Who is blind?

It's noisy here, in the HUB, at lunchtime. But I'm in a relatively quiet corner, and so individual conversations stand out against the general hubbub in the background. One in particular. Is it just because the guy is speaking particularly loudly? Or partly because the topic is one that interests me - that keeps grabbing my attention, even though I'm not trying to eavesdrop?

I can't tell for sure, but it sounds like a couple of atheist guys are trying to convince their Christian friend (a girl) that the Bible couldn't possibly be the word of God. It's hard to sit idly by - what can she do when she is outnumbered so heavily, and out-volumed even more? I don't know if she knows how to answer the stupid arguments they are raising; certainly, she does not do so, except in a dogmatic, meek, "this-is-just-what-I-think" way.

Obviously, it would be rude to butt in on the conversation, but it's so hard to resist when the guy says stuff like "You do know that the Romans edited the Bible the way that they thought the common people should read it, right?" and "There are two versions of the Bible, the Catholic version and the Protestant, and both have been constantly changed throughout history." Honestly, if you want to make a historical argument, learn a little about history. Is faith blind, or are those who seek to destroy it?

I guess I'll just pray for her - pray that she believes more strongly than she's letting on (what would I do in her position?), pray that her faith is not shaken, pray that she's instrumental in opening the eyes of these guys. "Just pray for her," did I say? I am asking the God of all Creation to bring about a result that is not even outside of His ordinary providence, and He tells us that the faithful prayer of a righteous man avails much. Have a little faith yourself, Carter. I guess I'll pray for her.

My title

Not the most clear title, is it? It doesn't really tell you much about what I intend to write about. So here's what I'm banking on - it's intriguing enough that people will visit it just to see what it is all about, if they see the title. I hope it reveals just the right amount of information; enough to spark a little interest in it, but not enough to inform you too much. If you knew all about my blog from the title, what would be the point of visiting it? Especially if you realized that it wasn't a blog that especially interested you. Keep it mysterious - that's the best way, I think.

Maybe you've noticed that I still haven't told you what it means. I'm still leading you on, hoping that your curiosity will draw you further into this post. Enough leading. Let me clue you in on the title. In Our Mutual Friend, Charles Dickens describes one character as "lost in wanderings and vagaries." Specifically, the sentence is "How long lost in wanderings and vagaries?" I adapted this a little bit to better fit my purposes - my blog is called "Wonderings and Vagaries."
I decided to adopt this phrase as my title for a number of reasons. First, it stuck in my head because it is such a beautiful phrase. Second, I have a bit of a story that goes with it. Unfortunately, to understand the story, you would need a good deal of background information which is outside of the scope of this introductory post, so look for that story in a later post. Third, I think that all human philosophy can, in some sense, be described as being "lost in wonderings and vagaries."

This last is the most important, because it gives you at least some hint of my plans for this blog. I plan to focus on issues which can be at least loosely related to philosophy. If you follow this blog, you will see me deal with religion, politics, theology, actual philosophy, and a host of other similar topics. These are very important topics, so I think it's important for me to say where I'm coming from at the outset. Before I do, though, let me say that this is not only intended to appeal to those who agree with me at every point - or at any point! I would love it if my posts sparked discussion and debate in the comments.

I am a Christian - specifically a Reformed Baptist. I am a political conservative. (I will explain more what I mean by these in subsequent posts). I'm a freshman at the University of Washington, majoring in computer science. I constantly engage in book gluttony. I enjoy writing (obviously, or I wouldn't be blogging). I enjoy playing sports, despite my lack of any particular talent. I'm something of a computer geek - at this stage, I have the worst of both worlds, being a geek with comparatively little know-how.

I listed all these interests because I feel that the more you know about me, the better you can understand my blog. So even if I don't talk about technology, it may give you an important perspective on my philosophy to know that I am a computer science major. And there will be times when the two overlap, times when I talk of the philosophical aspects of technology or vice versa.

There's one more thing you should know about me. I like to think that I have a sense of humor, and I occasionally humor myself by allowing it to creep into my writing. Maybe more than occasionally. Take that as a warning, if you like!

Well, that is my quick introduction to this blog. Are you interested? Tell your friends about it. Now, let's get lost in wonderings and vagaries.