Do you really believe...?
Perhaps I am a very naive person. In fact, that's fairly doubtless. And yet, I somehow like being naive. Because naivete is possibly the best way to live. By this, I mean naivete in the way people use the word and not it's actual Merriam-Webster definition. The actual Merriam-Webster definition is "lacking experience, wisdom or judgment;" however, people seem to use it to mean, "lacking edginess and grit."
I have been accused of being naive many times in my life. Here, I answer the questions of "Do you really believe..." with which I'm constantly inundated.
1. Do you really believe that people are good?
Yes, I really believe that people are generally good. I believe that our purest selves are goodness, and that we only become bad when we allow it to be so. Light is more powerful than dark. I really believe that. Today, I read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (book review to follow), and in the book, Mr. Hyde is a reflection of pure evil and Dr. Jekyll is a representation of humanity. Eventually, the line between Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll becomes blurred, but that is only because Dr. Jekyll allowed Mr. Hyde to run rampant on his life. I believe that every human on Earth has already chosen Christ; it's a central tenet of my religion in fact. If they forget that, then that's only because they have allowed Satan to exercise his power over them. And Satan has power, but the power of even the humblest of humans is inherently more potent than that of Satan. So, yes, I do believe that people are inherently good.
2. Do you really believe that you can love someone without having sex?
I do. Probably because I believe that love is a lot more than sex. I even believe that you can romantically love someone without having sex. Let's clarify a bit. Sex is not dirty; sex is beautiful. Another central tenet of my religion. And I do believe that after a couple has shared that deepest place of their soul through sexual experience, they have a stronger and deeper connection. However, I also believe that that connection is for married persons, because it is so special. And I believe that that should be a reflection of the love they already have for one another. Because if you don't already love the person before "doing it," you aren't actually having that beautiful, sacred connection that my religion believes sex to be. You're just procreating. And that's not godly. That's animal.
3. Do you really believe in an afterlife?
Yep. Call me naive. But I believe in an afterlife. Part of this is because I have purely spiritual evidence (which epistemology actually does accept as valid, personal evidence). But, I also believe this because I believe there are parts of us that are above and beyond the neuroendocrine explanations that science has given us. It can explain base feelings, but I don't think it can explain the vast consciousness that is us.
4. Do you really believe that there is such a thing as celestial marriage?
I do believe that there is such a thing as celestial marriage. I believe that man and woman were meant to complement one another. I believe that we are, as they say in Merlin, "two sides of the same coin" (even though they're referring to two male characters in a platonic way, but you know what I mean). Carl Jung wasn't wrong; he was only half-wrong. The anima and animus aren't two parts of one consciousness that need to be reconciled, but I believe that they are two pieces that must come together to make the concept of God. And that is what I believe celestial marriage to be. A divine union of femininity and masculinity which create a completeness.
5. Do you really believe that a fourteen-year-old boy went into the woods and was visited by God?
Yes. Yes, I do.
6. Do you really believe that the Earth was created by someone? What about the Big Bang? Evolution? You're a life scientist for jeeper's sake!
Yes. But here's the kicker: why are these things all mutually exclusive to you people? I know that God created the earth, but I also know that when I pull out my Hebrew Bible and my Hebrew lexicon, that this whole discussion could be resolved. In fact, I will do that. Excuse me a moment. It says that Elohim "barah"-ed the heavens and the Earth. Pardon me while I pull out my Hebrew lexicon. While I'm in my Hebrew lexicon, will someone explain to my why Hebrew lexicons are alphabetized from the front of the book when all other Hebrew books start from the back cover. But then, I guess in most Hebrew books, the spine is on the other side, so it is the front of the book. Okay, anyways, I got to our place! Bet Resh Aleph. In the Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon, it says, "To shape, create," senses that it's used in, according to BDB, "form, fashion by cutting, shape out, pare a reed for writing, a stick for an arrow." So, really, the better translation would be that God formed the heavens and the earth. Mostly, the word only ever applies to forming things out of already existing things (and this is consistent with Mormon teaching). So, who am I to limit God to not using things like Big Bangs and Evolutions? He's God. If He wants to make the Earth by a Big Bang, I say He should go ahead and do it. Yes, I believe that God created man deliberately and in His image. But I don't know how it did that. I know that it says days, but once again, let us not impose our world constructs on God. I don't know what he calls a day. I have seen evolution at work. When I test a S. aureus for methicillin resistance, I am acknowledging evolution. When I genetically manipulate bacteria in the research lab at BYU, I was using evolution. And when I see a kid at work with a genetic disease, that is mutation, which is the driving force of evolution. But I'm pretty sure God believes in evolution, too, and I'm pretty sure he knows how to use it for his own purposes.
