CHAPTER 7

“Is there Why”

1. Explain the significance of Primo Levi’s story captured in his encounter with the
German guard: “Warum?” … “Hier ist kein Warum.” How is this connected to how his
life ended?

-When Primo Levi was in jail, there’s one time that he wanted to get the icicle
which was placed in the window but the guard just got it and didn’t let him eat it. And
when he asked “why”, the guard just replied “here there is no why”. With that moment,
he realized that there is no question you can ask because they also didn’t know and
give the answer which is just useless. Because of this experience, he become
conscious about a lot of things around him like the guard is one of the representations
of how cruel a person is, having no mercy to them. When he leaves the prison, he had
this goal to serve and that he can spread and tell to everyone the truth since he
experienced a lot inside. While being in prison he doesn’t lose hope to live, rather he
desired to live and be free that gives him the purpose to tell everyone so that it will not
happen to everybody. He died because he felt that there is lacking about God that made
him have a lot of questions in mind and made him lose his faith and his meaning. He
realized these things because when he at the prison, he felt that he was abandoned
when they were captured but he was surprised because some of his companion living in
the prison thanking God and forgetting what happen to them but after some years, they
also commit suicide. He also commit suicide because he had this many question in his
head that he think no one can answer.

2) What are the 3 major families of faith Guinness identifies?

 -The 3 families of Faith are the Eastern family of faiths (Hinduism, Buddhism and
new age thought), the Western family of faith (atheism, naturalism and secular
humanism and lastly is Biblical family of faith (Judaism, Christian faith and Islam.

3) What’s the central question/issue— “the dilemma” —Guinness raised to test the
validity of the 3 major families of faith in the following chapters?

- The dilemma is evil, suffering and death. When searching for the answers to the
dilemma, we need to listen or examine to each family of faith because each of them has
different opinion and belief of how to handle their dilemma and also they have this
experience that makes them who they are.

4) How will the test confirm or cast doubt on the validity of each family of faith?

-Some of the people don’t look at the big picture of the reality which Ludwig said
that they need the real test of maturity before they really understand the evil and
suffering that can change our perspective of our world.

CHAPTER 8

“Nirvana is not egos”

Summary:

In this chapter there is this story about a ruler but he is torn between becoming a
good model to all his people or leave the people who believe in him. He chose the latter
one to leave. He chose what he desire and become who he wanted to be and that is to
follow Buddha with all the sacrifices that he made. The story of Siddharta Gautama is
when he was growing up, he was pampered with all the privileges as a prince without
any feeling of suffering in this world. But he realized that there is really something
different out there full of suffering. He had this experience when he realized things. First
is when his mother died. Second is when the bird ate the insect. And lastly, is when he
saw the corpse. With that, he realized that no one can escape suffering or death. The
Hinduism and Buddhism believe that suffering is part of our life and usually they want
salvation and with that they believe of the goal nirvana and the wheel of dharma in
which the four noble he introduce. The first noble is dukkha in which it tells that bad
things happen to us because it is part of the reality. Second is about the root of
suffering, third is to overcome. And lastly, is to end the suffering. We desire a lot, just to
get what we want and not experience suffering but suffering is part of our lives that we
can’t remove. The eastern families of faith has a lot of beliefs that deny the realty of the
world unlike to the modern world it is world affirming. To Hinduism, they believe also
that the world is full of illusion and we are the ignorant people and our freedom is just
from our illusion but to Hindu, they can have freedom because they believe that it is
because of the magic of God.

Is there a why in here?

Yes, because why are they saying that the world is unreal and all things are just
illusion where in fact, we cannot remove suffering from us because it is already part of
our existence. It will just depend on how we live our lives.

Do you consider Hinduism and Buddhism realistic in their analysis of suffering and
affliction?

No, because they are more on denying the reality than accepting it. They have so
many beliefs that they want to ease or remove suffering without testing it if it is true.

Are the Noble Truths an effective cure, or is the remedy worse than the disease?

