I had this conversation with Jesus nine years ago now. I think it is worth reposting as so many people have a need for love in their lives but so few people know what love really entails. John
A Conversation with Jesus about Love
27 Oct 2024 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: hate, Jesus, love, passion, sex
Only God Can Save You!
17 Oct 2024 13 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: atheist, bible, christ, christianity, faith, God, heaven, hell, Jesus, love, religion, Spirituality
This past year marks my 41st Jesuit Silent Retreat. I may be the only Atheist at the retreat. Each year brings new insights and thoughts. I wonder if I have grown any during my retreats. I can’t say that I feel any closer to God, yours or theirs. I wonder if there is a God but I doubt it. I wonder if there are multiple Gods. A God for each religion. Is the Muslim God and the Catholic God and the Jewish God the same entity? Were the Romans, Greeks, Hindus and many others more on the mark with different Gods for different functions?
This year reading as I usually do many of the assigned Gospel readings and many other Gospel passages I was struck with how many of the old prophets emphasized the need to believe in God’s goodness. Only God can save us and we must have faith in God’s goodness. God has a plan for all of us if we will only listen to him or perhaps her. God knows what we need but we ignore his/her messages. Pray to God. Love God, for God loves us. He loves us so much that he sent his only “begotten” son (Not sure what a begotten son is) to save us.
Exodus 33:18-19 (NKJV)
“And he said, ‘Please, show me Your glory.’ Then He said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’”
Frankly, I still don’t get it. Many people have taken a shot at saving my soul, but I still don’t see any value in God. During the past five years, he/she has allowed Global Warming to destroy much of the climate that I once loved. He sent a scourge called Covid 19 to help ruin the last few years of my life. And to top it off, he allowed a low life called Trump to run for President again. I guess I am lost to the damnations of hell fire, but I still don’t see a God that is going to save me. If so, he/she is about 78 years past my patience.
C. S. Lewis was the great “converter.” The conversion of an Atheist to a Theist is an aphrodisiac for the devoted religious. I suppose it justifies their belief in a future fiction that requires a complete abandonment of reason and logic. A place called Heaven where we can all live happily ever after. Just as long as we are willing to listen to daily sermons about how good God is for us.
“[God] will not be used as a convenience. Men or nations who think they can revive the Faith in order to make a good society might just as well think they can use the stairs of heaven as a shortcut to the nearest chemist’s shop.” — C.S. Lewis
But “Only God Can Save You” has a ring of truth to it. No one on earth can save you from death. No one can be trusted to be by your side forever regardless of the consequences. Friends and lovers come and go like shadows in the night. One day someone loves you, the next day they hate you. One day someone is your friend, the next day they unfriend you on Facebook. Tragedy of tragedies. Loneliness is a Satan stalking all of us all of our lives. I would wager more people have committed suicide out of loneliness than any other reason on earth.
Psalm 107:8-9 (NKJV)
“Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul and fills the hungry soul with goodness.”
Only the concept or idea of an All Knowing, All Seeing, All Powerful and All Compassionate God can guarantee us that we will never be alone. Never be forgotten. Never be forsook. One popular song goes:
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone
This song was first written by Oscar Hammerstein II and composed by Richard Rodgers for their musical Carousel, which was released in the USA in 1945. It has since become one of the most popular funeral songs (Next to Amazing Grace) of all time. Many people interpret it to have faith. Faith in friends. Faith in lovers. Faith in a God who will always be with you in time of trials and tribulations. It is a song to give hope to people in time of grief and suffering.
But where does one find such a God? The Bible shows us at best an arbitrary God. Sometimes belligerent. Sometimes vindictive. Sometimes vengeful. Sometime cruel. A God that many of us see in the world wreaking havoc on humanity for any number of transgressions. From Sodom and Gomorrah to massive floods to sending his “Chosen people” into slavery. A God who threw Adam and Ever out of the Garden of Paradise because they dared eat an apple. A God who destroyed cities because they did not live up to his/her expectations. A God who sent a flood to wipe out humanity. This is a compassionate loving God?
Psalm 31:19 (NIV-84)
“How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.”
Or is it a God who feeds his people. A God who watches out for his Chosen ones. A God who rewards those who obey him/her. A God who destroys the enemies of those who worship him. A God who is loving, kind and compassionate. I wonder what God really is. Here are some questions that still nag at my Atheist beliefs.
- Do I think that I am smarter than all the wise and great people who believe in God?
- Who or what created us?
- What if there is a God? What does he/she think of me?
- What if there is no God?
- Is God simply a metaphor for “Unconditional Love?”
- Is God Death or Life or Both?
The Atheist by Martin Braun
Science defines my virtue.
Factual and fictional books are my domain.
Don’t speak to me of pixies, fairies, and unicorns,
Or of your monopoly on morality, love, faith, and shame.
I am what I am
And of what I do I claim my own.
I fight for my survival
Of which need not be told, judged or shown.
There is no all knowing
Or an immortal god of my fate he will judge.
For when my heart ceases to beat
It will return from whence it came, a kind of primordial sludge.
What if Jesus Ran for Office?
10 Aug 2024 1 Comment
in Uncategorized Tags: christianity, ethics, Jesus, morals, political-skullduggery, political-smearing, poltics-of-hate
A Political Play in One Act:
Place: A campaign headquarters somewhere in America. Two political campaign advisors sit discussing campaign strategy for their candidate:
Jake: A ten-year veteran of smear campaigns
Bryan: The head campaign manager for a Republican candidate for office
____________________________________________________________________
Jake: I hear the Democrats have nominated some guy named Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth. Sounds like a foreigner to me. Do we have anything on this guy?
Bryan: I had two aides dig up a bunch of stuff. This guy has a checkered background. I think we can really nail his ass to the cross. I have five major areas that I think we can get him on. Let’s go through them together and see what you think. We need to prioritize our attacks. Maybe start with the biggest ones first?
Jake: Yeah, the sooner we destroy his credibility the better. The more we can dump on him, the more he will drop in the polls. So, what have you got?
Bryan: Well first of all. He claims he is some sort of itinerant preacher who can heal the sick and raise the dead. But he does not have any theology training or any bona fide theology degrees. And he is practicing medicine without a license.
Jake: Beautiful. We will nail him for being a fake faith healer and being incompetent as well. Imagine preaching without a degree from a Bible College? As for the license thing, I have some friends in the FBI who can start an investigation and maybe even charge him with a felony for practicing medicine without an MD degree. What else have you got?
Bryan: This guys got a bunch of followers but one in particular named Judas would be willing to go on Fox News and denounce Jesus as a fake and hypocrite.
Jake: How much does he want?
Bryan: He says for only thirty pieces of silver, he can make Jesus look really bad.
