The nature of the journey

The religious journey is the pursuit of truth,

back to our source of being,

the original meaning,

that elusive end to which we never arrive,

yet by which

our paths are so greatly illuminated.

The greatest wonder of it all

is that we’ve never left the source to get back to it,

but we have deceived ourselves most artfully

We are religious animals. We have a deeply profound need to belong with “The Other.” It begins at conception when two genetic banks of information mingle (male and female), then develop into a colony of cells that continue to split off into other colonies of various form and function, yet all within the same mass, on the wall of the uterus of a mother. Other processes and time contribute to development, until a time when we are propelled through a narrow channel from the comfort of this small and secure place and out into a world of noise, cold, other beings, and apart from our source of dependence and nurturance. In our nubile state, we are still completely dependent on “The Other,” in this case our mother. We cannot feed nor protect our fragile fleshy bodies from the elements, nor move about in any fruitful way, in order to survive. Our instincts are to whelp for attention until we are attended to. Without “The Other” at this stage in our human development we would surely die. It is almost as if we’ve been taken from the womb prematurely. We were, before our conception, and the mingling of two genetic banks of information, without a sense, without a clue, and never separate from the whole of things. Our consciousness was that of the cosmos, if it has one. We were of a perpetual cosmic process.

What a mad trick, to be endowed with conscious mind that would eventually perceive itself as–not only separate from the whole–but a unique and reflective being unto itself. It is a trick, intentioned or not, for we are truly NOT independent from the whole. We’ve never left the ecosystem that produced us. We’ve merely transformed in shape and function. The paradox of human existence is this, that we are of one indistinguishable flow, though in a transient form of human existence for some duration of time, before expiring. The energy and matter that was an individual “me” is soon dissipated among the ecosystem once more to recombine with other cosmic elements into other forms and functions. Even in our most supreme state of human independence, we are dependent upon the air, water, plants and animals, other people and a desirable climate. We are compelled to belong with each other. Even the hermit in a cave cannot exist without having learned some skills from another or to use some tools and appliances that were manufactured by another.

Beyond our early development, we socialize with a larger group–from our primary care giver to a family, extending to a tribe or clan, to a community of friends and associates, to a city-state of interdependent organizations and structures, to a nation, and now to a world.

It is no wonder then, that early humans, perceived all of the activities of nature as being animated by “The Other” for our development dictated to us that we could not exist without “The Other.” At birth, we had lost our Cosmic identity, we had no sense of being part of the whole of things. The development of reflective thought occured within the context of our mutual dependence with each other. When the earth turned, presenting the illusion that the sun traveled across the sky, day after day after day, it was perceived not only as moving, but as being moved by an anthropomorphized being, a super human, a god.

All immediately intangible events were explained through an anthropomorphic projection of our own childhood experience– perhaps a providing parent, a mentoring friend, an anonymous and/or alien specter ,or a suspicious or harmful enemy. Our minds are full of archetypes of legend and lore. Then, as today, organized religion was married to the State, through which the distribution of goods and services were controlled by an elite and powerful few, controlling the masses through their religious dogmas, implying a work ethic that would benefit the elite and powerful through the toil of the masses, and whipping up a combination of nationalism and religious duty to compel men into cannon fodder to war for the extension of the empire and the extermination of competing states and religions. In some cases, the religion WAS the state, as in the long and bloody reign of many a Catholic pope.

In other cases, the State was all, as in China under the bloody dictatorship of Mao, where a grotesque distortion of communism was misused to slaughter millions in the name of Mao. Communism is an ideology in which a community benefits from the work of each other in an egalitarian government in which all are equal, without a hierarchy of social classes.. In “communist” China, there was no equality. Those who controlled the State controlled the people. There was a ruling class, a lot of propaganda, and a peasant class. Those who demonstrated allegience to the State rose in power within the misnamed Communist Party. It was, in truth, an elitist party. Nothing communal about it. The Cultural Revolution under Mao, which led to the slaughter of millions and the destruction of surrounding societies as in Tibet, ended with Mao’s death. The elitist dictatorial government structure remained. The so-called “Communist” Party is still the party of power, but capitalism has exploded in China, which is now becoming the most lucrative economic power in the world. It is the major manufacturer and exporter of goods in the world.. The Chinese religious legends and lore have been altered to satisfy the State, but many traditional archetypes persist. In other countries, legends and lore of old are infusing with products of a technological entertainment and communications revolution.

