Oh Vancouver, I Barely Know Ya

Tags

Entertainment, Sports, Vancouver, Winter Olympics

They say that it can take years, decades often to gain a perspective on an event sufficient to speak intelligently about it. So, I figured with only two days to go, it was high time I pontificated on the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Now let me say first of all, that I have a slightly dis-favorable view of Vancouver based upon the only person I “know” from there. A fellow blogger whom I no longer follow put me in my place some years ago. She announced rather huffily that she was a phenomenal judge of character, and Obama would be a  terrible President since he had “cold dead eyes.”

Okay, so I figure Vancouverians are judgmental asshats who should spend more time worrying about why so many Canadians would rather be US citizens if their country is so darn perfect as they often suggest it is.

Note that I do not make this assessment of Canada in general, or had not as to date, since I find their approach to health care, gay union, and a whole host of issues spot on and an embarrassment to us southern neighbors who are backward heathens by comparison.

But, I did say, as to date. The Olympics definitely have changed my mind. First lets talk about climate. Are we to understand that Vancouverites are finding this winter a polar opposite of so-called normal winter there? If not, then they should have come clean that it was a bit too warm there, subject to RAIN and all around not so conducive to WINTER sports. From skiing to speed skating there are reports of bad snow, bad ice, slow ice, slop, slush, rain, fog, and well, conditions that do not lead athletes to put in their best performances.

Then we get to the venues, those places constructed for various sports. The luge we need not get into deeply. The course was designed to be faster than any other, and it is. Canadians had access to practicing on it for months to get used to the speed. Nobody else did. And someone died. End of story there. Similar stories are told about the speed skating where other athletes were denied access to the venues for training until the last minute.

I am continually amazed at the cheating that goes on. The designer of the ski venue deliberately designed the courses to favor the women from his country (not Canadian). A Canadian was a judge in the final of the men’s 500 short track when two Canadians were in the mix, and the disqualification of Apolo Ohno benefited and gave a medal to a Canadian skater who fell. I’m at a loss why the Olympic Committee doesn’t work harder to avoid these “appearances” of favoritism.

Mostly I’m rather disgusted by the Canadian battle cry of “owning the medal podium.” I am as disgusted at this as the nightly “medal count” that NBC seems to think we are all interested in. I frankly find it demeaning, divisive and all sorts of unsavory things.

Then, lets get to the human interest stories. Most of them are okay. I enjoy learning  a bit about athletes from far off places whose families and they often sacrifice mightily for them to pursue their dreams. But oh, my the nonsense that nations are tottering on the edge of collapse, all hope riding on the shoulders of some emaciated girl barely 20 years old who straps on a pair of skates and dance/jumps her way to victory.

I mean Finland cries that it will be a national catastrophe if their ski jump team doesn’t come home laden with gold, and the Koreans have everything riding on a few skaters. The economies apparently are teetering, everyone holding their breath, everyone packed to move to another country should a fall, slip, slight error, knock their favorite from the podium.

I find it all loathsome, whiny, and overly dramatic. I’m sick (sorry but I truly am) of hearing about the “daughter of Canada” who skated despite her mother’s unexpected death. I mean, don’t they all carry on under these circumstances? I’m truly sorry for her loss, but this maudlin questioning of her thoughts is just exquisitely boring. I mean, NBC is still boring us to death with Dan Jansen, and how many years ago was that? His tragic fall, his resurrection six years later. . . .blah, blah blah.

Perhaps that is what is wrong with sports. The attempt to make winning or losing the end all and be all of human existence. And it almost never is. The losers go on to fine lives, or not, but it seldom has much to do with the sport. Same for the winners. In fact, argument can be made that the winners are the big losers in the end, many of them go on to tragic lives  of over exposure, personal issues, and obscurity that is bitter to them.

Mostly I just think that Canada wasted a lovely opportunity to stand above the fray. I fully expected them not to engage in all the tricks and national flag waving. I fully expected them to stand head and shoulders above the rest of us, proclaiming the real point–fair, civil, honest competition, saluting the winners and those who came in a bit late. Promoting the human spirit, rather than “grabbing gold” would have been a much more elegant and noble enterprise. Alas, they acted like everyone else.

NOW TEAM USA, BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF THE CANUCKS IN THAT HOCKEY FINAL!!!!

