Nick Fury? Iron Man? The Avenger Initiative? Teh AWESOME! Not that many of you know what I'm talking about, but for those who do...oh yeah!
Other than that I highly doubt that there is anything that I can post today to generate much discussion, (well, perhaps now that I think about it.) That's not to say that I don't have anything going on in my brain. On the contrary, I have more going on right now then just about any other time in my life. I could write NOVELS on the thoughts, feelings, dreams that I've had in the past few weeks. I feel like I have grown more seen more, been more.
But it has made me think about STUFF. By stuff I mean the things that we fill our lives with. I have atheist friends (and I do consider y'all friends, I don't even bare any hard feelings for H_Loves_C) who fill their lives with for the most part, an honest search for truth (of course as seen in the discussion I think that if you're looking for truth, you have to be willing to accept the possibility that truth lies outside the realm of empiricism, but enough of that for the week.) Speaking of this, a little aside, all in good humor. I was watching MST3K-Hurcules against the Moon Men; and Tom Servo says "I'm a scientist; I don't think, I observe!!!" I thought that was funny.
If you're a Christian, many of you try to fill your lives with stuff that you think make you a more acceptable sacrifice for God. You tithe, go to Church every Sunday (and wednesday) and you sing three part harmony every Sunday. If you're Buddhist, then you're looking for the sevenfold paths of enlightenment (I really need to read up a little more on this, I know very little about eastern mysticism.) but anywhoo...it doesn't matter who you are, you fill your lives with STUFF. We make the meaningless meaningful by filling out lives with what we think that matters.
I've been having a heartwrenching conversation with someone who has lost all hope. They have built themselves up this humanistic philosophy that is impossible to practice. The truth that they have built themselves up with has destroyed their peace of mind, and has robbed them of the ability to see any good in this world. Pray for this person if you do.
But what do all of these things have to do with each other? STUFF. I am convinced that you choose your outlook on life. The truth: The Earth is doomed. People are bastards. Life is full of misery, pain, suffering, evil, destruction. Hear me now: There is no recouping. There is no utopia. People will always suffer and die. That is truth.
However, how do you go about dealing with this truth?
Is the answer MORALITY? ..a man made legislation of right and wrong; and is the 'greater good' more important than the right of freedom? Is it better to enforce a morality (example- the caste system in India is illegal, however it still is ingrained in the culture, so the bias and bigotry is still there) and impose it on the world for the sake of the betterment of humanity...whether or not people truly desire it? Morality is more interested in how you live your life than your own individual rights, your own convictions, your own desires. Say with me "For the Good of ALL (fine print: in spite of your personal freedom)" Is setting Morality to govern humanity a good thing?
Is the answer SCIENCE? Science touts itself as being impartial, a slave to the evidence. Science is unbiased, is unfettered by emotional, cultural, or traditional arguments. It is solid, empirical and unshaken in its process but promoted as ever changing. It does allow truth to change according to new evidence, and it is subject to peer review...however truth only is stated under certain conditions, and it doesn't always have to be tempered by ethics. If you could cure cancer by boiling 100 people alive...would the knowledge be worth it? Is the more we know, the higher learning, the math...is that going to save us?
Is the answer RELIGION? Religion is a man made institution designed to deal with man's response to the providence of God. No where in the Bible does God tell man to "Go into all the world, Preaching the Gospel, Baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Southern Baptist Convention." In setting religion up to govern the world you get men speaking as the mouthpiece of God, and in that many troubles become evident. What if God suddenly said, "Not only is homosexuality wrong, but anyone practicing it must be burned at the stake." Is giving man the power to speak for God in ruling the world going to solve our problems. (more importantly does this, Governing from a position of religion...jive with how Christ tells Christians to live?) If you're not Christian and you're offended by my singular religious reference, just insert Allah, Islam and Jihad.
We grasp onto these things, clutching them to find purpose and meaning in a desperate attempt to make sense of what we see in this world, trying to fix what we perceive as the worst and most heinous problem in the world: Suffering.
Here's the kicker- In an effort to solve this, humanity knows no ends in how to cause it. Islamofanatacists envision a world free of violence. They see a word where everyone goes around, praising Allah, living righteously...and not eating ham sandwiches. Atheists see a world where rationality rules, people understanding that they're not only made of the same material, but completely in charge of how they deal with each other, not depending on a deity to tell them what to do. Christians see a world 'changed for Christ.' Many have grandiose ideas of what this should look like...but have no clue where to begin. Socialists see a world where people do good...where everything is shared; like one giant preschool room. HOWEVER the methodology of attempting to conform the world into what we PERCIEVE as right...causes the very suffering we are trying to avoid.
And here's the next fun part: NO ONE IS INNOCENT. Atheism...lets point to China, North Korea, and an entire cadre of Evil, and I reinterate EVIL people causing untold suffering on millions of people...they don't need a God to tell them to do so. Religion...Many atrocities have been committed by those professing to do the will of God, Christian and otherwise. Moral Authority...you are impotent, ambiguous, and ineffective, and plus your very nature is hypocritical, and living to fulfill morality is hopeless and meaningless. And lastly...Science- The devaluation of human life to philosophically allow growing of human fetus' for organ harvest or euthanasia to control the population. Many atrocities can be swept under the rug after the fact...if knowledge is gained.
I wonder what would happen if we all changed paradigm. Perhaps human suffering is NOT the greatest enemy of happiness.
more later
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