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I will not go quietly into the night!

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  • Immortality Anyone?

    There are people who having grown tired, having lost their youthful curiosity, having lost their dreams, long for death. They find nothing stirs within them when looking at a new day’s dawn. No new technological achievement wows them. They have ceased to feel anything positive having effectively resigned from life. Forget them.

    Those of us who relish every new discovery, every exciting invention, and can’t get enough of the enthrallment experienced when watching a new day dawn, hope it will never cease. We are disappointed when we have to acknowledge that our brief span of life, a mere flicker compared to the span of the Cosmos, must someday come to an end. We prefer to live as if it will never end, averting our gaze from the inevitable, and instead focusing on the now. That is the way to live.

    But… only the Gods have immortality… many would proclaim.

    The promise of life after death has kept religion going. Unfortunately, such promises have also lessened the value of this life, making many atrocities committed by religion possible. Why place value on a life lived in a comparative instant when immortality awaits in the next? The quicker that instant is complete the sooner immortality begins. A better method of arousing the troops to battle has never been imagined. Too bad such promises of living forever cannot be proven. Some of the descriptions of an afterlife seem less exciting than watching a gnat fly about your head, anyway.

    Even now as I write there are people who are working on “curing” death. Scientific work proceeds in the search for extended life, or life with no expiration date. Many think that the body simply has a countdown clock of sorts, which causes, with the passage of time, the body to make repairs less and less accurately. Telomeres, at the ends of DNA strands, are said to protect the accuracy of data within the DNA, and when they shorten with each division of the cell, reach a point when they can no longer protect the DNA, and cells divided thereafter are prone to error.

    There are many dire predictions of Earth’s demise. Climate change is undeniable whether normal or human made. Optimistically we can hope it will be, or can be reversed. Maybe such climate change will prove to be positive, opening new doors where others have closed. Who knows… nevertheless, let’s proceed optimistically. Imagining a exciting future is one Michio Kaku. He is a theoretical Physicist and seems to always appear where science is at the forefront.

    One reason I hope that death is cured someday is to see what becomes of the human race. What a grand experiment of nature we are. As far as we know, the most intelligent creature of the Universe. (I hope there are more, but we don’t know that yet). Certainly we are the most advanced species, intellectually, than any on Earth. Will we go on to become the dreams of science fiction writers, or will we destroy ourselves with petty concerns, wars, and apathy? Stay tuned to the next exciting episode of : THE HUMAN RACE

  • What A Superstitious Lot!

    Due to irrational fears and beliefs many superstitions are held by many people.

    For example the superstitions surrounding the common staple: Salt. Everyone has heard that you must toss a pinch of salt over your left shoulder when salt is spilled to keep bad luck away. Supposedly it goes into the face of the devil who seemingly resides there. (Why the left shoulder? The term “left” is associated with negatives in superstition.)

    The ladder presents potentially bad luck too, should you risk going under it while it is leaning against a wall. This originates from the triangle created when the ladder leans against a wall, which is like the triangle of the trinity, and to enter such an enclosed sacred area was considered a punishable offense.

    Is there anyone that doesn’t know that breaking a mirror brings 7 years bad luck? One source credits this superstition to the Romans who believed that the distortion created of a man’s image corrupted his soul when a mirror was broken. A differing superstition which thought that a man’s body rejuvenated every 7 years is the source of the time span for the broken mirror’s bad luck.

    The rabbit foot as a source of good luck? The source of this superstition seems lost in history. Some think it may be due to a rabbit’s fertility association with an ancient god called Eastre, later assimilated by the celebration of Easter by Christianity.

    Even today the lives of many are governed by these ancient superstitions. For a short list of many of the superstitions, some still held seriously by many today, go here.

     

  • Nature Doesn’t Care That It Doesn’t Care

    In 2005 one of the most devastating hurricanes, hurricane Katrina, struck Louisiana. In 2010 a 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti. In short order the mentally unstable proclaimed that these disasters were punishments for sins against God.

