OK, one of the blogs I follow,Miyazaki Ministries, because it plays to my better nature, asks the question "Is There Justification For War." Now you have to understand that this site, while announcing itself to be Buddhist (good point) is more atheist than theist (bad point). So when I read all the reasons why war can not be justified, I had to ask myself - are these people conflicted or what? They seem to be at war with themself.
On the one hand you have people who wish to live in a dream land of peace - hey, don't we all? Yet on the otherhand believe in a universe ruled by "natural law". Now, the nature that I am familiar with is not peaceful.Yes, if you are looking at a planet that is orbiting a larger mass then you have a peaceful equalibrium and all is right with the universe - if you don't mention the occassional meteor strike or galaxy collision.
On the other hand, you can watch our local four legged friends who are quite peaceful - when asleep. At other times when looking for food, marking territory or looking for dates they are not inclined towards peaceful "civil" relationships. So where is it in natural law that we can find an example for all those idealic relationships my friends at Miyazaki Ministries put forth as the proper way to live?
They say we have been at war with each other - essentially since the first proto human picked up a stick and waved it at another. Well then wouldn't that give us a hint that war and agressive competition is a basic human nature? Peaceful nationa and peaceful rabbits have a tendency to get eaten. Strong nations have peace just as strong lions tend to have peace as they kill their weaker rivals.
So, what is the motivating justification for peace and "renouncing greed and unjust desires"? It is not true that "All religions teach people not to kill ..." though the Bible does speak about turning the other cheek. Most major religions however DO teach respect for human life but that teaching is not based on natural law but on the foundation of a belief in and instruction from a higher spiritual power.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
Vox Americana: US Best Days Yet to Come
Vox Americana: US Best Days Yet to Come: Much nonsense has been written in recent years about the prospects of American decline and the inevitable rise of China. But it was not a de...
Sunday, November 27, 2011
"You could have heard a pin drop"
JFK'S Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, was in France in the early 60's when
De Gaulle decided to pull out of NATO. De Gaulle said he wanted all US
military out of France as soon as possible.
Rusk responded,
"Does that include those who are buried here?"
De Gaulle did not respond.
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When in England , at a fairly large conference,
Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury
if our plans for Iraq were just an example of 'empire building' by George
Bush.
He answered by saying,
"Over the years, the United States has sent many of
its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom
beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for
in return is enough to bury those that did not return."
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was a conference in France
where a number of international engineers
were taking part, including French and American. During a break,
one of the French engineers came back into the room saying, "Have you
heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft
carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he
intend to do, bomb them?"
A Boeing engineer
stood up and replied quietly: "Our carriers have three
hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are
nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to
shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to
feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a
dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships;
how many does France have?"
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A U.S. Navy Admiral
was attending a naval conference that included
Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of officers that included personnel from most of those countries.
Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a
French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English. He then asked, "Why is it that
we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?"
Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied, "Maybe it's because the Brit's, Canadians, Aussie's and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German."
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane.
At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.
"You have been to France before, monsieur?" the customs officer asked sarcastically.
Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously.
"Then you should know enough to have your passport ready."
The American said,
"The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it."
"Impossible..
Americans always have to show their passports on arrival in France !"
The American senior
gave the Frenchman a long hard look.
Then he quietly explained,
''Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country,
I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to."
You could have heard a pin drop.
De Gaulle decided to pull out of NATO. De Gaulle said he wanted all US
military out of France as soon as possible.
Rusk responded,
"Does that include those who are buried here?"
De Gaulle did not respond.
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When in England , at a fairly large conference,
Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury
if our plans for Iraq were just an example of 'empire building' by George
Bush.
He answered by saying,
"Over the years, the United States has sent many of
its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom
beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for
in return is enough to bury those that did not return."
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was a conference in France
where a number of international engineers
were taking part, including French and American. During a break,
one of the French engineers came back into the room saying, "Have you
heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft
carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he
intend to do, bomb them?"
A Boeing engineer
stood up and replied quietly: "Our carriers have three
hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are
nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to
shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to
feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a
dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck. We have eleven such ships;
how many does France have?"
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A U.S. Navy Admiral
was attending a naval conference that included
Admirals from the U.S., English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of officers that included personnel from most of those countries.
Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a
French admiral suddenly complained that, whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English. He then asked, "Why is it that
we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?"
Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied, "Maybe it's because the Brit's, Canadians, Aussie's and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German."
You could have heard a pin drop.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane.
At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on.
"You have been to France before, monsieur?" the customs officer asked sarcastically.
Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously.
"Then you should know enough to have your passport ready."
The American said,
"The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it."
"Impossible..
Americans always have to show their passports on arrival in France !"
The American senior
gave the Frenchman a long hard look.
Then he quietly explained,
''Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in 1944 to help liberate this country,
I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show a passport to."
