Winner of the Templeton Prize in 2002, mathmatical physicist. After retirement he studied theology, and became an Episcopal priest. Everyone should know his name, as his contribution to the world is that science and theology are NOT opposed to one another, and by bringing forth this contribution, he has opened the road for new types and ideas of conceptual integration.
Why is this important? Faith can not be established by the scientific method, we have to search within ourselves for the answers. Hopefully science will help us prove through the scientific method that some of our faith based answers are true. But, if quantum theory holds true, what we are observing is only observed because we are looking at it. What we are not looking at, observing, is thus not seen. What we do not see is a wave that occurs at the same time as the observed. Hmmmmm!
In my estimation and conclusion from my readings, I agree with Shaye Cohen Ungerleider Professor of Jewish Studies at Brown, quoted fom section 90 in "Desire of the Everlasting Hills", by Thomas Cahill "Christianity, too is ( or at least once was) a form of Judaism. " The term Christianity was not added for a couple of 100 years.
Paul, who spread Messaianic Judaism was a persecutor of the Messianic faith, a learned scholoar of Judaism who fervently believed that the Messianic offshoot was a threat to the Pharisee rabbi version of Judaism. "Paul studied under Gamaliel, according to Luke, et al, the most renowned rabbi of his time", section 117 of Desire.
Here comes Paul, the Pharisee, after falling from his horse on the road to Damascus, having a vision, and now becoming the most fervent of Messianic followers ever to be. The man who will be responsible for carrying the ,"Good News". The first time in the ancient world that the good news was benevolent, is in itself striking!
Is there any doubt left that Christianity is a form of Judaism? As quoted in Desire, in the sidebar section 122, "We should not overlook how closely these most basic of Christian rituals adhere to Jewish models." He goes on to state that Baptism is as old as the Book of Leviticus, the rite of the Eucharist is a form of the Seder, and Missal a form of the Passover Haggada.
Any religion that threatens Judaism, is announcing essentially that it is also against Christianity.
This boils down to the totally unacceptable behavior that religion can incite wars and force beliefs on others. Somewhere, at some time in my growing up, the words I remember from always are, "The Kingdom of God is within you."
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Iwo Jima
Mt Suribaci, and the raising of the flag. Have you ever thought how similar that must be to raising the cross of Jesus on the mount?
Often times I have thought that we have mini crucifixions in our lives, and when comparing something like this to the raising of the cross for Jesus, it appears that in our collective lives, we also have symbols of and mini crucifixions.
Somehow the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima equates to the loss of my childhood friend Bobby Thomas' brother Billie, who went off as a child, himself, probably 18 years old, to fight World War 2. I never met him, because I was just coming out of the fog of early childhood, when he went off to war. He may have died on Guadacanal, but in my childhood mind, I see the flag raising on Iwo Jima and recall that sad day, when our neighborhood stopped in mid stream, to register the shock of losing one of us! It became quiet that day, and somber for a week or two, while we all realized how close the war had come to our homes., while mourning his young loss of life.
Later, during the war, as I walked to first grade, I noted a gold star on the window of a home, and asked my Mom, why that was there. It and all the aspects of the war, frightened me. Didn't they know children were growing up?
I just finished reading The Secrets of Judas, it is too scholarly, and repetitive because it is a study, by James M. Robinson, about The Gospel of Judas in relation to other gospels and findings . It reads comfortably for awhile, but then it gets too scholarly, for the lay reader who is just trying to get the story.
Bascially, the gospels and other writings as determined by scholars are not original to one writer, and may have had more than one writer, portions could have been copied, or interchanged, or just changed, by who knows who, why or where.
The interesting conclusion for anyone to come to freely, is that Christ , no matter how you study him, no matter how you dice the subject matter, , no matter what, he changed the world to the good, and that is what counts. The Gospel of Judas, is Gnostic in conclusion and the gnostic belief was not in the man, Jesus, but in the spirit of Jesus the man, which was released at his death. So spirituality is the message in The Gospel of Judas, and I for one agree with that.
Often times I have thought that we have mini crucifixions in our lives, and when comparing something like this to the raising of the cross for Jesus, it appears that in our collective lives, we also have symbols of and mini crucifixions.
Somehow the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima equates to the loss of my childhood friend Bobby Thomas' brother Billie, who went off as a child, himself, probably 18 years old, to fight World War 2. I never met him, because I was just coming out of the fog of early childhood, when he went off to war. He may have died on Guadacanal, but in my childhood mind, I see the flag raising on Iwo Jima and recall that sad day, when our neighborhood stopped in mid stream, to register the shock of losing one of us! It became quiet that day, and somber for a week or two, while we all realized how close the war had come to our homes., while mourning his young loss of life.
