Thursday, May 25, 2006

What's next?

"Seems like we're set down here," a woman said to me recently, "and don't nobody know why."
-Pilgrim at Tinker's Creek

If I were to ask you the meaning of life, what would you say?
_________


I'm asking you for the meaning of life. Where do you find it? In waking up everyday to go to school? [I hear the collective groans. Yeah I know. Bad joke.] Of course the meaning in life isn't found in going to school. Then where? After you graduate, in the workplace? [more groans] Okay so we probably won't find the meaning of life in the politically correct world of business suits and money. Is money the meaning of life? No, really. Is money Your meaning of life? Is your life defined by money? Money, the thing that we use to buy chicken rice with.


Then what? Is clubbing the meaning of life? At the end of the day, when we're fifty and on our way to death, we're going to tell each other, yeah, hanging out at zouk is The Defining Moment in my life. [oh man that sounds horrifyingly pathetic.] What matters when we're on our death bed? Can't be grades, can't be money, can't be our ex-ex-ex-ex-girlfriend or boyfriend. Then why do these things preoccupy us so? How do we live our lives? We spend it feverishly studying, or with that present boy/girlfriend. Or working to make money.
Maybe we should all quit our school/jobs and live life for ourselves then. So maybe clubbing at zouk really is the meaning of life, because it brings us happiness. We should all live by the beach, sip champange on a yatch and pursue happiness. Oh wait we're going to need money for the yatch. So maybe we work for a few years first. and then a few more. and more. Hey what was the meaning of life again?

For most of us, we're going to graduate school, go to work, get married and have kids. Maybe do some charity work if we feel like it. Like cip hours back in school. Or maybe go holidaying once in a while because we think we deserve it. So, people, where's the meaning of life here?


When I did lit, mr woolhead taught the Threatre of the Absurd. Born out of the sufferings of world war two, by soldiers who were disilluioned with everything. Where was the meaning in waking up to die? In seeing heinous crimes? So that they would win the war? So what? Even if they won the war, would they find meaning in normalacy? In civillian life? In wearing a tie and taking the bus to work? Would they find meaning then?

It's pretty much the same today. Where's our meaning in life? Is it represented by grades? [I hope not because life would be really really sad.] So what happens if you do badly for the O levels? A levels? There's no more meaning in life? Is our meaning in life in our boyfriend or girlfriend? So what happens if you break up, or find a new one? Either you no longer have meaning in life, or you have a New Meaning. Or you're going to have a Few Meanings in life. Which doesn't make sense, however you look at it. Or is your meaning in life measured by your wealth? Like I said, the thing you use to buy chicken rice with.
_______________

The following short film [parts one and two] revolve around three people. I think we can all identify somewhat with them, their fears and heartaches. It's just that. their lives are so. meaningless. [and if blogger doesn't host it very well, go to youtube.com and type "vincentha". This is titled Escape.]








Okay. Now that we've watched it. Ever felt defeated because of bad grades? Or cried because you broke up with the boyfriend/girlfriend? What's going to happen in the future if we end up like kevin, looked down upon just because he's old?


Where's the meaning in life?


Many religions say they have it. I've found it.

Any questions for me? Let me guess...


What is religion anyway? Is it a man-made concept to guide us through life, to make us feel like we have a purpose? Which faith is right? Why should any one faith be 'right'? ... What's with worshipping? My pride doesn't like it, calling myself insignificant beside Him, telling Him that He is so wonderful, and completely succumbing to His 'power', so that I am but a mere sevant. It takes amazing humility, and faith.. I don't have that.

So many questions you're asking. I'll try. I don't know everything, but I'll try. mmm.

Firstly. As the watch proves the existence of a watch-maker, so the earth proves the existence of a Creator, and all that is within it. I mean, you're not going to see a watch and say Look, how curious! This watch suddenly appeared on my hand! You're going to see a watch and go, oh wow, I've always wanted a fossil watch.. and that basically acknowledges fossil as the brand-maker of that particular watch.

