Posted by cav on July 15, 2005 at 04:12:57:
In Reply to: Re: life and death...no, not an emergency posted by Terry on July 12, 2005 at 10:46:32:
You quoted Labryinth...excellent movie. I also like using pop culture references to illustrate deep truths. I've been accused (playfully) of finding the philosophy in the most trivial movies.
But it reminded me of a discussion I had with a class in college regarding the nature of freedom. One of the students said that perfect freedom doesn't exist because there are always limitations, if nothing more than gravity...and the professor posed that reality is what happens to us whether we like it or not. We have to work within the bounds of reality of course. Otherwise it is just fantasy, which is fine in its place and alot of fun, and even beneficial, but not reality. Therefore he answered the student that perfect freedom as he suggested it was just that...fantasy. True freedom DID exist within the bounds of the framework of the universe. The same is true about life and death I believe. We often look from a skewed perspective instead of learning to accept reality. I find that Christianity is so great about pointing out that reality. Jesus says that human nature is going to be the force in this world. That we will suffer of course. That if anything follwoing him will make it worse... but what he offers is the way to complete reality as it was intended to be. It is the way to find that freedom by understanding the nature of life and aligning ourselves with it. In that light we learn that all suffering is temporary and that death is not to be feared...merely a change of state... even a liberation if you will.
I don't know about you, but I find the teachings of Christ to be the most freedom inspiring and liberating set of teachings in the world. It frees us from everything! From death, from guilt, from life, from oppression by others, from judgement, from selfishness, from vice, from hate, and even from pride!
Tell us what you think about death!
: "'It's not fair. It's not fair.' You're always saying that. By what, I wonder is your basis of comparison?" David Bowe in Labyrinth
: I have been thinking about all this since the first post. We, as a culture, are very afriad of pain, suffering, and death. We do anything we can to hide from it. (Thus the need to hide our elderly and dieing in nursing homes ect....) Since we feel that these things are evil and bad, God must feel the same way. Therefore, the good don't suffer and the evil have endless illness and suffering. If a christian is sick or suffering then there must be hidden sin or demonic oppression in their lives. Forget that the Bible says, "It rains on the just and the unjust." Or the whole book of Proverbs and Psalms that lament that the evil seem to get away with everything, and all the verses that talk about sufferning.
: Pain and suffering is not all bad (ask Paul). I don't seek it out. However, I don't cuss God and wonder why me when it happens.
: I have to get back to work. When I have time I will shair what I have been thinking about death lately.
: Till then