You could have heard a pin drop.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
The Meaning of Life
Meaning is derived from purpose. If I create a watch I give it meaning based on its purpose. If you believe creation is random - essentially a multitude of random chances falling into place, then there is random meaning - ie: no meaning. If you believe in a Creator, then meaning comes from the creator. Thus, to understand the meaning of life, you need to understand the purpose for which it was created. If there is no purpose, then it follows that there is no meaning.
To say that "the meaning of life is to live life" has no meaning. Is life self determinant?Is life a state of existance or is it something more? If it is existance, then we are no different than any other form of existance. We just exist. If there is more, like happiness, or bliss or avoiding suffering, then what defines those qualities? Do I define my own happiness? If my happiness intrudes on your happiness what then? Is there a higher standard of happiness? Where did it come from? If there is no creator then that question of there being a higher standard is foolish.
To say that "the meaning of life is to live life" has no meaning. Is life self determinant?Is life a state of existance or is it something more? If it is existance, then we are no different than any other form of existance. We just exist. If there is more, like happiness, or bliss or avoiding suffering, then what defines those qualities? Do I define my own happiness? If my happiness intrudes on your happiness what then? Is there a higher standard of happiness? Where did it come from? If there is no creator then that question of there being a higher standard is foolish.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Do you support "Occupy Wall Street"?
If you do, then do the following:
1. Take your money out of the big five banks and put it in small local banks
2. Take your investments out of the big investment companies and invest locally.
3. Get loans from your local bank or credit union - not the big banks.
4. Do not vote for representatives who receive money from outside your district - if they do, then they won't represent you - they will represent those who gave them money.
5. Only buy "Made in America" that supports jobs like nothing else.
6. Buy from your local shops before you buy from chain stores. That keeps your money in the community.
7. Keep your community clean, drug free and support neighborhood watch - look out for each other. That will bring your police and medical costs down.
1. Take your money out of the big five banks and put it in small local banks
2. Take your investments out of the big investment companies and invest locally.
3. Get loans from your local bank or credit union - not the big banks.
4. Do not vote for representatives who receive money from outside your district - if they do, then they won't represent you - they will represent those who gave them money.
5. Only buy "Made in America" that supports jobs like nothing else.
6. Buy from your local shops before you buy from chain stores. That keeps your money in the community.
7. Keep your community clean, drug free and support neighborhood watch - look out for each other. That will bring your police and medical costs down.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
What is atheism?
It depends on where you come from. Fundamentally it is the rejection of the existence of a deity.
On the surface, this sounds innocuous. While many might find it unpalatable and others a crazy idea, a very large number of people in the world are atheist.
Now here is the rub: It is not the belief that human life ends at the last breathe. It is not the belief that human spirit ends its existence after the physical body “dies.” Atheism is NOT the belief that science is the only proof of existence. It is simply the rejection of a creator.
So, why did I say “It depends on where you come from”?
In the western (American) culture, heavily influenced by materialism, atheism goes hand in hand and indistinguishable from the concept that human life ends with the death of the material human body, AND that nothing exists beyond the eventual ability of science to prove. Personally I find this to be an incredibly arrogant and closed minded approach to existence.
Then there is the Eastern metaphysical view of atheism exemplified by Buddhism. Buddhism is an “Atheistic” religion in that it does not hold that there is a “creator” God; but, it DOES teach that human life is more than the confines of the physical body.
Buddhism does acknowledge an ever evolving human spirit that continues to grow after the death of our present physical body through ever higher levels of existence and inter-action with the universe. Buddhism does not expound a creator God but does extort humans to become “god-like” through a journey of self-discovery encompassing ever broader universal ideals.
Even if I held to this belief, I would still have to ask, “with a universe as vast as ours, is there not room for life other than – and perhaps even much greater than, human?”
On the surface, this sounds innocuous. While many might find it unpalatable and others a crazy idea, a very large number of people in the world are atheist.
Now here is the rub: It is not the belief that human life ends at the last breathe. It is not the belief that human spirit ends its existence after the physical body “dies.” Atheism is NOT the belief that science is the only proof of existence. It is simply the rejection of a creator.
So, why did I say “It depends on where you come from”?
In the western (American) culture, heavily influenced by materialism, atheism goes hand in hand and indistinguishable from the concept that human life ends with the death of the material human body, AND that nothing exists beyond the eventual ability of science to prove. Personally I find this to be an incredibly arrogant and closed minded approach to existence.
Then there is the Eastern metaphysical view of atheism exemplified by Buddhism. Buddhism is an “Atheistic” religion in that it does not hold that there is a “creator” God; but, it DOES teach that human life is more than the confines of the physical body.
Buddhism does acknowledge an ever evolving human spirit that continues to grow after the death of our present physical body through ever higher levels of existence and inter-action with the universe. Buddhism does not expound a creator God but does extort humans to become “god-like” through a journey of self-discovery encompassing ever broader universal ideals.
Even if I held to this belief, I would still have to ask, “with a universe as vast as ours, is there not room for life other than – and perhaps even much greater than, human?”
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