I put it to you:
Humans are indeed all that you say, I fully agree with your description of the known universal human ideal and yet more as I wrote, I think that part of the psyche is much more than tarot reading but just the still little understood twinkling of a power within. Humans are the apex of the universe, which as we know little of the universe, seems a very conceited thing to say but I take my position in that this way:
We are the apex, the representatives of God, and we are the ultimate in the universe, only just beginning to see our true value as a newly un-cocooned butterfly, not because God was created in our image, to express our inner desire TO BE, but because we indeed were created in God's image, and as creations of a perfect God, we could be no less ourselves!
CH, Of course if cats were self conscious God would look like a cat - that's what my cat said too. Do you know something your not sharing?
I am a rationalist in that I do not suggest that God interferes in the operation of the universe as do Christians. More that He set it in motion initially. If there were no God at any level, we would not have any foundation to argue an "ideal" human, a goal or purpose in any phenomena in this universe other than to continue to evolve. We then have to define the meaning of "evolve" from nature's point of view (not our own). All things are just random chance encounters that if they turn out well, that's nice if not, well that's ok too.
In any case, for the point of this argument, the value and character of Human as described by Daniel probably wouldn't change whether my God exists or not. Or would it?
Saturday, May 3, 2008
I Will It So
Passion is the gateway to volition, intellect merely the tool that determines degree and direction. Intellect does not provide the power of will only the direction and sometimes the brake. It is my heart, my desire and my passion that drives my will. I want it therefore I will it so.
Just a thought
Just a thought
Logos - The beginning
KJV "John Chapter 1”
:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
:32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
:33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
Magister I have some questions:
What is the word?
Who are the "Father", "Son" and the "Holy Ghost" that the cave dwellers speak of?
Are they real or an allegory?
If they are real how can we know? Can I meet them? If we can not know are we doomed to the hell they speak of? What is hell?
If these are allegory what do they represent? Again, can we know?
It seems important if the whole of western civilization hangs on these three characters. And especially if we want to know and understand the whole truth.
Magister?
:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
:2 The same was in the beginning with God.
:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
:32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
:33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
Magister I have some questions:
What is the word?
Who are the "Father", "Son" and the "Holy Ghost" that the cave dwellers speak of?
Are they real or an allegory?
If they are real how can we know? Can I meet them? If we can not know are we doomed to the hell they speak of? What is hell?
If these are allegory what do they represent? Again, can we know?
It seems important if the whole of western civilization hangs on these three characters. And especially if we want to know and understand the whole truth.
Magister?
To Dream and As Such, To Live!
Oh Noble One, your wisdom shines through. The human mind and heart seeks to soar. God or no god, when I see a bird I want to fly; when I see a dolphin I want to dive into the depths and play. Why is that magister? Do all creatures in the universe seek to be greater? Dream impossible dreams? Does a chimpanzee look at the night moon and dream of walking on it?
What is it within us that, regardless of our condition, looks for the Noble One? And desires to emulate him? It seems that no one would reject the path, but they are afraid. Fearful of climbing down out of the tree or venturing out of the cave. Envious yet fearful of things and ideas that are different.
You paint a beautiful picture magister; an idyllic scene. I think we often mistake human perfection for flawlessness, error free choices. We should consider the Noble One to be the ultimate in the expression of free will and as such will not necessarily always make the best choices. But as the examples of the greatest amongst us (Socrates and Jesus come to mind) consistently show, they will take personal responsibility for their choice.
Unfortunately the angst and resentment is still too apparent. The tomb dwellers and their leaders are in their own way searching in the dark cave and the little light they see in fairy tales is wisdom so don’t begrudge them their sand, for it is through sifting that sand that we find the pearls of wisdom. And their leaders are not bad, though a few self-preening cocks may be, by far most are good and caring.
As for the list of great “geniuses” of history, well other than Galileo and maybe Einstein I think the list is markedly uninspired. If we want to look for lists of greats to inspire us to greatness I would prefer: Socrates, Jesus, Confucius, Buddha and more recently Augustine and oddly enough Marx. An eclectic list perhaps but regardless of what screw ups and fantasies their followers created, the essential message was to seek and live the truth. As for Marx, perhaps it’s more a case of reverse psychology. He inspired much of the world to live the social gospel sans God.
If you want to rescue our Dangling Fury cousins in the trailer parks of the world you’re going to have to expound a philosophy to catch the hearts of the Sisters of the world who, half suicidal, reach out and touch the hearts – a much more powerful tool of change than the mind. The heart? Then why did I include Socrates in my list? He was the father of western secular thought, but more than that, he believed in the rightness of his ideal so strongly that he was willing to take his own life to protect the honor of that ideal. Plato kowtowed to the state and Aristotle ran away. Would Dawkins do that, or Mr. Singer?