I Don’t Know Whether to Throw in the Towel, or Chew It

Tags

brain, conservatives, far right wing, filibuster, health care reform, Health Care Summit, Jesus, liberals, McCain, Obama, Republicans

Frankly, I haven’t had a lot to say about health care reform for some time. I grew tired. I grew disgusted. I could feel my blood pressure soar at the mere contemplation.

Nothing has changed. The “Summit” turned out as expected. Mitchy McConnell worries that his side only has gotten 13 minutes and the other side 52 minutes so far, and Johnny McCain cannot avoid the temptation to mewl about the lost election but again. In between, the same tired old arguments, most all of them argued, debated, and proven wrong or right a kazillion times already.

So, I’m not wasting your time with arguments, you’ve heard them all before. What I can do is point you toward some useful information. One of these nuggets of truth is a piece from TruthOut written by Professor George Lakoff about how brains work. It’s a fascinating article and really helps one realize why conservatives are as they are and why liberals are as they are.

Basically, we are wasting time talking. The worldview of the average Republican suggests that anything Obama is destructive, thus even pointing out that Democrats are willing to push certain Republican points, Republicans will LOGICALLY flip and now oppose them. They view any action to support this president to be counter productive. They believe that they are doing the right thing in being the party of NO.

In part it depends on how one is raised. Conservative Republicans tend to be brought up in authoritative father dominated families. The world is dangerous, dad protects, children are obedient, and punished physically for failure to comply. Liberal Democrats are tend to be brought up in nurturing supportive families without gender control, where helping family and others is seen as being empathetic and responsible. Both tend to place make these “governing” models onto new institutions such as church, work, and government.

So, you cannot shame a conservative into doing the “right” thing because he doesn’t and will never see it as right. Flipping and flopping are seen as necessary to stop the ruination of America.

Lance Simmens writing at Huff Po, suggests that congress is the new death panel. They clearly and uncategorically deny that health care is a human right, thus they are the ones who are willing to decide who will receive it and who won’t. Let’s don’t go do fast, a step  at a time, and cost governs all. Such is their mindset.

His advice: Democrats must forge ahead, forget the Republicans and pass whatever they can. They will never get help from Republicans who pretty much have dug in their heels. And, their base, is of the same opinion, doesn’t listen to opposition arguments anyway, and want no truck with compromise at all. Witness what has happened to the new Senator from MA who is now being vilified by the ultra right for his voting yes on the jobs bill.

Iowa’s Tom Harkin has re-introduced legislation to end the power of the filibuster. He did so some years ago when his own party was a minority, so he has cred on this issue. Dick Durbin has gone one better, and is enlisting the public’s help in petitioning for the ending of this blocking technique. Follow the link and you will be directed to the website where you can sign a petition to that effect. For those of you in a hurry, go there directly by linking here.

Will Marshall, also writing in Huff Po, sums up the Summit by arguing that at least Republicans have been forced to put forth what they would do.  His conclusions are:

• Republicans do not fundamentally believe that health care is a human right. Their plans would insure about 3 million more people, without explanation of what standards would apply and still leaving 43 millions without care.
• They wish to reduce premiums by using methods mostly of benefit to healthy policy holders. Their solutions favor giving people options that reduce to bare bones their coverage at bigger savings by buying out of state and use of medical savings accounts.
• They have no interest in working with Democrats because their base says just saying NO is fine.

Probably the dust up between John Sydney and the President was the best moment of yesterday’s events. If you want to read a really really scathing comment on Johnny, by all means read Paul Slansky’s piece, again at Huff Po.

Of course one of the most shocking elements of this debate is that so-called strong Christians are lined up behind Republicans on this issue. Somehow they find a Christ who is not “for” health care. Paul Rauchenbush speaks to this issue, and finally admits it is basic selfishness. I agree.

Well, enough I guess. One could go on for hours, reading and linking up to various opinions. My advice: Screw the Rethugs. Get something together, and push it through. Use reconciliation. Ignore the polls. Giving some relief will have a bigger effect than doing nothing. Ignore the Republicans. Ignore the Republicans. Ignore the Republicans. Is that getting through?

And just in case, you think I have nothing else on my mind, I’m getting increasingly disappointed in Canada these days. I think they have done a fairly lousy job all around on the Olympics. I guess I should explain, but I won’t for now. Trust me. You know you can’t don’t you?

Is It Child Abuse?

