Month: November 2016

God and dodo birds

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Author Stephen Prothero talks about history’s most dangerous idea “that human beings can solve the human problem on our own without recourse to God or divine revelation.”

Can we in fact do without religious faith as we know it? probably not, but why? If religion is merely an uninformed effort to understand science, why are we still in the clutches of religious dogma seventy thousand years after the beginning of the cognitive revolution.

It looks very much like there is a desperate need deep within the human condition that craves for some kind of religious experience. Perhaps we just need someone to be in charge, someone or something to do our thinking for us, so we can go to the game or hang out in the pub without concern for the truth.

Man’s conceit demands there be more to life than our assigned number of heart beats.If we’re so eager to embrace some kind divine revelation, why do we waste so much time, energy and human life squabbling over who or what is  the correct form. Maybe the Greeks had it right and we’re just playthings to be forsaken when the gods get bored, like the Dodo Bird and Thylacine (look it up!)

-GSG ( God Seeker Guy)

 

Divine defects

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Why are we here? Is the human condition important? The answer of course is yes, we’re obliged to think so or we would have difficulty getting up in the morning to make coffee. The gods, however, could have done a much better job of constructing humans. We rust very quickly, most of us non-ecclesiastics are flawed, and few of us can resist the evils of jam-filled doughnuts.

Nietzsche said “woman was God’s second mistake” – meaning of course that man was his first. If God was just practicing when creating man, his efforts backfired. He should have given Noah plans for a leaky boat and left the planet in peace.

After Eve’s epic picnic with Adam, the human race has endured a rocky relationship with the divine. We struggle constantly to measure up, but never seem to satisfy the demands of our heavenly hosts. To be sure, we are not perfect, but if the gods created us, they should take some responsibly for their flawed design instead of blaming us for their faulty workmanship.

Although we all eventually end up at the return counter, in the interval, it seems we’re obliged to endure endless reminders that we are failing at the herculean task of being human.

-GSG (God Seeker Guy)

Poisoned fruit

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“The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.”

Granted Nietzsche was probably a manic depressive lunatic, but he did make a few good observations, this is one of them.

The western world has become so ‘politically correct’ that we’re terrified of speaking our minds, which fosters interaction on a very superficial level. Whenever God Seeker Guy expresses his opinion, even in a mild diluted manner, he is accused of being ‘poisoned fruit,’ apparently a Christian catch-all for anyone with opposing views.

Obviously, we must have respect for others and treat others in the same manner in which we wish to be treated ourselves. (God Seeker Guy will do doubt be hearing about that last line!) However, that does not mean that we are required to hold back our opinions just because we might offend someone’s sensibilities. God Seeker Guy welcomes a challenge; the only way to test an opinion is to defend it.

It seems there is a universal fear among anyone attempting to communicate, which includes most blogs, and undermines the opportunity for honest and perhaps risky opinion.

Reaching out on the media platforms available to us should create a diversity of views, and generate interesting and controversial dialogue. Why does that not happen? Why do we see so much saccharine stroking and little honest feedback?

It seems social media has become dangerous zone in which to establish a presence. GSG has been reminded that every word written is sent off to cyberspace, and at some point, we lose control of our declarations. We’re constrained by the fear of retribution from family, colleagues and bosses who often make quick judgments without much thought.

Online communication is in danger of becoming victim to the same controls that religious entities hold over their followers, except the weapon of choice is insidious political correctness. Technology, it seems, is a double-edged sword. We have the tools to stand above the crowd, but prefer to remain regulated by the tribe.

-GSG (God Seeker Guy)

Let’s play God!

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There has been a lot of talk in the past about bringing the dinosaurs back to life with the help of DNA manipulation. While most of the religious community cringes at such a scenario, playing at God may have a certain amount of value for future generations. Rather than clone some creature that would probably end up in a theme park, perhaps we could bank the DNA of near-extinct species.

If we can’t  save the tigers and pandas, conceivably, we could plan ahead in order to preserve what we may soon push to extinction. At least we would be fixing the damage we have done rather than rebuilding what nature has already seen fit to extinguish.

-GSG (God Seeker Guy)

Teachers and toast

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So many blogs, books and religions take it upon themselves to provide answers to questions about happiness, relationships, suffering and many of the more unfortunate afflictions possessed by most of us.

Anyone who claims to have the answers to your problems, and I don’t mean how to fix your toaster, must surely be making huge assumptions about how you go about problem solving. What works for one does not necessarily work for all. Following a guru, pundit or sage of any kind, can lead us down the path of emotional and intellectual addiction.

All humans are made of the same flesh and blood and are fueled by oxygen, sunlight and fast food – in other words, we’re all the same apparatus, and not any one of us or any one of our religions or creeds has all the answers to our problems. We’re smarter, better informed, and have huge amounts of information at our fingertips. The problem, of course, is how to filter out the noise including dogmatism, self-interest, deceit and uninformed opinion.

In addition to the perils of listening to advisors who may not practice what they preach (see blog post: Where is the trust?) the younger generation in particular must deal with the onslaught of social media and all the stress and anxiety it can cause a developing but inexperienced mind.

A recent Time Magazine cover story (Anxiety, depression and the American adolescent – November 7, 2016) observes that young people are “… looking at other people’s lives on Instagram and feeling self-loathing (or worse).” The high-tech version of keeping up with the Jonses is an added burden for adolescents who are seeking answers.

It’s critical to question all sources of opinion and information (that includes these notes from GSG of course). We’re at a critical stage in the fight for self-worth in a society that constantly pounds away at our failings and shortcomings. Once we accept that failure is a healthy and critical step in the process of learning and discovery, we can free ourselves from the shackles of having others think for us, and even from the harsh demands of God Almighty himself.

-GSG (God Seeker Guy)

In the news – Where is the trust?

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The BBC reported this week: “Child sex allegations involving one of Iran’s best-known Koran reciters are causing shock and anger in the country, days after several accusers took the unprecedented step of going public with the claims.”
See BBC report

Clearly, the above story demonstrates that the Christian church holds no monopoly on betraying the trust of its flock, particularly when it comes to abusing the more innocent members. Many, but not all, religious leaders have repeatedly shown themselves to be riddled with corrupt spirits and questionable moral fiber.

It’s very dangerous to follow too closely any one teacher or any one creed, for you never know if the guru you are expected to revere is in fact made of far inferior stuff than yourself.

The church, any church, has long preached one thing and practiced another. “It has served us well, this myth of Christ” – a statement often attributed Pope Leo X, illustrates how hazardous it is to live your life according to decrees formulated by tutors who live by a double standard.

It’s particularly hideous when the children of the world fall victim to adults who preach the Holy Books, but follow the path of something even more sinister.

-GSG (God Seeker Guy)

Harassed sheep

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The phrase ‘do not be afraid’ appears 365 times in the Bible, that works out to a daily reminder that there are countless things to fear and endless things to worry about.

The church thrives by keeping its flock living in abject dread and anxiety. On the one hand church leaders tell their flock not to be fearful, at the same time they expound on the evils that lurk around every corner. The sheep are just trying to make a living so they can generate money to give to the church so it can perpetuate the cycle of trepidation.

Surely, the ecclesiastical enforcers should be on our side, instead of crafting thoroughly unpleasant scenarios should we step outside the bounds of the Almighty’s rules and regulations.

Life is fearful enough with job issues, relationship issues, and the outcome of hockey games. Who would you rather have on your side, God or a really good coach?

– GSG (God Seeker Guy)