    Both disasters were in reality simply random acts of nature. Neither were for any purpose nor were they done with evil intent. Evil exists only as a concept in the minds of human beings.  Nature has no consciousness and is indifferent to the life which inhabits this world.

    Why were these exclamations made? Most likely to further the cause of the individual proclaiming it. Possibly an effort to make themselves appear more important in the scheme of things.

    Neither Louisiana nor Haiti were guilty of anything which would have warranted such devastation. These were simply natural disasters which can occur anywhere, anytime. Nature is neither aware, nor guided by any force. Nature is indifferent.

  • The Plastic Facade

    Façade: An artificial or deceptive front.

    Plastic:Marked by artificiality or superficiality; synthetic

    The Artificial or Synthetic Front.

    I am very familiar with the plastic front, the plastic smile, I wore it for many years as a worker in the retail sector. I served customers with a smile, greeting them day after day, finding this or that product. Even the most rude customer had to be treated with a friendly demeanor as the motto says “The customer is always right.” Sometimes it was so trying that your face felt like it might crack from the strain of maintaining the façade.

    Your face was not the only part of you that was strained. Your psyche …

    Psyche: The mind functioning as the center of thought, emotion, and behavior and consciously or unconsciously adjusting or mediating the body’s responses to the social and physical environment.

    … suffered as well.

    Pent up anger, agitation, ignored when maintaining the plastic front, built up, failing expression. There were times when you felt like reaching out and grabbing the insolent agitator by the collar and shaking them, while demanding an answer to the question “Who the hell do you think you are talking to me like that?!” But you couldn’t, not and keep working there.

    Expressing anger is a necessary release of emotion. It is part of the maintenance of a healthy psyche. Expressing it appropriately is an art, an art most people do not possess.

    The religious must maintain an exuberant countenance in their efforts to lure prospects for indoctrination. This, I know from experience, is a source of great strain. “Living in the spirit” it is called. Staying focused on the promises of religion while at the same time dealing with the stresses of daily living is extremely difficult. Yet, the façade must be continued, as to lose control would not serve the cause. Anger builds, agitation grows, but it must be closeted, restrained, remain unexpressed.

    Where I now work there is such a person. She comes in to work fairly beaming her faith. An eternal smile, a jovial nature, she seems to float down the aisles. Many have expressed the desire to slap that smile off her face, as they realize it is but plastic, forced to support the cause. As the day progresses there are signs that betray the artificial façade. As desperate as she is to maintain the false front it is nevertheless  expressed by small changes in her behavior. For one, do not cross her path as she proceeds down the aisle, for she is like a juggernaut, and will knock you to the floor rather than go around you. I fear someday she will finally explode, expressing pent up anger and agitation in an instant, instead of steadily as we all must.

    You can’t be happy all the time. There are ups and downs to every life during a busy day. Anyone who denies this is only attempting to fool themselves. I have to wonder what kind of home life these people must have, for at some time during the day, emotions such as anger must be released. Do they go home and bark at family? Does the spouse pay? Do their pillows suffer repeated beatings at night? Anguish and frustration can tear a person apart. A breaking point will eventually be approached. A high price is paid for maintaining a public façade.

  • Oh, For Goodness Sake!

    Imagine a world where everyone has sinned, committed immoral acts against some deity, yet no one is culpable. Like leaves blowing in the wind no one has control over their actions, thoughts, destiny. A world where everything is viewed as a conflict between good and evil entities, where temptation is engineered by evil to cause a downfall of the individual, and where good resists such temptation. No one can see these good and evil entities as they exist on a different plane. These beings however, work to influence thought.

    During the Dark Ages, when Christianity ruled, this imagined world, where unseen demons, or angels controlled the pattern of destiny, was a given. Superstition, fear of supernatural forces, the human capacity of imagination ran wild.

    Sigmund Freud proposed long ago the concept of Superego, Id, and ego. Many in psychiatry discount his work in this field as too simplistic, perhaps using a telescope where a microscope is needed. Overall, however, it does present a view describing the inner battle each human faces between the primitive desires and the social concepts of morality present in society.

