Before remarking or weighing in on the topic at hand, I will need to study the post in more detail as I am unfamiliar with this brilliant human being you so generously introduced to us. I've been reflecting on your earlier query regarding what visions we have regarding alternative realities for living our best lives, in light of our curr…
Before remarking or weighing in on the topic at hand, I will need to study the post in more detail as I am unfamiliar with this brilliant human being you so generously introduced to us. I've been reflecting on your earlier query regarding what visions we have regarding alternative realities for living our best lives, in light of our current state of disillusion. I cannot fathom a way through until a significant number of individuals resolve to learn more about their own self-hood, as in, what makes them "tick", what conscious and unconscious ways of being rule their lives, what motivates and drives them to do what they do, how they perceive, sense, make decisions and by whose authority do they lead their lives. This is a tall order, yes absolutely. What we are dealing with here is the deliberate reduction of human sentience through mass homogenization of education, societal and cultural indoctrination, and focus on establishing a collective order of things. To lead any significant portion of humanity toward a self-reflective consciousness would be a tremendous feat. What say our brilliant minds to this dilemma?
My assessment of the issues and what plagues us aligns with yours.
When I consider why or how it is that the masses have moved increasingly away from self-reflective consciousness, two things come to mind. First, our economic model values efficiency and economy. That is, capitalists try to constantly reduce costs while producing more thereby always increasing profits. The measure of success is largely “profits” not pride in the product/service or a desire to improve on quality.
In similar fashion, as individuals we more and more measure “success” according to how much we can pack into our lives and still get a decent return on the experiences. Think skimming along over the surface of water on a jet ski. We no longer savor a moment in it’s simplicity or embrace boredom as an opportunity for creative thought or reflection. We move through our lives like a car on the production line in a factory….hitting all the stations, cranking all the turns, adding bells and whistles and then racing forward….simply because we can.
Consider all this talk of “innovation and progress”….completely devoid of any discussions or reflections relative to actual value relative to “quality of life.” Instead we are driven to do just because we can and there is some psychotic fear that it we don’t we will be missing out on some grand thing or some important answer to the mystery of life.
And, I can’t help but feel that organized religion is caught up in and intertwined with the paradigm I have described above. That is, man pursues innovation and “progress” in large part because he os seeking perfection.
I am reminded, however, of what an author said to me at a writing conference I attended where we often did free writing exercises on our life experiences. She said, “If life were always easy, we would never grow.”
I suspect in my heart, this is a truth I subscribe to. I believe that it is not simply enough to be free. I believe the human spirit needs or desires fulfillment by self actualizing through work, overcoming challenges, celebrating blessings, connecting with others and nature. It is this duality of our spirit and the physical reality through which our energy and spirit evolves.
And what is the purpose of that evolution? Organized religion thinks largely in terms of salvation. It dictates standards of behavior as the coast of admission. The benefit is to the individual (salvation for good behavior) and to society (social contract of treating your neighbor as you would want to be treated).
What if the purpose of the evolution was not salvation but was to come to the realization that our soul/spirit is part of a greater sea of energy? That we are but the part of a whole. This is a different singularity then the one pursued by the tech WEF guys.
They see the hive as a means to establishing themselves as “God” like. Whereas, I like to think that my recognition that I am part of something much greater leads me to see aspects of life with awe, inspiration, sorrow, compassion, empathy. Always seeking to understand better the fabric of this unity.
But how do we achieve this? It is a surrender of sorts. It is perhaps accepting mortality in the physical world….and dedicating your life to quality of that lifetime rather than spending inordinate amounts of time trying to cheat death.
As I have aged and faced difficulty times, I have found more and more comfort in considering the possibility that the practices of indigenous cultures that honor nature and draw meaning from presentations may have immense value and include truths. Like intuition….simply learning to trust one’s knowing.
I guess it is my way of saying, we need to embrace the magic of life more without making the focus be usurping the magic by insisting we can control life.
“I believe the human spirit needs or desires fulfillment by self actualizing through work, overcoming challenges, celebrating blessings, connecting with others and nature. It is this duality of our spirit and the physical reality through which our energy and spirit evolves.”
Nicely stated. As for organized religion and the exchange of good behavior for salvation I think this is how it is practiced. But this is not true Christianity. The gospel of Christ is salvation through faith
by grace alone. There is no exchange.
