Category: theology

What is Di Mortui Sunt all About?

Di Mortui Sunt is my personal blog and it shows, the things I write about here are varied and mostly unrelated.  In an attempt to perhaps focus the blog on a specific topic and to satisfy my own curiosity I visited Wordle and had a Word Cloud made of my blog, (it’s that image up there, at the top.  The one that looks like a large grouping, or cloud, of words) two things happened as a result of this:  I found a really fun new font, coolvetica, that I will be using in documents; and two, that I write mostly about games.

The question is do I want Di Mortui Sunt to be a blog about videogaming?  As much fun as that sounds I don’t see myself contributing much to the discussion, when there are really excellent gaming blogs out there (Gamespite, Dubious Quality, Gamasutra, oh, and my own Gamestooge to name only a few) who are taking the hobby seriously.   Okay, so gaming isn’t what this site is about, what about writing?  I’ve posted my writing here and I’ve certainly talked about it here.  Since, writing is important, as is the written word, I think it’s safe to say that they are apart of what Di Mortui Sunt is.  I’ve talked about government here as well and I’ll continue to do so, as I’m involved in it at a professional level and I won’t be able to get around it

I think that I’d like to see Di Mortui Sunt have more focus.  I’m writing for myself here, but I’d like to have what I say be of some use to those who read it, even if they take nothing more from it but a smile.  Since, I’m lacking inspiration now, besides making this a blog about the lack of Gods, (the title up there says “the Gods are dead” in Latin) and everyone know we have a overabundance of atheist blogs and sites.  I’ll ask you dear reader what you think?   Perhaps a blog about being spiritual without being religious?  Or attempted at living authentically in an inauthentic culture?  Or maybe I should just rant here about the black helicopters, Glenn Beck and Area 51?  Let me know in the comments.

I’m going to keep writing about games and other things but I think I’ll find a new place to do so.

EDIT:  Light colors on a white background doesn’t work very well does it, click for the full-sized image and things will be easier to read

EDIT: I re-named the blog on 8/1/11 to False(B)logic

Thoughts on Atheism and being Alone.

I’m an Atheist and so I believe that the universe and this planet were not created especially for us humans, and that it moves on unaware of us and uncaring. Indeed it can’t do either as it isn’t a person and doesn’t have any intelligence. I was raised a Christian and I sometimes miss the wonderment and mystery that theology brought me, feelings I believe every faith brings to its followers. Let me explain:

I’m going to talk about Christianity first as it is the most popular religion in the USA, the modern Church doesn’t talk about it much, they like to play down the supernatural parts of their religion, for some reason they’re still trying to compete with Science which is a game you can’t win, but anyhow. There is all sorts of magic and mystery to the Christian faith. All types of angels, legions of demons, lesser gods, demi-gods, earth spirits, witches, the mystery of blood sacrifice, the mystery of communion, saints… On and on. A Christian world is one full of invisible and powerful forces working for and against you, forces that can be controlled or turned to your will! That’s pretty amazing! The same goes for the worlds that Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and every other theistic or supernatural inclined person lives in. The world I live in is empty, vast and completely indifferent to my struggles, furthermore it is indifferent to the struggles of everyone and everything. Humanity is alone in it. If we are not alone we are separated from anything else by such vast lengths that we will never know them and they will never hear from us. So yeah, a materialistic view of the universe can be full of wonder and mystery but it is a distant, uncaring one.

As a human I instinctively want the world and the universe to care about me. Narcissistic? Yeah, but that’s Humans for you. Religion answers that need, it makes you feel safe and cared for… I miss that sometimes…

Deal with the Devil

The story of Faust is an old one, and not that original. Man makes deal with the Devil, man is duped by the Adversary, man is dragged down to hell to suffer torment unending. It’s a fairly standard “happy” Christian tale. The moral being don’t ever consort or bargain with evil. Goethe added some subtlety to the tale. Not surprising as the man spent 60 odd years working on it. His tale while having a happy ending still re-enforces the belief that any encounter with “evil” or the devil will only leave one suffering. Salvation and happiness only come from God, specifically the Christian one.

My question is where did this idea come from? What makes this a classic tale? I imagine the opposite tale goes much the same way. Who ever got out of life better because he mad a deal with God? If you are a Christian or a Muslim or whatever, don’t delude yourself into thinking your bargain with the deity of your choice is sacred or special. Stripped of its poetic language it boils down to you giving up your independence and free choice, (allegedly given to you by the very being who wants you to give it all away) your soul in exchange for happiness everlasting. A bargain that you must take wholly on faith. No one has ever come back to tell us that God (or whoever) keeps his side of the bargain. Don’t bother mentioning Job or any other lucky fellow you might happen to know. Their happiness is far outweighed by the misery of the countless millions who have made the same deal and gotten only soul crushing poverty and misery as their reward. This in sharp contrast to the Devil, who in every story I’ve ever read at least keeps his end of the bargain. The Devil unlike the Man upstairs delivers on his promises.

So if you get a chance to make a deal with Mephistopheles (a slim possibility) I’d go for it. You’ll at least get something out of it. And when and if you burn in Hell (an impossibility) rest assured you’ll be burning with all the other poor saps who made a deal with the other guy, only to compound their pain and misery!

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