Obscurity
I would like to begin this discussion upon some feedback I have received concerning my blog. There are some who find it very obscure, perhaps too focused (or perhaps lacking in focus) on ideas and concepts that could not possibly have practical implications for living...not to mention my bunny-trailing (somewhat convoluted) style that connects some ideas, sometimes seemingly contradictory ideas, with others.
I must confess that these blogs are somewhat journalistic in that they follow a stream of consciousness arising from particular issues and ideas that I find to have extremely important practical implications (at least at a given time within a given context). There is not one blog post that is purely for intellectual reasons devoid of anything practical because there is no way to split the two and remain a whole person. Good intellectual endeavors are grounded on solid practicality. Or rather practical decisions require intellectual incite that inform those decisions rather than merely making a practical decision because we are biased a certain direction. All action should be well thought out and weighed. Here are a few examples of topics I have previously discussed:
A couple of posts I made concerned the topic of 'time.' Why is this important I'm sure your asking, when you think that it doesn't really matter because you know that it exists. But your assumed definition of 'time' is a foundational element in the way you think. For the Christian time is referred to linearly...in Hinduism, time is considered to be cyclical...in science, time is considered in terms of the fourth dimension. Most of us falls into one category or another and from that category we make assumptions about how we should live our lives...If time is other-dimensional, then time has always existed and one can put forth theories that suggest a possibility of time travel. If time is linear, as in the Christian interpretation, then time has a sure beginning and end. If time were other-dimensional for a Christian though, then the messages concerning creation in Scripture would take on new meaning that is otherwise not interpreted as such. Time therefore is fundamental to how we think and act.
Another example would be some of the posts I've made concerning 'art.' For an artist, there are sure practical reasons for why they do what they do, though those reasons are not perceived as such in the larger community. Here again, I am speaking about breaking down our preconceived societal assumptions and allowing ourselves to understand a category that exists, and exists practically, according to our nature, as well as aesthetically. Here again, a major point is that the assumptions we make concerning human epistemology (that is roughly human ways of knowing) play into how we think about ourselves as human beings. Do we reject art because we see it as a waste of time which accomplishes nothing? Or do we see art as something foundational to our nature as human beings? The abundance of art, or imitated things referred to as art in our culture posture this sort of question.
There is another blog on tradition...why might this be significant for practical thinking? There are some who tend to allocate their thinking to the past, and many to what might happen in the future, and much of where you belong on this spectrum has to do with your interpretation of tradition -- its relevance to modern-day experience. This is an inquiry wherein you are looking at your self and critiquing your own bias and your own definition of tradition that effects your ideas about the world, about relationships, about your job, etc...
Why the intellectualizing on Scripture topics in the Christian tradition? There are so many ambiguities in the translation of Scripture and how it portrays certain things, but Christians take this book to be a living document through which one can truly know, or come close to knowing the Truth. It would be unfair of me to negate such intellectualizing about it since Scripture by its very nature calls for interpretation and reinterpretation with the help of the Holy Spirit. But the intellectualizing always serves a practical purpose for the Christian community. Again, the basis for how one views Scripture lies in these debatable nuances which are constantly be shifted to accommodate for experience that is different from those only a generation ago. Scripture is silent on many issues that we address in churches today and as such require faithful thinking to address the issues rather than acting first and thinking later.
Why talk about ways of knowing? Because I think epistemology is so convoluted in this postmodern day and age that anything goes...it is helpful to set some criterion at least, rather than merely ascribing to one category or another. There are various levels of knowing and I'm not about to make a claim for one above all others just yet. First one must weigh the options. But once a person has come to an epistemological answer that serves them best, then their actions and thinking tend to revolve around that principle. Again, it informs your action perhaps even unknowingly or unwittingly to yourself.
Anyway, these are just few personal answers to my blog posts...which by no means exhaust the various questions we should be asking ourselves. Just remember that these blogs, though you may not agree with them, are to spark conversation rather than obscure it. Perhaps there are tidbits you may find interesting and may want to explore, or perhaps you may disagree and want to explore the avenue in an opposite direction. This is my hope for this blog. It is not a journal because it is not meant only for me. It is meant for those also who feel the need to continuously assess and reassess their lives. Life, by no means, entails an easy answer. Even the simplest answers are complex in various ways. Practicality for one person is not practicality for another since we live in a multi-cultural world. I cannot just make an assumption about many of these topics without at least considering other points of view. To me, that is irresponsible on my part, since I take seriously treating and loving others as I love myself...