Tags

creationism, education, evolution, fundamentalism, homeschooling, Iowa, Michigan, religion

Not being a parent, I feel uniquely qualified to give opinion on the practice of homeschooling. At least I am good company, since in a significant number of states, there is zero regulation of the practice, and anyone can declare themselves “teacher.” So, like I said, I’m uniquely qualified.

The chart says a lot. In those states of white, there are NO regulations whatsoever. Thus it allows a mere high school graduate in a state like Michigan (and one’s competence varies of course as to the quality of even that status), to “teach” their children. In red states, the requirements are high, requiring at minimum licensed teachers, testing and evaluations done on a regular basis. Most of these are required in the orange states as well. Iowa for example, required a licensed teacher, and evaluations done periodically along with testing. It does however, exempt the Amish type communities from compliance.

My first experience with homeschooling came in something I read or saw regarding Alaska. Folks who lived deep in the wilderness had no access to schools; heck they receive their mail ofttimes by biplane. As I recall, the two kids, schooled by mom, placed at Harvard and tested well above their peers. Wow, I thought. How lucky. If I had only had well educated parents who could have led me on an independent study into all those places my regular school had no “time” for in the rush to meet the general “citizenship” requirements.

I often thought that homeschooling as an adult would be something I would deeply love–giving my child an extra boost toward college. I still agree, there are circumstances when homeschooling is better. The obvious is when there is no alternative such as living in remote areas of a state. Another situation is well known to many urban dwellers–inadequate and substandard schools in their area.

As the map suggests, homeschooling, as schooling in general tends to be, respects to an inordinate degree, the state and the parent. The differences between states seems wildly variant. This goes hand in hand with our general belief that the state should not exercise too much control over families. They are sacrosanct in some sense, and only a serious state interest should intrude upon the family. One can look at custody issues with in vitro and all the other methodologies of giving birth to realize how ill-equipped the courts feel in tampering with family issues.

So the idea that we should regulate and to what degree is important. I am forced to look aghast at any state that makes no regulation of such an important issue. Having a well educated electorate, and one that is poised to enter college or university on a level of equality with other students, is I would think essential. Our world becomes more and more complicated, and our youth must be armed with the clearest and best information available to compete and make wise decisions, both for their own lives and for the lives of humanity itself.

It seems that generally speaking religion plays a major part in homeschooling decisions. Something like 33% cited religion as their reason for homeschooling.  I ran into this first on a Catholic forum that is decidedly right wing. In fact, many of its posters are former born agains who have discovered the “true” church, but have brought their fundamentalist ways with them. They and other right wing evangelicals are near the largest segment of those who choose homeschooling.

And this seems irrationally wrong to me. These folks seem to object that our schools are too secular, and that they are, and by design. However, the answer it seems to me is not in homeschooling, since the science, math, and so forth are not impacted by religion. In fact the removal of religion from schools was imposed exactly so that information is offered as is, without editorial comment if you will.

The rightful place to indoctrinate kids (if you must) is at home. Kids should be learning biology unburdened by ideology. They can receive that at home, where no one can prevent it. One of my closest friends candidly explained to me how her children regurgitated the “answers” for tests as it related to evolutionary theory, but were at home told that such information was all a tissue of lies, since the good Lord set out all we need to know in one or both versions of creation in Genesis.

Why religious objections to secularized education is a reason for indoctrinating a kid in bad or no science, and splitting the brain into fragments, none of which can be reconciled, is beyond me. I simply object that it is wrong. It is child abuse. Said child is ill prepared for college for starters. Plenty of science professors in colleges and universities across the land gripe about the remedial education that must be given to these kids, and how some of them waste the class time arguing creationism. The vast majority of kids are there to learn evolution and thus prepare themselves for careers in science, not engage in a useless debate with a brainwashed kid.

We all know the consequences, either the child, too tied to parental control, keeps its head in the sand, and either flunks or engages in the repeat it but don’t believe it mode, or they crash and burn as now ex-believers, having had their worldview explode before their eyes in a torrent of actual facts. The former creates a non-thinking human robot, following blindly where no logic has gone before, and the latter becomes an atheist, unfortunate from a believer’s stand point at least.

I’m not against homeschooling, but I am against allowing minimally educated adults, who know not even as much as they are attempting to convey, all with an ideological bent which is demonstrably false,  to screw with the minds of our youth. It is bad enough that our educational system is now substandard to much of the world today, let’s not make it worse by continuing to drag it into the morass of myth and fairy story. A troubled world requires more.