Noble One, we do look to you for something new, not to repeat old ideas or replicate and repackage idle thought, but to glean from the past that which is good, find in the fables of old that which is true and inspire our hearts more than our minds, for to soar we first need our heart. Only then do we need our mind to find the way to fulfill the dream.
What is it within us that, regardless of our condition, looks for the Noble One? And desires to emulate him? It seems that no one would reject the path, but they are afraid. Fearful of climbing down out of the tree or venturing out of the cave. Envious yet fearful of things and ideas that are different.
You paint a beautiful picture magister; an idyllic scene. I think we often mistake human perfection for flawlessness, error free choices. We should consider the Noble One to be the ultimate in the expression of free will and as such will not necessarily always make the best choices. But as the examples of the greatest amongst us (Socrates and Jesus come to mind) consistently show, they will take personal responsibility for their choice.
Unfortunately the angst and resentment is still too apparent. The tomb dwellers and their leaders are in their own way searching in the dark cave and the little light they see in fairy tales is wisdom so don’t begrudge them their sand, for it is through sifting that sand that we find the pearls of wisdom. And their leaders are not bad, though a few self-preening cocks may be, by far most are good and caring.
As for the list of great “geniuses” of history, well other than Galileo and maybe Einstein I think the list is markedly uninspired. If we want to look for lists of greats to inspire us to greatness I would prefer: Socrates, Jesus, Confucius, Buddha and more recently Augustine and oddly enough Marx. An eclectic list perhaps but regardless of what screw ups and fantasies their followers created, the essential message was to seek and live the truth. As for Marx, perhaps it’s more a case of reverse psychology. He inspired much of the world to live the social gospel sans God.
If you want to rescue our Dangling Fury cousins in the trailer parks of the world you’re going to have to expound a philosophy to catch the hearts of the Sisters of the world who, half suicidal, reach out and touch the hearts – a much more powerful tool of change than the mind. The heart? Then why did I include Socrates in my list? He was the father of western secular thought, but more than that, he believed in the rightness of his ideal so strongly that he was willing to take his own life to protect the honor of that ideal. Plato kowtowed to the state and Aristotle ran away. Would Dawkins do that, or Mr. Singer?
Noble One, we do look to you for something new, not to repeat old ideas or replicate and repackage idle thought, but to glean from the past that which is good, find in the fables of old that which is true and inspire our hearts more than our minds, for to soar we first need our heart. Only then do we need our mind to find the way to fulfill the dream.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Can I Get Some Help Here?
Can I Get Some Help Here? What is wrong with this plea? We hear it or say it ourselves everyday. Is it actually possible to get an answer that will solve our problem?
Perhaps if our computer crashed or our watch is broken it might. If our internal computer has a glitch; if our mind or soul is troubled, will asking this question lead to a solution?
An observation was made that people are reading and role-playing their way through self-help books the world over. Everyone is looking for the answer to that call for help.
Where is the answer? Does my philosophy professor have the answer? Does my psychiatrist? Does my coach or even my minister? The chances are very good that they too are all reading the same self-help book that you are.
Can I get some help here? Young people the world over are asking this question. Seeking an answer and finding none. So what are they doing? They are drowning their troubled minds in computer virtual reality, high powered music through headphones that block out the world, and my generation’s favorite: pot.
Do we have hope or is a new illusionary drug just replacing a poorer one. Are we lost and heading down a road of depression, suicide and the ultimate lemming jump: nuclear war?
I suggest two possibilities:
1. The rational-logical way. To understand our world and my place in it in a logical manner, tested and proven through science and logic, study the science and thought of the great minds of history. “The truth shall set you free.” Can I get some help here? Sure, take a philosophy course. You will understand yourself.
2. The meta-physical way. Read your holy book. Follow the guidance of your spiritual leader. Surely they are wise in all the ways of the soul and will enlighten you. Can I get some help here? Pray about it. You will receive an answer.
Problem solved. Next!
What? You still have a problem? You found out your mentor, professor and minister are all reading the same self-help book you are and your crushed, disillusioned and more depressed? You now spend twice as much time playing Grand Theft Auto? You see no hope for the future? Oh dear.
Well maybe there is a solution. I know of a group of people who are generally a much happier lot than average. They seem to have a more positive view of life than most. There is only one problem. The question they ask is different than your question. Their question is ---
Can I help Someone here?