Jake: Okay, we will run with that first. How about several ads with Judas talking about Jesus being a fake faith healer and not following his own advice. Let’s get them running as soon as possible before he builds up any momentum. The press will eat this up. Anything else?
Bryan: I was saving the best for last. You won’t believe this. He has a platform called “The Eight Beatitudes.” He wants to take from the rich and give to the poor. Some type of income redistribution. He says the “meek will inherit the earth.” This guy is obviously a Communist. He says a rich man will have less chance of getting to heaven than a camel would have of going through the eye of a needle. He tells story after story of rich people getting screwed.
Jake: Unbelievable. What is this guy a total idiot? Man, we will bury him with this. We will label him as “The Communist Candidate.” Has a ring to it. I will tell all of our Fox Media outlets that they need to start an “anti-communist” line on this Jesus guy just as soon as they can. I want radio, tv, podcasts describing how he plans to increase taxes on the rich and give it to the poor. The usual stuff we label Democrats with: More welfare queens; Tax and spend; Soft on crime. Does he say anything about crime?
Bryan: I hear he hangs around with prostitutes and pimps.
Jake: That’s great. We can bring up his anti-family values as well as coddling criminals. Any evidence he is screwing any of them?
Bryan: Some of our informants say that he has a girlfriend, but we don’t have any corroboration for that. He may be gay. He is not married, and he hangs around with a lot of young men.
Jake: See if we can follow up on the queer angle. Hanging around with young men sounds suspicious to me. Anything else Bryan? I think we have enough to go on with just what you have already. The key thing though is I would like to find more people who can testify what an asshole this Jesus really is. Find some people he didn’t cure or some rich people like Elon Musk who will condemn Jesus.
Bryan: One last thought. He may be an Anarchist. He talks about tearing the capital down and building it up again in three days. He also talks about changing the law.
Jake: OK, have someone follow him and get some good tapes of his talks. Spread some money around and see if anyone else will come forth with some juicy stories about this Jesus. I think he is dead already. Crucified by his own ideas and words. He won’t come back in three days; I can promise you that. Jesus is history.
The End
Some books on Jesus that you might like to read:
A Candid Conversation With God: What Do We Talk About?
24 Jul 2024 11 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: creation, free will, God, Jesus, love, muhammad, peace, prophets, talk
How does an atheist or agnostic talk to God? What do I call him or her? What about the irony or would it be hypocrisy of an atheist talking to God? I guess if I can be an agnostic, you can understand or dismiss my conversation as the musings of a man sitting on the proverbial fence. Someone who wants to hedge his bets “just in case.” However, even an atheist might want to hedge his bets. (Listen to the song “Word of God Speak”- Mercy Me with Lyrics (High Quality)
So what do I talk to God about? The meaning of life? When will the world end? How can we eliminate evil in the world? The weather? Sports? TV? Movies? What could I talk about that would keep his interest? What if God is a her? Would the same things interest her as him?
John: Dear God, I am not doing much today, so I thought maybe we could have a little talk.
God: I’m kind of busy, will it take long?
John: Uhn, I dunno. Got fifteen minutes?
God: I guess so. Who do you want saved?
John: No one I can think of. I know a lot of people I would like to send to hell.
God: I don’t do that. Talk to Satan.
John: Just kidding. Thought you might have a sense of humor.
God: If I didn’t, I would not have created humans.
John: Good point. So why did you create us?
God: For the hell of it. (Laughs)
John: Good one God. But really, what was your purpose in creating humans?
God: If you really want to know, it was kind of an experiment. In the entire universe, I was the only sentient being. I wondered what would happen if I created a whole bunch of sentient beings and put them in one place. So I created stars, planets, the solar system, earth and all the things that you would need to satisfy your emotional and intellectual needs. I then created humans and let you grow and develop.
John: You mean you never interfered or interceded on our behalf?
God: Well, sometimes. I like to speed things up a bit, so I sent some prophets and a few demagogues.
John: So you sent Jesus and Buddha and Mohammed and Abraham?
God: Nope, just Jesus and Mohammed.
John: What about Hitler?
God: Nope
John: So who created Hitler and where is he now?
God: You created Hitler and he is now in Hell.
John: Where is Hell?
God: For Hitler, it is a land ruled by Jews.
John: Is that your idea of justice or is it vengeance?
God: Justice is where kindness and compassion and love flourish. Hitler will someday come to appreciate the Jewish people. I don’t do vengeance. It throws the entire universe out of kilter.
John: So you mean, we can all get to Heaven some day?
God: Only if you want to.
John: Since we don’t have much time, I would like to be very candid with you.
God: So?
John: Well, you really made a mess with the earth and humanity. Have you bothered to look at the earth and see the wars, poverty, disease, crime, injustice, famine and misery that you have created?
God: You people. You always want to blame someone else.
John: Who more than you? You are All Knowing and All Powerful. Yet you sit up there and laugh at the human race or perhaps worse, you take pleasure in our misery.
God: I never said I was all powerful or all knowing. I told Moses I always was and always will be, but I never said anything about omniscience or omnipotence. You created those myths with your stories and desires; always hoping that someone like Superman or some super-hero will get you out of the shit that you create for yourselves.
John: People look up to you. They pray to you. They sacrifice lambs and goats for you. They build altars for you.
God: Yes, and they fight for me. They kill for me. They wage war in my name. They pray that I will protect them and destroy their enemies. They pray for their relatives and ask for death for their neighbors in the next state or next town or next country.
John: Are you blaming people for praying for these things?
God: Have you not heard that I gave people free will?
John: Free will for what? To kill and maim and scourge and rape and destroy? Is that supposed to be some kind of a blessing?
God: I meant to give humans a choice. Maybe I made a mistake. I never told anyone that I was infallible. I have toyed with destroying the entire human race and trying something else, but nothing really comes to mind. How could I create a race of sentient beings and not give them free will? Should I have created a race of puppets or robots? Say the word and I will destroy your entire planet and all the people on it! It is really a very small thing to do in terms of creativity and imagination.
John: Please, don’t put that on me! I don’t want that decision on my shoulders. I thought maybe you would have some better ideas.
God: Well, if you think of any, let me know. I have things to do now and I need to end this conversation.
John: One last question. Are you planning to send any more prophets? I think we need some help down here.
God: Each time I sent one, you listen for a while and then you somehow change the message back to what you want to hear or what you want to do. The Ten Commandments become the two “maybe” Commandments. The Eight Beatitudes become the 
eight “Would be nice to do” but they are kind of impractical. The Eight Fold Path becomes “I don’t have time.” The Six Articles of Faith become a prescription for Jihad. You have a propensity for converting the words of the prophets I have sent into formulas for bigotry and intolerance. Nevertheless, when I can, I will continue to send more prophets and messengers. Keep in mind; they will all say the same thing: “Love One Another.”
