Filli, I think you might have a legitimate shot at the title of Prometheus! Many times behind your posts there comes "fire!"
This post may be no exception... And especially with what happened and is happening in Haiti! "Is it moraly justified to know and yet not act..." Your question hits close to home and no matter how busy Mandos is he has a responsibility to "reduce the harm to the children..."
I know and see many people these last few days packing boxes bound for Haiti. I am one of them. I have stood with others in prayer for the island and her people. Some of the soldiers from crack units are there. I offer counseling over the internet with those struggling to help Haiti...usually it is from post traumatic stress. So I am doing a little...But when I read the stories, see the devastation in videos on the net or on television, listen to the anguish of my patients and the folks they are trying to help...I feel so helpless, so inadequate, so overwhelmed. There is so much here in my life...those simple things of happiness we posted...that is so much more than what the earthquake victims have.
So excuse me if a twist your words a bit... "Omnipotence and Impotence, seems like a wasted gift to me."
Who holds the Valar to account on such matters!
I do dammit! And they better look to their skins big time! Because this is one bear who says they are accountable!!! We are our brothers keeper! An angry but determined, Bear
-- Edited by Bear on Friday 22nd of January 2010 02:56:51 AM
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Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit Called or uncalled, God is present
Bear, isn't there a proverb about letting your brother sleep in the cold while you are clothed. That it's not enough to say go and be warm and full. That it is our responsibility to take action to make that be so? If it is required of us ( comparing ourselve to the ME peoples of course) how could we not expect it from those who ordained it?
Is there anyway we can help the haitians? We don't have a lot but I know they have nothing and you can't cover up with or eat prayers?
Filli, I don't know if this is quite the same but I was told by a wise person once that. "You have to let people learn by their own mistakes!" Well that seemed simple enough. It was a kind of people watching attitude, and as people watching is a favorite activity, I thought; "Hey! Kick back and watch the fun!" Right. Until one of those people I was watching was my grown up daughter. Then the rules of "...letting people learn by their own mistakes..." didn't seem like that much fun.Oh! I know the rules should be followed for our children, especially for our children... because I want to jump in there and fix things...and then where does Meredith learn to do it when I am not around? Yikes!!! But after a couple of cups of coffee, a cake or two, blowing smoke rings on the porch with Gandalf, I think I get it... Maybe Mandos has to follow the same rules...you think?
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Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit Called or uncalled, God is present
Well, I have a theory. I believe that humans are put here on earth to learn life lessons. We all sort of have themes. I will give a personal example. I am a very judgmental person. I know I am ashamed of this but I am working on it. ;) My biggest flaw is that I judge people by their education status. So, of course I married the most handsome man in the world. Yes, he wears a tool belt. He is an Electrician. He never went to college and no one in his family has ever been to college. Shocka !! Everyone in my family is educated. Also well traveled. I had to learn that just because my husband did not go to college does not mean he is not intelligent. Oh my he is !!! I learn from him everyday. He went through five years of electrical school provided by his union. He is now a master electrician. That is a big deal. You know that somebody has to keep the electricity flowing why the rest of us are sitting around reading books in the library or our office buildings sitting on our soft bottoms. {Ves laughs at herself sitting inside typing on the computer while poor Mr. Ves is out in the cold wiring a new electrical plant that runs on natural gas to produce cleaner energy for our state.}
I think that is how our maker sees us. We are the children.{ For this conversation elves and dwarves would be included in my theory.} Children usually learn by making mistakes. Therefore children must have the freewill to make choices and grow from the outcomes. I know I have learned more from my failures than I have ever learned from my successes. My successes are usually the product from a couple of failures.
I like the notion, of learning by mistakes and success coming at the back of failure.
Yes even as we fail, we can in some respects succeed at something as yet unseen.
On a Tolkien theme good results often come from bad intentions.
Even rain......
Just like your hubby, I'm an electrician. Well I was until I worked in a university. It looked easy. Compared to an apprenticeship it was ! I'm now a Principal Consultant...which makes me laugh. Being educated didn't make me any smarter. It just made other people believe I was smart. I just take the money n smile
