Philosophy and Theology (This post may offend)
In my free time I like to do a lot of thinking, and I thought it was about time I started to write some of my opinions down on my worldview. Perhaps years from now I can see how I have progressed into the person I wanted to become. Or maybe I will change all together.
I believe that IN THE BEGINNING all that we know and all that we have yet to see was part of the greater cosmic force from which everything is derived. This suggests a cyclic nature of the universe, humanity and time itself. We were all born out of the same force and that is what we will return to. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust. This is closest to the Buddhist doctrine of samsara in which we are reincarnated until we ultimately reach nirvana. "The realizing of nirvana is compared to the ending of avijja (ignorance) which perpetuates the will (citta/mind) from passing through samsara life after life, which causes (and is caused by) among other things craving, consciousness, birth, death, greed, hate, delusion, ignorance. Nirvana, then, is neither a place nor a state; it is an absolute truth to be realized." When we reach nirvana this ignorance and feeling is destroyed. This can be compared to the extinguishing of a flame.
Heaven, therefore, or a perpetual state of bliss is not attainable after death (does not exist in its popular form) because it is associated with feelings that we attribute to this life (elation and happiness). In death I believe that feelings (both suffering and elation) cease to exist. To suffer and to cry out in joy is to be alive. Perhaps we paint such a rosy picture because we want it to be so (fallacy of desire) and in fact there is no way of proving the existence of a heaven or hell.
I am neither affirming nor denying the presence of any supreme being as it is impossible to determine through logical means. (perhaps this makes me agnostic..) Religion, rather than divine and inspired doctrine is simply a way to control people. Opium for the masses, if you will. From the earliest time in history we see that the ruler based his claim to rule, his legitimizing ideology, on the fact that he was part of the divine. Indeed, from ancient Egypt to Enlightened despots such as Louis XIV, the claim to power was from God. Today, the religious right are one issue voters who care more about abortion and gay marriage then about our troop’s safety. What a contradiction it is to fight a war for peace! (It may be compared to fucking for virginity) It is not surprising that we as a Judeo-Christian society are fighting in the Middle East because for the last 2000 years Islam and Judeo-Christian society (all Abrahamic religions) with the commandment Thou Shall not Kill have been killing each other over archaic doctrine that is inconsequential. Perhaps if Bush and his fellow war mongers saw that this was not a fight against a dictatorship and regime but rather a difference in unbendable ideology, he would have reconsidered his attack measures. There will NEVER be democracy in Iraq.
I believe that since arriving at college I have become considerably and noticeably more liberal with my views. I am pro choice as it is the woman's right to do as she pleases. Spending in stem cell research should also be increased to find cures for terminal illnesses.(No God does not have a plan, the plan is our own free will) I believe humans are neither intrinsically evil nor good. We are a product of our environment. In order to produce a more efficient and productive society we therefore must alter culture and schooling in social spending to mold peoples minds rather then investing in protecting the moneyed interest of powerful oil companies abroad. You might ask yourself, isn’t creating a good society through schooling a form of indoctrination? Yes, it is. (but if you learn to be an open thinker with values of different cultures, this can be beneficial) This is not a negative form of indoctrination like religion (creates wars), or Nazism, or even American supremacy and a Eurocentric view of the world.
The Republican Party is no longer interested in maintaining a balanced budget. Bush has placed an extreme burden on future generations with a deficit of about 400 billion this year due to military spending and an increasing national debt of (8 trillion?). While Bush is focusing his attention on defense spending other programs such as social welfare are suffering. Social security will evaporate by the time my generation retires. Health care costs such as Medicare and Medicaid are rapidly increasing. Medical coverage needs to be reformed in America. The difference in parties is the democrats are willing to take measures to infuse some socialism to improve the system whereas Bush wants to spend money fighting a war he cannot win. Im so tired of the whole country, redneck, unsophisticated and strong religion "morals" that are infused throughout America. Who votes for Bush? Rural southerns, westerners (likely Christian) and rich people.(who wouldn’t vote from their pocket book?)
I think that the notion of harmlessness and moderation in all things is necessary. Self-restraint is important. (sort of a stoic philosophy) "It teaches self-control and detachment from distracting emotions, sometimes interpreted as an indifference to pleasure or pain. This allows one to be a clear thinker, levelheaded and unbiased. In practice, Stoicism is intended to imbue an individual with virtue, wisdom, and integrity of character." Because feelings described early such as greed, hate, and envy are a product of this world, we must recognize that we must overcome them to find fulfillment. Material possessions do not matter because in a sense, they are not real. I value things such as love and wisdom. I go to school not in the pursuit of money but in the pursuit of knowledge.
With that i will leave this post for now, and my rant will continue another time. I will leave you all (no one will read this shit lol) with some words from the great T.S. Elliot. from his poem "Four Quartets".
"In my beginning is my end. In succession
Houses rise and fall, crumble, are extended,
Are removed, destroyed, restored, or in their place
Is an open field, or a factory, or a by-pass.
Old stone to new building, old timber to new fires,
Old fires to ashes, and ashes to the earth
Which is already flesh, fur and faeces..
Dawn points, and another day
Prepares for heat and silence. Out at sea the dawn wind
Wrinkles and slides. I am here
Or there, or elsewhere. In my beginning...