    This battle between the three, Superego, Id, and Ego, unknown as a concept by primitive peoples of the Dark Ages, was instead given life as being influences from outside forces. They knew what their concept of perfection was (superego), yet many times they instead took the road to ruin, the low road (Id). In between, was the inner voice which told them that certain behaviors were not socially acceptable (Ego), but that inner voice was easily swayed either way by Superego or Id. The inner voice usually tried to mediate a way for the desires of the Id to be satisfied in a socially acceptable manner, but it often failed. The Id was given life as a demonic influence, a demon or the devil. The Superego, author of perfection, was labeled God, or angelic in nature. The poor ego, torn in between, was the individual, exercising free will, deciding between the desires of the Id, and the demands of the Superego.

    Blaming demons or devils for socially unacceptable behavior released the individual from responsibility. Not understanding the existence of an inner conflict primitive peoples transposed them upon imagined influences. “How could someone commit that act? How could they, upstanding citizens, fall to that level?” they asked. The answer became that they were not responsible for their own actions as they were tempted by demons into committing them.

    Thank goodness people have grown out of these primitive beliefs! They have come to realize the inner conflict, to accept responsibility. God or the devil no longer manipulate the actions of human beings. Human kind has come to maturity!

    Or has it?

  • The Origin of Life

    The Universe, is it eternal or did it begin in a “Big Bang”. Well, I’m getting older, but I’m not that old, so I wasn’t standing around to see. It could have very well always have been here.  No one knows but many scientists conjecture from evidence that the Universe began in some sort of infinitely compressed form which exploded into the remarkable display we see today. They even posit that they found an echo of the original explosion.

    However it originated it remains today in a state of continual change, expanding ever faster, ever farther.

    In the distant reaches of space we see vast clouds of dust, and in the midst we see the birth of new stars, perhaps new planets, maybe even future homes for life. Stars, the furnaces of the Universe, supplying vast energies, generously sharing of themselves, utilizing their vast stores of hydrogen. Without the stars, life as we know could not exist, and for more than the just the reason that they provide steady energy upon which we all depend. Vast stars, many times more massive than our friend Sol, upon the complete consumption of their hydrogen fuel, begin to collapse. Their volume, no longer able to be maintained by energy output, begins to shrink. Compression continues to a critical level, helium begins to develop,  then the star explodes… a supernova occurs. This releases enormous quantities of various heavier elements, spreading them into the ether.

    Without these heavy elements produced in the furnaces of these massive stars, rocky planets such as ours could never exist. Our very bodies would never have come to be.

    The molten remains of these stars, having been belched out eventually coagulate and form, yet, again, stars, but not just stars, but also further material which orbits these new stars and which as time passes, gathers to form planets. As more and more of these new planetary systems form, the chances increase that in at least one system one planet will form in the right orbit around the right star, producing conditions which allow organics to form.

    Scientists speculate that once conditions developed that were complementary to the formation of monomers, produced by prebiotic synthesis, which have the ability to link to other monomers and form polymer chains, RNA spontaneously arose. RNA formed which had the ability to replicate.

    At this point evolution began to act. Over the eons of time, perhaps a billion years, RNA converted to DNA. This was accomplished by the loss of one oxygen atom. DNA… capable of self-replication, and of synthesizing RNA.

    Self-replication started the evolutionary ball rolling. Natural selection favored variants of the replication process allowing for increased complexity. The various strands eventually led to  variants that had a cell enclosure which  outcompeted the various ‘naked’ variants. These cell enclosed variants eventually developed specialized functions upon combining with other cells, and multicellular forms developed. These became the first multicellular organisms.

    Well, that’s the way I see it, anyway. There are no doubt mistakes in my presentation, if that prompts an investigation then I will have been successful. There is still much work to do, many “God did it” holes to fill. There are many questions at many levels. I suppose we could quit, stop investigating, throw up our hands, return to the Dark Ages… but I hope we don’t. I find it fascinating. 

