Neil Hopcroft

A digital misfit

Would it disturb you if, upon your death, your body was simply thrown into the woods and left to rot? Why?
No.

Which would you prefer: A wild turbulent life filled with joy, sorrow, passion, and adventure; intoxicating successes and stunning setbacks; or a happy, secure, predictable life surrounded by friends and family without such wide swings of fortune and mood?
Gimme risk!

Are there people you envy enough to want to trade lives with them? Who are they?
No.

For an all-expenses-paid, one week vacation anywhere in the world, would you be willing to kill a beautiful butterfly by pulling its wings off? What abut stepping on a cockroach?
I would have to think deeply about it. I probably would, but it wouldn’t be an easy choice.

Would you be willing to murder an innocent person if it would end hunger in the world?
(another hypothetical) Yes.

If God appeared to you in a series of vivid and moving dreams and told you to leave everything behind, travel alone to the Red Sea and become a fisherman, what would you do? What if you were told to sacrifice your child?
I would have to get some reasonable (and nonrefutable) demonstration of identity first, if that were forthcoming I’d do whatever (s)he asked.


Categories: Memories.

/ 2 Comments

2 comments

  1. Anonymous

    I would have to get some reasonable (and nonrefutable) demonstration of identity first, if that were forthcoming I’d do whatever (s)he asked.

    Are you quite sure about that? Doesn’t it depend on how you define God (or at least on what believe about him/her)? God could be many things – omniscient, omnipotent, eternal, creator of the universe etc., but unless he/she is also perfectly good, I don’t see that anyone *ought* to obey him/her (except perhaps out of self-interest).

    I’ve always had a bit of an issue with the Abraham and Isaac story, though I suppose it makes sense within its historical context. (From a modern viewpoint, I can’t help thinking that Abraham should have turned round and said “No way! And if you were the good and loving God you’re supposed to be, you wouldn’t be asking me to do this.” But I guess things were different back then…)

    In response to your request for reading suggestions, may I recommend “Doubts and Loves” by Richard Holloway. Don’t be put off by the appearance of the word ‘Christianity’ in the subtitle – it’s a wide-ranging book, touching on philosophy, ethics, politics and culture as well as religion, and drawing heavily on poetry and literature. OK, so I liked it – maybe you’ll hate it – but hey, you were looking for something to disagree with!

    BTW, how’s it going with Plato?

    Karen

    Reply
    • neilh

      Lets face it, if (s)he really was god then its a bit redundant to try to argue with hir. And I would expect that if there is a god they would have better things to do than appear to me in dreams. Having said which, doubtless if I were a god with that kind of power I would play with people in that kind of way just for fun.

      Reply

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