***

Oh, and just for proof, look to Texas which has been screwing with textbooks and such, all designed to push a creationist agenda. The upshot is that graduation levels in Texas are lower than Mississippi, Louisiana, and Georgia. Now, no doubt some will quibble with correlations here, but I think that the more irrelevant we make education, the less we graduate. Kids seem to sense mediocrity I’d say.

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Home Education Magazine has the state laws of Iowa and Michigan, as well as all other states at the bottom of each page of their website. See what the regulations are in your state.

Where to Draw the Line

Tags

child abuse, children, church, faith, parenting, religion

Last week, I called Atheist Revolution to task for suggesting that fundamentalism was somehow more rational and cohesive a theology than more progressive mainstream religious thinking.

I suggested that the author meant to “get the goat” of believers rather than honestly suggest such a ludicrous theory, or that he was utterly uninformed. As anyone knows who is not a fundamentalist of any religion, such mindsets and worldviews are anything BUT rational and fact based.

Another post by the same author has yet again rung so untrue that it got me to thinking about the subject in general. Basically, he suggests that parental insistence that children attend religious services against their will is tantamount to child abuse. And he points to his own experience as evidence. Again, I submit something else is at work.

While I’ve suggested that forcing fundamentalism upon a child can be child abuse (a significant portion of said indoctrinees become atheists when they enter the real world, and or are significantly deficient in science learning, putting them far behind in college), it is hard for me to realize how simply imposing a requirement of church attendance without more, can damage a child.

Here is my reasoning. Let’s say that parents A require child B to attend Sunday services. Now, as the child ages, certainly most rebel against this. But the rebellion has little to do with a professed adherence to atheism. The rebellion is the general rebellion common to all kids who are seeking independence. The child doesn’t rebel against God so much as he’d rather be with friends playing basketball. His priorities are different!

For those small numbers of kids who have at an early age developed a rational intellectual argument against the concept of a deity, I don’t think harm is the result. Rather, this rational child sees the whole process as primitive and outmoded. He argues with parents and others who will listen that there are better  and more rational answers to unknowables than a God. He is bemused certainly by the religiosity of others, and perhaps angry at his time being usurped in this manner, but a couple of hours a week can be “lived” with.

 I cannot for the life of me, find where some deep psychological harm would emanate from. Atheism prides itself on being coldly rational, an intellectual tour de force if you will. Religion to them, is cultish and ritual mumbo jumbo, hardly the stuff to torture the mind of a rational atheist.

So, I submit that the writer has other issues, perhaps ones that he has misunderstood as resulting from forced church attendance. (No doubt there are cultic forms of religion that practice harmful rituals, such as sacrifice of animals and such, that can be harmful, but these I submit are so minor as to be outside the norm of our discussion.)

Still, an important issue is raised. If it is right and proper for parents to require church attendance of their children, how much and for how long comes to mind. I have an opinion on this, but it is one born of what common sense tells me. It is the result of my life experiences either witnessed or read about. So, I’m interested in what tack others feel is appropriate or not.

My thinking is that family church attendance serves other purposes than the instillation of religious belief. Feelings of security, reliability, love, responsibility and such are served by making this a family affair. Modeling of intact family units, sharing, cooperation, and other attributes are offered by the family itself and by other congregationalists.

Up to a certain age, children have not the ability to rationally decide for themselves what is valuable and what not. But, age does play a significant factor. Age, and maturity. I would tend to place the cut off at 14. Here, children have had significant experiences of their own, they know what they believe or don’t (at least for the moment), and they have had a time to sift through the information offered in church settings.

If a child, at 14 (presumably an age when parents feel comfortable leaving a youngster alone for a few hours at home), decides that church is not for him, then I think it appropriate to allow him/her to stop. The inculcation of other values can still be imposed through family “time” on Sunday for an appropriate number of hours. After discussion, there may be “independent” study requirements to learn of other faith traditions or none to help the child sort out their true feelings and beliefs.

I would agree that forcing a child to not only attend services past a certain age, but also to participate in numerous other church related groups and practices is not appropriate and counter productive. This I do  think turns off kids, and creates either out right atheists or at least secular Christians (those I define as professing a belief in God, but a distrust of organized religion).

Anyway, that’s my take on the subject. It’s a thorny one, no doubt, and people on all sides tend to be assertive of their belief and protective of their position.  Can we talk to each other rather than across each other? What say you?

