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A pragmatic rebuttal of the fable of SHAM pragmatism -
There once was a creature called "man". This man creature somehow became so proudly smitten with his ability to call himself an animal, that he failed to even notice that none of the other different kinds of creatures noticed, or even cared to label themselves as "animals" themselves. This fact emboldened the man.
One day, a strange and powerful thing called "water" was discovered to be a valuable substance on the earth. Valuable, not only for the survival of this animal-man, but for ALL animals, and for ALL Creation. This fact, about the existence of this "water", inflamed the animal-man's pride even more. This "water" was as old as the earth itself, and was solely what sustained animal-man. It was only when this "water" became living again, that the animal-man began to care to even notice that there were different kinds of "waters". (Living and dead).
Animal-man decided that this dual natured and frustrating "water" should simply, and creatively be renamed, "religion". This new created name, to try and tame "water's" uncontrollable nature. The animal-man also didn't realize that the dead water that flowed everywhere, also built up on him, and saturated his whole being with the deadly effects of non living water. This felt to him, like a curse. This dying animal-man then, throughout his existence, preferred to start calling himself by his new created name of "Secular Humanist animal-man". After all, animals have no need at all for a fallacious thing called a "Creator", or living "water" (religion), or even a "God". This death curse was just what ALL "animals" experienced. Again, the fact that the Secular Humanist, animal-man couldn't even ask the other animal creatures, what it was that they thought of this "Creator" idea, or this "death curse" idea, or even this "ability to create" idea, or really, even "ideas" themselves, never concernef him. It seemed to ironically tell him, that he was a special kind of animal, who was special...yet, not really....maybe just ...somehow, or for some mysterious reason, the "cursed" one. Cursed, because he came to feel that he was, indeed, a potential nightmarish, dead water drowning hazzard for the other animal creatures. Cursed for himself, because now, he even found himself giving to animal-man, some disturbing kinds of differing classifications and heirarchies. Cursed, he thought, because of his propensity NOT to be "broad minded". And even, weirdly cursed somehow, he thought, for holding in his own very creative hands, the future of the entire planet. But what WOULD it, or what COULD it be, that REALLY "cursed" him? Or WHERE even, did this idea of a curse even come from? He seemed uninterested in that answer.
This mysterious curse was then creatively renamed by him, as just, simply, some kind of a "mystery", in order to gain control and mastery over it.
Now, it was more convenient to have only this "mystery", that the Secular Humanist, animal-man had to learn HOW to deal with. He never really noticed that the other creatures, that somehow , "weirdly produced him", never had to deal with this "mystery".
But, the Secular Humanist, animal- man (from now on, to be called SHAM) somehow felt that THAT phenomena was ONLY because he were some kind of special...yet, non special, creative animal creature created out of another animal creature . This great duplicitous "mystery" greatly perplexed SHAM.
But then, one day, SHAM decided to, once and for all, take full control of, and mastery over this frustrating, dual natured, thing called "water". The "water" that was flowing everywhere around him and through him. So, as SHAM figured he was developing so smartly into an ever wiser, broader minded, and more artistic, thinking, and creative kind of animal-man, he created for himself a "bathtub" to finally contain and control this frustrating duplicitous "water" that was everywhere. Or, so he thought.
SHAM, throughout the years, so often became all too happy bathing in, and sloshing around in his "bathtub" filled with dead water. A bathtub of dirty, murky water of uncertainty. He fell more and more in love with, and often extolled the virtues of, and almost came to worship, the old and broad minded "mystery". The mystery that was, REALLY, just his own limited, perceived pointlessness for the plight of his own life, and also for ALL animal creatures . He let this broad minded "mystery" seemingly comfort him as he bathed.
Meanwhile, the smiling bulbous head of a cute, harmless looking, phony, plastic, "dead-duck" thingy, (almost as old as water itself) found a way to dance around in the bathtub with the "Secular Humanist animal-man". It would manifest itself... sometimes floating on top of the water, and then, fully submerging and hiding in the turbid, worldly water. When it would pop back up again, its cold, dead eyes and alluring, phony, painted smile, would cutely and coyly attract SHAM to reach out and grab it. SHAM would then give to it, a self- satisfying, self-loving little squeeze of its "turgid", squeaky body. But little did SHAM know, that underneath the murky, worldly water, this dead, rubber duck continued to insidiously spew out, or dispense even MORE of that hopeless, holy, broad minded "mystery" that SHAM loved so much. This deadly pollution occurring, with every aesthetically pleasing, bombastic "quacky" squeeze.
SHAM, for whatever mysterious reasons, didn't wish to stand up in the tub and activate the "streams of that old Living Water"* that SHAM thought he had already dealt with, and now had no need for. He loved, rather, to continue to baste in the agreeable KNOWN feelings upon his KNOWN manifest physical body. He delighted in the FEELING that he got from sitting in the stagnant, putrid, turbid water. He felt inspired by listening to, and responding to the echoing dead duck's alluring squeaks. This enticed his mind more than being cognizant of the potential for something narrow minded, like having his faithful, non-sensible, soul being washed clean. To have the deadly water washed away by the cleansing, narrow minded, redeeming, poured out blood "shower" of the Son of man. This seemed as narrow minded foolishness to SHAM.
He loved being a broad minded "animal-man".
The "seculartists" (pronounced-
secul-ar'-tists....I know... it's my own made up word), delighted in describing, and trying to understand, and even obsessed over celebrating the nature of the residue of the filthy, dead duck sludge that collected on the sides of "his" tub. This mystery he enjoyed more than actually understanding, describing and appreciating the Master artistic, delighted Creator of the very tub itself, and the source that IS the Living Water itself...
The ONE, who Created man in His image.
The ONE who delights in His Creation.
The ONE who destroys the religious communal commiseration over "the broad minded mystery" by giving to mankind, narrow minded certainty and definite purpose for life and our existence.
The ONE creatively rebirthing mankind into His intended "Sons of God".
All of this, the delighted ONE does. While also caring enough to gloriously leave breathtaking Testaments to the fact...
...Some of them even written down.
The ONE** stands outside, at the opaque shower door, of Mr. SHAM and knocks...
Now, will SHAM stand up? ... will he engage in the streams of Living Water and delight in God's Creation?
Will SHAM admit to himself, the sham?
Will SHAM admit he is NOT an animal-man, but COULD be a "son of God"?
WIill SHAM admit that "water" isn't religion? That "water" just IS. Or, to quote the ONE, The Creator:
"I AM that I AM!"
... one of the morals of this story is to continue to pray for the "seculartist" to stop delighting over the dead duck's attractive sounding squeaks... for we KNOW that THAT, is definitely part of a purpose that is more than "just a feeling".
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Matthew 7:7-8 NASB
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.
Rev. 3:20
*Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water." She said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?" Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."
John 4:10-14 NASB
For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds.
Psalm 149:4-5 NIV
**
Jesus then said, “I am the one who raises the dead to life! Everyone who has faith in me will live, even if they die. And everyone who lives because of faith in me will never really die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:25-26 CEV
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