Demonic Ideas
I am enthralled with the natural world. It exhibits beauty, balance and harmony. It gives me a sense of peace and hope.
Take mankind -- myself included -- out of the world and it would return to a more perfect paradise. The problem with man is that he has developed some demonic ideas such as ownership, commerce and religion.
Ownership leads to the belief that it's ours and we can do with it as we please. We can clear-cut the land, divert the rivers, dump our waste on the land and to hell with future generations and non-human life.
I try to think and live in terms of stewardship rather than ownership. I use the land but only for a short period of time until it passes into the stewardship of another person. My responsibility is to use the land without removing any of Nature's beauty, without upsetting its balance or destroying its harmony.
I see the current form commerce as a form of legalized and glorifed war. At the present commerce is based on "You have it, I want it and I want it all. To hell with honesty and integrity".
Commerce is necessary but not in it's current form that's based on greed and fear. I find it very easy to earn a living. Excess doesn't give me more happiness. Excess reduces my peace and happiness. I've learned to be content with enough.
Religion is a perverted attempt to acknowledge the Creator and Nature. Religion is a natural reaction to Nature but it becomes corrupt when it is formalized and institutionalized. Institutionalized religion usurps our free will, pollutes our reason and becomes a burden.
Yet, there is a core Truth at the heart of religion. I try to find the core while discarding the worthless shell. I try to live life in harmony with Nature and with gratitude for the Creator.
Does this sound arrogant? I hope it doesn't sound like I've found the way and the truth and others are blind and lost. I'm in my sixth decade (soon to start my seventh decade) and I've seen life, been fortunate to meet some great people and I've learned a little. I want to pass on some of the truth that I've learned from others.
Either way, my life is mine to live in the here and now. Rather than participate in mankind's foolishness I choose to live in simplicty attempting to be a good steward while acknowledging gratitude for the gift of the Creator. I've learned this makes my life better, happier and more peaceful.
Take mankind -- myself included -- out of the world and it would return to a more perfect paradise. The problem with man is that he has developed some demonic ideas such as ownership, commerce and religion.
Ownership leads to the belief that it's ours and we can do with it as we please. We can clear-cut the land, divert the rivers, dump our waste on the land and to hell with future generations and non-human life.
I try to think and live in terms of stewardship rather than ownership. I use the land but only for a short period of time until it passes into the stewardship of another person. My responsibility is to use the land without removing any of Nature's beauty, without upsetting its balance or destroying its harmony.
I see the current form commerce as a form of legalized and glorifed war. At the present commerce is based on "You have it, I want it and I want it all. To hell with honesty and integrity".
Commerce is necessary but not in it's current form that's based on greed and fear. I find it very easy to earn a living. Excess doesn't give me more happiness. Excess reduces my peace and happiness. I've learned to be content with enough.
Religion is a perverted attempt to acknowledge the Creator and Nature. Religion is a natural reaction to Nature but it becomes corrupt when it is formalized and institutionalized. Institutionalized religion usurps our free will, pollutes our reason and becomes a burden.
Yet, there is a core Truth at the heart of religion. I try to find the core while discarding the worthless shell. I try to live life in harmony with Nature and with gratitude for the Creator.
Does this sound arrogant? I hope it doesn't sound like I've found the way and the truth and others are blind and lost. I'm in my sixth decade (soon to start my seventh decade) and I've seen life, been fortunate to meet some great people and I've learned a little. I want to pass on some of the truth that I've learned from others.
Either way, my life is mine to live in the here and now. Rather than participate in mankind's foolishness I choose to live in simplicty attempting to be a good steward while acknowledging gratitude for the gift of the Creator. I've learned this makes my life better, happier and more peaceful.
posted by Paul at 8:35 AM
4 Comments:
Kathy, I agree we are like a cancer but I tend to minimize the influence of the Bible. From my experience people tend not to follow the Bible but rather use the Bible to support their intended actions. Given my presuppositions and values, I can read the Bible and support my positions on simple living and environmental activism just as others can read the Bible to justify treating women as beneath men and justify the persecution of people of other races and sexual orientation. (PS: I'm a seminary graduate and pastored for 20 years. I approach the Bible rationally, historically and holistically. I must seek harmony between the Bible and sociology, physchology and science. Also, it's important to let you know that I haven't attended church in 10 years except for weddings and funerals. But, that's another story.)
Paul- this is an interesting post but don't you agree that animals are territorial too?
In my view the problem with man is that we have been too successful!
I guess nature will find a way of humbling us before long e.g. bird flu.
I agree with your points about the Bible.
Well done! A tiny part of me doesn't want to agree. Even that tiny part knows you are correct.
Rob, I agree with you that animals are territorial and that we humans are too efficient. In general, animals are territorial for survival. Humans are territorial due to pride, greed, and other motivations that have nothing to do with survival.
You spark some interesting thoughts in my mind. Do animals experience a sense of the Divine like humans? Is there a difference between humans and other animals other than brain size? Some animals war with one another but we don't see this as evil as we do when humans war. Why not?
I'm sure I could do some creative logic at this point to arrive where ever I decide I want to go with answers for these questions. But, I guess that's just one of my human traits trying to peek out.
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