Buchwald's Goodbye: Writing, Reminiscing (His Opus from Life)

Examiner ^ | 04/04/2006 | DARLENE SUPERVILLE,

[Antoninus]

Thanks for demonstrating that the world, as Buchwald has said, is itself a satire.

I don't think he was the first one to come up with that particular concept, actually.

[Liberal Classic]

I searched on news sites, and this quote turned up: "I have no idea where I'm going but here's the real question: What am I doing here in the first place?"

[68 grunt]

It's that whole "burning in Hell for all of eternity" thing that concerns us.

You. It's the whole "burning in Hell for all of eternity" thing that concerns you.

[Antoninus]

I think you're missing the operative word "too", in this case meaning "overly".

"Too" is not the operative word in that sentence at all. It's a throw-away weasel-word to soften the statement.

He didn't say people shouldn't be concerned with where they will end up in death...

Personally, I think that's exactly what he meant.

[Antoninus]

"I have no idea where I'm going but here's the real question: What am I doing here in the first place?"

Ah, now if that's the case, it's a totally different story on what Mr. Buchwald's true attitude is. I can't say I'm surprised that the media would misquote him to make the statement seem more atheistic than it actually was, but there you go.

[discostu]

Isn't that always the real question? Where you're going is always the result of what you do, and doing the right thing can often be dependant on figuring out you are here. Every day is another puzzle as you get faced with new moral quandries and opportunities to be good or not. Make all the right calls in those and where you're going will take care of itself.

[discostu]

It's not a throw away at all, it's the core of the situation. Be concerned yes, but don't be too concerned. Don't be so concerned with where your going in the end that you miss opportunities to do good things before the end. A truly moral person can live a good life filled with good deeds and never once consider the here after, in fact I think a truly moral person MUST do that (or at least come close), the difference between a truly moral person and a person wearing the vineer of morality is doing good things because they're right and doing good things because of the promise of heaven.

[AnAmericanMother]

Don't know why you're mad at the priest - you didn't give him the necessary information, if it didn't sit well with you it isn't his fault (or the church's fault).

Sounds like your (entirely justified from what you say) anger at a horrible ex-husband is spilling over onto the church. You might consider that the arrogance redounds to him and not to the church.

I don't think the explanation is anywhere near "the utmost in arrogance", by the way. It sets a framework by which the offer of salvation is broadened within the context of Catholic teaching to those outside the church. No point in being angry at that -- if you don't think your church is RIGHT, why are you going to one church in preference to another?

The flip side is the "I'm OK - you're OK" churches, that say everything is going to be all right and everybody's going to be saved, no matter what they do. U-Us and now the Episcopalians take this line, but it kind of makes church a useless exercise. Why not just sit home on Sunday?

[Antoninus]

the difference between a truly moral person and a person wearing the vineer of morality is doing good things because they're right and doing good things because of the promise of heaven.

I would argue that without the promise of heaven, the concept of right and wrong is nothing more than a relativist abstraction which, in the end, are utterly meaningless.

[discostu]

Not at all. The promise of heaven is just the carrot for doing good, it's not the definition of good. Notice the parts of the Bible that talk the most directly about what one should and shouldn't do don't actually mention rewards and punishment.

[AppyPappy]

You. It's the whole "burning in Hell for all of eternity" thing that concerns you.

OK. I'm the only one who is concerned with Hell

[68 grunt]

You're the only one who speaks for yourself ...

[Lancey Howard]

One of the weirder threads of the month - bump.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

Death is a passage. There is a point when the spirit leaves the body before the last breath is drawn, before all organs have shut down. It is the realization that the body of your patient lying in that bed is just a shell.

As a nurse, I have been at the bedside of many terminal patients who have passed on. The saddest death I ever saw was the man who fought death every inch of the way, up until his last comatose breath. He was not in pain, he was fighting and he was terrified.

Those who are ready (not that any of us are ever "ready" to die) pass into the next life with serenity, peace and acceptance.

It is hard to put the differences between the two into words, but there is a difference. It sounds as if Mr. Buchwald has made peace with his maker.

[Antoninus]

The promise of heaven is just the carrot for doing good, it's not the definition of good.

God is the only Good. One does good when they do as God commanded. Heaven is nothing more or less than being with God--the one who defines what is good--forever.

Notice the parts of the Bible that talk the most directly about what one should and shouldn't do don't actually mention rewards and punishment.

You mean like these parts?

"But if you will not hear me, nor do all my commandments, If you despise my laws, and contemn my judgments so as not to do those things which are appointed by me, and to make void my covenant: I also will do these things to you: I will quickly visit you with poverty, and burning heat, which shall waste your eyes, and consume your lives. You shall sow your seed in vain, which shall be devoured by your enemies. I will set my face against you, and you shall fall down before your enemies, and shall be made subject to them that hate you, you shall flee when no man pursueth you. But if you will not yet for all this obey me: I will chastise you seven times more for your sins, And I will break the pride of your stubbornness, and I will make to you the heaven above as iron, and the earth as brass: Your labour shall be spent in vain, the ground shall not bring forth her increase, nor the trees yield their fruit.(Leviticus 26:14-20)

"Now if thou wilt hear the voice of the Lord thy God, to do and keep all his commandments, which I command thee this day, the Lord thy God will make thee higher than all the nations that are on the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon thee and overtake thee: yet so if thou hear his precepts....But if thou wilt not hear the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep and to do all his commandments and ceremonies, which I command thee this day, all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee." (Deuteronomy 28:1-2, 15)

"If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love; as I also have kept my Father's commandments, and do abide in his love." (John 15:10)

"And behold one came and said to him: Good master, what good shall I do that I may have life everlasting? 17 Who said to him: Why asketh thou me concerning good? One is good, God. But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." (Matthew 16:18-19)

"Know you not that the unjust shall not possess the kingdom of God? Do not err: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, 10 Nor the effeminate, nor liers with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor railers, nor extortioners, shall possess the kingdom of God." (Corinthians 6:9-10)

There's only about 1,000 other excerpts I could have chosen. What was your point again?

[discostu]

Notice those are discussing the rewards and punishments but only refer to the commandments, they don't spell out what is good and bad. When you look up the commandments they discuss what's good and bad but not the rewards or punishments. That right there shows that the carrot is not the definition. those aren't exceptions, those are EXACTLY what I said, rewards and definitions are in different sections of the Bible always discussed seperately.

[Antoninus]

That right there shows that the carrot is not the definition. those aren't exceptions, those are EXACTLY what I said,

Ooookaaay.... Put the beer glass down. Step away from the computer...

[Responsibility2nd]

Yeah, it was hijacked from Post # 2 onward.....

[Responsibility2nd]

This is sheer foolishness.

You're right. Buchwald, not being a Christian, wouldn't understand. But those who follow God could easly explain in a heartbeat why we are here "in the fist place".

[little jeremiah]

I was meaning that if a person really wants to know why we're here, it would naturally follow that he would want to know what's next on the agenda. To live as though earthly life is the only reality is to remain in ignorance, according to every religion in the world. Then one dies like an animal.

I mean no ill will towards the man, I wish him well. But to remain unconcerned about what happens after death is like being told you're going on a long journey and not even asking "where am I going, and what should I bring?"