O dark dark dark. They all go into the dark,
The vacant interstellar spaces, the vacant into the vacant,
The captains, merchant bankers, eminent men of letters,
The generous patrons of art, the statesmen and the rulers,
Distinguished civil servants, chairmen of many committees,
Industrial lords and petty contractors, all go into the dark"
I believe that IN THE BEGINNING all that we know and all that we have yet to see was part of the greater cosmic force from which everything is derived. This suggests a cyclic nature of the universe, humanity and time itself. We were all born out of the same force and that is what we will return to. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust. This is closest to the Buddhist doctrine of samsara in which we are reincarnated until we ultimately reach nirvana. "The realizing of nirvana is compared to the ending of avijja (ignorance) which perpetuates the will (citta/mind) from passing through samsara life after life, which causes (and is caused by) among other things craving, consciousness, birth, death, greed, hate, delusion, ignorance. Nirvana, then, is neither a place nor a state; it is an absolute truth to be realized." When we reach nirvana this ignorance and feeling is destroyed. This can be compared to the extinguishing of a flame.
Heaven, therefore, or a perpetual state of bliss is not attainable after death (does not exist in its popular form) because it is associated with feelings that we attribute to this life (elation and happiness). In death I believe that feelings (both suffering and elation) cease to exist. To suffer and to cry out in joy is to be alive. Perhaps we paint such a rosy picture because we want it to be so (fallacy of desire) and in fact there is no way of proving the existence of a heaven or hell.
I am neither affirming nor denying the presence of any supreme being as it is impossible to determine through logical means. (perhaps this makes me agnostic..) Religion, rather than divine and inspired doctrine is simply a way to control people. Opium for the masses, if you will. From the earliest time in history we see that the ruler based his claim to rule, his legitimizing ideology, on the fact that he was part of the divine. Indeed, from ancient Egypt to Enlightened despots such as Louis XIV, the claim to power was from God. Today, the religious right are one issue voters who care more about abortion and gay marriage then about our troop’s safety. What a contradiction it is to fight a war for peace! (It may be compared to fucking for virginity) It is not surprising that we as a Judeo-Christian society are fighting in the Middle East because for the last 2000 years Islam and Judeo-Christian society (all Abrahamic religions) with the commandment Thou Shall not Kill have been killing each other over archaic doctrine that is inconsequential. Perhaps if Bush and his fellow war mongers saw that this was not a fight against a dictatorship and regime but rather a difference in unbendable ideology, he would have reconsidered his attack measures. There will NEVER be democracy in Iraq.
I believe that since arriving at college I have become considerably and noticeably more liberal with my views. I am pro choice as it is the woman's right to do as she pleases. Spending in stem cell research should also be increased to find cures for terminal illnesses.(No God does not have a plan, the plan is our own free will) I believe humans are neither intrinsically evil nor good. We are a product of our environment. In order to produce a more efficient and productive society we therefore must alter culture and schooling in social spending to mold peoples minds rather then investing in protecting the moneyed interest of powerful oil companies abroad. You might ask yourself, isn’t creating a good society through schooling a form of indoctrination? Yes, it is. (but if you learn to be an open thinker with values of different cultures, this can be beneficial) This is not a negative form of indoctrination like religion (creates wars), or Nazism, or even American supremacy and a Eurocentric view of the world.
The Republican Party is no longer interested in maintaining a balanced budget. Bush has placed an extreme burden on future generations with a deficit of about 400 billion this year due to military spending and an increasing national debt of (8 trillion?). While Bush is focusing his attention on defense spending other programs such as social welfare are suffering. Social security will evaporate by the time my generation retires. Health care costs such as Medicare and Medicaid are rapidly increasing. Medical coverage needs to be reformed in America. The difference in parties is the democrats are willing to take measures to infuse some socialism to improve the system whereas Bush wants to spend money fighting a war he cannot win. Im so tired of the whole country, redneck, unsophisticated and strong religion "morals" that are infused throughout America. Who votes for Bush? Rural southerns, westerners (likely Christian) and rich people.(who wouldn’t vote from their pocket book?)
I think that the notion of harmlessness and moderation in all things is necessary. Self-restraint is important. (sort of a stoic philosophy) "It teaches self-control and detachment from distracting emotions, sometimes interpreted as an indifference to pleasure or pain. This allows one to be a clear thinker, levelheaded and unbiased. In practice, Stoicism is intended to imbue an individual with virtue, wisdom, and integrity of character." Because feelings described early such as greed, hate, and envy are a product of this world, we must recognize that we must overcome them to find fulfillment. Material possessions do not matter because in a sense, they are not real. I value things such as love and wisdom. I go to school not in the pursuit of money but in the pursuit of knowledge.
With that i will leave this post for now, and my rant will continue another time. I will leave you all (no one will read this shit lol) with some words from the great T.S. Elliot. from his poem "Four Quartets".
"In my beginning is my end. In succession
Houses rise and fall, crumble, are extended,
Are removed, destroyed, restored, or in their place
Is an open field, or a factory, or a by-pass.
Old stone to new building, old timber to new fires,
Old fires to ashes, and ashes to the earth
Which is already flesh, fur and faeces..
Dawn points, and another day
Prepares for heat and silence. Out at sea the dawn wind
Wrinkles and slides. I am here
Or there, or elsewhere. In my beginning...
O dark dark dark. They all go into the dark,
The vacant interstellar spaces, the vacant into the vacant,
The captains, merchant bankers, eminent men of letters,
The generous patrons of art, the statesmen and the rulers,
Distinguished civil servants, chairmen of many committees,
Industrial lords and petty contractors, all go into the dark"