John: Well, thanks for your time God, and Merry Christmas.
God: Merry Christmas to you John, but I don’t do Santa.
Time for Questions:
Do you ever speak to God? Does he answer? Is God a he or she? Does it matter? Do you get the answers you need from God? Do you think God should wipe out the human race and start over? Why or why not? Did God screw things up with “Free Will?”
Life is just beginning.
“In the beginning..
when ray and day hadn’t yet come into existence at all,
there was a kind of radiance that illuminates universe.
That radiance is the light of knowledge and goodness.
That radiance will persistently and consistently shine brightly
even after all the stars and moons in this vast universe die out.”
― Toba Beta,
My Final Will and Testament – Scriptures – Reflection #10
07 Jun 2024 Leave a comment
in Uncategorized Tags: bible, charity, christianity, faith, God, greed, Jesus, peace
Last year at my 40th Demontreville Retreat, one of the exercises that we were given by the Retreat Master included a very challenging set of thoughts. The worksheet for the activity was labeled as “A Testament.” I took the worksheet and instructions home with me. It had fourteen tasks or reflections to complete. I did not desire to complete them during the retreat. It is now almost a year since my retreat, and I have decided to make the mental and emotional effort necessary to complete this “Testament.”
The worksheet started with these instructions:
Imagine that this is the last day of your life on earth. In the time that you have left, you want to leave a “Testament” for your family and friends. Each of the following could serve as chapter headings for your “Testament.” This is Reflection Number 10 on the worksheet.
- These are the Scripture Texts that have touched and helped me.
My being an Atheist some people might think that I would have a hard time with finding Scriptures that have touched me. In truth, it is one of the easiest reflections for me to think about. I have so many wonderful parables from the New Testament and many proverbs and wisdom from the Old Testament that I use to guide my life and decisions. I see the Bible as another source of great wisdom that has been compiled over the ages. It is a combination of history, storytelling and profound thoughts compiled into one large book. I do not view the Bible as infallible or “The Word of God” unless I use that interpretation very loosely. If there is a God, perhaps he does reside in all of us and all of us are “Children of God.”
In 1775, Thomas Paine wrote a short essay criticizing slavery and reflecting on “Pretended” Christians who could support such a practice. His words were:
“to catch inoffensive people, like wild beasts, for slaves, is a height of outrage against humanity and justice, that seems left by heathen nations to be practiced by ‘pretended’ Christians.” — African Slavery in America, 1775
Today we have a system that seems somewhat analogous to the system of “Pretended Christians” that Thomas Paine described 250 years ago. “Pretended Christians” who can support a man and party that attacks, insults, abuses, and maligns minorities, immigrants, women, disabled people, and veterans. A man who swears vengeance against the people who disagree with his policies. A man who pays no attention to Scripture which says:
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good.” — Romans 12:19-21 King James Version
Many of the people insulted by this man continue to feel that he is some sort of Christian Savior. A man who will restore Christianity as the Mother Religion of America. A position for religion that not one of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, our Founding Fathers either desired or supported. We have a country full of people who want to call America a Christian nation but who neither practice nor believe in one iota of what Jesus of Nazareth taught and died for. We have a nation full of “Pretended Christians.” I do not pretend to be a Christian or a Saint or a Holy Man. God (If he/she exists) save me from these “Pretended Hypocritical Christians.”
The following are four of the scripture quotes that have had the most influence on my life. I will briefly describe the impact that each has had on my thoughts and behaviors.
- What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world but suffer the loss of his own soul? — Matthew 16:26
The first Jesuit retreat that I did at Demontreville in 1984, upon entering the grounds I saw the larger-than-life sized statue of Saint Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit Order. He stands on a large concrete pedestal. I was forty years old at the time and just finishing my Ph.D. degree. I was hungry for fame and fortune and success. During the retreat, I walked up to the statue and discovered the words “What doth it profit a man if he gain the whole world but suffer the loss of his own soul?’ written on the base of the pedestal. These words are perhaps the most profound words I have ever heard in my life. I went back several times during the retreat to read and reflect on these words. Over the past forty years or so, despite these words being etched in my brain, I always go to see the statue of St. Ignatius and silently repeat these words to myself several times.
My first visit to these words did not stop me from chasing what some call the elusive gods of fame and fortune. Over the years, my chasing has become less vigorous, but the goal posts still exist in my mind. Part of me longs to carry the football over the goal line and to hear the roar of the crowd and bask in shouts of “hurrah” and “you’re the greatest.” The fortune part has never really mattered as much to me as the adulation and recognition that I still thirst for. Thus, every year that I go back to Demontreville, (this will be my 41st retreat), I will make my pilgrimage to the statue to restore my commitment to the fact that fame and fortune are no substitute for the real nutrients that nurture the soul. No amount of fame and fortune can substitute for integrity, compassion, kindness and charity towards others.
- Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. — Matthew 6:34
Another phrase from the teachings of Jesus as marked down by Matthew. Throughout history, this same thought has been voiced by most of the great prophets, thinkers and philosophers. “Live each day one moment at a time.” “Live in the now.” “Be mindful of today.” Doing so is akin to walking a tightrope. It requires a sense of balance. We must plan for the future, but we must also live one day at a time. How to find that balance is a Herculean task. A second Herculean task is maintaining our balance. These two tasks are by far more difficult in the modern world than slaying the Nemean lion or capturing the Cretan bull. Hercules managed to complete 12 very difficult tasks. I have yet to manage completing even one of my two challenges. I suppose I will be working on “Living in the Now” for the rest of my days.
- Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity. — Ecclesiastes 1
The Book of Ecclesiastes is reported to have been written by King Solomon. Solomon as you know was one of the wisest men in history. He was granted wisdom by God because Solomon did not ask for fame or fortune.
“And God said to Solomon: Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked for long life; but you have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king.” — (2 Chronicles 1:11-12 NKJV)
Buddhism, Advaita, Zen and other religions talk about the major problem that leads to all of humanities other problems being what psychologists call our Ego. Solomon called it vanity. Some might call it self-conceit, narcissism, self-centeredness, self-absorption, me-ism or egotism. Its all the same. People become the center of the universe. I saw a sign the other day that read “When I am not the center of the universe, people become human.” This is another difficult battle to overcome. We can focus only on our own needs or desires, or we can expand our awareness to notice the needs and desires of other people.
The Eight Beatitudes given by Jesus in his famous Sermon on the Mount are the greatest exposition of our responsibility to other people that has ever been written. Jesus elucidated what are called the Eight Beatitudes. I will not list them all as they are easy to find on Google. These eight thoughts clearly define how we should treat other people. I often wonder why so many “Pretended Christians” want to put up the 10 Commandments from the Old Testament, when their Jesus gave them the 8 Beatitudes to obey. I have actually read that many “Evangelicals” believe that the 8 Beatitudes are wimpy. The lack of respect for the man that founded Christianity is beyond belief.
