Why Indeed

Who does this thing with the shoes? What does it mean? And are they thrown up by people who are disposing of their own shoes, or is the idea to mug someone else and steal their shoes, using the power line as a sort of permanent 'keep-away' game?

My kids don't know either, so there goes the logical first sleuth.

But why does anyone do anything?

My brother is a pretty hardcore Xtian, though one who is willing to admit doubts, questions and even anger related to God. He believes enough to trust this God character, which is either more or less faith than I can muster.

I hear people excuse addictions and odd behaviors as 'whatever it takes to get through it.' Through what, exactly?

My bro's faith is cornered in part on the 'why believe anything at all?' thing. For the uninitiated, this is the idea that you believe in God because the alternative is too horrible. Or that a population believing the alternative would be too horrible.

Horrible for what? Why DO anything at all?

I can cite all kinds of intelligent reasons I do my job, support my family even when it's not quite a family as I understood it, but it's all bullshit. If I quit doing that, there are things that would follow as consequences, but what would it mean?

Nothing, same as everything else...