It's been a while...

Well, it's been a while since I've last updated this blog. I did post something on Cool Runnings vs. Rudy, but blogger wasn't working and lost my post... but I'll re-post it later - it's your basic rant.

One of the things that I knew would bother me during this semester and possible the whole year at school is the grieving process. It's difficult to describe, many people lose grandparents and are truly upset about it... I don't mean to diminish those losses because the death of a grandparent is a significant loss. But, I was somewhat physically affected by my dad's death, but my brother's death has had a significant physical impact on me. It's only been recent where I've physically begun to feel "normal." It's strange how the emotions can affect the body (which reminds me of Daniel Dennett's Intentional Stance, where he denies that there are any kind of thoughts that are non-physical, in fact he claims thoughts don't exist, but I'll post on this later) and truly "mess up" your body.

Another thought that I've had is that I've brought some of my brother's stuff with me to Norman that has sentimental value, e.g. guitar, books, backpack, cd's, and I've been reading some of his books and it's somewhat comforting yet painful. One of the books that I'm reading kinda sucks, but it's a good break from reading philosophy, especially since I don't have a tv here. Now, my brother was a Lit major in college and has read all of Shakespeare's works, what he was doing reading some of these books I don't know. However, I kinda wish that I could ask him, "Why did you read this book?" I guess for the same reason I am, I hate to start a book and never finish it.

Now more on God's will: The claim has been put forth that God doesn't do X, I have a choice. My response is: "Fair enough." However there are a couple of caveats, in order for complete - which is often called libertarian free will - free will, God cannot be soverign. If God is soverign, things only happen because He allows them to happen. I think all orthodox theists will agree with me on this. Here is where it gets tricky, God is omniscient, so if He allows something to happen He knows that He is allowing it to happen, therefore, by way of refraining from acting, God wills for an action to happen. Think of it like this God is soverign all the time, an analogy would be similar to that of the shield in Star Wars that protected the Death Star, in order for ships to get in or out of the Death Star, the shield had to be lowered. With God's will it's similar, in order for God to allow things to happen, He must, consciously allow them to happen by refraining from action.
So what does all of this mean... I don't know - I'm still kinda like Job, just gotta trust God because He knows more than I do... What more can I say...