I try ever day to remember that I am not the center of the universe. The world does not revolve around me. For every one of my rights, there is a responsibility. I need to look out for others and to help those in need, be they gay, women, immigrants, minorities or even right-wing bigots. They are all part of the human race. To paraphrase Ben Franklin, “Either we all work together for a better world, or we shall surely all perish together in ways that none of us desire.”
- It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go to heaven. — Mark 10:25
My friend Kwame says that we should be grateful that we are not rich. Money is a corrupting influence. It is somewhat like a drug. It is addictive. The more you get the more you want. The more you have the more you need. Another friend of mine whom I met in China told me before we left Shanghai in 1989 that we were rich. I explained that we were not rich, but very middle class. In fact, we were definitely not even upper middle class. Xibo said, “you are rich to us in China. You have nice house, and you can afford to travel to distant countries.” Xibo’s comments were very accurate, and they had the effect of making me realize just how selfish I often am. I am bemoaning my mundane middle-class status when to most of the rest of the world, I am regarded as rich. Never mind regarded. I am rich to possibly 90 percent of the world.
I am told by biblical interpreters that Jesus never said “rich people were bad” or that rich people could not go to heaven. What Jesus did say and used many parables to illustrate the fact was that it would be hard for rich people to get to heaven. Money is a heavy load to carry, and it corrupts. Lord Acton said that “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The same can be said of money, “Money corrupts, and excessive money corrupts excessively.”
Regard the quest for money in the USA today. Everyone wants more than they have. We worry about Inflation, about immigrants stealing our jobs, about the Chinese sending too many products to us. On the other hand, billions of dollars are now spent on people trying to get rich quick through pull-tabs, lotteries, online gambling and now sports betting. The mania for money is fueled by the incessant celebrities, media influencers and TV shows touting the “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.” The airwaves, newspapers, Internet and all of our media are full of non-stop advertising. “Shop till you drop” should be the title of a song or at least put on the US dollar bill right under George Washington’s picture.
To be mindful of what I have I keep repeating this thought in my head. ‘It is easier for the camel than the rich man to get to heaven.” By the way, I do not believe in heaven or hell but I take it metaphorically that it is better for the human race if I try to be the camel and not rich and greedy.
Next Reflection:
- These are things that I Regret about my life.
My Final Will and Testament – Sufferings – Reflection #7
22 May 2024 3 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: bible, christianity, faith, Jesus, suffering
Last year at my 40th Demontreville Retreat, one of the exercises that we were given by the Retreat Master included a very challenging set of thoughts. The worksheet for the activity was labeled as “A Testament.” I took the worksheet and instructions home with me. It had fourteen tasks or reflections to complete. I did not desire to complete them during the retreat. It is now almost a year since my retreat, and I have decided to make the mental and emotional effort necessary to complete this “Testament.”
The worksheet started with these instructions:
Imagine that this is the last day of your life on earth. In the time that you have left, you want to leave a “Testament” for your family and friends. Each of the following could serve as chapter headings for your “Testament.”
7. These are the Sufferings that have seasoned me and made me more compassionate.
How to start talking about Sufferings without sounding like a whinny spoiled brat? Sure, I have had some downs, and I will mention them. But my life has not been anywhere near the life that I know other people have lived. In my 77 years on this earth, I have met people who have been through unimaginable and unspeakable sufferings. If anything has made me more compassionate, it is listening to their stories. Let me just tell you one that I recently encountered.
A week or so ago, I had a substitute teaching job for the JROTC program at our local high school. I looked forward to this work since the kids who take this program are usually UBER well-behaved. JROTC is a program staffed by Marine personnel with the blessing of the school administration. When I arrived, the full-time teacher was away but there was another staff member. He was a retired Marine Corp NCO. I will call him Nick but that is not his real name. Nick was missing a leg. He had served in the Gulf Wars and been hit with an IED or Improvised Explosive Device. He spent several months in a VA hospital but finished his tour of duty and retired from the Marine Corp.
Nick suffered from many other injuries and also had a form of degenerative MS which was slowly killing him. We talked most of the day as you can imagine two veterans would do. Nick had a family and two children. I met one of his kids and was impressed by her closeness with her dad, something I never experienced with my daughter. Despite his disabilities, Nick claimed no special privileges in life. He was positive and happy to be alive. He enjoyed working with the schoolchildren and trying to make a difference in their lives. Throughout the day, I detected not one bit of remorse or self-pity on Nick’s part.
When I left home at 18 and joined the military, I resolved never to blame my parents for anything I would experience in life. I was now an adult. It did not matter that I had an abusive father growing up or that I often felt like a “motherless” child. I was now an adult and my destiny in life was in my own hands.
I experienced suffering when I caught my first wife in bed with a co-worker and she wanted to leave me for him. I experienced suffering for nearly twenty years when my only daughter did not want to speak with me. She was married twice, and I was not invited to either wedding. She had two grandchildren whom I have only seen maybe three or four times in the last thirty years. I have improved my relationship with my daughter somewhat over the past five years. She and I get together for lunch each time I come back to Minnesota.
Am I a very happy person? Most of my friends would probably say no. My sufferings though are mostly self-inflicted. My thoughts on the life that I should have lived haunt me. Try as I might I can’t let go of the things I fucked up in this world. I can’t even forget the teacher in the third grade who told me to, “Shut my mouth and stop singing.” Seventy years later and it feels like if I try to sing, something awful will happen to me. I would rather jump off of a cliff than sing a note.
A number of years ago, I had a job which required me to do some collections from overdue purchasers of various products. I did a car repo, and I did not feel too bad about it since I thought, “Why should anyone have a brand-new car if they could not make the payments?” At this point in my life, I was still just scrapping by financially. I had never had anything more than a ten-year-old vehicle. I was still buying cars from the junk yard as well as used tires from the junk yard.
One day, I had to go out to do a repo on a guy who bought a TV set and was not making his payments. I went to the poor section of town and walked up to the address I had been given. It looked like maybe a three-room small bungalow. The yard was gated, and I looked for a dog. Not seeing any, I opened the gate and walked up to the front door. There was a screen door. The main door was open, and I could see into the house. I knocked loudly on the door as there was no doorbell. I could see a living room and a kitchen. Out of the kitchen, a large man started coming to the door. As he drew closer, I could see he had no legs. He was missing both legs and was walking with two crutches. He asked me what I wanted. I hesitated and then answered “Sorry, I must have the wrong house.” I went back to my office and quit the same day. I figured he needed the TV more than my company needed the money. I could not do a job that required me to take from poor people what little they had in life.