Today’s legends and lore are an abstract compilation of marketing ads, films, video games, books, and ancient religious texts. The traditional archetypes have been morphed into manipulative advertising and propaganda by corporations and governments to persuade the common citizens of earth’s lands to buy their products and services, labor in their factories, and act as cannon fodder in their warring disputes over corporate control of energy sources and natural resources. In this sense, the manipulation of the masses has not changed, but the means of delivering propaganda and manipulative ads has become one of the leading industries of the empire. It has become a sophisticated and highly professional field of business and government.

It is my mission to help people fend off the propaganda, the intertwining manipulations of religion and politics, the distorted and persuasive advertising, by learning to be good researchers. My goal is to educate people to dissieminate fact from fiction, to find the truth among the spinning rhetoric of politicians and their corporate news affiliates, to follow the money trails to see who benefits from a war, a bending of environmental law that harms citizens, the exploitation of dwindling fossil fuels, and more.

To this end, I advocate three guiding elements–reason, human compassion, and desire for peace. For tools, I recommend a computer and an Internet access service, your mind, and the ability to suspend your preconceived notions about the way you believe the world of governments, religion and corporations function in the world.

I recommend the Scientific Method which begins any study without assumptions. One begins with observation, which leads to a question. The question is then presented as a hypothesis. The Scientific Method is applied to keep us honest. We seek not to PROVE our hypthesis, but to prove its opposite–the NULL hypothesis. Thus, reason and skepticism guide to consider NOT how our assumptions may be correct, but to analyze the variable elements that can confound what our assumptions are, or may imply.

I understand the faith that so many devote to their religions, vehicles of moral truths transmitted through ritual and tradition, some for millennia. Religion is, more often than not, the central focal point of a culture, of that culture’s families, and therefore of an individual’s sense of belonging. The irrational attachment with which one adheres to these important social belief systems is what we call faith. Faith, without reason, can only lead to group-think, ostracization and/or denouncement of those outside of the faith, and–in the extreme case–war. Within an irrational religious faith lie the seeds of prejudice, intolerance, bigotry, discrimination and persecution of others. An irrational faith carries with it a sense of arrogant self-righteousness that condemns the rich diversity of humanity that exists outside of itself. A healthy faith is based on reason, adapts to the facts of the universe in which it arises, and reconciles its tenets to reality. An unhealthy faith will deny the reality of the natural world, will be intolerant of other cosmic possibilities and those who believe in them, and become a dangerous threat to the family of Man. One need only to read a scholarly book of human history to see the calamity that irrational and bigoted faith has had upon human civilizations.

It is for this reason, that I left organized religion so many years ago, that my mind would not be consumed by a singular irrational explanation of our human existence within the Cosmos, that it could explore ideas, philosophies, facts and fictions, untethered by the preconceived notions of dogma, doctrine, or creed.

A single word can be packed with a multitude of preconceived notions. Example? “God”. To some a fatherly, white bearded heavenly creator, who made humankind in his image out of loneliness, and observes and intercedes upon his creation from some heavenly throne. Does one dare ask how, within an eternal realm of existence , this being can separate out a moment in which to suddenly feel lonely? To others, a faceless spirit moving through the Cosmos as a constant creative force. To others, a supernatural entity that can take on a human form by which to redeem the creatures it created that had chosen to exist in ways not tolerable to this entity. To still others, an animating force in each and every form of this physical universe. And, yet to others, a concept projected from a human mind to explain the events of natural phenomena. Thing move. Things happen. Some ONE has to be moving them and making them happen. Lastly, to others (such as myself) a projected irrational fantasy-being of one’s self, to provide comfort and security in the face of fear, anguish and the absence of reasonable explanation. Human belief in gods diminishes according to the level of one’s education, utility of reason, understanding of science, and intellectual development.

http://www.objectivethought.com/atheism/iqstats.html

To be a “truth walker” one is compelled to leave a standing position.

Amen.

MH

John Hagee, popular fundamentalist Christian minister, known for professing outrageous things in the public arena, was finally chastised by a political candidate, but not for the many odd things he announces in modern day, but comments he made over a decade ago. I’ve tuned Hagee in on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBS) for the shear entertainmnet value. It is laughable to me that anyone could profess the prophetic writings of an ancient religious book after living in a society that makes available so many scholarly works on the myths, legends, history and theologies of these sixty-six books (sans the Apocrychas), politically decided upon by the hashing out of various Christian factions nearly two millennia past at the canonical councils. And we can thank the imperial march of Roman troops into so many lands, upsetting so many cultures and various other religions, for the spread of Christendom, not to mention the centuries of bloody Christian Crusades and torturous inquisitions throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and on into the desecration of the native peoples of the “New World.”

