Monday, June 25, 2007

Predestination

PREDESTINATION, n. The doctrine that all things occur according to programme. This doctrine should not be confused with that of foreordination, which means that all things are programmed, but does not affirm their occurrence, that being only an implication from other doctrines by which this is entailed. The difference is great enough to have deluged Christendom with ink, to say nothing of the gore. With the distinction of the two doctrines kept well in mind, and a reverent belief in both, one may hope to escape perdition if spared.

2007 Update: The inevitable conclusion of hindsight.

Resquiat In Muridae, friend Chatham.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

Predestination: 1. God's will; 2. The Devil made me do it.

Anonymous said...

Hindsight: the 20-20 vision of Predestination.

Rest in Peace sweet Chatham, i know you were a true blessing to all for the (many) years you elected to remain on this planet. i am so sorry for your loss DDDragon -- my heart goes out to you and your family. >^^<

Unknown said...

aka karma
or, of course you are what you eat


who is Chatham? wish him peace ...

tsmhbjnt: tasmanian hunk, bring the joint

TLP said...

Pre-destination:

(1)The child that Beyonce Knowles gave up for adoption before she became a star.

(2) That last, long, mile before dying.

Anonymous said...

pre-destination - That place you plan to end up, but which you never reach after succumbing to the pleasures of the road there.

Anonymous said...

pre-destination: If I knew....

mireille said...

Inevitability, I suppose. A reminder that it's all an experiment and we were never in charge of the bunsen burner. xoxo

Anonymous said...

Predestination, n. The place you originally were thinking of going before you change your mind and confirm your plans.

Anonymous said...

All right, I didn't like my first definition much.

Predestination, n. The comforting view of fate or destiny which argues that nothing can ever possibly be your fault. This is the defense lawyer of theological beliefs.

The Old Mule said...

Happy Birthday, Ambrose, you old salt.

Anonymous said...

good catch Old Mule! kind of funny when you consider all that "socializin'" Doug was doing over the weekend, too. pretty sure Ambrose Bierce would have disapproved.

Anonymous said...

Predestination - God I hope not. I would hate to think we're going through life like that go-kart like ride at Disneyland. You know the one...you steer the car but the rail below makes sure you never go too far either way and you ultimately end up where "they" want you to go.

Minka said...

predestination, a return ticket to your origin

Anonymous said...

Predestination: where you're meant to be, whether you think so or not.

guessing this philosophy serves to explain why a certain curmudgeon is flying across the US, even as i type. apparently he was predestined to miss his flight last night, and not be able to escape, er, get out of New York until this morning. that'll teach an old dog to try and learn his way through a bunch of new sticks. ; )

dddragon said...

well, puppy, NYC is close enuf for us to visit, then.

thx doug ... the nights without that furry person are long ...

G said...

Predestination: the universe's GPS. Speaking of which, did you find your way home yet?

On the sad note - my condolences to 3D and her family on the loss of Chatam.

Nessa said...

Predestination: Making hotel reservations.

Anonymous said...

DDDragon: agreed!! and, trust me, there's nothing i'd like more than seeing to it that we get to do just that, and soon! (you do know G and i are vying for spots as honorary Pez dispensers, right?) ; )

Jamie Dawn said...

Predestination: Fate

I was predestined to eat at least one chocolate truffle per day. There's nothing I can do about that.

tsduff said...

dddragon - so sorry you are without your familiar furry one.

Predesitination: That window of time before the Desitin has been applied

Doug The Una said...

Well done, Al. A transitive and intransitive excuse.

Neva, so it is written.

Haha, Karma. I thought today's word reminded me of a Desi Calvinist for some reason.

TLP, the short seven inches that come before that last long mile aren't so different. May I take this opportunity to compliment you on the humor of your first and the poetry of your second?

Poobah, it's all the Stuckey's between me and my destiny that have left me so big yet so small.

Clever, Ms. Pia.

Mireille, what I do in the privacy of my own beaker is my business.

I like the second one better, too, Andrew. I can't help it.

Mule, good for you and shame on me. Um, he would have wanted us to move on with our lives?

Only because I did it sober, Neva.

Well, let's explore this, Joel. Did you want to go to Disneyland in the first place?

You know, Minka. I think I was born this way, too.

Neva, the cabbie had an excellent excuse and I'm yokel enough not to know better.

Dddragon, I'm sure. I'm thinking of you.

Funny, G. I am typing from my couch as we speak.

Funny you mention that, too, Nessa. I made some pretty fast yesterday.

Actonbell, that's a great way of looking at it.

Jamie Dawn, you can't fight being the Elect.

Terry, that made me laugh out loud. You think rash and inevitable are opposites. Not so.

Tom & Icy said...

getting what I want, as usual

Anonymous said...

I hope not too.


RIP Muridae

TLP said...

I guess this little trip is gonna make you late posting. Again.

Ariel the Thief said...

I am sure there is such a thing like predestination, I am just not sure it always works.

Ariel the Thief said...

as the poet said, this is a scandal because it could happen, and is sacred because it has happened.

the closest I can get. :)

I Dive At Night said...

That which is, is. That which has happened, has happened. That which may happen may also not happen, until after it has happened in which case it has then happened. From this it is a priori obvious that postdestination must be true.

But predestination is more like a reservation than a guarantee.

Anonymous said...

*tap tap tap*

yeesh, doesn't "predestination" mean you're supposed to get somewhere eventually? seems to me that concept should apply to getting new posts up, as well. ; P

Elbot said...

Predestination: A program with no way to patch it.

Doug The Una said...

Icy, I think that's JUSTICE.

Cooper, you're free to choose your predestination.

TLP, a sarcast is never late. Only ill-timed.

That's kind of deep for this blog, Ariel. Which poet?

Morgan, a universe of redundancies. Shoulda known.

Neva, Apparently sleeping in was to be my fate this morning.

Doug The Una said...

Ooops, Elbot, sorry. Actually, predestination is the failure of the patch.

Ariel the Thief said...

Pilinszky