Observe & Retort

From 9/28 I was watching a video from a couple years ago and was reminded that we are currently experiencing (and benefiting from) low fuel prices due to oil-producing nations like Saudi Arabia dropping the price per barrel to a level that will bankrupt the Western (USA) fracking operations whom begin to lose money if they cannot sell a barrel of oil for more than $50, and of course to tank Russia's economy. This is not hurting them one bit. Recently President Obama sanctioned the sale of billions of dollars' worth in military equipment to the Saudi's. The Saudi's are not stupid. They are still going to make bundles off their oil and they will likely hold onto a certain amount (never to sell) to fuel their military infrastructure. The oil in the earth that we extract for fuel is the result of over 300 million years of photosynthesis, we are on a trajectory to exhaust in the not too distant future and are on the down-slope of the oil-plenty peak. Which brings me bac...

Religion used to be the most effective system of controls in which to govern the behaviors of a populace. In some parts of the world it still is. In the west, religion has gone by the way side. Many still practice, but for most that still practice the institutions of faith have become an accessory to their lives or a sort of therapy to help them feel good about themselves. It does not permeate every aspect of their daily lives. They are often religious when it is convenient to be so. There are some that are still very strong in their faith, but like in the previous post Doctrine they become too fundamental (in my opinion) which invariably results in such groups alienating themselves for all other group who now see them as hard-hearted, dim-witted, and perhaps bigoted, and while the media contributes to this perception the group in question provides them with plenty of ammo to use for this purpose. By in large the masses are no longer behaviorally governed by traditional forms of relig...

Why is there so much injustice and conflict in this world? What is the impetus that brings about such division? Perhaps better phrased "Impetuses"? Let's review three that come to mind: Greed: Make more to make more, and take from those with less ambition. Orthodoxy: My way is right yours is wrong (therefore you must see things my way). Apocalyptic thinking, why fix it if it's going to be destroyed or renewed? Starting with apocalyptic thinking, I wrote a blog titled "Rescue Theology's Impact to Culture" that is centered around this apocalyptic thinking, but let's explore a little deeper. This way of thinking is not limited to religion. Some that believe in the existence of UFO's believe that before we destroy the world ourselves that an advance alien civilization will come down to Earth from outer space and stop us in our tracks. Some believe they have already been among us in ancient history, intervening back then. Others simply be...

People often wonder, as I have, that if anthropogenic climate change is a hoax, why is there such a fuss over it by the liberal establishment? What is their motive if not for the actual doom of global warming? Well, before reading on, ask yourself that same question. Consider the following: Government can be trusted, right? They have our best interests at heart, right? They are smarter than we are… right? Wrong. I recently watched video of a congressmen expressing his concern to an Army officer that Guam was going to capsize because there were too many people on it. As if Islands float and can capsize and sink! I believe this to be a rare case of a public official being terribly misinformed (and ignorant) which concerns me greatly regarding those that elected him, but there's the point. Instead of debating the data (see below for some skeptic-data) right out, let's instead look first at the reasons why they might propagate such a falsehood. Consider, first, that the wo...

We can observe from human history that the religions that stick around are those that are well documented. Usually having some sort of recorded text or scripture sacred to the focus and wisdom of that faith tradition. Buddhists, Christians, Jews, Muslims, all have sacred texts. I do not know about Hindu's, or other eastern faiths, but it holds true for most. The story of Enigen and Menew illustrates both the benefits and pit-traps of this. It goes something like this; Enigen was a giant, which was one of the first people in Celtic Mythology, one day he beheld three rays of light, and contained within the three rays was all the wisdom and knowledge of the universe. He then took three rowan staves and inscribed the staves with the divine knowledge he had invoked. When others beheld the staves, they misunderstood, and worshiped the staves themselves as divine. This upset Enigen greatly, so much so that he burst and died. So the first part of the story gives us an example of d...

From 9/9/16 A problem occurred to me today with our idea of progress. Our economic enterprises are unsustainable. It is direct conflict with our desire to live a cleaner more earth-friendly existence. Watching coverage of the some 200 native American tribes protesting the pipeline construction project going through the Dakotas (Dakota apparently means 'friend'), I was reminded of the cost of progress. Several billions of dollars are going into this project which means that the project is also projected to generate trillions  in revenue  for some lucky bloke. So, in this economic progress, the sacred ground of thousands is being threatened, as well as the cleanliness of the people's water. Dogs are released on the people protesting, some get bit, others pepper-sprayed, some both. It's ugly. All for money. It is not morally defensible. This type of thing goes on every day. A Hopi elder in Arizona was talking about our relationship with our Mother Earth in a vid...

From 8/31/2016 We need to move away from an apocalyptic mindset, one of Rescue Philosophy or  Rescue Theology . What I believe is that Jesus Christ was a teacher and prophet that walked this earth. I will consider the possibility that he was immaculately conceived by the holy spirit, or God, in the young Virgin Mary. I have no problem with this part of the Jesus story. I also believe that he was a healer, and did things most could not do, miracles. I believe the narrative of the gospels in that Jesus was persecuted and eventually executed. I even think that he was resurrected (at least in some fashion), and eventually ascended to the heavenly realm. What I do not believe is that Jesus is God meaning God the Father, the God that Jesus prayed to. I believe the invention that Jesus and God are one in the same is an invention of the later church as it struggled to remain monotheistic. There is plenty of history to review here, but I don't want to go into that. (See Irenaeus, Tertu...