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 Posted - 01/18/2010 : 23:47:24
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CHRISTIANITY IS RAPIDLY CHANGING
The media often characterizes Christianity as being a religion that is primarily focused on a political agenda, namely:
- Opposing abortion
- Opposing same sex marriage
- Opposing the teaching of evolution
Although these views are held by some Christians; these are not the views held by the majority of Christians.
However, I believe that the majority of Christians are opposed to how our culture condones promiscuity, pornography, substance abuse, and violence.
Christianity has changed dramatically in the last 50 years. These changes were depicted in an excellent CNN documentary called "God's Warriors". This documentary, I believe, gave a balanced view of how the "Religious Right" in America has evolved in the last half century.
When I watched this documentary, it seemed that the earlier message of Christianity (e.g., love and brotherhood) was being eclipsed by a newer message (e.g., anti-abortion, anti-gay, anti-evolution, and Armageddon = Christians going to heaven and non-Christians going to hell at doomsday).
It should be noted that Christ, in the Bible, never said one word about abortion, homosexuality, evolution or Armageddon. These topics were never part of Christ's teachings. In fact, apart from Christ's anger at the money changers in a temple, there is no other reference in the Bible to Christ teaching anger. In the Bible, Christ taught about love, peace, justice, humility, sharing, and forgiveness.
Thus the political focus of some Christians on fear-mongering and hatred (e.g., Pat Robertson) is deeply offensive to other Christians who simply want to follow the gospel of love and peace that Christ taught:
"Love God with all your heart, soul and mind . …And love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-39). Thus I highly recommend this excellent documentary, "God's Warriors" to you:
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Posted - 01/23/2010 : 14:25:00
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ARE THE "10 GOLDEN RULES" A PRODUCT OF HUMAN EVOLUTION?
There is an excellent documentary, "The Human Spark", that questions how humans are different from all other animals. I would highly recommend that you view this 3-hour documentary (especially the last 2 hours).
This documentary and another, "The Human Ape", compared humans to chimps, and clearly showed that:
- Humans are kinder than chimps.
- Humans cooperate much better than chimps.
Chimps won't help unless they are asked.
- Humans are more forgiving than chimps.
- Humans are much better leaders than chimps (hence can organize much larger groups).
- Humans plan much better than chimps.
- Human society is much more ordered and stable than chimp society.
- Humans compromise better than chimps.
- Humans are more courageous than chimps. A chimp won't attack other chimps if out-numbered. Whereas single humans (e.g., suicide bombers) will attack despite being grossly out-numbered.
- Humans are much more ethical, respectful, responsible and honest than chimps.
- Humans are vastly more intelligent than chimps. Humans can learn in one trial what chimps may require hundreds of trials to learn. Likewise humans have 60,000 word vocabularies, but chimps have only one or two hundred words in their vocabularies. Surprisingly, chimps have better short term memory than humans.
Thus the "10 Golden Rules For Better Living" that we have discussed appear to be highly evolved in humans and only rudimentary in other animal species.
Thus these "10 Golden Rules" may have been the key to the evolutionary success of humans.
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Posted - 01/28/2010 : 10:03:55
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WHY ARE CERTAIN RELIGIONS SO PREOCCUPIED WITH PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT?
Saudi Sex Braggart Gets 5 Years In Jail, 1,000 Lashes
A Saudi court recently sentenced a man who caused an uproar by bragging about his sex life on television to five years in prison and 1,000 lashes.
Speaking about promiscuous acts is a violation of Islamic sharia law. Under sharia law, adultery is punished by death.
Pope John Paul II Whipped Himself As Penitence
According to a book by the Polish prelate, Pope John Paul II whipped himself with a belt, even on vacation, and slept on the floor as acts of penitence and to bring him closer to Christian perfection.
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/01/26/pope-book026.html?ref=rss
Why Would A God Of Love Demand Severe Physical Punishment Of Sinners?
On our website, if individuals post that they purposely cut or otherwise injure themselves, we immediately view them as being ill and in need of help. Our hearts go out to them, but we are wise enough to know that such self-injury is always a sign of a deeper psychiatric disorder.
We should apply this same standard to our religions.
If our religions teach that God is Love and that our sins have been forgiven; then there is no logical reason why a Loving God would want us to physically injure ourselves as acts of penitence.
We should be worshipping a God of Love, not a vengeful God who demands physical punishment.
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Posted - 03/13/2010 : 18:18:44
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RULES FOR DEALING WITH ADVERSITY
How should we deal with adversity?
Here's a great example. In Canada, one of our large sailing ships, filled with 48 high school students, sunk off Brazil. Fortunately, the students had excellent training on how to abandon ship. The students helped each other into their survival suits, and then into their life boats.
After their ship sunk, the students lashed their 3 life boats together, and waited 40 hours in the middle of a severe storm to be rescued. They never gave up hope, and finally they were rescued by other ships. All of the high school students then returned to their loving families in Canada.
This story of survival clearly illustrates the rules for dealing with adversity:
- You must prepare for adversity, because eventually it always finds you.
(This is why the students repeatedly practiced how to safely abandon ship.)
- When adversity finally comes, your survival will depend on your helping others as they help you. Survival isn't a "do-it-yourself" project. Survival is a "do-it-together" project.
(That is why the students helped each other into their survival suits and life boats.)
- Sometimes, when battling adversity, there is nothing more that you can do but wait for help to arrive. You must not lose hope.
(The students never lost hope while in their life boats for 40 hours waiting to be rescued.)
- Often complete strangers will finally save you; even when you thought all hope was lost. These strangers may even risk their lives to save you, because they believe that every life is precious.
(In the middle of this severe storm, nearby ships came to the student's rescue.)
