What a marvelous post, God and Putin in one thread.
A couple of assertions:
–It’s my feeling that when a man approaches faith through intellectual effort he comes to faith in God finally not through his understanding of that God but through the failure of all other faiths he had before. Always a man has faith, it’s only a question of which one. Once he has achieved a concept of a creator immensely beyond him, it seems to me the first response is fear; after all, for all of his life prior to that faith he’s been in denial of that immense God. The only reason that that faith and that fear can be sustained is because within that concept at least there is meaning. The satisfaction of meaning is something that can’t be surrendered even in the face of fear. In time the secondary concept of God –that is, the God that is love– develops. Probably for three reasons: because that’s what’s needed; because that’s the Christian message; and because it’s true.
–The reason there is no ten-thousand-story proof of God –indeed no proof at all, though a world of evidence– is because it would be of no meaning to a God who can create worlds to simply command creatures; but it is meaningful that He receive back from those created beings, through faith, the love that He initially gave.
–As to Pootsie Poop. I imagine he understands what he’s doing in Georgia about as well as he understands economics, history, Man, or God. I have an idea that he has no idea what he’s doing at all, other than operating on the certain knowledge (from his background) that if you use force you scare people. I have an idea that Shaakasveli is a much more complex fellow. I imagine a scenario such as this: Knowing that Russia at some point was going to invade, recognizing that there’s a difference between big and small, recognizing who was which, he decided that rather than simply sit there and take it on the chin he would go forward and tap the bear’s snout. There’s a certain manly pleasure in being the first one to throw a punch in an uneven fight. And there are advantages. You throw the bears timing off somewhat, and you operate according to your own plan. It seems to me that the Georgian army retreated in good order, is now ensconced comfortably in the easily defendable Tblisi, and under American air cover (the “continuous bridge” of humanitarian supplies) is impregnable and safe. Meanwhile the Soviet Hun Despoils My Country, or so anyway seems Shaakasveli’s constant message. Seems to me he’s doing well. I think Putin intended irresistible force, now he’s instead just a vandal with a bad temper.