7. Wait. So you believe in eternal, celestial marriage, but you don't believe in soul mates? Or even true love?
Once again, yes. I believe that love, like everything else on earth worth anything, is a choice. I believe that choice is the most beautiful thing on earth. In fact, I believe that the entire purpose of the Garden of Eden was choice and bringing choice into the equation. And I believe that Adam and Eve made the choice that they did to bring about more choice. This is probably why I like John Steinbeck's East of Eden as much as I do. As it says in the book, "The word timshel—‘Thou mayest’— that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’—it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.' ...Man has a choice and it's a choice that makes him a man.... think of the glory of the choice! That makes a man a man. A cat has no choice, a bee must make honey. There's no godliness there...But 'Thou mayest!'! Why, that makes a man great, that gives him stature with the gods, for in his weakness and his filth and his murder of his brother he has still the great choice. He can choose his course and fight it through and win.”
There are no destinies, only for-ordinations. There are no soul mates, only people with whom we are compatible. And really, even if you're not compatible, if you have the same goals and both want it to work, it can work. That's the entire point of the whole Do You Love Me? number in Fiddler on the Roof.
And really, which is more flattering to you? Scenario 1: Someone coming up to you and saying, "I can't help but love you. I don't really want to. It just happened. It's this cosmic destiny that forces to want to marry you. It's like a magnetism," or as Elizabeth Bennet hears from Darcy (in the movie, in the book we only get a summary of this), "Miss Elizabeth. I have struggled in vain and I can bear it no longer.... I have fought against my better judgement, my family’s expectation, the inferiority of your birth, my rank and circumstances – all these things -but I am willing to put them aside and ask you to end my agony." You probably would react about the way Elizabeth Bennet does. Scenario 2: Someone comes up to you and says, "I have come to know you. I see your faults, your strengths, your personality and traits. And with it all, I have logically come to the conclusion that you are who I would choose to spend the rest of my life and beyond with. And I want to love you. And so I do."
I choose Scenario 2.
So, yes, I am naive. And these aren't the only reasons people find me naive, but they are few. However, but if this is being naive, I enjoy being naive.
I have been accused of being naive many times in my life. Here, I answer the questions of "Do you really believe..." with which I'm constantly inundated.
1. Do you really believe that people are good?
Yes, I really believe that people are generally good. I believe that our purest selves are goodness, and that we only become bad when we allow it to be so. Light is more powerful than dark. I really believe that. Today, I read The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (book review to follow), and in the book, Mr. Hyde is a reflection of pure evil and Dr. Jekyll is a representation of humanity. Eventually, the line between Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll becomes blurred, but that is only because Dr. Jekyll allowed Mr. Hyde to run rampant on his life. I believe that every human on Earth has already chosen Christ; it's a central tenet of my religion in fact. If they forget that, then that's only because they have allowed Satan to exercise his power over them. And Satan has power, but the power of even the humblest of humans is inherently more potent than that of Satan. So, yes, I do believe that people are inherently good.
2. Do you really believe that you can love someone without having sex?
I do. Probably because I believe that love is a lot more than sex. I even believe that you can romantically love someone without having sex. Let's clarify a bit. Sex is not dirty; sex is beautiful. Another central tenet of my religion. And I do believe that after a couple has shared that deepest place of their soul through sexual experience, they have a stronger and deeper connection. However, I also believe that that connection is for married persons, because it is so special. And I believe that that should be a reflection of the love they already have for one another. Because if you don't already love the person before "doing it," you aren't actually having that beautiful, sacred connection that my religion believes sex to be. You're just procreating. And that's not godly. That's animal.
3. Do you really believe in an afterlife?
Yep. Call me naive. But I believe in an afterlife. Part of this is because I have purely spiritual evidence (which epistemology actually does accept as valid, personal evidence). But, I also believe this because I believe there are parts of us that are above and beyond the neuroendocrine explanations that science has given us. It can explain base feelings, but I don't think it can explain the vast consciousness that is us.
