“The land of Israel has been given to the Jews since the Bible.“
This quote was from an Israeli settler during a recent CTV news interview. I think it happens to summarize much of the Middle East (Palestine/Israel) conflict. It melds Law with Religion and makes futile any political attempt at achieving lasting peace in the area. It also binds logic with belief, supports and condemns by race and denies new spirit in favor of the established.
Both sad and frustrating.
I’m not a scientist. I like science and I like its approach to life, but my brain lacks the persistence needed to follow things through. I enjoy the idea that science is always changing. I like that it builds itself on an idea that it needs to build itself on an idea that it needs to build itself etc, etc. – that part always gives me hope strangely enough. It’s as if I arrive at a point that stops me in my tracks but then simply backs me up and pushes me onto yet another set of tracks. It’s always moving, science is …and without that, things would get rather rigid. Inflexible. Religious, you might say.
A link in a blog that I occasionally visit leads to an article/interview with Roger Penrose – one of the leading minds in physics today. It’s a great article, and I get most of what it has to say …excluding some science parts that is. I wish I could devote more time to learning/understanding classical and modern theories in physics, but I can only sit back and hope to get the general gist of things it seems. And barely at that. He mentions M.C. Escher (who I was turned on to in Douglas Hofstadter’s book: Godel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Briad …which I’m still struggling through) and he also talks about modern ideas such as multiverse and string theory among other things.
He neatly remarks …”You want a physical theory that describes the world that we see around us. That’s what physics has always been: Explain what the world that we see does, and why or how it does it.“ I like this. The fact that his father physically demonstrated concepts (through his woodworking) was surely an influence. He also separates certain fields in physics from those grounded in a testable reality, and this kinda reinforces my opinion on how certain ‘fantasy theories’ can at times be analogous to spirituality in many ways …which is why it’s so easy for spiritual groups to climb aboard abstract views in physics.
His hope is to ultimately find …”some structure that preserves coherence.“ Something that ties it all together …our physical world with that other ‘physical’ world beneath its surface. I’m not certain I share that though. It’d be nice, and I have fun with my own half-corked layman ideas on it as well (perhaps my own ‘fantasy’ posting at another time), but Science has always been a verb to me. An action word. A study that implies movement in its undertaking. And I feel it’s only in our physical world that things come wrapped in neat and tidy packages.
And who are we to understand more than this?
Roger Penrose in 1882. Image is from Oberwolfach Photo Collection, Copyright: Dick Ferus, Berlin.
An old blog that I used to visit (here) has been somewhat resurrected by its author. It appears he’s being sued for libel over posts he made about a dog shooting incident that occurred about a year ago. You can see his original posts here and here, the small video of the shooting here, and a blog put up in defense of the accused here.
I suggest watching the video first, then viewing his post, then reading through some of the witness statements here and here. Of course it’s disgusting watching dogs get shot (watching any animal get shot!) but what interests me about the whole matter is the different perspectives on the same event. I have no trouble feeling anger toward the shooter who knew, I believe, that he was shooting dogs, and I have no trouble feeling anger toward the dog owner who was negligent in training, irresponsible as a pet owner and the main reason why his dogs got into the situation they did. Dogs will be dogs and cows will be cows …they can’t help it. People on the other hand…
People seem to walk that balancing line between natural/innate urges and that higher sense of self. We all have reasons for doing what we do and for saying what we say …and we all justify our actions that seem, at the time they’re done, as not only being in out best interest but in the best interest of the society we live in. Standing behind ones convictions is usually an indication of character and strength, while in turn advances our own virtuous and ethical beliefs.
I feel that appreciating this process in others though, goes a long way to helping us better understand ourselves.
In Alberta, Bill 44 has been passed.
Here’s few stories on the event (here and here) and here’s the text from the actual document itself….
Essentially the bill gives parents the right to remove their children from ‘controversial’ classroom topics such as religion, sexuality and sexual orientation. Parents already have the right to remove their kids from religious or patriotic instruction (see item #50 here), but this amendment seems to place the onus on the teacher/instructor to notify them. Many people see it as a step backward in humanistic education (here is a well-written letter from a good friend of mine) and others see it simply as a proper allocation of parental rights. Personally, I see the Bill as somewhat contradictory when you consider it amends the following statement…
The amended statement would now conclude as “…source of income, family status or sexual orientation.“ I find this strange because it includes sexual orientation as equal fundamentally and as a matter of public policy (along with religious beliefs) …but in the same breath the Bill allows a form of parental customization on these issues. It promotes equality and fairness based on religion and sexual orientation yet grants parents a veto over an understanding of these same principles.
