Category: religion

Religion and Extinction

On By Nicholas AlexanderIn economic revolution, Economy, Environment, Politics, religion, WarLeave a comment

We are different to any other species in that we have evolved what we call economics, science of extending survival. Or is it a massive inter-generational war that the current political generation are guilty of, increasingly responsible for causing environmental collapse.

Why do we measure progress by growth? When we solve that one, and measure progress with an economics that includes compounding interest for any future consequence of our indulgence.

Only then we can call ourselves good Christians or good Muslims or good Jews. We remain greedy and primitive in our mutual interests. Why think like this?

Part of the lesson of certain matters remaining secular and out of the control of the driving faith or the possessors of property or the military – but that the ultimate control must remain honestly in the hands of the people. So we have countries for that. But faith is a personal matter and your path to your saviour or prophet is a relationship between your self and something all powerful. Therefore when you are praying together it is as though a casting of individual threads to your personal heaven is a revelation to the self, not to the army, not to the workforce, not to the merchants, the bankers or even the holy ones we listen to preach their secret messages in sermons to the initiated. In all religions there seems to be a strata that pulls people up – spirituality is a wonderful thing, don’t get me wrong.

Having to take sides for your whole life is the commitment of belief. But the essence of individuality is the thing. It is the most important and elusive thing. Your thread can vibrate within a group but it can also find its own pattern. It does not matter. If we align beliefs into destructive paths then as a group we start to consume that which we have no right to, we take that we have to leave alone. The first lesson in The Book of Genesis was not to take the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge or die. Not to take the irreplaceable fruit means we must consider requirements of future life in our consumption.

The ways in which competing religions have interpreted this basic tenet of their own belief is astounding. The destruction of species is wanton, selfish and will result on our own death.

These words or wisdom are drowned by the clash of battle as we fight for our set of beliefs. But this fundamental exists. If we sow extinction, then we will become extinct. I am just not sure if today’s political science really gives a damn about the future.

Sanctuary

On By Nicholas AlexanderIn police, religionLeave a comment

The capitalism protest in London situated itself outside a cathedral, not just any cathedral but the most famous one that attracts thousands of tourists every day. Many of them pay St Pauls money which was reported as being twenty thousand pounds per day.

Why do they penalise the Church? Because it exemplifies the role of the Church as sanctuary from the law. The police tactics have backfired on the church. That is the political wedge driven by this protest. It goes beyond merely the bankers, it is their sense of faith in mathematical odds that require a powerful sense of belief, sometimes so powerful it becomes right. Sometimes however collective faith, the kind where everyone gets lucky in a market at the same time is revealed to be merely that, and a collapse follows. This recession is due to that sort of event to the power of each level of securitised assets that went horribly wrong amplifying the collapse from impossible risk sub prime mortgages. It was always going to happen.

The police tactics have drawn the response of political strategy.

Faith and Will

On By Nicholas AlexanderIn religionLeave a comment

‘An analysis of the “No Religion” responses over time shows a steady increase from 1 in 5 Kiwis in 1991, to 1 in 4 in 1996, and 1 in 3 at the last census in 2006. This growing rejection of religion is by far the most significant trend in the religious affiliation responses over this period.’

We Kiwi’s love statistics – especially when they are easy to absorb. And 1:5, 1:4 then 1:3 seems to have a sort of inevitable logic to it.

In fact what are we measuring? The decline of religion in New Zealand could be an increase in sectarian values replacing religion. But I do not think that is what is at work here.

It is the acts of the apostate.

The acts of the Sunni Terrorist mob that tore down the twin towers. Yes – we have heard all the conspiracy theories that Bush did it himself, but we doubt that to be the case. Bush is one of those who replaced life long problems with faith.

And it is that creature that makes up the 60% not included in 1:3

That creature is the person who can not maintain their own will regardless of the state of their faith in their maker. It is in essence an existential problem – how can they be made without a maker? The person can not exert their will as it has no direction.

The solution is to construct values, and there is nothing wrong with that. It is every bit as healthy to inform yourself that your neighbour may have other customs to you, but he can still be your neighbour, if not your brother.

If you do not have to lay your faith out in a prescribed fashion as a demanding religion demands then what will you do with your will? We must replace our faith with values, with liberty to employ others and resources, so that we may create our own world within the world. But faith sates this thirst for the many.

It will always be like this.

The majority need a faith or their world values are no longer supported. The world would not make much sense. Secular worlds require more will and skill to maintain. A secular monarchy is rare as it is liable to end suddenly.