the cohesiveness of the universe, the One Spirit?, blah blah philosophical shit

[cimorene]

this is a quote from the bible that dorkorific picked out and says is 1 corinthians 12, like that matters/means anything to me.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

and here largely for my own reference is my pondering about it. see, i kind of like that, am attracted to that, despite my antipathy for not just religion but suggestions of the spiritual and the supernatural.

i even kind of like that passage, and see, it doesn't have any real reference to christian spirituality that i can see. i know a lot of people who believe that kind of thing but aren't smart enough to express it like that--coming from a unitarian universalist congregation which, you understand, is totally 1960s and hollywood and fruity, and it's a religion but not really.* so all these people like to say things like 'i don't believe in a god but i believe in a purpose, not a purpose, but a spirit. a spirit, and i don't know if i believe that it's in all things or not, but the other day i was walking my dog sporky and i saw a bird and i thought....' and they're really saying the same thing as that. the universe has a Plan.

and i kind of like it because even though i don't believe that there actually is a plan, it's not too... far off from a naturalistic perspective. i don't believe in anything spiritual or supernatural but i obviously can't miss things like hierarchies of organization within living beings and the way ecosystems work and the way the whole universe is in hierarchies of organization which is, whoa, bob, pretty neat. like, the fact that it all works out how it works out, and however it works out, it's STILL gonna be pretty neat. just existence is... kind of neat. so don't sweat it. this is this and that is that and this doesn't have to be that and that squished possum in the road is gross, or the baby mouse got eaten, but if you look really closely at this leaf, you can see how the veins are kind of like a fractal, and isn't it amazing how human language works with the human brain. la la.

* fruitiness of uus? we have these seven little definitions of what is a uu and it's stuff like respecting the inherent worth and dignity of every person and respecting the web of life and promoting democracy and the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. the hymnals are full of quotes from all these faiths and also from philosphers and mlk jr and people like that. and then they say crap like 'we don't have a creed and that's what REALLY defines us!' (lie) but it's all so earnest.

Comments

[kwirbx.livejournal.com]

I agree in full. I'll buy 12!

[kmazzy.livejournal.com]

you cimmeh, what does it say on this icon? i see the kk bit but then what does it say? i think my monitor is wibbly.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

it doesn't say anything but kkeh.

[kmazzy.livejournal.com]

ahhh it's an e. i thought so. mmmm. *mwah*

[cimness.livejournal.com]

^.~ i don't know if i really know what conversation we just had so i guess i am too far asleep. ow. but i'm hungry too. i hate the kitchen. o.0

blahblahblahcakes. ::mwah::

[kmazzy.livejournal.com]

ahhh cimpet. you make me want to come look after you.

(my icon says kkeh - which has an e in that does not show up well on my monitor at work.)

[cimness.livejournal.com]

okay... i thought you were asking if the icon said something else after kkeh. ::flops over::

[kmazzy.livejournal.com]

well technically it says something after kk but not after kkeh.

[cimness.livejournal.com]

OHHHHH. ahhahahaha.