I like this short list of universally human appeals.

For humanity is all that is concerned about these things.

• Structure
• Harmony
• Justice
• Redemption
• Hope
• Wisdom
• Beauty
• Transcendence

Dogs do not feel emotion over justice. Fish do not consider the possibilities of transcendence. Snails do not philosophize about beauty.

Ravi Zacharias touched on this point when he said evil is raised only “by a person or about a person.”

Again, we are back pointing to religious overtones…

All this reminds me of this list of assumptions that science is not able to prove.

These qualities (structure, harmony, justice, redemption, hope, wisdom, beauty, and transcendence) are profoundly Christian, but also universally human in their appeal, for all humanity is created in the image of God. You don’t have to be Christian to admire the beauty and goodness that arise from a Christian worldview, and we don’t have to reduce them to theological propositions in books about articles of faith.

-John Erickson, Story Craft (Amazon)

I find that the longer I blog, the more I discover my own religious overtones too.

For asking the why of life can take an issue into philosophy in a hurry.

Want to try it?

That event we saw was a great injustice!
—-Why?
Because an innocent person got hurt.
—-Ok. So. why is that important?
Because we should protect innocent people from pain?
—-Really? Says who? And what do you mean by justice?
Stop. You know I mean innocent people that didn’t do anything wrong.
—-Wrong by what standard?
By the standard of common sense.
—-Says you. I say it’s common sense to do anything we want to.
But then you would be saying evil is ok.
—-What is evil? Evil for you? Don’t put your values on me.

I find myself saying something is important, and then realize it’s only important only if I assume such-and-such.

And then I catch myself talking about philosophy and religion again.

Get it?

It’s hard to avoid, if you want to know the truth.

I didn’t start my writing career with any notion that it would acquire religious overtones, but it has turned out that way. When parents and teachers allow you to touch the souls of their children, after a while you realize that you’re not involved in a purely secular enterprise.

-John Erickson, Story Craft (Amazon)