Aging Disgracefully

Tags

aging, authentic living, expectations, peer pressure, psychology, sociology

Let’s face facts. There is precious little that is good about getting old. We put on a brave front of course, we claim we are just excited as all get out to play golf and lounge on the veranda. We are lying.

Youth is wasted on the young. Every older person knows this. It’s one of the ironies of life. You don’t get how to “do” living until you are near the end of life. One of God’s little jokes.

A very young person, with a very old soul, said something profound today on a piece looking at the effect of being “short” on children’s development. The kid was short, thirteen, and only five foot. His dad was a giant, being nearly 6’8″ but his mom was only five foot. His dad had spent a lot of time infusing him with lots of self-esteem, making height merely a fact, and not a defining one.

The profound statement? He said, “In the end, the only person you have to live with is yourself.” Meaning that he was not pushed to be what others expected of him. He only had to satisfy what he expected of himself. Profound no? True? Yes.

That may be the only thing that’s good about aging. We finally release all that crap about living up to other’s expectations. We, as children try mightily to be who and what our parents express as “good.” We try, some of us try for years, well into adulthood. Others of us, at some point, take the opposite tack, trying to be exactly other than our parents desire. In that we are usually as untrue to ourselves as when we struggled to be as they wished.

We try to be as our peers suggest we should be, and then as our teachers, then the opposite of that, then as our bosses, as our romantic encounters dictate, and, well, you see we seem to always try to be what others expect. Sometimes we impose upon ourselves standards we perceive as good or proper. We become Martha Stewart.

I guess age makes us tired at some point. We no longer can manage to lift the banner of what is expected on a given day, and we start to be authentic. Younger folks call us eccentric. Yeah, eccentric all right. No, I’m just tired of pretending that high heels are a shoe of choice. They are what they are, torture devices, and as an adult finally I see them as they are and discard such violent pain as fashion.

Of course, not all of us have that aha moment. Some of us, for whatever reason stay mired in being what is expected. No doubt financial considerations can apply. Keeping a job can be essential and so meeting workplace expectations may still override our general disgust at putting on the facade each day.

We are like aging entertainers who enter the safety of bedroom and pull off the girdles, the wigs, the eyelashes, and all the other accoutrements that serve to uphold the “image.” We are left a sagging weary body, now encased in an flannel pj’s and ragged robe. We shuffle in our slippers and we rub aching muscles.

Not a pretty picture? No. But some of us remain caught in the illusion that somehow we can stave off the inevitable. Sooner or later we become caricatures of ourselves. We can be found all over Florida and Arizona.

Others of us, well, we see it all for what it is, and we say enough. I’m getting old, I’m into comfort not only in the confines of my room, but out in the big world where all those kids reside. But I’m at peace. I’m me. I’m sagging, and greying, and I’m pudging too much. But I’m not concerned about that. I have better things to do. I’m not out to snag any trophy spouse any more. I am not vying for some top plum job in your corporation.

I, you see, have only to live with me. And, there I will not make any more compromises. I don’t need to. We are fitted in her quite tightly, and there is no room for all the wigs and girdles. I have room for books and yarns and recipes, and walking sticks, and binoculars to see my bird friends up close. I have room for wonder and awe, and peace, and quiet, and music and beauty, and thinking.

I have room for opinions, and I don’t care if you don’t share them, though I am happy to have a civilized discussion on points where we differ. I am unafraid to stand up and be counted. I would have no qualms in telling a Dick Cheney or a Dubya, a few choice remarks should our paths cross.

As I said, youth is wasted on the young. I have all the ideas in the world, but far less time than I used to to execute them. I suffer fools less willingly. I have no truck with stupid at all. I try to be kind, because I know how much it can mean to another, yet I can’t have stupid people wasting what time I have left. So, I may appear from time to time, short, and direct, cold in fact in my laser assessments. That’s what you call eccentric. You smirk, shake your head, and of course never think it will happen to you.

News? It will. You should be so lucky to get to my age. That’s what I say. What brought this forth? Oh, nothing, just in six weeks, a new birthday. . . . and a six figures prominently. Who would have thunk I would be . . .well, I can’t even say it quite yet. But damn, I’m authentic. Just ask me, and I’ll tell you. You bet I will.

Stories that Stuck Like Flypaper

Tags

Arnold Schwartzenegger, awards, Books, Britain, choking, Evan Bayh, fashion week, GOP, haute couture, health care reform, hotdogs, Japanese, Party of NO, Toyota, unsafe cars

I’m surely not the only one who finds Evan Bayh a pale comparison to the giant many of us consider his father, Birch.  Well, Ragebot, has done a lovely satirical piece on the retiring Senator from Indiana. Or is he? Go and take a gander at this quite amusing little post.

