Form following function.

Thanks to Tom for letting me go ahead and “do what you want, bro”. Freak.

I have a friend who was a staunch Reformed Baptist for most of his life, yet one the day he just left. Simply walked away from his church, from the faith, from all the things he had grown up with and seemingly believed until them.

Whenever we talk, that’s the elephant in the room; until last week when I cracked the ice and just bloody well put it out there. I asked him what mechanism led to that decision.

Honestly, I expected him to list off a bunch of reasons why Christianity is for intellectually stunted idiots - and let’s not even talk about those who believe in scripture as a rule for their lives. But his answer was far more interesting than that.

He told me it was the sum of his habits, his addictions, the things he wanted to do. Or, his mind followed his body, not the other way around. He lived a certain way and eventually his beliefs got in line.

Makes me wonder how many people have gone through this, giving up a belief simply because the alternative is so much more attractive, so much easier. I know life includes an element of letting go - but how much, and what?

The scary thing is I see this tendency in myself as well. Maybe it’s in everyone. Form follows function. We mold our philosophies by what seems pleasant and easy and accessible and by what we simply can’t let go of; we shape our minds into very strange geometries indeed.

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Posted July 31st, 2006 in main. Tagged: .

4 comments:

  1. Roger:

    That’s sad.

    July 31st, 2006 at 11:16 am
  2. daniel:

    Disheartening, yes. But he’s a good friend.

    *dan

    July 31st, 2006 at 11:20 am
  3. Tim:

    Our minds follow our bodies… the reasoning behind the concern on the part of some regarding the technologizing of society… When we change our habits and lifestyle, we change our minds inadvertently. Just look what happens when there’s a blackout…. 2 weeks ago we had some severe thunderstorms, and some people lost power for up to 4 days… they were helpless. They don’t know how to function without electricity (particularly not in summer).

    Look also at how we get desensitized to violence, swearing, and crude humor by encountering it so often. When it becomes commonplace, it no longer shocks us.. as we get dulled to it, we start to partake.

    bottom line.. never get lulled into the feeling that you aren’t being affected by EVERYthing around you. The Christian life doesn’t include any lunchbreaks or vacation, but the benefits are excellent.

    July 31st, 2006 at 9:54 pm
  4. daniel:

    The technological progression can’t be stopped, though, no matter its consequences. Maybe we won’t even understand them for a hundred years or so, but it’s not like there’s a choice ; our modes of thinking’ll have to change of the macro scale and we’ll pretty much just have to let them go.

    On the micro scale, not so much. I mean, in the details. I agree with you, everything affects.

    *dan

    August 1st, 2006 at 6:35 am

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