There is no evolution. The flesh nature, all that is evil within us, is put to death. We are crucified with Christ. His spirit indwells us. We are in Him and He in us. This is our new eternal identity. The flesh and spirit remain at war until the flesh is shed by physical death.
The most interesting thing and perhaps most misunderstood is that we become more Christ-like not by reforming our flesh nature but rather by seeing our eternal identity and believing that it has been accomplished on our behalf.
We realize that while we contend with the flesh, it is already dead. Because that is it’s destiny. God being outside of time sees our eternal identity. Our need for perfection is thus satisfied.
With this realization we surrender to the Spirit and naturally become more like what we believe we are. It’s a beautiful thing. It is the source of the peace that passes understanding. It gives us joy even during suffering, perfect hope, humility, love and respect for all people.
Thank you. I appreciate the perspective and teachings. I do agree that it is often the “institutions” that distort and corrupt the essence of the practice and teachings of a faith.
While raised Christian, of the Methodist vein, I have come to appreciate that it is not so much the label regarding the religion as it is the effort to understand humanity and reflect on our place in the universe. By that I mean that for me, creed is not so important as the innate desire to connect outside ourselves in a way that promotes both the beauty and struggle that is life finding meaning and purpose in that which cannot and should not be quantified and out up for sale….love and how we treat our fellow man, creatures and all the richness that surrounds us. We can choose to either be part of that immense mystery or we can think that picking it apart, studying it, trying to constantly improve upon and control it is the way.
I know which way brings me peace. I think, however, for people to arrive at a place of faith, wonder and awe they must be vulnerable and see the value that brings when we vanquish the fear of mortality.
Peace to you. Again, thank you.
PS Am curious, are you familiar with the book “Hours of the Universe?”
Would love your thoughts on that. Seriously, I’m not sure what to think…thank you.
Thankyou Laura. You are a deep thinker and good writer. I agree that there is a tendency to dissect things that are not amenable to dissection.
I downloaded a sample of “Hours of the Universe”. The author is brilliant. Her thinking and understanding of humans and the universe is deeply rooted in Darwinian evolutionary theory. She likely has wonderful insights but this coloration is at odds with my worldview which is founded upon an interpretation of the evidence as being resoundingly in support of Adam and Eve being the first literal humans, and evolution being a programmed survival mechanism given by the creator who made distinct “kinds” from the beginning as described in Genesis.
To me every advancement in genetic understanding affirms the wonder and beauty and order and mystery of creation.
I am glad you understand where peace and joy and security come from. I hope to meet in the hereafter.
The book was mentioned to me by somebody who was in love with its message. I respect this person a great deal and decided to read it (not all of it) during these difficult and turbulent times.
I did not get very far into it before I began recognizing the traces of the Davos crowd. And it is not lost on me (I am not Catholic, but my husband is), that many believe that the Pope and the Vatican subscribe to the New World Order being advanced by the WEF/UN/WHO.
To me, the message seemed to be, as you say based in a Darwinian concept. That is, it suggests that the technological advances are moving us towards a more perfect and Christ like consciousness that will unify humanity for the betterment of all. Yuval Harari is quoted in the book as describing this unfolding history as a good thing. Yet, the dark underbelly of this concentrated power and this approach to treating everybody the same or having God’s or the higher power reduced to algorithms then dictated by mortal men, is not talked about.
The only way we ensure against evil or bad unnecessary things is if we have our eyes wide open to the possibility of it rather than sugar coating it for mass consumption.
Perhaps our world or existence is meant to be chaotic in nature. Perhaps it is from the chaos and chance that exists despite our imposing structure still leaves room for mystery and God’s miracles. And why would we want to eliminate that knowing that it is only through both the promise of the garden of Eden and the temptation of the fruit that we learn to love ourselves and others in our imperfect form while striving to do and be better.
The Davos crowd is pushing communitarianism on their terms and with them at the helm.
I prefer acceptance of the mysteries of the universe and the rich and varied tapestries that are woven from the many wild, crazy, unpredictable, and expected moments of a lifetime that contribute to an energy that makes us part of the higher power….whatever and whoever that may be. I don’t desire to have the technocrats program me in the image of what they perceive to be “godlike.” Better that I learn what it means to have God in my heart and by and through me bring meaning to the life force as something amazing in its potential and possibility.
Judaism doesn’t think in terms of salvation. It thinks in terms of how to make the world a better place in the here & now. And it believes in the soul as being part of a greater mass, for lack of a better term, of souls & each person contains a spark of holiness (a soul). I’m trying to connect this to your sentence about being part of a whole sea of energy.