Nonetheless, a majority of American profess their beliefs in this book–the Jewish books of the Old Testament with a New Testament addendum–augmentations, distortions, manipulations and additions by authors professing a faith in a resurrected Messiah.  Paul, of which much of the New Testament is comprised of his letters to various congregations, makes no mention of the earthly man, Jesus, only to a netherworld demigod called Jesus Christ.  Paul visited Jerusalem on several occasions, but never makes mention of it being the place where his son-god spent his last earthly days.  In fact, Paul makes no mention of a Jesus in Jerusalem at all, nor of his many works and teachings.  Curious, but very, very true.  Yet, I would be surprised if many professed believers in the New Testament writings would even acknowledge this fact.

According to research by Susan Jacoby, author of The Age of American Unreason— sixty-two percent of these “ believers” do not know the names of the four gospels of the New Testament nor that Genesis is the first book of the Old Testament, much less the mysterious omissions of any reference to an earthly man named Jesus by the Apostle Paul. As a biblical researcher and reader of scholarly critical analyses of these ancient texts, I am always struck with wonder how people could so readily profess a belief in that about which they know so little. But, Fox News also also attracts a wide number of believing news viewers even after more than a decade of selling lies, deceits and misinterpretations of fact, so I shouldn’t be too awe-struck by the prevalence of ignorance in people who rely upon unreliable resources for their information.

The books of Ezekiel and Daniel of the Old Testament and the Revelation of John which closes out the New Testament make so many obvious references to the astrological zodiacal wheel of symbols and meanings that it is laughable that anyone would include these books as part of their “ infallible Word of God.” But, then Genesis’s two creation stories are confused and confounded in the minds of many, the plurality of gods of Genesis 5, whose “sons of the gods intermarried with the daughters of men” is dismissed by many “believers” as a mystery not to be understood. Their offspring, the Nephilum, were the “giants and heroes of old.” The similarities of Samson to other heroic figures such as Hercules brings to mind Joseph Campbell’s great works on religious mythologies, especially the book, The Hero of a Thousand Faces.” The Noahic flood myth is so nearly the same story from Babylonia written twelve hundred years before it that it is unconscionable that biblical readers who learn this haven’t seen the lack of historical validity to their books of faith. Not to mention the myth of King Sargon I of Babylonia who, as an infant, was placed in a basket of reeds and pitch and set afloat down the river to save him from slaughter, and he was rescued by a handmaiden and rose to be the leader of a great nation. Moses anyone?

Yet, John Hagee, and many like him, can stand up before a massive throng of thousands of people and profess to know the meanings of what he interprets to be predictions for the world drawn from this collection of arcane, disjointed, historically confused concoctions of infused mythologies, theologies and meanings. A majority of American believe that the end of the world is near. Forty percent, or more, believe in a notion called the “Rapture,” in which it is believed that Jesus will return and many people will simply disappear from the earth to be “taken up into the sky” (to another planet? Another dimension? The “believers” are vague on just where their heaven is, because—I guess—their professed god is not a very clear provider of meanings and directions). Hagee aligns himself with the Zionists of Israel, believing that Jerusalem will be the centerpiece of a great war, led by Jesus, against the evildoers of the earth, in the final battles of Armageddon. And he will point, in great geographical detail , to places on a map of the Middle East and reference them to obscure and ahistorical phrases of biblical passages.

Thus, the United States, populated by a majority of people who believe in these nonsensical things, deserves a George W. Bush as their president, the least mentally capable and most intellectually challenged president in the history of the United States. Susan Jacoby got it right. This IS the age of American Unreason. I call it the New American Dark Age, and if there is light at the end of the tunnel, it is very, very dim at this writing. Superstitious religious theology mingled and mired with nationalistic jingoism prevails over science and reason. Unchallenged public political statements become the social dogma of the masses while the money trails and corporate capitalist lusts for power point to a whole different set of facts behind the geopolitics of the world than what the masses believe. The Constitution of the United States is readily shredded through the passage of right-stripping legislation, unread by the congressional representatives who pass them into law. Torture is now a policy of the American government, as well as abducting people into renditions and prisons, without the right of habeas corpus, dure process of law, right to an attorney, or even being charged with a crime.

John McCain denounces Hagee for his discriminatory and bigoted remarks, but doesn’t question any of the thousands of ridiculous statements about history, morality and world events made by Hagee over the past several years. The American Dark Age continues.