And guess what? It turns out that Evan’s wealthy wife, Susan, sits on the Board of Wellpoint, the parent company of Anthem Blue Cross. You remember them? They were planning a 39% rate hike for their existing members in California.

I guess we see why Evan has been so vehement in his refusal to consider anything meaningful when it comes to health care reform. Not gonna mess up that golden egg are we Evan? As I said, your father must be appalled.

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Everyone in the world knows that America is nuts. After all, we are the home of swallowing goldfish, stuffing phone booths with people, food eating contests, Evel Kneivel, and Dog, the Bounty Hunter, and his fashionista wife. Need I say more?

Well, the Brits can give us a run for our money it seems. That should be clear anyway. Ever get a look at  what passes for royal fashion at Buckingham Palace? Enough said.

The silly Brits have a thing called the Diagram Award, and it features the best and silliest of book titles they can find. Past winners have been Bombproofing your Horse and Living with Crazy Buttocks.

Do stop by and see the finalists for this year. What can I say? I guess I have too much time on my hands again.

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I’ve never been much of a fan of Arnold. I tend to be skeptical of actors entering politics. No doubt I’ve said an unkind word about the Terminator now and then.

But utter kudos are in order. Appearing on This Week, George Stephanopolous’s old gig, with Governor Rendell of PA, Arnold was willing to call it down the middle.

He condemned his own party for decrying the merits of the Stimulus package, all the while posing at home for photos with the big check, taking credit for bring money home. He also acknowledged that Republicans were in fact the “party of no” and it was time for ideas and compromise.

Colin Powell also echoed the call for compromise, calling on both parties to stop the bickering and start working for the American public.

I found it refreshing that Schwartzenegger was willing to put his state first and not merely echo the usual Rethug talking lies. Maybe we are seeing a few cracks in the monolithic GOP propaganda machine.

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Okay, so we like Ugly Betty and Hollywood’s rendition of the fashion world, but to us sane folks, most of the crap worn on the runway is fit for either a Halloween costume or the grand finale of the Barnum and Bailey’s Circus.

I guess it stands to reason that each season, some attempt is made to “outdo” last year. Being more outrageous (ever seen the stilts Lady GaGa has tripped around on?), seems to be the key to wowing them in the aisles.

Anyway, Isabel Mastache, (we hope she is not an American. . . .as I said, our cup runneth over with weirdos already), offered us “penis pants.” in her new spring collection. There is a video attached so link up and go see for yourself.

One would be tempted to say, what next? but I rather think that we can’t fathom the possibilities. But what do I know? I after all, shop mostly at the Goodwill a hotbed of sweat pants and t-shirt fashion.

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Is nothing sacrosanct? I mean really! Okay, its a serious subject. Choking is no laughing matter. People die from choking, but this?

It seems that doctors, some at least, think that hot dogs are the worst offender to young children. They also add in grapes and popcorn.  I mean how more American can one get than a hot dog? It’s more American than apple pie and mom right?

Yes, I can see that these items could be dangerous. But heck, should you not allow your children to ride their bikes down the sidewalk because somebody might suffer a stroke and go careening over the curb and run down your offspring?

These overly cautious ones want the hot dog redesigned, whatever that might mean. I guess we can redesign the Dachshund while we are at it. And what about the poor hot dog bun? What is he supposed to be used for now? A pen holder?

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Toyota has got its tit in a wringer, or is up a chit creek without a paddle, which ever works for ya.

I’m not sure the Japanese automaker will be surviving this endless parade of its failure to build safe vehicles. Today I saw a feature where a man has been imprisoned for some years on a manslaughter conviction, all from an accident he claims was caused by an accelerator that would not release.

I’m wondering if Japan sells Toyotas to Japanese folk at home. While there are plenty of reasons why Asians have some axes to grind against America, callously ignoring the safety of innocents seems a lousy way to redress grievances. It’s impossible to believe that the average Japanese is so unfeeling, so we can only conclude that Japanese business leaders go to the same ethics lacking schools as Americans do.

Sad. Just sad.

Enough of all this drivel. You must have important things to do. Get on with them, and I’ll see ya tomorrow with who knows what. I never do.