These are some of the sufferings that try men’s souls and women’s as well. In some sense, they are also our sufferings. John Donne (1572-1631) wrote, “For thee Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls.” The sufferings of humanity are all of our responsibilities.
My years working as an AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) counselor taught me that while I might have one or two things to cause me suffering, many other people have three, four, five or more problems. I cannot begin to describe all the inhumanity that I saw reflected in the lives of my clients. And then you have the “financially responsible politicians” who demand that many of these people get a job if they are going to receive welfare. A whole cadre of human beings who disparage and denigrate the less fortunate as “welfare queens, free loaders, leeches and parasites.” Many so-called Christians who forget the words of Jesus, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” — Mark 10:21:
So that’s all Folks. My life has been a breeze. My friend Kwame always says that he is blessed. I never use that word, but I suppose I have been blessed. I have good health. I have a great wife. I have enough money to pay my bills and go on a vacation each year. My only sufferings in life now are watching so many of my friends and relatives pass away. I fear I might be the last man standing in a world that I feel increasingly alienated from.
Next Reflection:
- These are the Lessons that life has taught me.
My Final Will and Testament – Insights – Reflection #5
18 May 2024 4 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: democracy, faith, hope, insight, Jesus, kindness, life, love, Marx, peace, progress
Last year at my 40th Demontreville Retreat, one of the exercises that we were given by the Retreat Master included a very challenging set of thoughts. The worksheet for the activity was labeled as “A Testament.” I took the worksheet and instructions home with me. It had fourteen tasks or reflections to complete. I did not desire to complete them during the retreat. It is now almost a year since my retreat, and I have decided to make the mental and emotional effort necessary to complete this “Testament.”
The worksheet started with these instructions:
Imagine that this is the last day of your life on earth. In the time that you have left, you want to leave a “Testament” for your family and friends. Each of the following could serve as chapter headings for your “Testament.”
5. These are ten of the greatest Insights that I have gained in the School of Life.
Friends are like flowers:
I have realized that friends are like flowers. They grow, they bloom and then some of them wither away over time. Some friends are like Perennials. They live for more than two years. They grow back each year as we renew them. They may bloom for many seasons. Over and over again. Other friendships are more like Annuals. Annuals have a much more limited life cycle. Sometimes, they are over in less than a year. They are beautiful when they last but somehow they are never destined for longevity.
Cowards die many times before their deaths:
A line from Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” that I have used my entire life to remind me that fear can be death. Fear can stop us from trying new things, going to new places and enjoying life. True, fear is a warning. However, fear can also be paralyzing. You have heard it said that some people are afraid of their shadows. As we get older, life closes in on us. Unless we can keep pushing back the boundaries, we will end up in a coffin long before it is our time.
Live for today. Take one day at a time:
So easy to say. So hard to do. All the great prophets in history have given paeans to the virtue of living one day at a time. Jesus said “”Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”— Mathew, 6:34. Buddha said, “Don’t get caught in the past, because the past is gone. Do not get upset about the future, because the future is not yet here. There is only one moment for you to be alive, and that is the present moment.” — Knowing the Better Way to Live Alone. The Muslim preacher, Hasan al-Basri said, “The world is three days: Yesterday, with all that was in it, has gone. Tomorrow, you may never see it. As for today, it is yours, so work on it.” There are many more admonitions to live in the moment. Still, easier said than done.
I wake up making my lists each day. I plan some of them one week, one month, and even years out. Will those days ever come? The older I get, the less likely it is that a ten-year plan will ever come to fruition. It makes sense to live in the moment. Except, what about the grasshopper and the ants? They stored up grain for the future, while the grasshopper fiddled and danced. Who starved? A good friend of mine complains that it is not fair that state parks and other such venues do not operate on a first come first served basis. Today, if you do not plan for the future, you may not get a campground. Not planning for a future can mean even more dire prospects than not getting a campsite. It might mean not having any retirement money. It might mean not having any resources for health care and other necessities. There must be a balance between living for today and planning for tomorrow. Does anyone know a sure fire way to find that balance? Here is what ChatGPT said in response to my query:
Balancing living for today and planning for tomorrow can be a delicate act, but it is achievable with mindful practices and habits. Here are some strategies that can help:
Set Clear Goals: Define your long-term goals and break them down into smaller, manageable steps. This helps you focus on the present while keeping an eye on the future.
Prioritize Your Time: Make a list of your daily activities and prioritize them based on importance and urgency. This ensures you are spending time on what matters most, both for today and for your future.
Practice Mindfulness: Mindfulness techniques, such as meditation and deep breathing, can help you stay present and enjoy the moment without constantly worrying about the future.
Create a Balanced Schedule: Allocate specific times for work, relaxation, hobbies, and social activities. This ensures that you are enjoying life now while also dedicating time to your future goals.
Financial Planning: Save and invest wisely to secure your future, but also set aside some money for leisure and experiences that bring you joy today.
Stay Flexible: Life is unpredictable, and plans may change. Being adaptable allows you to enjoy the present while being prepared for future changes.
Reflect Regularly: Take time to reflect on your progress and adjust your plans as needed. Regular reflection helps you stay aligned with your goals and make necessary changes.
Seek Balance in Health: Take care of your physical and mental health through regular exercise, a balanced diet, and sufficient rest. Good health enables you to enjoy the present and ensures longevity.
Enjoy Small Moments: Find joy in everyday moments and appreciate the present. Whether it’s a walk in the park, a good meal, or time with loved ones, these moments are valuable.
Continuous Learning: Invest in your personal and professional growth by learning new skills and acquiring knowledge. This not only prepares you for the future but also enriches your present life.
By integrating these practices, you can create a harmonious balance between living in the moment and planning for the future.
It took ChatGPT all of about one minute to come up with the above list. Pretty amazing isn’t it. I only wish I were as smart as she/he is.
Kindness is more important than knowledge:
This is a lesson that has taken me many years to learn. “Chicken Soup for the Soul” was a pivotal event in my life. The stories started me thinking more about kindness and less about acquiring a great deal of knowledge. I once thought that knowledge was everything. Knowledge was the path to virtue according to the Bible. Knowledge was power according to Sir Thomas Hobbes. Knowledge comes from a different place than kindness. Knowledge is necessary to make a living, but kindness is necessary to make a life. A human being must be more than just a collection of ideas and theories. We must be able to show compassion and empathy for other human beings and other creatures. Kindness will make more of a difference to the world than the Encyclopedia Britannica ever did.
We do not age like a fine wine, we age like bananas:
Whoever came up with the trope about aging and fine wine must never have grown old. The older I get, the more wizened I get. My wine is getting moldy. My face is getting wrinkled. Like an aging banana, I now am getting more and more black spots on my skin. Nobody throws a fine old wine away, but in a few years, just like a rotten old banana, my carcass will be disposed of. I am softer and mushy now. I once was firm and hard. Who likes a mushy old banana?
