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Death, Love, and John's Religion: The Big Questions Take Over Question Tuesday

2019-09-03 · Q&A · John · 3:47 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Philosophy & meaning (also: US politics & society, Science & nature, Everyday life) · mode: Q&A & conversation · tags: recurring series

On a 'big questions' Question Tuesday, John says religion matters to him for shared meaning rather than whether God exists, believes not in true love but in lifelong shared love, urges young people to vote, decries endless presidential campaigns, and picks Amy Krouse Rosenthal's 'bye, I love you, thank you' as ideal last words.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Religion in John's life: meaning over God's existence; Bonhoeffer's theology

  • ★★★ John says religion is an important part of his life and he likes going to church, but finds the way people often talk about religion baffling. — 00:00:00
  • ★★★ John says he is not that interested in questions such as whether God really exists or whether heaven is real. — 00:00:00
  • ★★★ John is excited by questions of what meaning we can find together, whether it holds up to scrutiny, embraces the humanity of all people and lifts up the most vulnerable. — 00:00:29 · meaning of life
  • ★★★ John says Dietrich Bonhoeffer summed up his personal theology: God is weak and powerless in the world, and that is the only way God can be with us and help us. — 00:00:29 · also in: My Religion

00:00:58 — Memorized quotes, enough religion, and how Stegosaurus mated

  • ★ Asked whether he memorizes the quotes he uses, John says he has to Google most of them but knows that one by heart. — 00:00:58
  • ★★ Asked how Stegosaurus reproduced, John says we don't know, but one computer-model study found a male mounting a female from behind would risk castration. — 00:00:58

00:01:27 — True love versus two people sharing a lifetime; being and growing in love

  • ★ John says the female Stegosaurus may have lain on her side, or they may have backed up into each other, but we don't really know. (speculative) — 00:01:27
  • ★★★ Asked if he believes in true love, John says not really, but in something more miraculous: two people not made for each other can share a lifetime of joy, grief, wonder and hope. — 00:01:27
  • ★★ John says our culture talks endlessly about falling in love but should talk more about being and growing in love over decades. — 00:01:27

00:01:56 — Why young people should vote; the 450-day 2020 campaign versus Canada's 78 days

  • ★★ Answering how to persuade friends who think voting makes no difference, John says young people are much less likely to vote than older people. — 00:01:56
  • ★★★ John says it is no coincidence that the structures of power listen less to young people; voting is a central way to force them to listen. — 00:01:56
  • ★★★ John tells viewers to vote and to register their friends, and even their enemies, to vote. — 00:01:56
  • ★★★ Asked about the 2020 presidential candidates, John says the multi-year obsession with the presidential election is bad for US life. — 00:02:26 · United States presidential election
  • ★★ John notes the US presidential election is over 450 days away, while Canada's last election cycle lasted 78 days and Canada seems fine; learning positions doesn't take 450 days. — 00:02:26 · United States presidential election, Canada

00:02:55 — Career sunset, last words: Paul Claudel and Amy Krouse Rosenthal's 'bye, I love you, thank you'; sign-off

  • ★★ Asked about his last words, John says you have to get lucky: Paul Claudel could not have planned 'Doctor, do you think it was the sausage?', yet they were perfect last words. — 00:02:55

  • ★★★ John says his friend Amy Krouse Rosenthal, who died in 2017, always ended conversations with 'bye, I love you, thank you', and that is what he wants to say at the end of his life. — 00:03:24

    “bye, I love you, thank you”

In the description and comments

  • ★★ The description says John is on a sabbatical, taking a break from most work to write; this is the first of six videos during it, many pre-written or pre-shot. — video description · Vlogbrothers

Humor (significant)

  • Asked yet another church question, John abruptly ends the religion talk and asks for safer topics. — 00:00:58

    “Can't we talk about something less controversial like politics and money and sex?”

  • Having asked to talk about sex, John gets a question about how Stegosaurus reproduced. — 00:00:58

    “Not the sex question I was expecting, but alright.”

  • Asked how he feels about the sunset period of his career, John insists he's fine. — 00:02:55

    “No worries, he said, staring into the middle distance as the fact of his irrelevance washed over him.”

  • After his sincere wish for Amy Krouse Rosenthal's farewell, John predicts his real last words. — 00:03:24

    “there's a pretty good chance my actual last words will be, Hank, I'll see you on Friday.”

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: last words · religion

Also: People: Amy Krouse Rosenthal · Dietrich Bonhoeffer · Paul Claudel

Rituals: Question Tuesday

Concepts: existence of God · meaning of life · political campaign · romantic love · Stegosaurus · voter turnout · Youth

Places: Canada

Events: United States presidential election

Also centred on last words: NERD ALERT: Presidential Last Words · GEEKING OUT Over Dying Declarations

Also centred on religion: On Iran, Islam, and Amazingly Stupid Comments · On Religion · On Religion (Redux) · Religion and Gay Marriage

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