initial thoughts on week 4 lecture material

Quiet day in the office means I can write about this week's lecture a little earlier in the week, hurrah!

While at uni yesterday afternoon, I picked up a stack of pamphlets, plus a cd and booklet about Islam - looking forward to reading the information, as I know nothing about the religion. Of course, having read Priyanka's comment in the week 2 discussion, on how there are so many different types or ways in which people take faith in a single religion (in her example, Hindu), I can only assume that the pamphlets will also educate me on a certain method of faith in Islam religion.

Anyways, on to the week 4 lecture material.

"Some of these accounts might be referred to as "legends", such as those from the Australian aborigines, but legends were often rooted in some real historical occurrence"

This reminds of a thought I entertained for a while. Take for example, creatures of fantasy, such as unicorns, and faeries/fairies, and goblins, imps, etc. They feature in many a folklorist's tale, and many people believed in their power to help or hurt. Surely there must be some element of truth or reality to these creatures? Or is it truly possible for a human to visualise something from nothing?

Likewise, surely there is some element of truth to the existence of a greater being, whether it is known by the name of Yahweh, or Allah, or God - and who knows, maybe it's not a He but a She. Or maybe this greater being is without gender. Actually yeah, that makes more sense, because you would assume that they don't have to reproduce, and pop out little GBs ("greater beings") every now and again.

Although I know I'm a little hesitant to believe fully in a God, I guess I kind of wander along through life with an assumption that He might be around.. however when I'm in a more skeptical frame of mind, part of me still asks the question "Surely we as a human population didn't make something out of nothing?"