To be fair, today wasn't bad, just draining. Mondays are getting pretty intense now that I have my Intro to Production lab every day for three hours after my acting class. I could technically get it done some other time in the week, but honestly, it's easy to get it out of the way at the actually scheduled time. Besides, I have to put in 36 hours in there this semester.
Anyways, we had a guest in our acting class, which was really neat! He's a working actor, so he shared some of his wisdom with us. I don't remember his name, but he's in The Godfather part 3! So that's pretty cool!
In the 130 lab I basically got to learn how to play with texturing. We did a bit of painting too, but one of the paints smelled absolutely terrible. It smelled like... maybe something had died two weeks ago and then someone came and threw up on it before sticking it in the sewer. It was disgusting... But the texturing was fun!
As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, Mom came to visit again today!!! She was here for work, so she met up with me after my class for lunch. Sometimes, it just helps to have family nearby. I love you, Mom!
We hung out in my dorm room for a bit, then I had my Philosophy class. And that's where today got pretty awful.
We were finishing up our discussion today on the existence of God. My professor briefly discussed the Problem of Evil: the basic form, how one would go about countering it, etc. Then we started talking about Pascal's Wager. If you're not familiar with it, Pascal was a philosopher who said, basically, the odds are more in our favor if we believe in God than if we don't. It's less opportunity cost to believe in God if he exists than to not believe in him if he exists. Well... My professor talked with a very enthusiastic class on ways to counter that... and it just really shook me up.
For starters, he brought up a lot of tough questions. Why does God send people to hell even if they never have the opportunity to hear about him and believe in him? That's not a just God. How can God be omnibenevolent if he sends people to hell in the first place? How are we supposed to know what the right religion is, and is it fair if we're punished for eternity just for picking the wrong one?
The question that shook me up the most was the first one, to be honest. It's the one that I don't have a rational explanation for... at least from my point of view.
But then that led to an argument basically showing God to be crueler than the cruelest being to ever be alive, based on the number of people he, theoretically, killed by sending to hell. ...What is anyone ever supposed to say to that?
...I don't like Philosophy. I don't think I'll be taking another philosophy class unless I have to.
...I don't like Philosophy. I don't think I'll be taking another philosophy class unless I have to.
Mom was really encouraging though. After class we got to hang out and talk and walk to CVS before she had to get back to her hotel room. Hopefully I'll be able to go back home to visit this weekend... it'll depend on how my audition goes.
She left, and I spent a little time attempting to get homework done before going to dinner. Since I got back, I've been fighting to finish this paper tomorrow... I'm starting to think I'll do a much better job if I cram it in and finish it tomorrow before class starts.... I hate doing that though.
Gosh darn it! I finished the entire blog from this point on and it didn't save!!!! I have to try to remember how I ended this post now... :(
If I try to finish this paper tomorrow, it's going to leave me stressed and pressed for time tomorrow... is it worth it? If I attempt to write it now though... I doubt I'll be able to concentrate. Honestly, I took a break to write this blog in the hopes it would get me in a writing mood, but all I want to do is sleep.... but then I'll be pressed for time tomorrow and more worried about getting it done!
Ugh. How anyone makes it out of college alive, I'll never know.
Fight on, friends.
Gosh darn it! I finished the entire blog from this point on and it didn't save!!!! I have to try to remember how I ended this post now... :(
If I try to finish this paper tomorrow, it's going to leave me stressed and pressed for time tomorrow... is it worth it? If I attempt to write it now though... I doubt I'll be able to concentrate. Honestly, I took a break to write this blog in the hopes it would get me in a writing mood, but all I want to do is sleep.... but then I'll be pressed for time tomorrow and more worried about getting it done!
Ugh. How anyone makes it out of college alive, I'll never know.
Fight on, friends.
Hey Rachel,
ReplyDeleteOh man, I feel ya here. I struggled in my philosophy class last semester (for different reasons) . . . it's hard! This is one of THE hardest concepts of Christianity, and one that I've dealt with myself. I don't know that you care to hear what I think and have learned, but I thought I'd write anyway.
About hell: As a Catholic, people will ask how I'm okay with the fact that God sends people to hell. We believe in the reality of sin and hell, after all. But after coming to a deeper understanding, I've learned that God doesn't send people to hell. We make choices in our lives that determine our ultimate destination. The only way we can go to hell is if we choose it over God. He doesn't want any of us to go to hell, but if we live our lives against him and purposefully reject him, it's the only place we can go. It's what that kind of person wants. God did give us purgatory so that all who try to live a good life have the opportunity to be purified and get to Heaven. It's only the people who make the choice to completely separate themselves who will go to hell.
The Catholic church teaches that while most people who try to get to heaven are baptized as believers, it is actually not a set requirement for entering heaven and everlasting happiness with God. There is baptism of blood and baptism of desire. Baptism of blood is when a person dies for God before being baptized traditionally. Baptism of desire is when a person does what they can to live a good life, but through no fault of their own was never introduced to Christ.
So, people who aren't part of the Church, or even Christianity, can get to heaven. It's when people know about, reject, and separate themselves from God without repenting before death that they chose to be separated forever.
If you're open to it, I'm all ears and am ready to listen and talk about this anytime :-)
Best of luck sorting through everything. It sounds like your college experience is great so far!
Laura