Joe Jackson, irrational fear, and Sir Francis Bacon

We don't know what happens when we die
We only know we die too soon - The Verdict, Joe Jackson

Fear can be irrational. Whenever I think of fear as being irrational I think of Socrates' statement about his death and that it is irrational to fear that which is not known. If a person has no knowledge of what a particular situation is going to bring then it is not reasonable to fear it. The situation may bring about the greatest good that a person has ever experienced or, conversely, could cause the greatest harm. Unless someone has a reason to believe the latter then where is the fear?

If someone's world view dictates that death, for example, will usher them into a state of godliness that is not possible to obtain on this earth (as mine does) then death is a friend to that person and the fear of it would be irrational. I need to move my mind and body so that I am in concert with my faith in Christ which forms my world view. If someone's world view leads them to see the implications and ramifications of their death as unknowable, then the fear of it would be irrational as well. Obviously one needs to live out their world view in a rational way - which I believe is impossible with any other world view other than the one put forth in the Old and New Testaments.

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I keep coming across this quote from Sir Francis Bacon. It is absolutely brilliant:

"Man, by the Fall, fell at the same time from his state of innocence and from his dominion over nature. Both of these losses, however, can even in this life  be in some part repaired; the former by religion and faith, the latter by the arts and sciences."

This speaks to me on a variety of different levels, but there are two in particular that are worth noting. I think that Bacon puts the arts and sciences in the proper context - they are gifts from God that are to be treasured and exercised. It also helps me to frame the salvations that God gives me every day not the least of which is my daily intake of pseudoephedrine and my semi-daily blogging.

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