I must confess that these blogs are somewhat journalistic in that they follow a stream of consciousness arising from particular issues and ideas that I find to have extremely important practical implications (at least at a given time within a given context). There is not one blog post that is purely for intellectual reasons devoid of anything practical because there is no way to split the two and remain a whole person. Good intellectual endeavors are grounded on solid practicality. Or rather practical decisions require intellectual incite that inform those decisions rather than merely making a practical decision because we are biased a certain direction. All action should be well thought out and weighed. Here are a few examples of topics I have previously discussed:
A couple of posts I made concerned the topic of 'time.' Why is this important I'm sure your asking, when you think that it doesn't really matter because you know that it exists. But your assumed definition of 'time' is a foundational element in the way you think. For the Christian time is referred to linearly...in Hinduism, time is considered to be cyclical...in science, time is considered in terms of the fourth dimension. Most of us falls into one category or another and from that category we make assumptions about how we should live our lives...If time is other-dimensional, then time has always existed and one can put forth theories that suggest a possibility of time travel. If time is linear, as in the Christian interpretation, then time has a sure beginning and end. If time were other-dimensional for a Christian though, then the messages concerning creation in Scripture would take on new meaning that is otherwise not interpreted as such. Time therefore is fundamental to how we think and act.
Another example would be some of the posts I've made concerning 'art.' For an artist, there are sure practical reasons for why they do what they do, though those reasons are not perceived as such in the larger community. Here again, I am speaking about breaking down our preconceived societal assumptions and allowing ourselves to understand a category that exists, and exists practically, according to our nature, as well as aesthetically. Here again, a major point is that the assumptions we make concerning human epistemology (that is roughly human ways of knowing) play into how we think about ourselves as human beings. Do we reject art because we see it as a waste of time which accomplishes nothing? Or do we see art as something foundational to our nature as human beings? The abundance of art, or imitated things referred to as art in our culture posture this sort of question.
There is another blog on tradition...why might this be significant for practical thinking? There are some who tend to allocate their thinking to the past, and many to what might happen in the future, and much of where you belong on this spectrum has to do with your interpretation of tradition -- its relevance to modern-day experience. This is an inquiry wherein you are looking at your self and critiquing your own bias and your own definition of tradition that effects your ideas about the world, about relationships, about your job, etc...
Why the intellectualizing on Scripture topics in the Christian tradition? There are so many ambiguities in the translation of Scripture and how it portrays certain things, but Christians take this book to be a living document through which one can truly know, or come close to knowing the Truth. It would be unfair of me to negate such intellectualizing about it since Scripture by its very nature calls for interpretation and reinterpretation with the help of the Holy Spirit. But the intellectualizing always serves a practical purpose for the Christian community. Again, the basis for how one views Scripture lies in these debatable nuances which are constantly be shifted to accommodate for experience that is different from those only a generation ago. Scripture is silent on many issues that we address in churches today and as such require faithful thinking to address the issues rather than acting first and thinking later.
Why talk about ways of knowing? Because I think epistemology is so convoluted in this postmodern day and age that anything goes...it is helpful to set some criterion at least, rather than merely ascribing to one category or another. There are various levels of knowing and I'm not about to make a claim for one above all others just yet. First one must weigh the options. But once a person has come to an epistemological answer that serves them best, then their actions and thinking tend to revolve around that principle. Again, it informs your action perhaps even unknowingly or unwittingly to yourself.
Anyway, these are just few personal answers to my blog posts...which by no means exhaust the various questions we should be asking ourselves. Just remember that these blogs, though you may not agree with them, are to spark conversation rather than obscure it. Perhaps there are tidbits you may find interesting and may want to explore, or perhaps you may disagree and want to explore the avenue in an opposite direction. This is my hope for this blog. It is not a journal because it is not meant only for me. It is meant for those also who feel the need to continuously assess and reassess their lives. Life, by no means, entails an easy answer. Even the simplest answers are complex in various ways. Practicality for one person is not practicality for another since we live in a multi-cultural world. I cannot just make an assumption about many of these topics without at least considering other points of view. To me, that is irresponsible on my part, since I take seriously treating and loving others as I love myself...
posted by Timcom at 10:07 AM
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