  • Why Do People Invent Their Own Religions?

    Initially religions were invented to explain those things in nature for which primitive humans had no explanation. Earthquakes, weather, and other natural occurrences were not within the control of humans. What caused them? When the concept of cause and effect developed in early humans they naturally assumed there was a cause for every effect. There had to be something in control of natural occurrences as well, they reasoned. This thought originated the concept of a God. With a God in control of such natural forces a measure of control was bestowed upon humans for they could petition said God and therefore influence the natural calamities and perhaps steer the consequences of them. Gods were created to lessen the fear of humans of natural disaster, death, and provide comfort in time of war and the everyday stresses of living in the primitive world.

    Today this process continues… there are many, who dissatisfied with their religion leave it, and either alter it to suit themselves, or invent their own brand new religion. This religion, with it’s singular member, creates a feeling of superiority within it’s inventor. Such an overwhelming sense of excitement, satisfaction, a spiritual high ensues, and the inventor decides that such an experience must be shared. He/she embarks to persuade others of this new viewpoint. Sometimes, rarely, the premier member is successful in persuading others, drawing others in, acting as a spiritual guru for the new religion. A new belief system is born. This is how the many diverse cults of a religion begin to form.

    Instead of simply abandoning religion why do people either go to another, or invent their own? What is it that perpetuates this?

    Is it fear of death? Is it a dissatisfaction with life, not being content, proclaiming that this life cannot be all there is? Is it a need to have a controlling power in charge, a “father figure”, a “mother figure”. Is it in fact a lack of maturity, an inability to face life, assume responsibility which promotes this need of an authority figure? Memories of childhood, where all the decisions were made for you, where discipline was instilled by a parental figure, where responsibility meant doing what you were told, you didn’t have to worry about your needs or wants, everything was simply provided… what a life. Earthly parents die some day, but with a God as father or mother, you never have to grow up.

    Growing up is harder. Making your own decisions, the failure of which cannot be blamed on the action or inaction of an entity is more difficult. Facing the eventual end of life, knowing that there will be “no more me”, is stressful. Reality is stressful. It is much easier to believe in some Godly father/mother figure than being an atheist. Nevertheless, there are many atheists, non-believers, humanists, who have the strength to do so. They have found the strength to make their own decisions, to take responsibility for the outcomes. They have managed to face the specter of death, and accept the inevitable.  They have grown up.

  • Zeus, God, Odin

    John W. Loftus suggests that the believer put himself outside of his/her own religious beliefs and examine them critically compared to other religious beliefs. He calls it the OTF, or Outsider Test of Faith. Why do people who hold Christianity’s God to be true and exist, dismiss Zeus, or Odin? All have magical powers. All can be used to explain the unexplainable. All are possible, but none have the foundation to declare them probable.

    I really don’t think this is workable, someone immersed in a set of religious beliefs is cautioned by that very set of beliefs not to turn a critical eye on it. Would it be a sin to examine your own set of religious holdings to the same degree as those held by others? You could, if you felt the need afterwards, ask for forgiveness.

    The Romans were every bit as serious in their belief in the Greek God Zeus as the followers of the God of the Bible were and are now. To the average Roman in Biblical times the Christians were considered atheists.

    Despite the difficulty and the fact that some Christians may be unable to step out of the Faith even for one mi-nute min-ute, perhaps those who aren’t so full of it, the faith that is, might be able to manage, and thereby take a good long look at what it is that they believe and why. From the preposterous talking donkey, and talking snake, to a full grown human being walking on water. The fact is that if you were, from a young age, when incapable of critically examining  new information, and trusting one’s parents to tell the truth,  immersed in the faith, you may be immune to change. Doubt may never have occurred, and if it did, you were probably brought back “home” by a lively revival.

    Pretend for a moment you are an ancient Roman steeped in the faith, of Zeus, and confronting for the first time the faith of Christianity. Or logically assess why you reject Zeus, Odin, or the countless other Gods. It has been said many times by the unbeliever:

    “When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”

  • Christianity Not Unique

    Outrageous extraordinary claims without evidence to support them. Over the millennia that humankind has been around there have been thousands of religions making such extraordinary claims.