Amen. MH Pathfinder

Today, I took an hour to listen to the two sermons by the distinguished Reverend Jeremiah Wright of the Trinity United Church of Christ, from which severely edited snippets were extracted with the sole intent of maligning the good pastor from Chicago, and then to smear Barack Obama, with the negative knee-jerk responses echoed with fervor and frequency by right-winged radio talk show hosts, Fox News and members of the Clinton campaign. I wish that everyone in America could listen to both sermons, in their entirety, and understand the messages of peace, reason and human compassion that are so very present in the meanings put forth by the good Reverend Wright. This Friday evening, at 8pm, Bill Moyers will be airing an interview with Reverend Jeremiah Wright, the first since this disgraceful and shameful media frenzy over uncontexted sound bytes from his sermons sent him out of the public arena.

A major gossipy flap around the Obama campaign has inundated the news with these short biting snippets over the past couple of months. The flurry of emotion and reactive slurs have been mostly delivered by people who never heard a single sermon by the good Reverend Wright. Most certainly none of them listened to the two sermons—one in the wake of the horrific 9/11 attacks and a second on the confounding and confusing enmeshment of religion and politics, or “confusing God with government” as the good Reverend Wright aptly states it. From the latter sermon, the line “…God Damn America…” was extracted from the sentence and context of Reverend Wright’s speech, making it appear as if he was publicly and personally condemning the American people, which was most certainly NOT the case. After listing a litany of government-condoned terror upon people of color since the inception of the US Constitution, and before—including the decimation of Native American populations, the brutal enslavement the African people, the internment of Japanese Americans, the many wars upon wars inflicted upon nations of black, brown and Asian peoples for the exploitation of their natural resources and fossil fuels, Wright then said, “…and they want us to sing ‘God Bless America.’ No, no no! God damn America!” The reference to modern day imperial exploitations was made in the wake of a reading of scripure concerning the imperial actions of the Roman government, followed by references to the Egyptian imperialists before them who conquered peoples and of other races and their nations (Imperialist history is not a white-only enterprise, as Wright would say).

Obama, in light of the heavily negative knee-jerk responses from the ignorant masses, recklessly inundated with the snippets, spun with frequency and slime by exploitive, profiteering corporate news agencies, distanced himself from the severely edited bits of sentences from Wright’s speeches, canceled a public event with the Reverend Wright, but valiantly tried to support his relationship with his long-time pastor and friend, with a speech that invited the nation to openly speak about race relations and to reach out to gain a better understanding of racial perspectives.

Obama rightly appealed to the better judgments of the American people in his speech, knowing that we can be much better than the lowest common denominators of gossipy slime that comprise much of our so-called “news” shows. My guess is that he may have been given the opportunity to hear both of Wright’s sermons-in-question in their entirety, but probably too late to retract his distancing words about his minister. If he had, I’m sure he would have been reassured that his distinguished pastor and friend has the best of America and humanity in mind, through his abiding reverence and love for his God. I revere humanity and the cosmos with love, awe and an insatiable curiosity, but I have no reason to believe that any one or spirit put it here. Having said this, I was moved by the human truths inherent in both of these sermons by Reverend Wright. I know, for it is quite obvious to me, that most of the people seeking to smear both Reverend Wright and Barack Obama, have not heard either sermon.

At this moment, I am reminded of Susan Jacoby’s recent book, The Age of American Unreason.  Jacoby points out the fact that nearly two-thirds of Christian Americans purporting to believe in the Bible do not even know the names of the four gospels (for instant enlightenment, they are the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John; the first three are also referred to as the “Synoptic Gospels”), nor that Genesis is the first book of the Old Testament. So, how is it that people can profess to “know” something, or “believe in” something, without even knowing the title of the main books from which the object of their faith is derived? Most people don’t read, and many more don’t even sustain a long enough focus of attention to even try to understand what they are listening to, viewing or reading. I suppose this is why media “bytes” are so effective. They suit the American attention deficit disorder so well. Ask Rupert Murdoch who has made a massive fortune from this process.

Rather than rant on about the obvious need for reason, compassion, patience and understanding in America, let me recommend the following links to a better understanding of one Reverend Jeremiah Wright, his life and his words:

• First, a link to the Wikipedia biography and notes on the Reverend Jeremiah Wright.
• Second a link to his post 9/11 sermon
• http://odeo.com/audio/17890793/view
• Lastly, a link to Bill Moyers Journal, where his interview with Wright will be aired on Friday evening on PBS; available thereafter at this web site for viewing.