Later, during the war, as I walked to first grade, I noted a gold star on the window of a home, and asked my Mom, why that was there. It and all the aspects of the war, frightened me. Didn't they know children were growing up?
I just finished reading The Secrets of Judas, it is too scholarly, and repetitive because it is a study, by James M. Robinson, about The Gospel of Judas in relation to other gospels and findings . It reads comfortably for awhile, but then it gets too scholarly, for the lay reader who is just trying to get the story.
Bascially, the gospels and other writings as determined by scholars are not original to one writer, and may have had more than one writer, portions could have been copied, or interchanged, or just changed, by who knows who, why or where.
The interesting conclusion for anyone to come to freely, is that Christ , no matter how you study him, no matter how you dice the subject matter, , no matter what, he changed the world to the good, and that is what counts. The Gospel of Judas, is Gnostic in conclusion and the gnostic belief was not in the man, Jesus, but in the spirit of Jesus the man, which was released at his death. So spirituality is the message in The Gospel of Judas, and I for one agree with that.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Belief in God, today on Doug Stephan/Uri Geller
Doug Stephan on his Good Day radio show( 8030am on your radio dial) between 3-6 am eastern time interviewed Uri Geller, and the talk started on magic, and mysticism ending up with belief in God.
Belief in God, comes from deep within, a searching of your own soul, as to the meaning of life . Why would we be here, for no reason? If there is no reason for life, then why is there life? Why is there joy in a child, the innocence of the child? Often I think of Wordsworth's poem, Intimations of Immortality, when contemplation of the meaning of life overwhelms me.
Today was an appropriate day, to contemplate my belief in God, because my dear friend is facing the loss of her daughter, as I did 3.5 years ago. It is a stunning loss to lose a child. The pain is always there, you never know when it is going to come mildly, or severly to your heart.
What comforted me most, during the dying, was that I felt blessed to have known and grown with my daughter Karen. Through her life long pain and suffering, we learned alot about life, and together we learned to believe in a hereafter.
Isn't it enough that we suffer constantly in our daily lives, without adding war to the mix? My
granddaughter who was only 7 when 9/11 happened, said to me that day, "Don't they know there are children growing up?"
How does God direct such actions? Would God do such a thing against his children? Has religion gone astray? What is the purpose of religion, if it is to kill people and or take over their minds and souls? For what gain, do we wish to take over the minds and souls of people? Is there ultimate power for the group pushing for this ? There has to be an earthly treasure, because there is ultimately no treasure in facing a benevolent and loving God, or spirit, who created us, knowing that we have worked at destroying what he has created.
Who would get your vote for Villan of the Century? Who has stirred up the most trouble in the world, as we enter the new Century, and for what reason? Go to incidents of terrorism map on the web and see the conflicts around the world, then think about what we have created here on earth.
Belief in God, comes from deep within, a searching of your own soul, as to the meaning of life . Why would we be here, for no reason? If there is no reason for life, then why is there life? Why is there joy in a child, the innocence of the child? Often I think of Wordsworth's poem, Intimations of Immortality, when contemplation of the meaning of life overwhelms me.
Today was an appropriate day, to contemplate my belief in God, because my dear friend is facing the loss of her daughter, as I did 3.5 years ago. It is a stunning loss to lose a child. The pain is always there, you never know when it is going to come mildly, or severly to your heart.
What comforted me most, during the dying, was that I felt blessed to have known and grown with my daughter Karen. Through her life long pain and suffering, we learned alot about life, and together we learned to believe in a hereafter.
Isn't it enough that we suffer constantly in our daily lives, without adding war to the mix? My
granddaughter who was only 7 when 9/11 happened, said to me that day, "Don't they know there are children growing up?"
How does God direct such actions? Would God do such a thing against his children? Has religion gone astray? What is the purpose of religion, if it is to kill people and or take over their minds and souls? For what gain, do we wish to take over the minds and souls of people? Is there ultimate power for the group pushing for this ? There has to be an earthly treasure, because there is ultimately no treasure in facing a benevolent and loving God, or spirit, who created us, knowing that we have worked at destroying what he has created.
Who would get your vote for Villan of the Century? Who has stirred up the most trouble in the world, as we enter the new Century, and for what reason? Go to incidents of terrorism map on the web and see the conflicts around the world, then think about what we have created here on earth.