Before remarking or weighing in on the topic at hand, I will need to study the post in more detail as I am unfamiliar with this brilliant human being you so generously introduced to us. I've been reflecting on your earlier query regarding what visions we have regarding alternative realities for living our best lives, in light of our current state of disillusion. I cannot fathom a way through until a significant number of individuals resolve to learn more about their own self-hood, as in, what makes them "tick", what conscious and unconscious ways of being rule their lives, what motivates and drives them to do what they do, how they perceive, sense, make decisions and by whose authority do they lead their lives. This is a tall order, yes absolutely. What we are dealing with here is the deliberate reduction of human sentience through mass homogenization of education, societal and cultural indoctrination, and focus on establishing a collective order of things. To lead any significant portion of humanity toward a self-reflective consciousness would be a tremendous feat. What say our brilliant minds to this dilemma?
My assessment of the issues and what plagues us aligns with yours.
When I consider why or how it is that the masses have moved increasingly away from self-reflective consciousness, two things come to mind. First, our economic model values efficiency and economy. That is, capitalists try to constantly reduce costs while producing more thereby always increasing profits. The measure of success is largely “profits” not pride in the product/service or a desire to improve on quality.
In similar fashion, as individuals we more and more measure “success” according to how much we can pack into our lives and still get a decent return on the experiences. Think skimming along over the surface of water on a jet ski. We no longer savor a moment in it’s simplicity or embrace boredom as an opportunity for creative thought or reflection. We move through our lives like a car on the production line in a factory….hitting all the stations, cranking all the turns, adding bells and whistles and then racing forward….simply because we can.
Consider all this talk of “innovation and progress”….completely devoid of any discussions or reflections relative to actual value relative to “quality of life.” Instead we are driven to do just because we can and there is some psychotic fear that it we don’t we will be missing out on some grand thing or some important answer to the mystery of life.
And, I can’t help but feel that organized religion is caught up in and intertwined with the paradigm I have described above. That is, man pursues innovation and “progress” in large part because he os seeking perfection.
I am reminded, however, of what an author said to me at a writing conference I attended where we often did free writing exercises on our life experiences. She said, “If life were always easy, we would never grow.”
I suspect in my heart, this is a truth I subscribe to. I believe that it is not simply enough to be free. I believe the human spirit needs or desires fulfillment by self actualizing through work, overcoming challenges, celebrating blessings, connecting with others and nature. It is this duality of our spirit and the physical reality through which our energy and spirit evolves.
And what is the purpose of that evolution? Organized religion thinks largely in terms of salvation. It dictates standards of behavior as the coast of admission. The benefit is to the individual (salvation for good behavior) and to society (social contract of treating your neighbor as you would want to be treated).
What if the purpose of the evolution was not salvation but was to come to the realization that our soul/spirit is part of a greater sea of energy? That we are but the part of a whole. This is a different singularity then the one pursued by the tech WEF guys.
They see the hive as a means to establishing themselves as “God” like. Whereas, I like to think that my recognition that I am part of something much greater leads me to see aspects of life with awe, inspiration, sorrow, compassion, empathy. Always seeking to understand better the fabric of this unity.
But how do we achieve this? It is a surrender of sorts. It is perhaps accepting mortality in the physical world….and dedicating your life to quality of that lifetime rather than spending inordinate amounts of time trying to cheat death.
As I have aged and faced difficulty times, I have found more and more comfort in considering the possibility that the practices of indigenous cultures that honor nature and draw meaning from presentations may have immense value and include truths. Like intuition….simply learning to trust one’s knowing.
I guess it is my way of saying, we need to embrace the magic of life more without making the focus be usurping the magic by insisting we can control life.
“I believe the human spirit needs or desires fulfillment by self actualizing through work, overcoming challenges, celebrating blessings, connecting with others and nature. It is this duality of our spirit and the physical reality through which our energy and spirit evolves.”
Nicely stated. As for organized religion and the exchange of good behavior for salvation I think this is how it is practiced. But this is not true Christianity. The gospel of Christ is salvation through faith
by grace alone. There is no exchange.
There is no evolution. The flesh nature, all that is evil within us, is put to death. We are crucified with Christ. His spirit indwells us. We are in Him and He in us. This is our new eternal identity. The flesh and spirit remain at war until the flesh is shed by physical death.
