We begin our New Year’s episode of DXP with a look back at 2016 in all its glory and shame, with Christian taking the blame for how bad this last year treated so many people. We then reflect a bit on the death of Carrie Fisher, springboarding to the issue of celebrity deaths in general and whether mourning the passing of people we don’t really know is pathetic or legit. We take a call about whether difficulty and trial produce better quality satire and music, and if so, whether this may be silver lining around the dark cloud of a future Trump presidency. Another caller schools Jason on the topic of evolution (how hard can it be? Fish Monkey Man, right?). We then squeeze in one final caller whose question focuses on the simple matter of the meaning of life. Christian is biebered by people’s self-obliviousness on TV, while Jason’s bieber focuses on people looking better than they should.
Also, suck it, 2016. Your time is over.
Podcast #84: Bi-Partisan Whackjobs and the Fulfillment of Prophecy
Podcast #193: Throwback Biebers
Podcast #358: Spiritual Anarchy, Sex/Life, and Women “Preachers”
Podcast #157: Alcoholism, Female Friendships, and More Bromance
Now I’m going to have to make a happy birthday Jesus cake for my friends every year. That’s the best thing I’ve heard in 2017. Also it’s an excuse to eat cake.
I’m not sure the liberal objection is about commenting on a woman’s appearance, but on the volume of comments women receive on their appearance as opposed to their other characteristics. I notice this so much with my kid. People rave about her appearance all the time, and yet she’s very athletic, smart, funny, kind, creative, etc. She recently won a design competition where there were kids who were three and four years older than her, and yet all the adults (including the judges and teachers) could talk to her about was how cute she is. It made me feel a bit stabby, I must admit. If a boy had won I’m guessing the comments would have been very different. So the boys walk away thinking of themselves as future engineers and the girls walk away thinking of themselves as… cute.
I’d recommend “Why Evolution is True” by Coyne. It’s a pretty accessible, if a bit dry at times, book, it explains it pretty well.
The meaning put forward by Christianity isn’t necessarily a satisfying one.
What’s the meaning to life?
To accept Jesus and go to heaven.
Okay, then what?
To make God happy…
But I’ll be doing that by default then, won’t I? Because God is going to rewire my brain so I don’t like the things I like now and only like the good things.
Yes, but you’ll be happy about making God happy.
So I’ll be a trained, pre-programmed automaton again? I thought the entire purpose of free will was to avoid that.
Sorry, that was a bit of a thought experiment in arguing with myself…
I’d say that we don’t know enough about the end to understand what the meaning is or how we will find fulfillment in it.
Maybe we should just stick to “42”.