chrisbloom7's Formspring answers http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7 http://www.formspring.me 60 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/202979010483876398 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/202979010483876398 Wed, 08 Jun 2011 22:46:07 -0400 chrisbloom7 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/190879199785939486 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/190879199785939486 Fri, 06 May 2011 13:25:47 -0400 chrisbloom7 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/190879043694914508 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/190879043694914508 Fri, 06 May 2011 13:25:10 -0400 chrisbloom7
Note that I am using the term "faith" above loosely and I'm not limiting this statement to religious beliefs. There are plenty of myths and scientific principles that people cling to even in the face of mounting evidence against them. Also, it doesn't do any good to be smug when you are being asked the same question for the 1000th time. You may be tired of answering and providing the same counter argument, but it may very well be the first time that the opposing party is hearing your response. Being smug about it (ala the infamous "Hitch Slap") doesn't help your argument.]]> http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/190839671633254392 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/190839671633254392 Fri, 06 May 2011 10:48:43 -0400 chrisbloom7 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/190837514079072512 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/190837514079072512 Fri, 06 May 2011 10:40:08 -0400 chrisbloom7 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/1715035284 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/1715035284 Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:36:39 -0500 chrisbloom7
Another explanation could be that he was simple an amalgamation of many different men or stories. Or that he was simply part of an invented story, made to assuage the fears of men and give them comfort during difficult times: "Repent and fear not, for the son of God is among us!" We still hear the same thing today, 2000 years later: "Repent and fear not, for the son of God shall return!"]]> http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/1483542467 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/1483542467 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:22:34 -0400 chrisbloom7 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/1473709634 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/1473709634 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 21:20:10 -0400 chrisbloom7
Instead, we try very hard to expose our children to lots of different types of mythology and creationism tales so they understand that human history is filled with lots of different gods and goddesses. We find that this makes it easier to handle questions about contemporary God(s) because we can reference the stories and point out that mankind has always had ideas about higher powers and that some people find comfort in thinking about a guiding force for the universe.

We also present them with lots of scientific information (age appropriate of course) that explains humankind's current understanding about the the universe and about Earth's and mankind's history. Our hope is that this gives them the context that they need to make up their own mind about what they choose to believe, and hopefully makes them thirst for more knowledge. (I find modern science to be much more intriguing than contemporary mythology, and my hope is that they will feel the same way.)

Here are some of the books that we use to help form their world view:
* People, by Peter Spier
* Life On Earth: The Story of Evolution, by Steve Jenkins
* Brother Eagle, Sister Sky: A Message from Chief Seattle, by Susan J. Jeffers
* Stories of Greek mythology
* Creationist tales from Africa, Native Americans, Egyptians, etc.
* Even Christian stories, when presented in the same context as other myths and tales (i.e. not as historic "fact")]]> http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/1467146623 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/1467146623 Tue, 02 Nov 2010 09:45:29 -0400 chrisbloom7 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/1427069281 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/1427069281 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 01:41:50 -0400 chrisbloom7 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/1427068717 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/1427068717 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 01:41:12 -0400 chrisbloom7 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/1427068233 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/1427068233 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 01:40:39 -0400 chrisbloom7 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/1427067381 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/1427067381 Thu, 28 Oct 2010 01:39:40 -0400 chrisbloom7 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/1366332886 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/1366332886 Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:13:33 -0400 chrisbloom7 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/953769053 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/953769053 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:08:54 -0400 chrisbloom7 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/902157772 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/902157772 Sun, 01 Aug 2010 22:31:47 -0400 chrisbloom7
I've owned lots of records in my life. As a kid, I remember playing along with an old Star Wars/Ewoks story on vinyl. I think the first rock record I owned was by Men At Work. I remember buying singles for Def Leppard, Fresh Prince and INFX on vinyl. I still have some 7" records from hardcore bands that I listened to in my 20's, as well as the 12" pressing of my band Fragment's album Angels Never Came.]]> http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/866317467 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/866317467 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:36:36 -0400 chrisbloom7
However, had it been a polite debate to that point, I may have asked for them to help me understand that statement better. If there is a secret message in the Bible, why is it only available to devotees? If there is hidden meaning, what is the key that unlocks it? (Is it baptism? Accepting communion? Some meta-physical key that has no logical trigger?) I think it would be interesting to see what drives that claim.]]> http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/865995759 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/865995759 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:29:29 -0400 chrisbloom7
There is no meaning to life. Life is random and chaotic, from it's mysterious beginnings to it's inconceivable end. We are here by chance and chance alone. But while we are here, we should make the most of it. We should be good for the sake of being good. We should strive to make life better for our descendants just as our ancestors worked to make it better for us. We should live for ourselves, but never at the cost of someone else's life. By the same token, we should be considerate of other people's lives and allow them to live for themselves. All of these things lead to a peaceful society, one that can exist well into the future. Our meaning, our purpose, should be simply to promote the existence of this society so that future generations can build on it and promote it as well - an endless cycle of innovation and evolution. An endless march towards civilizations unknown.

A bit utopian and objectivist for sure, but that's my take on it. It sounds a lot less hokey if you imagine it being spoken aloud by Carl Sagan, like the closing dialog at the end of one of his episodes of Cosmos.]]> http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/847398722 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/847398722 Fri, 23 Jul 2010 00:14:00 -0400 chrisbloom7
"Boy, just be yourself. If people don't like you for being yourself... F*** 'EM! Let me tell you something. I scored with a girl when I was about your age. I try to please her poppa all the time; wen' out my *way* to please her poppa. I came in one day, I said, "Nice weather we having." He said, "You can't say that. You can't say that; it might rain." I said, "Nice tie you got on." "You can't say that; wife try to choke me with it." Point I'm trying to tell you, son, is be yourself. People who don't like ya for being yourself... F*** 'EM! F*** 'EM against the wall, with handcuffs on and crazy glue on their lips!"

Live your life for you, not for someone else's expectation of how you should live it. And be yourself, not what someone else expects you to be.]]> http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/847329317 http://www.formspring.me/chrisbloom7/q/847329317 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 23:41:45 -0400 chrisbloom7