Comments on: Symptoms of Something http://www.rabe.org/symptoms-of-something/ My blogging and writing sandbox... Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:25:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Rachel’s Musings » Marital Happiness Myth http://www.rabe.org/symptoms-of-something/#comment-396 Rachel’s Musings » Marital Happiness Myth Fri, 02 May 2008 21:27:47 +0000 http://www.rabe.org/symptoms-of-something/#comment-396 [...] of the questions that I’ve been grappling with: there is something that is tying many of the issues we’re facing together. Eckersley also attributes a lot of our current malaise to misplaced answers to the [...] [...] of the questions that I’ve been grappling with: there is something that is tying many of the issues we’re facing together. Eckersley also attributes a lot of our current malaise to misplaced answers to the [...]

]]> By: Rachel’s Musings » Consumerism as an Addiction http://www.rabe.org/symptoms-of-something/#comment-360 Rachel’s Musings » Consumerism as an Addiction Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:02:39 +0000 http://www.rabe.org/symptoms-of-something/#comment-360 [...] a month ago, I was wondering out loud if there is something underneath many of the symptoms that we are witnessing. Something that ties [...] [...] a month ago, I was wondering out loud if there is something underneath many of the symptoms that we are witnessing. Something that ties [...]

]]> By: Rachel http://www.rabe.org/symptoms-of-something/#comment-132 Rachel Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:08:51 +0000 http://www.rabe.org/symptoms-of-something/#comment-132 There is a very interesting Point of Inquiry interview with <a href="http://www.pointofinquiry.org/alan_dershowitz_blasphemy/" rel="nofollow">Alan Dershowitz</a> that touches a little bit on the miracle stories in the bible. There is a very interesting Point of Inquiry interview with Alan Dershowitz that touches a little bit on the miracle stories in the bible.

]]> By: Rachel http://www.rabe.org/symptoms-of-something/#comment-123 Rachel Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:44:27 +0000 http://www.rabe.org/symptoms-of-something/#comment-123 I am not expecting any rescue from a god because I don't think one exists. (And, yes, I was referring to the biblical stories). I like what you say in the last two paragraphs about needing to lay "responsibility of systemic issues at our feet - personally." And we probably need a bottom up & a top down approach, though I see more inherent dangers in the top down approach. I am, admittedly, somewhat at a loss of what needs to be done. There are people who are chopping away at some of the symptoms, so hopefully, we'll get somewhere with that. Thanks for your input, BC, and sorry it took me so long to respond! I am not expecting any rescue from a god because I don’t think one exists. (And, yes, I was referring to the biblical stories).

I like what you say in the last two paragraphs about needing to lay “responsibility of systemic issues at our feet - personally.” And we probably need a bottom up & a top down approach, though I see more inherent dangers in the top down approach. I am, admittedly, somewhat at a loss of what needs to be done. There are people who are chopping away at some of the symptoms, so hopefully, we’ll get somewhere with that.

Thanks for your input, BC, and sorry it took me so long to respond!