Exploring the Faith Matrix

Tags

atheism, divine, duelism, faith, God, meditation, mind, presence, unbelief

I’ve acquired some wonderful new friends on Facebook, people who, from my perspective, see the world rationally. One, said something that got me to thinking.

C.S. Lewis, (or someone!) said something to the effect that if God/no God were an even proposition, then, choosing God cost nothing and garnered a great reward if God is real, but not choosing  God would cost eternity if you were wrong. You get the point. My friend suggested that he had not found this argument compelling.

I share that conclusion, perhaps mostly because I “back read” my belief that there is not all or nothing, salvation or damnation dualism when it comes to God in the first place. But even if that is  not true, I think my friend is right. Fear should not be the motivator to  “becoming” a believer.

Surely, non believers care about their community and humanity. Surely they volunteer, and give money to good causes. But just as surely the believer engages in other behaviors based on faith. Attending services regularly is but one of them. An active prayer life, or spiritual practices constitute more “time” devoted to faith. These cost in time what can be spent elsewhere. And I think everyone agrees that a one time “I believe” is not evidence of a living faith. So, the non-believer must expend something beyond a mere assent to faith. Therefore, he/she is entitled to a better proof.

Unfortunately no proof is forthcoming. Only the believer sees proof, because proof is not of a tangible sort, it is a special way of seeing and knowing that is more akin to wisdom than intellectual fact finding. That of course sounds fishy to the unbeliever, and I also understand that.

But it remains true, nonetheless. It is a paradox. Richard Rohr in his books describes this as the losing of oneself to find oneself. Jesus of course said this first. It is precisely the act of being counter intuitive that aligns us with the divine. Like  Justice Black, we know it when we see it.

A few days ago, I was driving to town for groceries. On the way back, I found myself in a tangle of intellectual musings. I cannot recall the topic now, but I “awoke” to find myself going down the road, a bit unsure of exactly where I was. Within a minute or so, I recognized a barn or house, and realized that I had executed at least two turns and was within a couple miles of home.

We have all had that experience. But think of what really is entailed. My mind (the one I am aware of) was busily engaged in working out a details of some thought on some subject. All the while, another “me” was lifting foot from gas, applying brake, turning wheel, and so forth, more than once. Some part of “me” was “seeing” the road, observing potential danger, reacting. Two of me were working in tandem, each apparently unaware of the other.

So what you say? Well, it seems to me that it suggests something of value. We are not who we think we are. Descartes said, “I think, therefore I am,” and many of us take that to be a fine statement of existence. Yet, this shadow person, and there may be more, quietly seems to work along side, taking over as needed, to preserve me when my mind veers to daydreaming. It keeps me from walking off cliffs, and driving off bridges.

Is it so hard then to realize that within me is a God spark–that “feeling” of unity with something so much bigger than myself? I think not. All those who meditate know this feeling. I am aware that I tread dangerously close to the argument that “god is in the gaps”. In other words, what I cannot explain, I assign to God. As science explains more, God continues to shrink.

I do not mean this. I mean, that it is increasingly clear that the mind is more complicated, more multifaceted than we might have thought. I am an ego, that is the part of me that I talk to, but I am talking to something aren’t I? I must in some way recognize that there is more to me than this ego personality, developed from birth, the result of all experience and learning that are peculiar to me.

This “other” me, the one that calls me to do right rather than wrong, the one that calls me to hope rather than despair, the one that soars in creative dreaming, rather than logical rational mundane reality, this is the Spirit that offers. It offers union. It is the Divine being patient, gentle, never forcing, never demanding, waiting, offering, loving. Blessedly, I’ve had this experience, and at least for small moments in time, I have fallen into that offering. I have released my fears and need to control. I have experienced freedom, and unconditional love.

As I said, I cannot prove it. It cannot be proven. It must be experienced. It cannot be willed, nor demanded, nor intellectually mandated. The best way developed so far to take this journey is by meditative practice. It is getting outside of  dualism. If I were to offer to my non-believing friends one thing, it would not be a bible, nor a theological proof, nor inspirational stories galore. It would be to read a good book on mediation, and then try it.

Even if you never experience this transcendent  moment, you will find it serves good purposes. It will lower your blood pressure, reduce stress, and actually, I’m told, make you a clearer thinker. Answers to sticky problems come forth. That is good enough reason. The fact that you may encounter for the first time, God, and thus learn the joy and peace of  the Holy, is bonus.

Why not try? You have nothing to lose but yourself.