Don’t rely on Hope:
Hope may spring eternal in the human breast but hope never accomplished anything. It takes effort to make a life. It takes effort to go to work every day. It takes effort to do anything worth being done. You can hope your life away. Hope is a seasoning for life. You can season the meat, but you must then cook it. Hope can help you to have faith that you can change the world, but hope is not enough to get the job done. Patrick Henry spoke about “hugging the delusive phantom of hope.”
You can hope to win the lottery but unless you buy a lottery ticket, you have no chance of winning the jackpot. Hope can be a motivator, but running the 100-meter dash of life takes moving your legs to get to the finish line. Keep hope in perspective but don’t let hope become your whole life.
Life is about trying to make a difference:
We wake up each morning and what do we do? We say a prayer maybe. Maybe we have breakfast. We take a shower. We write a few lines. We go to work. What is the purpose of our life? If it is not to make a difference in the world, I don’t know what it is for. Is it simply to live another day? Is it just to have fun? “God Forbid” to quote Patrick Henry again. If the meaning of our lives is not to make a difference in the world, I don’t know what we exist for.
Sadly, we may never know if we make a difference. We are not born with a difference gauge that tells us which of our efforts is the most effective. Faith can make a difference here. Mother Teresa was once challenged by a reporter who asked her, “How do you know you are making any difference with all your poverty and charity work?” Mother Teresa replied, “I am not called upon to make a difference, I am called upon to have faith.” Faith guides us down the path of hope but we must be propelled by a desire to see a better world if not for ourselves than for our children.
Progress is made by people, ideas, and technology:
There are many theories of human progress. Karl Marx believed that materialism was the prime motivator and engine for change. “The essential condition for the existence, and for the sway of the bourgeois class, is the formation and augmentation of capital; the condition for capital is wage-labor.” — The Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx. Despite the fact that Marx has been refuted more times than I can count, his problem came not from his perspective, it came from his limitations of perspective. He was not able to see the difference that ideas, people, and technology could and do make on the world.
The argument as to which drives progress is really a chicken and egg dilemma. Or maybe it is more like a giant Mobius strip. Great men come up with great ideas which create great technology which creates new material goods which lead to new leaders who have new ideas for more progress. Around and around we go, but we always remain in one plane. A Möbius strip is a one-sided surface with no boundaries that looks like an infinite loop. Progress comes from going around and around and around. All the elements of the universe help motivate us around this single plane.
Whatever can be done, can also be undone:
The pundits are telling us that if Trump gets reelected he will abandon and even destroy all the foundations for democracy that still exist in the USA. His first attempt at doing so fell short but together with his minions, he will take another shot at it. Americans are deluded into thinking that democracy is indestructible.
Democracy is a set of ideas which when put into action creates a system of government. Sometimes this system works very well but often it is dysfunctional. Democracy has no guarantee of success if people no longer believe in the set of ideas that defined their democracy. There are only twenty or so true democracies in the world today out of over 180 different governments. “The Economist Democracy Index rates countries on the state of their governing system each year. In the latest published edition, corresponding to the year 2022, only 24 countries in the world have been rated as ‘full democracies’, representing 8% of the world’s population.” — The State of Democracy, April 2023
It is by no means inevitable that democracies will be created in the world or that they will be sustained. History has shown us over and over again that great empires fall, and democracies may not survive. Human beings seem to have an equal propensity to favor authoritarian governments as they do democratic governments. Recent events in the USA cannot be denied. America is full of people who do not believe in democracy and who would favor a tyrant and bully like Trump being elected for life.
Love surpasses everything:
If making a difference is the ultimate purpose of life than love is the ultimate meaning of life. We often love not too well and not too wisely, but love is the soul of our existence. Deprive humans of love and you deprive humans of the only thing that really matters in this world. A lonely life is one that saddens all of us. How many people live such lives? What can we do to help others who are not loved or who cannot share love with others? If we can stop manufacturing bombs and bullets to murder others, we might be able to work towards creating a world based on love. We may have faith and we may have hope, but unless we mix the ingredients for love and share them with others, love will remain only a dream.
Next Reflection:
6. These are the Risks I took.
My Final Will and Testament – Convictions – Reflection #3
12 May 2024 4 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: beliefs, bible, closed minded, conviction, convictions, faith, God, ideas, Jesus, open minded, opinions, theories
Last year at my 40th Demontreville Retreat, one of the exercises that we were given by the Retreat Master included a very challenging set of thoughts. The worksheet for the activity was labeled as “A Testament.” I took the worksheet and instructions home with me. It had fourteen tasks or reflections to complete. I did not desire to complete them during the retreat. It is now almost a year since my retreat, and I have decided to make the mental and emotional effort necessary to complete this “Testament.”
I am going to complete one or two reflections every other day for the next few weeks. I would love it if you would do these tasks along with me. If you would like to share your thoughts, that would be great, but I am not expecting anyone to do so. I would like to know if you find any benefit in completing these activities.
The worksheet started with these instructions:
Imagine that this is the last day of your life on earth. In the time that you have left, you want to leave a “Testament” for your family and friends. Each of the following could serve as chapter headings for your “Testament.”
- These are the Convictions that I have lived by.
I do not like the sound of the word Convictions. I think I have lived by too many Convictions in my life. There are of course two somewhat very different meanings that can be attached to this word. Dictionary.com provides the following two definitions. Let us look at these for a second.
- A formal declaration that someone is guilty of a criminal offense, made by the verdict of a jury or the decision of a judge in a court of law: “She had a previous conviction for a similar offense”
- A firmly held belief or opinion: “She takes pride in stating her political convictions”
Regarding the definitions, one can see where a person might have some anxieties about the first association of Conviction with jail and prison. I assure you that this is not where my anxiety comes from. I am pretty sure it stems from the second definition. “A firmly held belief.” When I look back upon my life, I have had too many firmly held beliefs. Behind my back, I know that I have been called “A know it all” many times. I am still a very opinionated person as any of my readers can probably attest. However, I would like to think that seldom if ever do I get into robust arguments any more with other people. I even gave up trying to convince Trump supporters who include veterans, evangelicals, businesspeople, college graduates, relatives, and friends that Trump is a total scumbag with no morality or ethics.
I am trying hard to find any Convictions now that I am so dedicated to that I let them rule my life. All of the great quotes, aphorisms, metaphors, analogies, theories, and ideas that I know of would fill an old encyclopedia Britannica. But not one that I can think of would I waste five minutes defending. I think that there are pro’s and con’s to everything in life. For every up there is a down. For every night, there is a day. For every light, there is a dark. For every right, there is a wrong. Perhaps, Ecclesiastes comes as close to a Conviction as I want to live with today.
