So it's Christmas. A rather special time of year...especially for the retailers. Oh wait, I mean for Christians. Not nearly as important as Easter is supposed to be. I mean we all know that it is the death and resurrection of Jesus that are important. But I digress already.
What I want to address is all the negative things people have to say about it. If you don't believe in the Christ story, great fine and good for you...I know a couple evangelicals who will make it their mission to add you to their "save" count as we all know it is 'he who proslytizes most who wins'. OK just kidding. I actually support you right to believe what you do (or don't) believe. But in the meantime can you let those who believe do it in the peace promised during the Yuletide.
Granted, the actual birth of the Christ was most likely in the spring of the year. Granted the ancient church most likely co-opted the pagan rites on and around the solstice to make the heathens more apt to switch. Regardless of the fact that celebration of Jesus' birth was looked down uop for many a century and only revived within the last couple few hundred years. America and much of the "Western" world is or was predominantly Christian (even though round about today most people aren't particularly religious). So what if 67% of Americans no longer assosciate a religious aspect to Christmas. This still is a holiday of some signifigance. If you are of a different faith...push for more equity in recognition of your holidays in lieu of Christian ones. If you are a secularist and agnostic or atheist...then continue to celebrate it as the secular merchandising boondoggle it has become. But let them celebrate in the spirit of peace love joy and happiness that it is supposed to represent to them.
Well...your thoughts or opinions.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
In the beginning
I thought I would try my hand at this. It will mostly be the ponderings and thoughts of one man whose life has been a bumpy ride, and wants to contribute to the dialogue of the world, in the hopes that someone might find a path that was different than mine and save themselves some woe, or just so we can argue, I mean debate, whatever topic happens to be the issue of the moment. All I ask is that we attempt to keep it rather civil.
So for today, I'm going to start out that I have been reading a lot of philosophy of late, and am amazed that after all of the centuries, nay millennia of various thinkers, ponderers, musers, and such that we still have no real grasp of the human condition. Why we operate as we do? Why we believe we are here? What are morals, and ethics and how they drive us, or constrain us (and not others). That no matter the number of examples given to support some particular school of thought behind the reasons put forth, there is always, ALWAYS, an exception or a hundred, or a million.
So, what imperative do you feel drives humanity? How do you believe it compels us all, or do you feel it only directly applies to you, yourself, and that others may somehow benefit from a more individualistic style of Life Philosophy.
Additional commentary added below:
I was raised in what is best described as a Christian home. My mother was church-going and my father became agnostic after my older brother was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The particular denomination shall remain nameless, because there are still far too many who don't deem it to be a Christian church at all, but a cult. Sigh.
Anyhow, as I begin my fifth decade of life on this planet, I have become disillusioned with organized religion. I typify myself as areligious. I still very much believe in God; I am a deist. I also lean to pan-theism - the idea that all religions (at there core) are striving to return their followers to some sort of union or communion with God (or a higher power, a higher level of being from this mortal realm).
Yes, yes, I know there is currently a book out about how God is NOT one. And in some respects I do agree with the author. We cannot unite people of varying religious beliefs by claiming that this version of God and that version of God are compatible, and that "our" religions are thus compatible. That is not true. They can't be, they aren't or the religions would have found commonality long before now. God is God, but how different cultures, and how even those who have a common culture, but believe in and conceive of God differently means that how God is thought of is different.
I also still believe in a figure called Jesus Christ. Even with all of my questions and doubts about the life this person led during what is NOT reported in the Bible, I think that he taught a very compelling way to live. And I attempt to live up to it, though being an imperfect man, I fail as often as I accomplish this goal.
Questions about Christ you say. How can anyone have questions. All that needs to be known is in the Bible, right. I say no. What was his life like from about age 12 to age 30. Where did he go, Did he not teach and preach and learn and grow during this time? If he is the savior of mankind, why did he limit himself to an out of the way spot in what is now known as the Middle East. Why wouldn't he get married? If he didn't get married isn't that odd? He should have been a husband and father by this time in his life. It would have been out of place and made him less likely to be taken seriously were he not, wouldn't it? Where does what Saul/Paul say that Christ taught find it's basis in one of the Gospels?
