Lazarinth explains how Evangelion helped turn him into an atheist. [Fantasy and Anime]
Rob continues his Christian-centric anime reviews, with this week’s including the latest episodes of Gundam Build Fighters, Golden Time, and Chuu2. [Christian Anime Review]
Aroduc mentions the typical characterization of Christians in a post about episode 8 of Magical Warfare. [Tenka Seiha]
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As part of the Something More series of posts, each week Beneath the Tangles links to writings about anime and manga that involve religion and spirituality. If you’ve written such a piece or know of one, please email TWWK if you’d like it included.
Husband. Dad. Occasionally Korean. Enjoys Star Wars, ASOIAF, and Meg Ryan movies. Tweets before proofreading. Ghibli. Oregairuuuuu. Jesus is King. Follow me on Twitter (@thetangles).
Latest posts by Twwk (see all)
Wow, at first I thought it was you that changed your beliefs and was kind of shocked, as I know you are a deeply believing person, but it turns out your time has probably yet to come. ;]
Perhaps it should have been labeled, “Something More: Guest Post – …” 🙂
In any case, truth be told, I thought that post was rather tactless, due to the unnecessary emotional invective (the profanity), and in any case, just because there is evil in the world, does not mean that a being known as a “god” does not exist. God’s existence does not hinge upon when or if He gives a person what they want and on their terms.
FROM THE ACTUAL POST – “However, just because I wouldn’t worship an all-powerful asshole, working in mysterious ways or otherwise, it still doesn’t determine whether ‘said asshole’ existed or not.” Did you read this part, I mean it literally says it like ‘right there’ that believing god is evil doesn’t mean a god wouldn’t exist?
It also said believing religious text to be fiction wouldn’t mean a god wouldn’t exist either. The reason was because faith in god can be transferred to faith in anything unobservant and silly, applying Occams Razor was the only natural next step.
Fair enough, yes, I did read, but somehow I missed that, thanks.
I appreciate criticism, I really do and the ‘profanity’ was a good point that I’m going to change in it. I will easily change my views from a good argument. Next time just make sure it’s a criticism of something I actually wrote. Thanks.
You are welcome, and I do wish you the best, in whatever form it comes. Sorry for missing what you wrote, but I am curious as to on what grounds you decide that something is “evil” or not. Is the fairness or unfairness in the world that you mentioned, good or evil, for example, and how do you know?
I wouldn’t say that good and evil are ‘things’, we can’t really measure them empirically. I would say it’s a title we give in reaction to something we deem negative. This is why I was reluctant to use the word evil in the first place, because what may seem evil to the prey might seem good to the predator and vise-versa.
What I would deem evil may not be what others deem evil and the same with what I deem good, however, I think that only someone who gets pleasure from their own suffering would think that someone who was allowing you to suffer when they had the power to stop it was not evil.
As for your time remark below. I don’t believe in an afterlife and see no evidence to, that’s why I make the most of the consciousness i have now by enjoying myself and at the same time doing what i can to make it last.
What, then, of laws? Are they necessary? Arbitrary? Which laws are just or unjust, and how should that be decided in practical terms?
My point of consciousness and the temporary nature of life was to question whether even “making the most of the consciousness I have now” ultimately has a lasting purpose, and to question how I would know either way.
If you want me to answer your questions in less confusing format email me them at lazarinth75@gmail.com
But I really do appreciate your changing the profanity, though. It means a lot, because too often I see (not from you, but from people who curse and appeal to emotion a ~whole~ lot more than you seemed to) that sort of thing being substituted for actual logic and reason. In other words, if a person were … I don’t know, somehow made or forced to calm down before presenting their case, would they have any actual facts or reasoning to fall back on, rather than what I think of as being emotional brute force?
When I used the word ‘asshole’ it wasn’t intended to trigger anger, I was’t angry when i was writing it, I just couldn’t think of a better noun for someone which suited the description of who does nothing to stop the suffering of many of the people he claims to love.
In the end, to be honest, no one lives forever, regardless of whether their lives were happy, sad, long, or short. In my mind that raises the question of what really matters and lasts forever, because even the worst (and the best) this world has to offer will eventually fade.
Haha, well, I would say that if anything, Evangelion had me clinging tighter to the cross! Anyway, sorry to disappoint. 😉
Thanks for putting my post on this website, I appreciate it. I just really hope people would read what I wrote and not represent my position.
Misrepresent*
Very interesting read from Fantasy and Anime blog. I watched Neon Genesis when I was still an Atheist, maybe now I should watch it again to pick up on the things that I missed. Though I do wonder if the author believes if there is such a thing as an objective morality or that what’s considered good or evil is simply relative to the society someone lives in.
Well here the author is to answer your pondering. I think you’re second description of morality suits my beliefs better, but I would go beyond that to a genetic level where a certain few reactions that favor survival are a part our biology.
I think I should mention that while Occam’s Razor and Russell’s Teapot are solid philosophical concepts, they come out of the Dungeons and Dragons section of the scientific method, i.e., they’re guidelines rather than rules. Occam’s point was that hypotheses and theories should not be excessively complex and try to account for too much. And as for needing proof of God’s existence, that more or less depends on what kind of evidence is being sought and whether one can reasonably expect to find it; it’s no use looking for evidence that can and will never be found.
Anyway, just my $0.02 on a thoughtful post.
The philosophy of science has advanced and so has Occam’s Razor. Russell Teapot theory is just as valid to show the burden of proof as it has always been which is why we still use it in a court of law when determining if someone is guilty or not. “no use looking for evidence that can and will never be found” is well an good if a little short sighted but it extents to fact that we should assume answers from lack of evidence, that would be an argument from ignorance.
[…] not just referencing the Pingbacks, in fact the ‘beneaththetangles’ blog’s Something More was very accommodating and I enjoyed what discussion I received there despite having different […]
Just wanted to point this out, Magical Wafer is not the anime Aroduc was talking about Charles 😉
Hehe, yes, I paused for a minute there, but didn’t make the connection to Magical Warfare…this even though I watched the first episode. Woops, and thank you. 🙂
On the positive side, if you Google “Magical Wafer,” my site is like the third one that pops up. All people looking for magically yummy wafers will be directed to a Christian anime blog! 🙂