    Jesus Christ as manufactured within the pages of the New Testament is an amalgam of previous stories of similar individuals with similar life stories and attributes. Horus, Attis, Zoroaster, and Dionysus all share similar background and were most likely the source material for the writers of the New Testament from which they fabricated the story of Jesus.

    Which Christianity is Unique? There are around 33,820 denominations from which to choose, but choose carefully as many proclaim they are the only way to salvation.

    Christianity’s origins reveal it a product of a barbaric society. Human sacrifice, as in the central character, Jesus, as atonement for imagined sins against a ruthless God heralds thoughts of the ancient cultures which made human sacrifices to appease volcano Gods, or other Gods of disaster. It is also barbaric that anyone would accept such atonement. What kind of person would allow some innocent to take the punishment for crimes he/she committed. What a cowardly abandonment of self-responsibility! 

    What a sadistic monster the Christian God must be. Any father would be labeled an immoral monster if he allowed his son, even if he had a thousand sons, to be sliced and diced and hung on a tree for all to see. What a ridiculous concept!

    Why does modern society hold such barbaric concepts? No doubt for the same reason that millennia of peoples have been conned into participation. Death is something which all people have great anxiety about. The thought of “no more me” is an extremely sobering one. There are some people who will accept extraordinary unsubstantiated claims if it offers the solace of immortality.

    Christianity, like many religions before and during it’s existence, claims to be the “one true road” to heaven. Just like the existence of their God, or the Son of God, Jesus, the reality of heaven has yet to be substantiated either. So, without heaven, just where does the “one true road” lead? Mainly, it leads to a lifelong role of servitude. You serve the leader of your particular group and act on his/her desires, which incidentally always mirrors God’s will, and you become humbled, making a fine selfless worker.

    Conclusions:

    1.Christianity is one of thousands of man-made belief systems. It is not unique in that many of it’s concepts are of earlier origin.

    2.Christianity, like myriad belief systems before it, feeds on the fear of death.

    3.Christianity is more barbaric than many religions as it’s central figure is in essence a human sacrifice.

    4.There is absolutely no evidence substantiating the extraordinary claims of Christianity, including the lack of evidence that Jesus is anything more than myth.

  • The Separation of Church and State.

    Secularism:

    1. Religious skepticism or indifference.

    2. The view that religious considerations should be excluded from civil affairs or public education.

    A lot of Christians feel that if the Government is secular that it is atheist. This simply is not the case. Whenever someone makes the assertion that the Church and State must remain separate and secular, they are simply saying in effect, that the state must remain separate and neutral from religion.

    Our founding fathers came to America to escape the religious tyranny in Europe. In the United Kingdom the church ruled supreme, oppressing any contrary religious beliefs.

    In an effort to ensure that everyone would enjoy complete religious freedom, free from oppression, it was decided to declare the government and religion separate entities. The government was not to take part in the establishment of any religion and to refrain from interference in the practice thereof.

    Immediately Christians began a crusade that has lasted to this day of attempts to foil this concept of “Separation of Church and State”.

    Numerous attempts to make tax monies available for religious use have occurred. No sooner has one attempt been foiled than another is discovered. These blatant attempts having been foiled, the religious finally found another way to sneak around this prohibition. Government needs a certain amount of income to function, to supply essential services, and to run the legal system. The churches’ tax-exempt status removes it from the tax roles and sloughs the burden of taxation onto the individual citizen. In this way, everyone, religious or not, is forced to support your local church.

    This entanglement of religion and state must end. No tax monies of any kind should go to religious institutions no matter how noble the purpose, no matter how desperate the need. The tax-exempt status of the church needs to be abolished to relieve the burden of the individual tax-payer. If the tax-exempt status cannot be ended, then at the very least churches should be made to account for the expenditure of every last dime of donations, just as all other non-profit entities must now. The free ride of religious institutions must end.