The Apathetic Agnostic

By The Apostle | August 17, 2007

Came across another universal godless church online: The Universal Church Triumphant of the Apathetic Agnostic,” whose slogan is “We don’t know and we don’t care.”

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Another Gem from Mr. Tolstoy

By The Apostle | August 15, 2007

“The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity”
– Leo Tolstoy

Wish I knew where this quote was from, bu not much I can add to it.

Tags: meaning of life, humanity, Leo Tolstoy, quote

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Running – Towards or Away? Also, the Meaning of Fear

By The Apostle | August 12, 2007

Again, it has been far too long since I have read books not directly related to work, and my “to read” pile is getting out of hand. At the moment, I’m working my way though Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. There’s no doubt it is influential, though claims that is the “second most influential book among Americans” have not been scientifically proven.

I came across this quote that I found worth sharing:

“I don’t like the thing that’s happening to people, Miss Taggart.”
“What?”
“I don’t know. But I’ve watched them here for twenty years and I’ve seen the change. They used to rush through here, and it was wonderful to watch, it was the hurry of men who knew where they were going and were eager to get there. Now they’re hurrying because they are afraid. It’s not purpose that drives them, it’s fear. They’re not going anywhere, they’re escaping. And I don;t know think they know what it is that they want to escape.”

-From Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged

So are you running towards something in your life, or away from something – even something you haven’t identified yet. I certainly have noticed a lot more people being motivated negatively – that is, away from something or in fear of something.

It’s important to consider that all fear is the anxious anticipation of loss. Once you figure out what it is you are terrified of losing (life, family, possessions, standard of living or even just the status quo) you can begin to face it and deal with it. But like the character in Atlas Shrugged, I don’t think most people realize what it is they fear.

I’ll have to revisit fear some other time, but just wanted to share the quote.

Tags: Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged, influential, book, quote, escape, fear

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