Clemsy wrote:Well, thank goodness not all bacteria are bad. lol
In Hogfather, by Terry Pratchett, Death has to save the Hogfather (Discworld's equivalent of Santa Clause). There are some interesting quotes from that story. Here's a couple good ones:
“All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."
REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.
"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"
YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.
"So we can believe the big ones?"
YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.
"They're not the same at all!"
YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.
"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"
MY POINT EXACTLY.”
Death speaks in all caps. lol.
Here's another. My favorite:
“WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU HADN'T SAVED HIM?
"Yes! The sun would have risen just the same, yes?"
NO
"Oh, come on. You can't expect me to believe that. It's an astronomical fact."
THE SUN WOULD NOT HAVE RISEN.
"Really? Then what would have happened, pray?"
A MERE BALL OF FLAMING GAS WOULD HAVE ILLUMINATED THE WORLD.”
I love these quotes Clemsy!
"AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED."
I may not have all this down by memory the way it should be written, but it reminds me of Jung in the Red Book talking to Philemon.
When he ask about learning magic Philemon tells him you can't teach magic because it's a "negative of knowledge."
Jung tells him this is nonsense and he's an old fool.
Philemon then ask him what knowledge is?
an attempt to impose something comprehensible into the universe. The only problem is to attempt this task is a bit of folly, because the universe isn't something to comprehend,etc,etc,etc.
It makes me feel as if this chaotic, whirlpool of vast space really is magic in some since. Not abra cadabra magic,but magic as in there is something to all this we'll never fully get.
There are a lot of valid counter arguments to be made, but I think on the day to day hassles of living we call all identify a little with Job, or moses when god said, "I am the great I am."
I guess the best one could do against god in that situation would be to hold a mirror up to that creature and declare, "Thou art that."
A ship is safe in harbor,but that's not why a ship is built.