Our Conundrum

God's Problem

Bart D. Ehrman

HarperOne

In Bart D. Ehrman's book God's Problem, an ancient difficulty is examined by Ehrman. On one hand, we have the " all loving" God (with many, many exceptions) ,the horrific world in which we find ourselves living. If we find ourselves living in the world Ehrman does, it is not a happy scene at all, despite protestations to the contrary.

Ehrman seems to be in a constant wrestling match between God (traditionally created) and all the agonies we face. However, the books are - for lack of a better term - a more holistic vision. While any Bible or Torah is certainly a wide-ranging text, what can Ahura Mazda say to us? Or Krishna? How can the writers of Talmud affect or color the original texts? In the more modern version, how can Thomas Merton (whom I greatly admire) affect our ways of thinking?

I don't think what is generated is as much a tabula rasa as much as a tabula "holistica". Do I believe that any thinking will see suffering wiped out, or, more realistically, understand it? Of course not. But what I can do is alleviate the suffering, and protest the outrages. This is one area in which Ehrman and I can agree.

I myself have accepted Buddhist teachings. However, Thich Nhat Hanh has, ironically, felt a deep appreciation for Christian teachings. Not in the very traditional sense, but it is there. Perhaps if we see more holistically, we will see more.

Hello, everyone--

I found this site quite accidentaly. It may not be the most cheerful in the world, but it does mark peoples' places in the world. Take a moment and think of them.

Del Martin

Larry Townsend

Billy Keen, Jr.

Cyd Charise

Robert

Robert Raushenberg

George Slover

Scott Graham

Chris Crain

Michael Brown

Carlos Mieglo

Kevin Sayre

Hello everyone--well, the best thing finally happened. I'm finally getting multiple hits, all around the world. It's definitely a relief from the days when I would see one hit a week.

Since I must The Fall tonight, here's a little something for to think about in the the meantime. Ah, yes, money. Filthy lucre. What have you. As It happens, it's something we need; many desperately. (Even in these desperate straits, think of our African friends who try to subsist on fifteen dollars a month.)

Whenever we want to look at the big picture, we would be shown a picture which would make
Wheel of Fortune positively blush. The hard facts, the brutal facts, is that although there is a slim tendency for the good to do better, our neighbor's keeper is that much more urgent.

Peace.