Is Religion Sick?

 

We live our lives as though we have answered the great questions, even though we may not have yet asked them.  Everyone is a player in the game of life, no one exempt from a set of beliefs, or a religion. “Everyone has a religion.” (185) Some choose to believe in science, some choose to believe in “religion”, some in both. No matter what position you play, you are in.

Our identity is knit close together in relationship with our beliefs.  Perhaps they are one in the same.  Part of our belief system is our worldview. Perhaps they are one in the same. Perhaps we are our worldview.  As stated by Dr. Peck, “…the most important factor in the development of the religion of most people is obviously their culture.” (189) This makes our identity, our culture. 

If we are a product of our environment, what responsibilities do we have? What choices do we have if identity is thrown at us? What happens when we are to question our beliefs, our identity? 

When we play skeptic, our identity shifts, we experience crisis, and we are faced with an opportunity to choose.  We either choose positive growth or negative regression.  We choose courage or we choose laziness.  Questions are present, and our options constant, which path is ours? “The path to holiness lies through questioning everything.” (194)

In the process of questioning, one might ask, is God the problem? Is Religion the problem? Or should Dogma be put on trial?

All of these questions important but, let us focus on dogma for a time. Dogmatism is apparent in both religious believers, and in the world of science among atheists and agnostics. Dogma can also be absent among religious believers and those who label themselves atheist.

In the article “Tyranny of Principles” by Steven Toulmin, he states, “Moral wisdom is exercised not by those who adhere to a single principle unequivocally, for one absolute principle will inevitably conflict with another absolute principle.” Wisdom sees paradox, wisdom sees a rainbow colored world, a non-dogmatic world. Dogma is the killer of spiritual growth and love, dogma is sick, not necessarily religion, not necessarily science.

Questioning not only dogma, but everything, is part of a great sifting process.  “In regard to methodology, science has tended to say, ‘What is very difficult to study doesn’t merit study.’ And in regard to natural law, science tends to say, ‘What is very difficult to understand doesn’t exist.’”(228) On the other hand, religious thinkers say, “’Miracles need not be scientifically examined’… ‘They should simply be accepted as acts of God.’  The religious have not wanted their religion shaken by science, just as the scientific have not wanted their science to be shaken by religion.” (228)

Question everything, and think critically. Thinking critically about our beliefs requires that we are careful not to confuse correlation with causation. “The fact that two events occur together in time does not necessarily mean that they are causally related.” (231) It isn’t always easy to discern and critically categorize us, and our beliefs. “Balancing is a discipline precisely because the act of giving something up is painful.” (66) Giving up a part of our identity or beliefs is painful!

In Peck’s section on Balancing, he states, “…it is necessary that the higher centers of our brain (judgment) be able to regulate and modulate the lower centers (emotions).” (65) When we are in this state of mind, we are able to more clearly think and make effective decisions. Balance involves the discipline of seeing more, killing the narrow lens of the micro and birthing the lens of the macro.   

Analyze yourself, your beliefs, your culture, and your worldview.  Balance in flexibility and reject dogma. Question everything. Is religion sick? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. “But just as it is essential that our sight not be crippled by scientific tunnel vision, so also is it essential that our critical faculties and capacity for skepticism not be blinded by the brilliant beauty of the spiritual realm.” (232)

40 days of Lovin' Fuckin' Lent

I just wanted to say Fuck.

Sometimes its a nice word. Sometimes its terrible.

I'm going to be writing love notes. For 40 days. I'm also doing other things in my personal life for lent.

I've fallen in love with so many people. So many. Really. I'm gonna write all about ya.

See posts soon.

Logos

In Nietzsche’s words “He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how.”

According to Frankl, in order to satisfy the search for meaning in life you change your attitude towards suffering.  “…Everything can be taken away from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms-to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”(66) Even in the direst of circumstances, such as experienced by Frankl in several concentration camps, he notes of the opportunity to freedom and spiritual growth that is available. “It is this spiritual freedom- which cannot be taken away-that makes life meaningful and purposeful.”(67) Responsibility in your reactions creates empowerment in the individual.

“The man that was not able to see his ‘provisional existence’ was not able to aim at an ultimate goal in life” (70) “What man actually needs is not tensionless state, but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal-a freely chosen task.” (105) Working towards something in the future provides hope for an individual, which helps them to find meaning in life.  The act of working is meaningful and can be therapeutic for some.

The salvation of man is through love and in love. (37) Love is another essential part of Viktor E. Frankl’s logotherapy, or meaning therapy. “The second way of finding a meaning in life is by experiencing something-such as goodness, truth and beauty-by experiencing nature and culture or, last but not least, by experiencing another human being in his very uniqueness-by loving him.” (111) Frankl speaks from experience on this front, when in concentration camps, he would have “conversations” with is wife.  It was irrelevant whether she was present or not, but the anchoring feeling to love someone else can create purpose for an individual.

Realizing the irreplaceable nature of man, others is a concept mentioned in the book, I would extend the notion to the reality of uniqueness and irreplaceable nature of not only others, but me.  Realizing that, in loving myself and realizing me is an essential part of creating meaning.

Misunderstanding is the root of all suffering; creating understanding is to satisfy the search.  Life asks us a question at every moment and movement through these questions and creation of questions is a process in living and meaning creation.  Living brings meaning to life, experience is part of living.

