Materialism, God and Dappled Things
7-20-02
I have had so many cappuccinos that this one is free. I was going to time how long from first sip to caffeine nirvana but I forgot my watch at home.
I have had an interesting discussions with a Greek Orthodox Priest. John works in our resident service department as a councilor. His cubicle is near my office. While I can’t agree with him regarding the existence of God, I can agree with his arguments about materialism. He feels that the more materials one has the less human one is. The more contact one has with materials the less contact one has with other human beings. He argues that in the 1950s when we had less things, people use to have family meals and talk to one another. He also wonders why with all the time saving things we have, washers dryers microwaves fast food... why do we seem to have so much less time. His arguments all lead to his belief in God. I think it all leads to the need for art, beauty, and literature... non material concepts yet for me more valid.
We also discussed to some less satisfactory level, Religion and the existence of God. I reiterated all my familiar arguments about how Religions have caused so much misery in the world as differing belief systems clash. I gave the examples of the Crusades, the inquisition, the Jews and Muslims in the Middle east and the IRA and protestant conflict in Northern Ireland. I also thought that the Hutu and Tootsie conflict was based in Religion but he thought it was Ethnic. As to the arguments for god's existence, I said there was no way to prove it. It is simply a belief not a truth. He asked me how did all this get started. I said it was simply a matter of chance. He said that argument was an eighteen century atheists argument ( I can't remember the name )
Glory be to God for dappled things--
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches ' wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced--fold, fallow, and plough;
And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim.
All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise him.
Strange I should open a book to Gerard Manly Hopkins
Even though I don't agree with the idea of the poem, it is one of great beauty.
I have had so many cappuccinos that this one is free. I was going to time how long from first sip to caffeine nirvana but I forgot my watch at home.
I have had an interesting discussions with a Greek Orthodox Priest. John works in our resident service department as a councilor. His cubicle is near my office. While I can’t agree with him regarding the existence of God, I can agree with his arguments about materialism. He feels that the more materials one has the less human one is. The more contact one has with materials the less contact one has with other human beings. He argues that in the 1950s when we had less things, people use to have family meals and talk to one another. He also wonders why with all the time saving things we have, washers dryers microwaves fast food... why do we seem to have so much less time. His arguments all lead to his belief in God. I think it all leads to the need for art, beauty, and literature... non material concepts yet for me more valid.
We also discussed to some less satisfactory level, Religion and the existence of God. I reiterated all my familiar arguments about how Religions have caused so much misery in the world as differing belief systems clash. I gave the examples of the Crusades, the inquisition, the Jews and Muslims in the Middle east and the IRA and protestant conflict in Northern Ireland. I also thought that the Hutu and Tootsie conflict was based in Religion but he thought it was Ethnic. As to the arguments for god's existence, I said there was no way to prove it. It is simply a belief not a truth. He asked me how did all this get started. I said it was simply a matter of chance. He said that argument was an eighteen century atheists argument ( I can't remember the name )
Glory be to God for dappled things--
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches ' wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced--fold, fallow, and plough;
And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim.
All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise him.
Strange I should open a book to Gerard Manly Hopkins
Even though I don't agree with the idea of the poem, it is one of great beauty.
posted by Kajgreb | 2:40 PM
2 Comments:
This is a wonderful journal entry.
Oh how I envy those with great faith. I too agree with your friend's view on materialism.
Thank goodness I am not a material girl although I couldn't get by without books and music I am quite content to live the simple life.
The more I see of the rich, the more I know how really poor they are.
Really fascinating to read the differing opinions on God. And perhaps it's not so much as strange as serendipity that you should open the book to that particular poem. The hand of fate works in mysterious ways.
Post a Comment
<< Home