The most interesting thing and perhaps most misunderstood is that we become more Christ-like not by reforming our flesh nature but rather by seeing our eternal identity and believing that it has been accomplished on our behalf.
We realize that while we contend with the flesh, it is already dead. Because that is it’s destiny. God being outside of time sees our eternal identity. Our need for perfection is thus satisfied.
With this realization we surrender to the Spirit and naturally become more like what we believe we are. It’s a beautiful thing. It is the source of the peace that passes understanding. It gives us joy even during suffering, perfect hope, humility, love and respect for all people.
Thank you. I appreciate the perspective and teachings. I do agree that it is often the “institutions” that distort and corrupt the essence of the practice and teachings of a faith.
While raised Christian, of the Methodist vein, I have come to appreciate that it is not so much the label regarding the religion as it is the effort to understand humanity and reflect on our place in the universe. By that I mean that for me, creed is not so important as the innate desire to connect outside ourselves in a way that promotes both the beauty and struggle that is life finding meaning and purpose in that which cannot and should not be quantified and out up for sale….love and how we treat our fellow man, creatures and all the richness that surrounds us. We can choose to either be part of that immense mystery or we can think that picking it apart, studying it, trying to constantly improve upon and control it is the way.
I know which way brings me peace. I think, however, for people to arrive at a place of faith, wonder and awe they must be vulnerable and see the value that brings when we vanquish the fear of mortality.
Peace to you. Again, thank you.
PS Am curious, are you familiar with the book “Hours of the Universe?”
Would love your thoughts on that. Seriously, I’m not sure what to think…thank you.
Thankyou Laura. You are a deep thinker and good writer. I agree that there is a tendency to dissect things that are not amenable to dissection.
I downloaded a sample of “Hours of the Universe”. The author is brilliant. Her thinking and understanding of humans and the universe is deeply rooted in Darwinian evolutionary theory. She likely has wonderful insights but this coloration is at odds with my worldview which is founded upon an interpretation of the evidence as being resoundingly in support of Adam and Eve being the first literal humans, and evolution being a programmed survival mechanism given by the creator who made distinct “kinds” from the beginning as described in Genesis.
To me every advancement in genetic understanding affirms the wonder and beauty and order and mystery of creation.
I am glad you understand where peace and joy and security come from. I hope to meet in the hereafter.
The book was mentioned to me by somebody who was in love with its message. I respect this person a great deal and decided to read it (not all of it) during these difficult and turbulent times.
I did not get very far into it before I began recognizing the traces of the Davos crowd. And it is not lost on me (I am not Catholic, but my husband is), that many believe that the Pope and the Vatican subscribe to the New World Order being advanced by the WEF/UN/WHO.
To me, the message seemed to be, as you say based in a Darwinian concept. That is, it suggests that the technological advances are moving us towards a more perfect and Christ like consciousness that will unify humanity for the betterment of all. Yuval Harari is quoted in the book as describing this unfolding history as a good thing. Yet, the dark underbelly of this concentrated power and this approach to treating everybody the same or having God’s or the higher power reduced to algorithms then dictated by mortal men, is not talked about.
The only way we ensure against evil or bad unnecessary things is if we have our eyes wide open to the possibility of it rather than sugar coating it for mass consumption.
Perhaps our world or existence is meant to be chaotic in nature. Perhaps it is from the chaos and chance that exists despite our imposing structure still leaves room for mystery and God’s miracles. And why would we want to eliminate that knowing that it is only through both the promise of the garden of Eden and the temptation of the fruit that we learn to love ourselves and others in our imperfect form while striving to do and be better.
The Davos crowd is pushing communitarianism on their terms and with them at the helm.
I prefer acceptance of the mysteries of the universe and the rich and varied tapestries that are woven from the many wild, crazy, unpredictable, and expected moments of a lifetime that contribute to an energy that makes us part of the higher power….whatever and whoever that may be. I don’t desire to have the technocrats program me in the image of what they perceive to be “godlike.” Better that I learn what it means to have God in my heart and by and through me bring meaning to the life force as something amazing in its potential and possibility.
Godspeed.
And by the way, no model but this model provides an answer to the evil tendencies to dominate and self destruct.
Judaism doesn’t think in terms of salvation. It thinks in terms of how to make the world a better place in the here & now. And it believes in the soul as being part of a greater mass, for lack of a better term, of souls & each person contains a spark of holiness (a soul). I’m trying to connect this to your sentence about being part of a whole sea of energy.
Brilliant.
Surely, you are being sarcastic.