
Later that day, one of my friends said something about how she sometimes feels unwanted by her friends. I've felt that way too, especially when it seems like nobody has put in any effort to contact me for a while. And I don't want any of my friends to feel like I don't still care about them or want them in my life. The best way I can think of to keep them from feeling this way is by reaching out to them, calling or texting or writing.
But if they don't want to still be my friend, I don't want to be the annoying former friend who won't leave them alone.
So how do you tell which friends really want your friendship and which would rather you just move on with your life without them but are too polite to say anything? Especially when the friendship is long distance.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Unscientific Assumption
I've read in more than one place that women, overall, are more attractive than men. And that just seems like a pretty ridiculous claim to me. I, for one, find men much more attractive.
The thing is, at least one of these claims was made in a book explaining some evolutionary biology ideas to the general public. As in, they were trying to explain why women are more attractive than men. In that context, I would want the basic claims made - the things that they are trying to explain - to be supported by solid scientific data. But how would you measure that? Most men find women more attractive. Most women find men more attractive. What did they do, see whether people primarily attracted to men are more likely to find women attractive as well than people primarily attracted to women are to also find men attractive? If so, they really ought to mention that research in the book. And I know they didn't because I would have remembered that sort of study.
The thing is, at least one of these claims was made in a book explaining some evolutionary biology ideas to the general public. As in, they were trying to explain why women are more attractive than men. In that context, I would want the basic claims made - the things that they are trying to explain - to be supported by solid scientific data. But how would you measure that? Most men find women more attractive. Most women find men more attractive. What did they do, see whether people primarily attracted to men are more likely to find women attractive as well than people primarily attracted to women are to also find men attractive? If so, they really ought to mention that research in the book. And I know they didn't because I would have remembered that sort of study.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Focusing on Christ's Life
One of the speakers in my ward today was raised Catholic and he talked a bit about the significance of the cross as a symbol of Christianity. He then told that when he asked the missionaries why we don't display crosses, they asked him which he would use to remember his hypothetical dead brother: the knife used to kill him or a photo of the brother happy and healthy. We do talk about the crucifixion, of course. If Christ hadn't died, he couldn't have been resurrected, for one thing. And the death was a real sacrifice. But we would rather focus on the living Christ.
When I was still Primary age, I thought of another reason to focus on things other than Christ's death: a lot of men die for others or for a cause. At the time, I had thought I would be willing to die for others myself. Since that time I have become more attached to the idea of living, but I hope that given enough cause I would still be willing to die for the right cause, though it is hard to imagine why I would ever be in such a situation.
But I thought that the focus should be more on the fact that Christ lived a perfect life for us than that he died for us. Nobody else has ever managed that. Just as nobody before Jesus Christ was able to break the bonds of death. Putting the focus on Christ's life, before and after death, tells much more about how He is special than does focusing on his death.
When I was still Primary age, I thought of another reason to focus on things other than Christ's death: a lot of men die for others or for a cause. At the time, I had thought I would be willing to die for others myself. Since that time I have become more attached to the idea of living, but I hope that given enough cause I would still be willing to die for the right cause, though it is hard to imagine why I would ever be in such a situation.
But I thought that the focus should be more on the fact that Christ lived a perfect life for us than that he died for us. Nobody else has ever managed that. Just as nobody before Jesus Christ was able to break the bonds of death. Putting the focus on Christ's life, before and after death, tells much more about how He is special than does focusing on his death.
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