For me, in some ways believe that this is effective because the noble truth will
work when you suffer. This will help you to overcome your struggles and learn because
we want to live in the fullest without any hindrance in our feeling.

What difference would your answer make to the way you live?

You live what you really want to do in your life and not believing in any theories
or beliefs which can hinder and affect your choices.
 CHAPTER 9

“I do it my way”

Summary:

There is this story about Bertrand Russel, who was unhappy with his marriage
where he felt that he was imprisoned by his loveless marriage which is making them
both hurt by their situation. So he ran from the loneliness and realized that we had all
faced the same experience like loneliness and isolation. He wanted to find ways to stop
the separation that we feel and found out that there is something which can give answer
about that and it is what we call science. The secular humanism has this belief of
rationality that makes the human accountable with their actions. We can say that we are
growing because of our choices. We are the ones who think who we will be and the
things that we are creating like our problems that we face. They also believe that there
is no God who gives us the truth and because of that, they feel that there is no meaning
given by God. We, the human give meaning of our own or we are the one who created
it. They have two features that have their response about suffering. First is suffering
because of our not so good world that we are going to our destiny path which leads to
our death. Second is how they reacted to suffering. It is how we creating meaning to our
life and suffering is part of it. They also believe that evil is natural to our world which
means it depends on how we going to accept and action we must avoid if we don’t want
evil affect us. Secularist family also focus only to the elites that they believe that with
this faith they will be more free but only applicable to them, and they don’t care to other
people. The truth is that the world will last and our life will be gone to us because this is
how they give meaning about our life. The atheist don’t care so much about things.

Is there why in here?

 Why do other people consider humanism when they believe that suffering is part
of our lives?

Do you consider the secularist faith realistic in their analysis and suffering and affliction?

Yes because these are based on their theory that we are the one creating our
destiny because we have this freewill that we possess and make choices that make us
better.

Is it enough to shed a little love en route to oblivion?

Yes because even if we forget everything, people around us will always

remember the feeling of love we had for them.

Why should we even bother?

Because it is not easy to love others especially when there is no connection at

all. It is a fulfilment for us if we loved and be loved for as long as we lived. Love brings
happiness and can be one of the reasons why we live.

What would your life be like if humanism were your philosophy?

I think that I will give reasons in everything that I do. I can do anything because I
can solve any problems by myself. I will not be able to enjoy life because I will be living
on my own.
 CHAPTER 10

“People of the crossed sticks”

Summary:

When we see people having a hard time or needs assistance, we help them as
we care to them but some people didn’t exercise their service to others. They just
sympathize and feel sorry for them rather than giving the effort in helping them. There is
the story of the worst and best moment where one of her friend shared her experience
about her worst moment when brutality happens in their village and watches the blood
of the death people. And when she was asked the good moment, she remembered
where she saw the people who suffered in helping one another and helping the dead
people to bury, with that act you know that they care for one another. In Biblical family of
faith, they believe that our pain and suffering is because of the disobedience that we’ve
done rather than being who we are. In the biblical text, the creation specifically where
everything is good, there is also the fallen where the disobedience happens that gives
impair and shatter the world. Because of this view, the Christian faith like the Hindu and
Confucianism, they affirm the world and with that they do things to encourage
community. There is also another view which is about the view of the fallen where the
Christian faith also denies the world like Buddhism and Hinduism where they have this
belief like self-denial and their celebrations that teaches the importance of feasts. With
these views, they believe that the fall event is where the suffering happens than the
creation and they can say that the sufferings are not normal. When we experience to
loss someone, we are in pain and because of that it makes you angry to all and
sometimes you are angry to the Lord. In Christian, when you outrage your feeling, it is
normal but like doing evil is not good anymore. When we suffer, we fight for the evil that
makes us suffer. We make God as our inspiration who save us and die just for us and to
defeat the evil. With this, God really cared for us. When we pray, He hears our concern
that makes him compassionate God.
Do you see a why in the biblical family of faith?

If everything in this creation is good, why would other do disobedience when they
know that it will just create pain and suffering?