- Remember that your family and friends care for you. You don't have to impress them with fame or fortune. They just want you alive and happy.
(On returning to Canada, all the students' families cared about was that the students were alive and well.)
Please read this amazing story about 48 high school students surviving the sinking of their sailing ship.
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Posted - 03/17/2010 : 23:18:03
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ALL WE ASK IS THAT OUR RELIGIONS PRACTICE WHAT THEY PREACH
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Posted - 03/18/2010 : 16:37:45
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WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LIFE?
"G.O.D." = "Good Orderly Direction"
There seems to be a purpose to life.
Some people believe in a God whose commandments give purpose to life. Others believe that the purpose to life is G.O.D. ("Good Orderly Direction"). I would like to explain this second point of view using some concepts borrowed from the Ancient Greeks.
In nature, it appears that there is a force which brings order out of chaos. A seed is planted, and it grows into a tree. A child is born, and matures into an adult. There is a hidden, creative life force which causes simple life forms to evolve into far more complex life forms.
Whether you call this hidden, creative life force "God" or "Good Orderly Direction"; it is constantly at work evolving more mature and better adapted individuals.
Chronos
The Ancient Greeks called this creative force Chronos. They noticed that, over time, individuals and civilizations evolved. As they evolved, they perfected their skills and became better adapted to their changing environments. Thus the Ancient Greeks believed that Chronos was a hidden life force constantly directing our evolution.
However, the Ancient Greeks observed that this creative life force, Chronos, was always opposed by a destructive force which they called Chaos.
Chaos
In nature, it appears there is a force which ultimately brings destruction and death. An old tree decays and falls. An old man dies. This hidden, destructive force causes complex life forms to degrade into simpler, more disorganized forms.
The Ancient Greeks believed that, due to the force of Chaos, eventually all individuals and civilizations decayed and died. Due to Chaos, individuals eventually lost their skills and lost their ability to adapt to their environment.
Thus the Ancient Greeks saw life as a constant struggle between the force of creation (Chronos) vs. the force of destruction (Chaos).
They also saw life as a constant struggle between the force of Random Luck vs. a restabilizing force they called Nemesis.
Luck
In nature, random luck plays a very large role.
The Ancient Greeks observed that periods of good fortune or bad fortune were often reversed by a force which they named Nemesis.
Nemesis
The Ancient Greeks believed that Nemesis acted to restore the imbalances caused by random luck. The Ancient Greeks studied mathematics and noticed that the longer you spun the wheel of fortune, the greater was the chance that your original good or bad fortune would be reversed. They believed that Nemesis ensured that neither extreme good or bad fortune would last forever.
Thus the Ancient Greeks:
- In good times, actively prepared for adversity because they believed Nemesis would eventually reverse their good fortune.
- In bad times, remained hopeful because they believed that Nemesis would eventually reverse their bad fortune.
So How Should We Live Life?
Earlier we discussed the "10 Golden Rules" for living a better life. These are important, specific rules for how to live life.
However, this discussion of Ancient Greek beliefs suggests there are some more general rules for living a better life, namely:
- Re: Chronos
Ally yourself with the constructive forces in your community. Improve your own health, education, and welfare, and that of others. Create peace, order and beauty.
- Re: Chaos
Realize how fragile our lives are, and how little it takes to plunge our lives into chaos (e.g., poverty, addiction, violence, crime, and war).
- Re: Luck
Enjoy your good fortune and share it with others. Likewise ask others to help you through your periods of bad fortune. Appreciate how much of your life has been determined by chance and genetics.
- Re: Nemesis
Realize that good fortune is often followed by bad fortune, and visa versa. Thus in good times actively prepare for future adversity, and in bad times never lose hope.
- Re: Evolution
Realize that there is a great purpose to life, even though we poorly comprehend it. Evolution is steadily progressing; whether we believe in it or not. Our whole evolutionary history is one of transformation from brutal apes to civilized space travelers.
Each of us, and our civilizations, will briefly flourish, then die. However, collectively we are gaining in wisdom and tolerance. We are slowly learning how to live together in peace. If we actively fight the forces of chaos; we will find stability, purpose and beauty in our lives.
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Posted - 03/29/2010 : 23:15:14
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WHAT DOES REAL LOVE LOOK LIKE?
Eva Markvoort
Eva Markvoort, a 25 year-old university student, died two days ago in Vancouver General Hospital. The day before her death, although barely able to speak, Eva made a farewell video to her friends.
Surrounded by her parents and sister, Eva said: "I think I am very lucky. I have loved more than you could possibly imagine."
Eva was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a baby. In October 2007, she had a double lung transplant but her body slowly rejected her new lungs.
Prior to her lung transplant, Eva had started a blog and had drawn support from her online network of friends who all had cystic fibrosis. Eva spent her adult life trying to raise awareness about the disease and encouraging people to become organ donors.
A film has been made on Eva's life, and it will be shown on the "The Passionate Eye" CBC TV show this Friday.
The world was so fortunate to have Eva and to receive her message of love and compassion for others.
Eva's Last Dream
In her blog, five days before her death, Eva wrote:
"i hold onto who ever is near
since when am i clingy?
i grasp onto
annie in the morning
jackie and robin in the afternoon
dad in the evening
maman all the time
episodes of projectile vomiting
hours of gasping for breath
waves of nausea lulling out into
hours of sleepiness once the meds have hit
leaving me daydreaming about stepping out of this room
just getting up
free of tubes and plugs
and walking out the door
pushing open doorways
skipping down the street
breathing free
free"
After her long courageous struggle, Eva is now free.
Phil Long MD
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10 Golden Rules For A Better Life (Lecture)
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