| The first excerpt represents the past or something you must release, and is drawn from The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James: between and around them lies an infinite anonymous chaos of
objects that no one ever thought of together, of relations that
never yet attracted our attention.
The facts of order from which the physico-theological argument
starts are thus easily susceptible of interpretation as arbitrary
human products. So long as this is the case, although of course
no argument against God follows, it follows that the argument for
him will fail to constitute a knockdown proof of his existence.
It will be convincing only to those who on other grounds believe
in him already.
If philosophy can do so little to establish God's existence, how
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The second excerpt represents the present or the deciding factor of the moment, and is drawn from What is Man? by Mark Twain: ALL WE HAD, AND THIS IS OUR REWARD."
The heart of the Infidel was filled with remorse for what he
had done, and he said:
"IT WAS WRONG--I SEE IT NOW; BUT I WAS ONLY TRYING TO DO HIM
GOOD. IN MY VIEW HE WAS IN ERROR; IT SEEMED MY DUTY TO TEACH HIM
THE TRUTH."
Then the mother said:
"I HAD TAUGHT HIM, ALL HIS LITTLE LIFE, WHAT I BELIEVED TO
BE THE TRUTH, AND IN HIS BELIEVING FAITH BOTH OF US WERE HAPPY.
NOW HE IS DEAD,--AND LOST; AND I AM MISERABLE. OUR FAITH CAME
DOWN TO US THROUGH CENTURIES OF BELIEVING ANCESTORS; WHAT RIGHT
What is Man? |
The third excerpt represents the future or something you must embrace, and is drawn from The Emerald City of Oz by L. Frank Baum: of four kernels opened to make the front entrance. Inside there were
five stories, each story being a single room.
The gardens around the mansion consisted of cornfields, and Dorothy
acknowledged that the place was in all respects a very appropriate
home for her good friend the Scarecrow.
"He would have been very happy here, I'm sure," she said, "if only the
Nome King had left us alone. But if Oz is destroyed of course this
place will be destroyed too."
"Yes," replied the Tin Woodman, "and also my beautiful tin castle,
that has been my joy and pride."
"Jack Pumpkinhead's house will go too," remarked the Wizard, "as well
The Emerald City of Oz |
