I guess I take a human-centric standard of proof for god, in that I demand that god be relevant to all humans equally. Any way you slice it spin it or dice it, Calvanism IS arrogance. Then again, maybe there is a god and it is a straightup asshole; but I doubt it.
Never confuse good with "nice". Not the same.
So ??? ... something new or different, more elaborate on a/further specific matter(s) eventually on the matter to you ?
Sorry, my show ran this weekend - I've been really busy; working as well. But you know how that is!
I think you are actually closer to being on the same wave as me than you may think. You emphasize the need to dream, the need to overcome fear, the need to work hard and sweat to build something - these are indeed common bases for us.
I'm an actor in my spare time. Actually, it takes up more time than almost anything else. It takes a lot of work to do it. I have to study my lines. I have to overcome stage fright. I have to reason out subtexts. I have to arrive early and stretch out. I have to do my job. I have to help other actors do theirs. I have to be on my toes and cover when mistakes are made on stage.
I can say with modesty that I'm pretty good - not great, but solid, reliable, and maybe a junior journeyman in terms of the craft itself - a reliable community theater type of fellow.
When the day of the show arrives, I, having done all the work that I could have done to make the show a success, say a prayer. Not for success, but for courage. For the things that I can't do. And to have a good time. And in a spiritual, very real way, I just feel the presence of my God, watching what I'm doing. The energy flows through me. The Catholics have a doctrine about being "called" to a profession; God wants his people to do everything and anything - and I feel that I am called to the theater. When I am up there, I am fulfilling my purpose for being here on the earth.
Do things go wrong? Yes. Do I drop a line, miss an entrance, am I guarded from hecklers? Yes, yes, and no. But I can deal with all of them; and then still feel that sense of spiritual completion when I'm done. Inner peace, if you will.
Does this help you to see that I also realize that there are logical, practical solutions to problems on earth? Building a set or rigging a light takes a practical mindset; if an actor can't make it, somebody needs to take his role. But the overarching reason for all of this practical activity is a spiritual one, at least for me.
I'm not waiting for God's solution, nor do I find "God" to be an excuse for laziness; I'm sorry if that's what I somehow conveyed. I have strong political ideas, ambitions regarding business, and a family to take care of. All these things require strong action on my part - initiative, creativity, and optimism. But the spiritual aspects give me initiative, give me the confidence that the future will be better than the past.
One of my strongest reasons for opposing the Watchtower, and its bastard child E-Watchman, is that the apocalyptic mindset demands inactivity in all the areas of life that matter most. It is my belief that we are judged at least partially on how we answered God's call in our lives; and I doubt many of us are called to bang on empty houses 90 hours a month, or to sit in dark houses highlighting insipid sentences in crudely illustrated magazines.
So our common base, I think, is that whatever our perspective is, it should motivate us to action, to create, to struggle against the tides in our lives. I just think that the spiritual aspects can be a powerful catalyst in somebody's life for the better.
CZAR