“For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise, just as with the fool, seeing that both will be forgotten in the days to come. Alas, the wise man will die just like the fool! So, I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. For everything is futile and a pursuit of the wind.” — Ecclesiastes 2
Is the above a Conviction or is it simply a belief? Not sure it even matters. Everything we do is blowing in the wind.
One story I like very much was told by OSHO about a mighty king who died. This King believed that he was the greatest King on earth and also that he was the greatest King who ever lived. The King died and found himself in the realm of the Golden Mountains. These mountains were higher than the Himalayans and more vast than the entire Asian continent. Here the King met the Caretaker of the mountains. The Caretaker gave the King a magic pen and told him that he could write his name in the mountains. This was permitted because he was a mighty King. A few days later the King came back to the Caretaker and complained, “I have walked for many miles through the Golden Mountains and everywhere I went to sign my name, some other person had already signed their name. Who are all these people?” The Caretaker replied, “These are all the other mighty Kings before you who died.”
- “Convictions are more dangerous foes of truth than lies.”
- “Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions.”
- “Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.”
I would rather live by a set of virtues and values than a set of convictions.
Next Reflection:
- These are the things that I have lived for.
What is a Humanitarian?
19 Nov 2023 9 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: aid, black friday, christ, consumerism, greed, humanitarian, humanity, Jesus, love, money
It is not unusual to hear someone refer to the need for more humanity. We often hear about “Calls” for humanitarian needs. But what does it mean to exercise humanity? What are our humanitarian needs? Who is a real humanitarian? Should we all strive to be humanitarians? Can you get a diploma or a degree in humanitarianism? My Google AI program gave me the following definition for a “humanitarian”:
“A humanitarian is a person who is concerned with the welfare of others. They may work to improve the happiness and health of people. Humanitarians can be volunteers or paid employees.”
The last few years in the USA, Humanitarians and humanitarianism seem to be in scarce supply. More people are concerned with how much they can buy and the fact that “Black Friday” is fast approaching than they are with improving the happiness and health of other people. I find it very confusing that a large portion of Americans claim that the USA is a Christian Nation or that it should be. My reading of the Bible gives me a different understanding of what a Christian is and how they behave. Recently, I discovered the term “Cultural Christians.” A “Cultural Christian” is a Christian by birth. Someone who is born into a family of Christians or is baptized into a Christian denomination shortly after their birth.
Calling upon my AI program again, a “Cultural Christian” is defined as, “Someone who identifies as a Christian but doesn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus.” In other words, a Cultural Christian does not have a clue as to the teachings of Jesus Christ or any other Christian prophet, Saint, or proselytizer. Ironic isn’t it that many of these same people call on the name of Jesus to save them. I suspect that if Jesus were alive today, he would ask them to repent before they went to hell. A song (You Don’t Love God If You Don’t Love Your Neighbor) that I recently heard by Rhonda Vincent has the following lines:
There are many people, who will say they’re Christians
And they live like Christians on the Sabbath day
But come Monday morning, till the coming Sunday
They will fight their neighbor all along the way
Oh, you don’t love God
If you don’t love your neighbor.
Two thousand years ago, the Roman Empire started its decline after having been the greatest empire that the world had yet seen. Many historians point to the decadence of the Roman Empire during its decline. “Decadence” is defined by the Oxford On-Line Dictionary as, “Moral or cultural decline as characterized by excessive indulgence in pleasure or luxury.” The Romans had their “Bread and Circuses.” The Oxford Dictionary defines “Bread and Circuses” as, “A diet of entertainment or political policies on which the masses are fed to keep them happy and docile.” For many, football and politics are the bread and circuses or our American Empire. I think the rot and decay in America today goes much deeper than that. Here is my list of some of the decadence that I see in the USA today:
- Excessive consumerism and a frenzy to have bigger and bigger stuff
- Excessive shopping till we drop, more and more stuff
- Excessive eating leading to mega levels of obesity in America
- Excessive time spent watching TV, movies, and other entertainment
- Obsession with sports and team affiliation from grade school to the NFL
- Excessive casino gambling
- Pull tabs, scratch offs, lotteries
- Drugs and alcohol addiction
- Greed and more greed. Forever, cutting taxes so the greedy can have even more and the poor and needy can have even less
- And now we have added “On-line Sports Betting.”
You Don’t Love God If You Don’t Love Your Neighbor
If you gossip about him, if you never have mercy
If he gets into trouble, and you don’t try to help him
Then you don’t love your neighbor
The more I write this blog, the more I think of the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah constantly called upon the Israelites to turn away from their wicked ways and dependence upon idols and false gods and return to God. For his troubles, Jeremiah was stoned to death. But Jeremiah did more than just rail against sin and evil. He also tried to give hope to his countrymen. He promised that a “New Covenant” was coming to all those who followed God’s laws. This covenant would supersede the old Mosaic Covenant. Instead of inscribing his law upon tablets of stone as in the Mosaic Covenant, God would write his law upon the hearts of men. Jesus said at the last supper, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” — (Luke 22:20)
In the holy Bible, in the book of Matthew
Read the 18th chapter in the 21st verse
Jesus plainly tells us that we must have mercy
There’s a special warning in the 35th verse
Oh, you don’t love God
If you don’t love your neighbor
If you gossip about him, if you never have mercy
If he gets into trouble, and you don’t try to help him
Then you don’t love your neighbor
And you don’t love God.
You may well ask, Well “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus answered this question in his story about the Good Samaritan. Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:29–37) and makes it clear in this parable that our neighbor is anyone around us, regardless of their ethnic, religious, or socio-economic status. I have a T-Shirt that I like which reads, “God Bless Everyone: No Exceptions.” I have had many people come up to me and tell me how much they like this blessing.
I have another T-Shirt where I list the “No Exceptions” groups that somehow seem to be conveniently overlooked by many Cultural Christians. The major fallacy that many Christians seem to observe is to define their neighbors as either someone in their own church or in their own social group. When Jesus included the Samaritans who were an outcast group at the time as his neighbors, this should have made it clear that you must go beyond your tribe or friends to include other nations, other ethnicities, other religions, and other people with different beliefs as your neighbor.
There’s a God Almighty, and you’ve got to love him
If you want salvation and a home on high
If you say you love him while you hate your neighbor
Then you don’t have religion, you just told a lie
Oh, you don’t love God
If you don’t love your neighbor.
Well, we are almost at the end of my story. Not much else to say is there?” Just one last thought to leave you with. Please feel free to share this with others.
- If you love things more than you love people,
- if you love money more than you love people,
- if you love ideology more than you love people,
- if you love tv, gambling, sports, and movies more than you love people,
- If you love drugs and alcohol more than you love people,
- then I think Jesus would say that:
- “You Don’t Love God.”