4. Do you really believe that there is such a thing as celestial marriage?
I do believe that there is such a thing as celestial marriage. I believe that man and woman were meant to complement one another. I believe that we are, as they say in Merlin, "two sides of the same coin" (even though they're referring to two male characters in a platonic way, but you know what I mean). Carl Jung wasn't wrong; he was only half-wrong. The anima and animus aren't two parts of one consciousness that need to be reconciled, but I believe that they are two pieces that must come together to make the concept of God. And that is what I believe celestial marriage to be. A divine union of femininity and masculinity which create a completeness.
5. Do you really believe that a fourteen-year-old boy went into the woods and was visited by God?
Yes. Yes, I do.
6. Do you really believe that the Earth was created by someone? What about the Big Bang? Evolution? You're a life scientist for jeeper's sake!
Yes. But here's the kicker: why are these things all mutually exclusive to you people? I know that God created the earth, but I also know that when I pull out my Hebrew Bible and my Hebrew lexicon, that this whole discussion could be resolved. In fact, I will do that. Excuse me a moment. It says that Elohim "barah"-ed the heavens and the Earth. Pardon me while I pull out my Hebrew lexicon. While I'm in my Hebrew lexicon, will someone explain to my why Hebrew lexicons are alphabetized from the front of the book when all other Hebrew books start from the back cover. But then, I guess in most Hebrew books, the spine is on the other side, so it is the front of the book. Okay, anyways, I got to our place! Bet Resh Aleph. In the Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon, it says, "To shape, create," senses that it's used in, according to BDB, "form, fashion by cutting, shape out, pare a reed for writing, a stick for an arrow." So, really, the better translation would be that God formed the heavens and the earth. Mostly, the word only ever applies to forming things out of already existing things (and this is consistent with Mormon teaching). So, who am I to limit God to not using things like Big Bangs and Evolutions? He's God. If He wants to make the Earth by a Big Bang, I say He should go ahead and do it. Yes, I believe that God created man deliberately and in His image. But I don't know how it did that. I know that it says days, but once again, let us not impose our world constructs on God. I don't know what he calls a day. I have seen evolution at work. When I test a S. aureus for methicillin resistance, I am acknowledging evolution. When I genetically manipulate bacteria in the research lab at BYU, I was using evolution. And when I see a kid at work with a genetic disease, that is mutation, which is the driving force of evolution. But I'm pretty sure God believes in evolution, too, and I'm pretty sure he knows how to use it for his own purposes.
7. Wait. So you believe in eternal, celestial marriage, but you don't believe in soul mates? Or even true love?
Once again, yes. I believe that love, like everything else on earth worth anything, is a choice. I believe that choice is the most beautiful thing on earth. In fact, I believe that the entire purpose of the Garden of Eden was choice and bringing choice into the equation. And I believe that Adam and Eve made the choice that they did to bring about more choice. This is probably why I like John Steinbeck's East of Eden as much as I do. As it says in the book, "The word timshel—‘Thou mayest’— that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. That says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if ‘Thou mayest’—it is also true that ‘Thou mayest not.' ...Man has a choice and it's a choice that makes him a man.... think of the glory of the choice! That makes a man a man. A cat has no choice, a bee must make honey. There's no godliness there...But 'Thou mayest!'! Why, that makes a man great, that gives him stature with the gods, for in his weakness and his filth and his murder of his brother he has still the great choice. He can choose his course and fight it through and win.”
There are no destinies, only for-ordinations. There are no soul mates, only people with whom we are compatible. And really, even if you're not compatible, if you have the same goals and both want it to work, it can work. That's the entire point of the whole Do You Love Me? number in Fiddler on the Roof.
And really, which is more flattering to you? Scenario 1: Someone coming up to you and saying, "I can't help but love you. I don't really want to. It just happened. It's this cosmic destiny that forces to want to marry you. It's like a magnetism," or as Elizabeth Bennet hears from Darcy (in the movie, in the book we only get a summary of this), "Miss Elizabeth. I have struggled in vain and I can bear it no longer.... I have fought against my better judgement, my family’s expectation, the inferiority of your birth, my rank and circumstances – all these things -but I am willing to put them aside and ask you to end my agony." You probably would react about the way Elizabeth Bennet does. Scenario 2: Someone comes up to you and says, "I have come to know you. I see your faults, your strengths, your personality and traits. And with it all, I have logically come to the conclusion that you are who I would choose to spend the rest of my life and beyond with. And I want to love you. And so I do."
I choose Scenario 2.
So, yes, I am naive. And these aren't the only reasons people find me naive, but they are few. However, but if this is being naive, I enjoy being naive.
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