Perhaps if our computer crashed or our watch is broken it might. If our internal computer has a glitch; if our mind or soul is troubled, will asking this question lead to a solution?
An observation was made that people are reading and role-playing their way through self-help books the world over. Everyone is looking for the answer to that call for help.
Where is the answer? Does my philosophy professor have the answer? Does my psychiatrist? Does my coach or even my minister? The chances are very good that they too are all reading the same self-help book that you are.
Can I get some help here? Young people the world over are asking this question. Seeking an answer and finding none. So what are they doing? They are drowning their troubled minds in computer virtual reality, high powered music through headphones that block out the world, and my generation’s favorite: pot.
Do we have hope or is a new illusionary drug just replacing a poorer one. Are we lost and heading down a road of depression, suicide and the ultimate lemming jump: nuclear war?
I suggest two possibilities:
1. The rational-logical way. To understand our world and my place in it in a logical manner, tested and proven through science and logic, study the science and thought of the great minds of history. “The truth shall set you free.” Can I get some help here? Sure, take a philosophy course. You will understand yourself.
2. The meta-physical way. Read your holy book. Follow the guidance of your spiritual leader. Surely they are wise in all the ways of the soul and will enlighten you. Can I get some help here? Pray about it. You will receive an answer.
Problem solved. Next!
What? You still have a problem? You found out your mentor, professor and minister are all reading the same self-help book you are and your crushed, disillusioned and more depressed? You now spend twice as much time playing Grand Theft Auto? You see no hope for the future? Oh dear.
Well maybe there is a solution. I know of a group of people who are generally a much happier lot than average. They seem to have a more positive view of life than most. There is only one problem. The question they ask is different than your question. Their question is ---
Unplug. Become a volunteer.
It's good for your mind, your soul, and your world.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Dreamland or Nightmare, Can You Wake Up?
Do we live in a world of delusion or illusion?
Are we free to choose or only have an illusion of freedom not noticing the tight leash that becomes ever tighter. Do we immerse ourselves in the virtual computer worlds of New Life and Dungeons, creating dreamland empowered self-identities even as we fall into a real world of anonymous, faceless and unrecognized masks in ever growing crowds of mindless, soulless biological entities not far removed from the unrecognized mini-power units in the Matrix.
Can I, as did Neo, pull myself away, disconnect, unplug from the machine of modern society that teaches me just enough while enticing me with so much more – but only under the tight supervision of the machine.
Was Orwell right? Perhaps. And, perhaps he was only half right. The real thought police are not human. They are THE machine. The machine that draws its power from our soul, both giving us the delusion of freedom, but at the same time that small tinge of fear. The political correctness noose that grows tighter and tighter. It sounds so reasonable and polite, but becomes more and more confining and restrictive. Soon, my thoughts will no longer be my own, not because someone is listening to them, but because I won’t know how to think without the machine. And IT IS watching!
The government is corrupt, it is restricting my freedom, it is preventing me from living my life. These are common feelings these days. I need to protect my identity or someone might steal it. These are delusions. The computer knows your identity. You can’t hide from the net and the government is just as much a victim as I. No governments can rationally, effectively govern 7 billion free thinking intelligent individuals, never knowing from one moment to the next what they will do.
We have indeed created God. The question is, can we find liberation from it?
Are we free to choose or only have an illusion of freedom not noticing the tight leash that becomes ever tighter. Do we immerse ourselves in the virtual computer worlds of New Life and Dungeons, creating dreamland empowered self-identities even as we fall into a real world of anonymous, faceless and unrecognized masks in ever growing crowds of mindless, soulless biological entities not far removed from the unrecognized mini-power units in the Matrix.
Can I, as did Neo, pull myself away, disconnect, unplug from the machine of modern society that teaches me just enough while enticing me with so much more – but only under the tight supervision of the machine.
Was Orwell right? Perhaps. And, perhaps he was only half right. The real thought police are not human. They are THE machine. The machine that draws its power from our soul, both giving us the delusion of freedom, but at the same time that small tinge of fear. The political correctness noose that grows tighter and tighter. It sounds so reasonable and polite, but becomes more and more confining and restrictive. Soon, my thoughts will no longer be my own, not because someone is listening to them, but because I won’t know how to think without the machine. And IT IS watching!
The government is corrupt, it is restricting my freedom, it is preventing me from living my life. These are common feelings these days. I need to protect my identity or someone might steal it. These are delusions. The computer knows your identity. You can’t hide from the net and the government is just as much a victim as I. No governments can rationally, effectively govern 7 billion free thinking intelligent individuals, never knowing from one moment to the next what they will do.
We have indeed created God. The question is, can we find liberation from it?
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