My Featured Blogger this week is Gordon Couch, aka “Rocky,” of The Fractured Rock. Rocky is a retired businessman, world traveler, and longtime teacher at his church. He and his wife of 50 years have the foothills of Tennessee’s spectacular Smoky Mountains for a “backyard.” The story below, by an anonymous writer, has apparently been around for a while, but it was Rocky’s post that called it to my attention. Heads-up: This may not be what you think it is!
In a mother’s womb were two babies.
One asked: “Do you believe in life after delivery?”
The other replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.”
“Nonsense,” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?”
The second said, “I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now.”
The first replied, “That is absurd. Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded.”
The second insisted, “Well I think there is something and maybe it’s different than it is here. Maybe we won’t need this physical cord anymore.”
The first replied, “Nonsense. And moreover, if there is life, then why has no one ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery, there is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes us nowhere.”
“Well, I don’t know,” said the second, “but certainly we will meet Mother and she will take care of us.”
The first replied “Mother? You actually believe in Mother? That’s laughable. If Mother exists then where is She now?”
The second said, “She is all around us. We are surrounded by her. We are of Her. It is in Her that we live. Without Her, this world would not and could not exist.”
Said the first: “Well I don’t see Her, so it is only logical that She doesn’t exist.”
To which the second replied, “Sometimes, when you’re in silence and you focus and listen, you can perceive Her presence, and you can hear Her loving voice…calling down from above.”
Beautiful!
Oh I love this! I’m going to reblog if its ok?
Of course!
Wow, I’ve never seen that either. Such a clever and pertinent analogy!
Exactly!
That was incredible, thanks for sharing!
Reblogged this on Webb Blogs/ Ocd and Me and commented:
Reblog -This is an awesome post. If you haven’t done so already I suggest you check out Mitch Teemleys blog. He has a lot of great post.
I don’t understand! Is the article saying that life developing in the womb has all of its faculties and can think logically. What is your opinion of the article?
No, it’s a parable (the babies’ ability to think logically and talk is similar to the way animals behave in fables). It isn’t really about the babies. It’s an argument about the possibility of life after death.
Perfect! I love this one. Sounds a lot like CS Lewis.
It does indeed, Pete. It also reminds me of the Plato’s cave argument, although presented in a more contemporary and satirical way.
Reblogged this on OPENED HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
Oh, that is brilliant!
Very good
Interesting and thought-provoking!
This is beautiful.
I love this parable, and in reading Ephesians 1:10 this morning realized that the afterlife might include “things in heaven and things on earth”. Like the babies are discussing, there are parts we can currently conceive of, and others that are too heavenly to currently understand. My pastor once said something like “imagine what sort of roller coasters we could build in heaven!” Thanks for posting.
My pleasure.
Wow, what a perspective!
Wow! What a great analogy it covers so many nuances and responses commonly heard in discussions of an after-life.
I can’t remember where I saw this once before. I love the comparisons and the “what if’s” it rings to mind.
Love this…gotta share!
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Very thought-provoking!
Wow, life after death – using this analogy was really good.
It’s like Shakespeare characters proclaiming that a man such as Shakespeare doesn’t exist.
Forsooth, thou makest an excellent point, Hetty!
Thank you for sharing this Mitch. It is potent!
This is such a beautiful parable. <3
Wow! :O
Wow
I love this post!
Love it! This sure helps put things into perspective, doesn’t it? Mother/God….if we feel it, it’s there.
Loved this story!
Gives one something to think about…
Thanks for the “like,” Mitch. Re your conception post, this is very clever. For me – although you, the author, and your commenters undoubtedly view this as pro- Christian God, pro life-after-death – the key word (used four times) is “Maybe.” Which means there’s also a possibility there’s nothing after the womb state. Perhaps some things were intended to be a mystery, and seeking answers and explanations to everything (religion) too often causes rifts and problems.
I agree, Pete, though I do differ with on one count: I don’t think “seeking answers and explanations” causes rifts and problems; I think dogmatic religiosity does, and that this applies equally to dogmatic non-religious systems such as fascism and communism. I fell in love with the teachings and life of Jesus as a young man, and it has made me a kinder, wiser, better person. Which is not to say that I’m done growing, or no longer seeking answers. Good to hear from you, my friend.
Kind and wise you definitely appear to me to be, and I agree with you on the whole. My brother is a rabid atheist and is as dogmatic about there being no God as the most vehement Christian is about there being one. While I subscribe to Christian principles and the teachings of Jesus, and use them as a guide in my life, I’m just not interested in “explanations” or what happens after I’m dead My stance is: try to love and understand; try to do good works; try to be humble (which a lot of so-called Christians seem to have trouble with); and Let The Mystery Be. It’s worked well for me so far…and friction is kept to a minimum!
So beautiful! Thank you for sharing!
Excellent teaching. I enjoyed it!
Great analogy!