Weird. I've taken up long blogging again for a few days.

So, today at work, I read about 1/10 of "A History of the Roman World" by E.T. Salmon. After reading of Tiberius (who was mixed in with Octavian - or Augustus by that time - with political and family affairs), decided he didn't like Julia (Octavian's daughter) or his position anymore and went to the island of Rhodes. Why? Just to do stuff, mostly to study scientific things like astrology and what have you.

What's my point in mentioning that? Oh. I was just thinking about knowledge, and that's why. A lot of times people say they want to learn something just "for the sake of it." I don't believe it. What's the point in learning something for no reason whatsoever at all? I know we learn a lot of stuff just by living that isn't really necessary, but when you actually go out and decide to be disciplined enough to learn something, it's different. Who endeavors for nothing (that is, knowingly)? Isn't the motivation behind gaining more knowledge always being for it to aid something else? Maybe to add to some other knowledge. For instance, I was only spurred on to actually reading more about the Roman Empire because I was reading about Revelation and the different views thereof; I got curious. History, to me, is already very fascinating and it really does, in my opinion, contribute to the understanding of many different subjects and cultures.

What other reasons would one have for learning something? I suppose just to know about it so you can actually keep up to pace in a conversation, and actually converse in a knowledgeable way; to look smart. Maybe to gain political prestige. Piety. Is it ever really personal though? Knowledge can cause you to change your personal life, but isn't the point of that to change your public life too? To change how people look at you? So many things are relational. Hm.

I'm not saying that it's a bad thing to learn new things. No, I love learning new things. It's not bad to be smart or to understand things when you're a politic (ha). It's weird that philosophers just think about stuff. Like, who really needs to think about all of this? It doesn't really matter. Just accept what it is, don't analyse it, right? Right. Not that I'm really a philosopher or anything. It's just interesting. People who just think. Ha, nevermind....taaangent.

What was I saying...

...ok. I guess I'm trying to take this into different views. I wonder how different the view of learning things is between christian and secular beliefs.

There is very real point of gaining knowledge of the Bible. This is, of course, from a Christian point of view. There are many reasons for a Christian, striving to live a life worthy of the calling of belonging to Christ Jesus, to spend as much time learning the Bible as they can. It's God's Word. It's a way He speaks to us. And as Christians, we're called to go out and tell other's the good news of the saving power of Jesus Christ our Lord. So this is the motive of wanting to know God more so we can be more like Him. But then, also by knowing His word, we can more effectively be used by him to preach it to others. Not that everyone is called to be a "preacher", and those who teach are definitely held even more accountable to how they understand/present the Bible. (James 3:1)

So then, if someone has no motive for doing something other than their own personal achievements in life, then what is it for? It seems like it can only be what people think of you. I guess maybe you could say to make the world a better place, to help you with your job so you can do it better. Yes yes. I guess that's my point though.

No one just learns something.

Except in my case when I took that mycology class. That was just pointless.

haha.

I'm outta time to waste.

-becca