Along with my other "ist's" I am also a peacist. A peacist is different than a pacifist, in that turning the other cheek does not mean that evil is not fought against. That righteous anger has a place, and that defense of self and others is a good and right act. If we are made in the image of God, then allowing ourselves to NOT protect that image is not showing love to God. Not protecting other human beings from evil is not showing love to God nor to our fellow man; thus violating both the first and second greatest commandments. One does not preemptively strike, as a peacist. One does not seek to have a physical confrontation, but should evil arise, and it becomes necessary to protect the life of yourself or of those you love, know or even of a stranger threatened by evil, one will act.
So, I have opened myself up to you. I have made myself vulnerable to your thoughts, your words, your opinions. I hope a healthy discussion ensues.
So for today, I'm going to start out that I have been reading a lot of philosophy of late, and am amazed that after all of the centuries, nay millennia of various thinkers, ponderers, musers, and such that we still have no real grasp of the human condition. Why we operate as we do? Why we believe we are here? What are morals, and ethics and how they drive us, or constrain us (and not others). That no matter the number of examples given to support some particular school of thought behind the reasons put forth, there is always, ALWAYS, an exception or a hundred, or a million.
So, what imperative do you feel drives humanity? How do you believe it compels us all, or do you feel it only directly applies to you, yourself, and that others may somehow benefit from a more individualistic style of Life Philosophy.
Additional commentary added below:
I was raised in what is best described as a Christian home. My mother was church-going and my father became agnostic after my older brother was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. The particular denomination shall remain nameless, because there are still far too many who don't deem it to be a Christian church at all, but a cult. Sigh.
Anyhow, as I begin my fifth decade of life on this planet, I have become disillusioned with organized religion. I typify myself as areligious. I still very much believe in God; I am a deist. I also lean to pan-theism - the idea that all religions (at there core) are striving to return their followers to some sort of union or communion with God (or a higher power, a higher level of being from this mortal realm).
Yes, yes, I know there is currently a book out about how God is NOT one. And in some respects I do agree with the author. We cannot unite people of varying religious beliefs by claiming that this version of God and that version of God are compatible, and that "our" religions are thus compatible. That is not true. They can't be, they aren't or the religions would have found commonality long before now. God is God, but how different cultures, and how even those who have a common culture, but believe in and conceive of God differently means that how God is thought of is different.
I also still believe in a figure called Jesus Christ. Even with all of my questions and doubts about the life this person led during what is NOT reported in the Bible, I think that he taught a very compelling way to live. And I attempt to live up to it, though being an imperfect man, I fail as often as I accomplish this goal.
Questions about Christ you say. How can anyone have questions. All that needs to be known is in the Bible, right. I say no. What was his life like from about age 12 to age 30. Where did he go, Did he not teach and preach and learn and grow during this time? If he is the savior of mankind, why did he limit himself to an out of the way spot in what is now known as the Middle East. Why wouldn't he get married? If he didn't get married isn't that odd? He should have been a husband and father by this time in his life. It would have been out of place and made him less likely to be taken seriously were he not, wouldn't it? Where does what Saul/Paul say that Christ taught find it's basis in one of the Gospels?
Along with my other "ist's" I am also a peacist. A peacist is different than a pacifist, in that turning the other cheek does not mean that evil is not fought against. That righteous anger has a place, and that defense of self and others is a good and right act. If we are made in the image of God, then allowing ourselves to NOT protect that image is not showing love to God. Not protecting other human beings from evil is not showing love to God nor to our fellow man; thus violating both the first and second greatest commandments. One does not preemptively strike, as a peacist. One does not seek to have a physical confrontation, but should evil arise, and it becomes necessary to protect the life of yourself or of those you love, know or even of a stranger threatened by evil, one will act.
So, I have opened myself up to you. I have made myself vulnerable to your thoughts, your words, your opinions. I hope a healthy discussion ensues.
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