]]> By: BC http://www.rabe.org/symptoms-of-something/#comment-109 BC Sat, 15 Mar 2008 10:35:45 +0000 http://www.rabe.org/symptoms-of-something/#comment-109 Interested by your comment, 'I certainly don’t think that god will come to our rescue after all that has never happened before (despite the stories, there is no evidence for god’s interference in earthly events)'. What sort of rescue would you expect god to effect? What sort of evidence would you expect if god did 'interfer' in earthly events? Which 'reality' do you claim we should cling to, to step away from the destructive forces (such as religion) that have shaped our contemporary crisis? Do I correctly presume the stories you refer to is the Bible, and you may reckon is unreliable? The 'reality' of which we have some idea, has been developed by a reference framework that enables us to categorise stuff. Although there is nothing wrong in using such a logic (as science does), it would be a fair to say that anything that is verified or proven by that framework, in fact, becomes, as a proven thing, subservient to that framework. And this is the problem we have with our 'reality' in relation to being able to prove that a god exists. If a god is the God that is creator of this universe, but not a product or by nature of this universe (the Biblical God), then any reference framework we have, would have to extend beyond God. So when it comes to proving a god exists with our western mind with its scientific construct, it is not going to be able to prove God within such a framework. However, outside this framework we find that there are areas of real life that we know are there but don't fit, and they niggle away at us. One of these is most likely this 'symptoms of something', which you have expressed so well, in an attempt to scratch where we really itch. Systemic problems and their solutions pivot on personal perceptions of all participants in society. To a degree they are a product of the way we are wired as humans, for they resonate universally. Over time humanity has devised ways of overcoming any obvious destructive bias by use of law and religion. But by no means is all destructive bias under control and even within these controls (as you have pointed out) there are substantial deficiencies. From this derives continuing disparities such as in the distribution of political power and wealth. This in turn embeds the problem of injustice further. We feel that such systemic issues are so overwhelming, it creates in each of us the idea that we can't make a difference. And even if it is demonstrated that we should and can, we often renege on our responsibility to do so. Clearly history is scattered throughout with life stories of those who have 'changed' the course of history - for better or worse. Some of those who did were inspired by various intuitions. It is in this area that much of what we label religious occurs. Undoubtedly it occurs in other areas - art, music and even politics and science. Overall, this lays the responsibility of systemic issues at our feet - personally. Two directions may evolve from this. Either we feel things should be solved by sorting the systemic issue so people can grasp the justice or efficacy of a solution before participating fully (top down scenario), or the systemic issues are tackled from a personal basis (bottom up). However, if history teaches us anything, all the 'isms', political or otherwise, using either methodology, have invariably come to grief. Interested by your comment, ‘I certainly don’t think that god will come to our rescue after all that has never happened before (despite the stories, there is no evidence for god’s interference in earthly events)’.
What sort of rescue would you expect god to effect? What sort of evidence would you expect if god did ‘interfer’ in earthly events? Which ‘reality’ do you claim we should cling to, to step away from the destructive forces (such as religion) that have shaped our contemporary crisis? Do I correctly presume the stories you refer to is the Bible, and you may reckon is unreliable?
The ‘reality’ of which we have some idea, has been developed by a reference framework that enables us to categorise stuff. Although there is nothing wrong in using such a logic (as science does), it would be a fair to say that anything that is verified or proven by that framework, in fact, becomes, as a proven thing, subservient to that framework. And this is the problem we have with our ‘reality’ in relation to being able to prove that a god exists. If a god is the God that is creator of this universe, but not a product or by nature of this universe (the Biblical God), then any reference framework we have, would have to extend beyond God. So when it comes to proving a god exists with our western mind with its scientific construct, it is not going to be able to prove God within such a framework.
However, outside this framework we find that there are areas of real life that we know are there but don’t fit, and they niggle away at us. One of these is most likely this ’symptoms of something’, which you have expressed so well, in an attempt to scratch where we really itch.
Systemic problems and their solutions pivot on personal perceptions of all participants in society. To a degree they are a product of the way we are wired as humans, for they resonate universally. Over time humanity has devised ways of overcoming any obvious destructive bias by use of law and religion. But by no means is all destructive bias under control and even within these controls (as you have pointed out) there are substantial deficiencies. From this derives continuing disparities such as in the distribution of political power and wealth. This in turn embeds the problem of injustice further.
We feel that such systemic issues are so overwhelming, it creates in each of us the idea that we can’t make a difference. And even if it is demonstrated that we should and can, we often renege on our responsibility to do so.
Clearly history is scattered throughout with life stories of those who have ‘changed’ the course of history - for better or worse. Some of those who did were inspired by various intuitions. It is in this area that much of what we label religious occurs. Undoubtedly it occurs in other areas - art, music and even politics and science. Overall, this lays the responsibility of systemic issues at our feet - personally.
Two directions may evolve from this. Either we feel things should be solved by sorting the systemic issue so people can grasp the justice or efficacy of a solution before participating fully (top down scenario), or the systemic issues are tackled from a personal basis (bottom up). However, if history teaches us anything, all the ‘isms’, political or otherwise, using either methodology, have invariably come to grief.

]]> By: Rachel http://www.rabe.org/symptoms-of-something/#comment-101 Rachel Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:04:42 +0000 http://www.rabe.org/symptoms-of-something/#comment-101 BC: Thank you for your comment! One of the points I was trying to make, though, was that it is not very feasible for most of us to run into the arms of god - as you seem to suggest - because we have too many doubts about his/her/its existence. I certainly don't think that god will come to our rescue after all that has never happened before (despite the stories, there is no evidence for god's interference in earthly events). And realizing the existential vacuum of this doubt reality is a first step toward finding better, non-destructive ways of filling the void. Those ways cannot include religion since that's one of the factors that created the vacuum in the first place! Although I do think that there is a very personal dimension underlying the symptoms, I also think that there are more systemic issues that have to be addressed, which I did not touch on in my post. I will touch on this in a future post... BC: Thank you for your comment! One of the points I was trying to make, though, was that it is not very feasible for most of us to run into the arms of god - as you seem to suggest - because we have too many doubts about his/her/its existence. I certainly don’t think that god will come to our rescue after all that has never happened before (despite the stories, there is no evidence for god’s interference in earthly events). And realizing the existential vacuum of this doubt reality is a first step toward finding better, non-destructive ways of filling the void. Those ways cannot include religion since that’s one of the factors that created the vacuum in the first place!

Although I do think that there is a very personal dimension underlying the symptoms, I also think that there are more systemic issues that have to be addressed, which I did not touch on in my post. I will touch on this in a future post…

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