Does reality represent for you something that should never have been or something that
should have been otherwise?

Yes, because we make our decisions by ourselves. Even if we regret for

something that already happened, we still learned from it and can it can help in
preventing the same mistakes again.

Are you drawn by the thought of a God who is close to you and able and willing to
intervene?

No, because I always believe that God knows everything. He identifies what is
right and wrong. He will not let anyone to suffer because of the sympathy that He have
for us.

Would such a God be only someone to accuse for all has gone wrong?

No, because we are the ones who are responsible for all our actions. God will
only guide us to do well but it is still up to us if we will follow His example or make our
own way of life.
 CHAPTER 11

“A time for Evidence”

1) What was Bob struggling with?

-Bob was a seeker who searches for meaning. There is one time where Bob
leaves his school because he is guilty of what he shares to other people because he
makes them easily believe to him. And with that, Bob questions himself that the people
are easily manipulate even it is good or bad. The things that we believe like good or bad
things can shake the foundation where we ask question if it is true or not. We must
search for the foundation that can help everyone. He met his friend who talks about
significance that everything we do have meaning even if you will say that you lived
meaningless. Still you are alive and you still had reason to live. Bob was struggling to
search for the real meaning or the truth because he didn’t know that his beliefs that he
practice were adequate and true.

2) Summarize the critical issue addressed in this chapter and give a personal and
thorough answer to the question raised at the bottom of p. 126.

a. Do you consider any claim to truth to be arrogant and intolerant?

-No, because truth is important to us especially to our society to keep us free. If

there is no truth, we could not handle well the reality and negotiate life because truth
gives us knowledge to keep us from not becoming ignorant.

b. Have you thought through the relationship between truth, reality, humanness, and
freedom?

-Truth gives us the reality and be able to know things. There is no humanness
and freedom without it. To live in a good and free life is to know the true that keep us
knowledgeable and keep learning and live in that truth.
c. Have you followed the logic of your beliefs consistently to see where to see where
they lead?

-As of my belief that God is our creator and to love one another, is the important
thing that we need to remember. Our beliefs will lead us in good hands and we have
eternity with God.

d. Are your beliefs ones that can be thought but not lived?

- For me, it depends on our beliefs if it gives us salvation but we don’t know if it is
really true. But because of our faith or beliefs, it keeps us to live in a good life. It is our
guide to lived.

3) What are the answers given by Hinduism and Buddhism concerning suffering and
evil? Are they adequate answers and do they meet the test of human existence and
life?

-The Hinduism and Buddhism are denying the suffering and evil. They have
many beliefs just to ease suffering and which is also part of denying. Their test for
human existence and life gives them the illusion that they want to deny all of things.
That’s why they have this belief of enlightenment that keeps them go through with their
life.
 CHAPTER 12

“Biography as Philosophy”

1) What’s the significance of Vincent Van Gogh’s life in relation to Faith?

-Vincent Van Gogh was really religious but in some time, he rejected the church.
But it wasn’t the faith he denied, but the insincerity of the ministry. When leaving the
church, he didn’t totally leave his faith like his devotion to God. There was the story
when he preached gospel but he was dismissed by the church because of his lack of
expressiveness in preaching but actually, he was helping the poor like Jesus. He also
said to love is to believe in God that there is God everywhere and is not dead. It gives
us the force towards committed love.

2) Freud criticized religion as “illusions…” But what are the problems with Freud’s
argument exposed in this chapter (list and explain)?

Freud said that the religions are just illusion and the science was taken as the
exposing of the claims of the truth. He had this theory of projection as against in religion
and this theory are his personal view because it gives no evidence. This projection
theory is about the modern view turning to the ancient biblical view of admiration. It is
said that it is irrational when the atheist ignore the question of evidence. He had this
opposed idea about the religious belief which is neurotic and destructive. Freud also
provides explanation for atheism than religion beliefs. He compared God as noble
father. In this chapter, there are several story of having a father but not so good to them.