Edith Weisskopf-Joelson mentioned, “our current mental-hygiene philosophy stresses the idea that people ought to be happy, that unhappiness is a symptom of maladjustment.  Such a value system might be responsible for the fact that the burden of unavoidable unhappiness is increased by unhappiness about being unhappy.” (114) Feeling a range of emotions is part of our experience in life.  “Emotion which is suffering ceases to be suffering as soon as we form a clear and precise picture of it” (74)

Visit Job

             In the beginning of the book Job’s friends are comforting and empathetic towards Job and his experiences. As any good friend would they go to great lengths to remind Job of his strengths in an attempt to boon up their peer. The travel from far to comfort him. Well intentions are manifest to begin with, perhaps intentions remain near the end of the text, but hidden in misunderstanding.

As Job moves down a continuum of suffering, his friends remain static.  Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar, operate out a colorblind lens, blocking out a myriad of colors apparent to Job. They understand some things, some principles, some shades and hues, but are missing the entirety of the rainbow.  Where the three friends are at in their pursuit of truth is where simply that, a place.  Not right or wrong, but simply a place. A worldview of black and white caters to the idea of retributive justice, the ideology that attributes reward with righteousness and suffering with sin. 

After Job begins to question and doubt, and to defend his standing as a sinless man despite all of the suffering that he is experiencing, his friends are shaken and confused, they react impulsively.  Their friend Job is experiencing suffering and pain as a sinless man, this of course is contrary to their own understanding, Job’s pain is obvious, leaving the only option in the minds of his friends Job must be hiding sin so as to explain his agony. 

Job’s suffering rubs off on his friends to a certain extent, the ripple effect begins to rock the boats of all three men.  They can no longer understand Job; they can no longer have empathy because Job’s experiences and questions are beyond their own.  Job is beyond the understanding of his friends as the book continues to paint the widening gap. Differing worldviews create a friction in the relationship between all involved, Job, his friends, and God.  Job creates a new paradigm, one in which his friends in their rudimentary world do not understand.  Job’s new conception is that even good people suffer, good people have bad things happen to them, and that doesn’t mean to Job, that God no longer exists. Job juggles with all of the colors he sees, never denying the existence of God. He may grapple with redefining the characteristics of God. 

            Loneliness and frustration are apparent results of Job’s experiences as described in many chapters, to be noted chapters 9 and 10.  Of course it is! It is only natural that these feelings result when Job courageously walks, or crawls, further along the continuum alone, he is first, all of his friends are behind him.  They simply don’t understand him. None of them are able to see beyond the world of black and white, the world where retributive justice reigns. 

In Job’s suffering he is very open, noble, courageous, honest about his experiences.  He refuses to take the road of dishonesty by suppressing his suffering, dismissing the reality of the awful things that are occurring to him, skirting them under the rug.   He instead voices his pain candidly to an audience that simply doesn’t understand him.  Job is carving a new path as a leader, creating a new way to navigate through his existential crisis.

Job is perhaps further along, or more mature in his development, and at this point he is experiencing growing pains.  His understanding is broadening and provokes questions and doubts. This reaction is courageous and noble.  His honesty is noteworthy.  The friends of Job are on the same track perhaps, but simply at a different place.  They haven’t gone beyond a simpler paradigm to which a greater avenue of understanding awaits them.  Their reaction to Job was according to their own understanding. 

It is sometimes perceived that Job’s reaction is complaining or murmuring and it has a negative connotation attached to it.  Anger is an emotion that is labeled as a sin for the culture and people of this time.  Still today, I see remnants of this idea. But is a natural humanistic emotion of anger and frustration a sin? Or is it a part of the human experience and is justified in Job’s circumstances?

working definition, working ideas

To love someone.

It's a circular motion, it is
self love and love go hand in hand and eventually become indistinguishable
love is not dependency
love is not complete selflessness
love takes effort
love is not a feeling only
love is harmony of logic and emotion
love is a committed thoughtful decision
love is separateness
love is where i want to be
love is accepting
love is the opposite of coercion
love is letting another express their agency

LOVE NOTEs

My heart almost wants to burst in my love and adoration for the people around me. I love people. Today is one of those days.

A good friend is a rare find.  I treasure my good friends. When you find something good, you latch on to it. You anchor yourself to it.

subconscious

i was cleaning and sweeping up the stairs on the porch. i was doing you a favor.  you asked me to do it for you, but i gladly obliged. it wasn't your house. it was someone else's house, someone that i revere as great, i have good positive feelings towards this person, him, yeah him, oh yeah, i actually like him.

thats mostly why i did it, not because you asked me to, but because i like him, not you.

you warned me of a storm that was coming in. i kept sweeping, sweeping all of the dust off of the stairs.  i was almost finished, the dust was almost all gathered onto the grass. i kept sweeping, kindly. then then storm hit. it hit suddenly, but i can't say that i didn't expect it. you warned me. when it came it hit with such a force i fell over. i was caught on the ground, behind the gate and the pile of dust that i had worked to gather. the dust was violently rushing toward me, my face, especially my horizontal face. it was all in my face. all over my fuckin face. lets say face one more time. and fuck one more time. i couldn't breathe it was too much dust and too much wind. i couldn't catch a breath enough to scream at you. i felt humiliated. powerless. panicked. then i woke up.