I categorically disapprove of hallucinogens. That said, this piece is pretty good.
Continue reading Natasha Che: How to Predict the Future of Anything
Tag Archives: Cosmology
A different God-concept
Not what we were taught in Sunday school.
Diseases you can’t see
The cosmos stands accused.
It’s one thing if someone uses a wheelchair or a blind man’s cane, or has cerebral palsy. Other diseases can be just as serious, but unseen.
The Real Reason Why You Haven’t Healed Your Trauma/Depression/Heartbreak
At first I expected this author to affirm the “blame-your-past” orientation of “the prevailing psychological wisdom of our time.” Instead, she sets forth an intriguing vision remarkably similar to my own, with, for me, remarkably intriguing ramifications that I want to consider further.
Her counsel is to accept What Is.
Continue reading The Real Reason Why You Haven’t Healed Your Trauma/Depression/Heartbreak
Mildew’s dream for America
Seeking to clarify my motivations
The omen
He might take me to some unknown location,
and zap out on me, and I’d become a statistic.
Tuesday 2015-03-31
This morning at Dunkin’ Donuts, about 8:45 I stood in line with my arms crossed behind my back, clenching a $5 bill in my left hand. It occurred to me that at McDonald’s, only 100 yards away, I’d never do that. If I did that at McDonald’s, someone would surely snatch the bill and run.
This thought proved to be an omen.
The inevitability of evil
Sooner or later, it had to happen.
Sunday, about 14:00, I had just bought my second coffee at McDonald’s. I put it on my table and, as they require me to do, took all my things with me to go out and smoke.
Related: Does McDonald’s discriminate against the homeless?
Outside, I took one more shot at trying to understand how evil — negativity, conflict — happens.
There are those who say that evil is necessary because without it, humans would never be able to appreciate joy. I have never found this believable.
Continue reading The inevitability of evil
Cosmology
I originally wrote this as an introductory passage for “What the New Testament means to me.” I wound up leaving it out as I didn’t think Ezekah would care for a whole lot of abstraction.
As I view the world right now, I see three elements: (1) What Is, including the material (seen) world, the spiritual (unseen) world, and all possibilities of events that can possibly occur. I may as well call this “God.” (2) A single set of principles that govern existence and all events that can occur. What we call the laws of physics are an example of these principles. I may as well call this “God’s will.”
(3) Human activity. It may be that there are no commandments, and no such thing as sin. Rather, God’s will is inviolable; and it is how we interact with What Is, inevitably in accordance with those principles, that brings weal or woe. If we act this way, we can have a world of harmony, beauty and joy. If we act that way, we’ll have a world of poverty, violence and bloodshed.
So far, there is neither need nor room for teachings of John and Paul that deviate from Jesus’ teachings in the Synoptics: no need nor room for a Son of God, perfect sacrifice, “belief in” Jesus, or heaven or hell — aside from the heaven or hell we create for ourselves in this life, here and now.
“What the New Testament means to me” points to ways to create, in effect, heaven on earth. The opposite path is described in “A living hell.”
Originally posted 2014-12-17.
Podcast – Pastor Charlie’s stories
What can we be sure of?
Pastor Charlie’s stories
Billy Joel, “Don’t ask me why”
Related: Rainbows
Related: Pious frauds
Related: Farther along
Tags: What Is, Certainty, Pious frauds, Cosmology, Acceptance
The cosmos is not broken.
Sin and death don’t have the last word.