My thanks to Rhonda Vincent for her song and the lyrics in this blog. You may listen to her song at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR2rpVd5Lwo
Inner Versus Outer Spirituality: What is the Difference and Why it Matters?
01 Aug 2023 28 Comments
in Uncategorized Tags: christ, christianity, faith, inner spirituality, Jesus, love, meaning, outer spirituality, purpose, spirit, St James. Christians, St. Paul, works
Despite attending forty 3-day Jesuit retreats and regularly going to church with my spouse, I remain adamantly somewhere between an Atheist and an Agnostic. See my blog “75% Atheist and 25% Agnostic.” One of the concerns I share with a few friends is organized religions apparent lack of concern for many social issues. I have attended Catholic, Presbyterian, and Lutheran churches in the past few years, and I have yet to hear a pastor or priest in the pulpit denounce climate change, sexism, racism or White Supremacy in the USA. I have thought about this lack of social assertiveness by too many pastors. Even if many of the congregations in these mainstream churches are conservative if not right wing, do not their church leaders have a responsibility to address social problems? I have two theories why they do not.
My first theory is that they do not venture to oppose these social ills because they would lose bunches of their church members if not their actual ministerial jobs. It has happened before that church leaders have been kicked out by their congregations for preaching politics too strongly. On the positive side here, many church leaders would argue that they do address social issues. They give to the poor and needy with food banks and outreach efforts to help destitute families. Unfortunately, this is like throwing water on a burning house. You are dealing with the symptoms and not the causes.
My second theory why church leaders do not vocalize more contempt for egregious social problems is this. Perhaps they see their job as converting the inner spirituality of their congregation. Thus, leaders focus on helping members become better people and lead better lives. Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see.” By focusing on inner spirituality, they can convert the soul of their church members and perhaps help them to become the person that loves according to the Commandment of Jesus. “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 22:37–39).
I can see some positive sides to a church ideology that addressee inner spirituality, but I think it has serious drawbacks. You can focus too much on what I will call the “inner spirituality” of church members. The reasoning behind the emphasis on inner spirituality can be faulty. The theory is that if each member becomes a better Christian, they will be better neighbors towards others. If they feed the hungry and cloth the poor, they will be ridding the world of the evils that Jesus preached against. Unfortunately, these propositions are not evidenced by historical fact. For hundreds of years many Christians supported slavery and sexism by doing little or nothing to condemn or speak out against it. Furthermore, many Christians were major protagonists of racism and sexism. If their ministers spoke out against it, it obviously made little difference. Being a card carrying member of a Christian church never seems to correlate with ending war, sexism, racism, homophobia or even poverty. I think without an equal emphasis on “Outer Spirituality” Christianity is a worthless religion.
This issue which I call “Inner Spirituality versus Outer Spirituality” brings up a major conundrum in Christian thinking which has been the subject of many a lecture and paper. This dilemma is whether a Christian can be saved by faith alone or are good works also necessary. The apostle James says:
“So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others have good deeds.’ But I say, How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds?” — James 2:17-26 NLT
The viewpoint promoted by James has been dissected many times by the followers of Paul who argue almost the opposite. Paul wrote the following:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” — Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV
Most mainstream Protestants as well as evangelicals cling to the opinion of Paul. I have a deep skepticism over this acceptance of Paul’s opinion for two reasons. First, it is very self-serving. It is a lot easier to say “I believe in Jesus” than to walk in Jesus’s shoes or to commit to action that saves others rather than just faith. Secondly, Paul was never as close to Jesus’s teachings as James was. Why should Paul have more credibility than James who was one of the 12 apostles living with Jesus during his ministry? Again, I see Christians taking the easy way out. Jesus said:
“Not every one that saith unto me, ‘Lord, Lord’, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” — Matthew 7:21-23 KJV
If you have ever been to an Evangelical church meeting, you will hear the name of Jesus dripping so often from the lips of parishioners that you might think they are all going straight to heaven after they leave church. The practices or works of many of these “devout” Christians is enough to make anyone divorce themselves from any association with Christianity. During President Obama’s term in office, the head pastor of the Westboro Baptist church repeatedly called for God to strike Obama dead. Finally, he was condemned and ostracized by many other Baptist preachers. Nevertheless, Baptists have never been known for condemning racism or sexism from the pulpit. I think the argument over faith versus works is a false dichotomy and strictly speaking no one can be a Christian unless they practice both. Whether or not this will get them to heaven is an open question since I do not believe heaven or hell exists.
This brings me back to the concepts of inner and outer spirituality. Much like the faith versus works argument it is a false dichotomy. However, I prefer to think in secular terms. In secular terms, spirituality does not mean practicing Christianity or any other religion. I don’t need faith to be saved. I need both an inner and outer spirituality.
There are many definitions of spirituality. What does it mean to be a spiritual person? Some people lean towards accepting a higher being or creator. Some lean towards accepting a more conventional religious perspective. Many on-line definitions list several factors necessary to be a spiritual person. My own definition is much simpler. I think being a spiritual person involves two elements. The first is seeking meaning in one’s life. The second is seeking purpose. Meaning is inner spirituality. Purpose is outer spirituality. Meaning and purpose must go beyond what is simply good for oneself and must embrace what is good for humanity and the universe. Thus, a truly spiritual person is one who finds and balances inner and outer spirituality.
My understanding of the great prophets like Buddha, Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Guru Nanak, and Baha’u’llah are that they all preached a concern for humanity and the universe that went well beyond what was simply good for the individual. Some quotes illustrate what I am talking about:
Buddha: “If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path.”
Moses was a lawgiver who gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments “You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.”
Jesus: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Mohammed: “The best among you is the one who doesn’t harm others with his tongue and hands.”
Guru Namak: “He who regards all men as equals is religious.”
Baha’u’llah: “Do not be content with showing friendship in words alone, let your heart burn with loving kindness for all who may cross your path.”
I think you can see from the above quotes that each of these great prophets embraced the idea of a goodness that extended beyond the self to all of humanity. There are many other great prophets as well as great philosophers. What has made them all great is a burning desire to help the world become a better place than they found it.
We all have a choice. We can take care of ourselves and acquire as much money, fame, and power as we can. Or we can let go of stockpiling material things and help the world be a healthier place. A place where everyone can live in peace and harmony with nature and its other species. In some ways it is a matter of choosing life or death. The present path is destroying us. The Club of Rome report called “Limits to Growth” was ridiculed when it was published in 1972. Over fifty years later and no one is laughing at the climate catastrophes that materialism and over consumption have brought upon the earth. We were warned fifty years ago to start dealing with the problem now. Is it too late? Perhaps, but we lose nothing by trying. We will surely lose our souls if we do not try.
Aging Capriciously 