So let's start on that. That there is something out there who created at least the earth and all there is in it. Let's call that something, God. Since there is a God, obviously His religion, whatever it is, would be the "right" one. Yes? Any arguments against that? Therefore we follow the "right" religion. Assuming we know what the "right" one is. As to worshipping.. I don't claim to speak for everyone out there but for me, there are plenty of reasons to worship. You know how magnificent nature is? Nature in all its granduer and elusive tints that have yet to be named.. even animals. Cows can't have four stomachs by accident. grin. When I think about the beauty of the earth and sky.. there's this need within me to submit myself to whoever was powerful enough to create all this. I know what you mean about pride though. I once wrote in one of my journals that "I believe not because I do, but because I cannot afford not to." Evidence of this God is all around, even within us, how can anyone claim ignorance? I am afraid of this Being, I am indeed.


Believe me that there's a God? How about Christianity? Then.... More questions huh? Like:


Why must I lose the people I love when the end of the world comes, simply because they chose to follow a different philosophy of life, a different religion? It isn't fair, AT ALL. God is supposed to be fair.

Then what do you want God to do? Allow everyone to go to heaven although they've said they don't believe Him/don't want Him? That would be mocking His soverignity, wouldn't it? Notice how "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". We're ALL supposed to go to hell honey. None of us, by our own merit, can be with God. Don't forget, God's perfect [that's why He's God. duh], so that creates a lot of problems. Especially because He's supposed to be just/fair.Problem1: We're not perfect, and He is. Problem2: He's just/fair. What. You expect Him to not punish wrongdoing? Again, that'd make a mockery out of His perfection, wouldn't it? So how? He takes the punishment instead. My dear... God took all the wrongdoings of the world.. and all we have to do, on our part, is to accept Him. If we don't accept or even believe.. what do you want Him to do now? Force you to? But He gave us free will when He created the first human.. and so it stays. God is God. Can a lump of clay comprehend the designs of its maker? Can the acorn refuse to gerimate? We who have been given the ablity to think, to differetiate, how much more ought we to obey our Maker? God is fair. That's why He did all that He did.


that was the day.. I reached home to find my mom pale-faced, glued to the TV set.. The tsunamis had struck. I mean, how apt can you get? Well.. I don't want the world to end. I'm not looking forward to the day it does.. There's so much to live for, so much ahead of me. And I don't want to all of us to be separated the way it's supposedly going to happen - good Christian, heaven; others, hell.

It's all in the Bible. The Bible, in case you forgot, isn't a storybook. It's actually a historical record, much like the archives you see in musems. For the record, ancient scrolls have been found in caves near the Dead Sea and they agree with the bible. That would say something about the authencity of the bible now, wouldn't it? I mean, the bible you see in shops and the ancient dead sea scrolls correspond. It's not just ME telling you the bible is true, history proves it too. The bible has said [thousands of years ago] that there'd be an increase in natural disasters. Think about it. If some piece of paper that's a couple of thousands of years old predicts an increase in natural disasters and that is what 's happening now... Doesn't that scare you? What that piece of paper said is coming true. I'd go read the rest of the paper if I were you, and see what it says about everything else. Especially on the afterlife. That piece of paper is the bible. By the way. The bible says that Man was created by God. Scientists say we came from monkeys. Scientists also used to think that the sky only contained hundreds of thousands of stars... because they could only COUNT that much. The bible was the only book that said that there were billions of stars.. and cool, calculative scientists laughed at that number. They were proven wrong. What about the rest?


You still don't believe me? Why?


There's no one I'll ever be able to believe in but myself. I am tangible. I'm a bit like Thomas... show me the holes in your hands. Even then.. is that enough?

You are tangible. Therefore you believe in yourself. The wind isn't tangible. So you don't believe in the wind? Then what is the thing that moves your hair? God isn't tangible. So you don't belive in God? Then what is it that calls to your heart?


I'll be leaving for consectutive camps starting tomorrow, be back 3rd june I think. Feel free to comment. (:

4 comments:

harpist said...

Hello rach, i nearly died halfway thru that post. Just got back from KL. You seem to have terribly strong convictions, and you write well, the bit on religion and life. Very contemplative musings. Philosophy is probably your thing in uni, i don't dare venture into it. (: Too stupid. haha.

rpd said...

too stupid???

hellooo.. you're the 6 pointer during the Os and triple As during the As. The one with the perfect scores.

harpist said...

excuse me. Grades are nothing to do with brilliance. I took an online iq test and my logic is bottom 5% of all tested.

rpd said...

errr. maybe that's why it's- online?