Of course a parent has rights as to what their child learns, but if they choose to educate their children in the public system, wouldn’t you expect the concepts they learn to be a fair and honest reflection of public law? Bill 44 grants equality of religion and sexual orientation, but also grants parents the right to affect their child’s concepts of religion and sexual orientation – possibly contravening what the School Act/curriculum intends …and whose principles are in turn founded on the Bill. It’s somewhat circular logic. You might argue a need for the amendment based on the idea that certain teachers take liberties with curriculum or instruction in order to promote their individual bias …but they face consequences if they do. Parents on the other hand don’t …their failure is unaccountable.
Unless you consider the future that is.
Personally, life will go on. Parents and kids will drift ever further apart while teachers will be expected to be the baby-sitters. Maybe in 50 or so years when skin-heads and fag-bashing is all the rage again, we’ll get a chance to make things right.
I was browsing through the May 09 edition of Wired recently and was pleased to come across two separate articles that somewhat reinforced the idea I discussed in a recent post called ‘the moment‘.
The first was by Brian Greene who is a physicist and best selling author of ‘The Elegant Universe’ and “The Fabric of the Cosmos’. In it he makes the point that science is not so much about “end points of research” as it is a journey. It’s not about answers, it’s about “…immersing ourselves in piercing uncertainty while struggling with the deepest of mysteries.“ Science is a process …not a result. This whole idea that goals are not as important as the process parallels the prayer I mentioned about life being a journey and not a destination. I thought it was nicely put …and from a scientific viewpoint. He concludes his article with “The wrestling with mystery, not the ascension to resolution, define who we are.“
The second article was by the recent Star Trek director (creator and co-creator of Alias and Lost (and Fringe) …all of which I’ve never seen!) J. J. Abrams. He discusses the digital battle between story-writers and exuberant fans who crave ’spoilers’ – the endings/outcomes to the stories before they’re officially released. Spoilers are exciting because they provide both answers and resolutions ….but in return however, you lessen the experience of actually seeing/reading/playing the work.
In one example he discusses a time when he and his buddy buckled down to complete a Super Mario Bros. 2 game (back when you lacked the ability to save games) …which meant that they’d have to play through the game in one loooong sitting. They got to the end level with 22 Marios banked (that means extra guys ….I won’t get into it so you’ll have to check out the article – it kinda hit home with me -lol) but started losing them all because they couldn’t figure out the right combination of moves to get through the last adventure. His friend ended up calling someone else for the answer …and consequently the experience of figuring it out own their own was lost. Success was obtained …but it was somewhat hollow.
The point he goes on to make is that it shouldn’t be about the results or goals …but instead the process of getting there. He concludes with “…we should never underestimate process. The experience of the doing really is everything. The ending should be the end of that experience, not the experience itself.“
I like it.
“Make us aware, O Lord, that life is a journey, not a destination, and happiness not ‘there’ but ‘here’, not ‘tomorrow’ but ‘today’.“
I like this statement …it was part of a larger prayer that was used to begin and end rehearsals in one of the bands that I’ve been playing with. It’s a long story. I’m not religious though, and I don’t regularly associate with any church, organized celebration or worship. During the prayer I listened of course, as the words represent ideas common to both religious and non-religious alike. They’re simply words after all …once they’re in your head they’re yours!
One of the last poems I wrote, ‘the world starts here…‘, was an attempt at expressing this same thing. This idea, that a moment should be given more importance than anything else, is certainly not new. We often get caught up in goals and destinations …and in our haste to accomplish/reach these markers, we inadvertently neglect that which is around us. In our quest for something, we often sacrifice something else. The problem however, is that we fail to appreciate what it was that we missed …what we sacrificed. It’s hard to see at times. Much like blinders on a horse, our sight is intentionally focused, and although we might convince ourselves our aim’s not exclusive, it’s rarely the case. Consider a simple example…
Let’s say that I’ve decided to take my adorable niece out to a park so we can hang for the afternoon. I make plans …what time to leave, what to bring, what to do while were there, how long to stay etc. Suddenly, something goes awry. Perhaps the car we’re driving in has a problem? Maybe the park is too busy? Maybe the food I planned to bring isn’t at all what she likes? There are a million things to go wrong, and when something doesn’t happen according to my plans (which are for the perfect day) then that perfect day is compromised. The ‘fun’ that I had planned never materializes …and consequently the day is ruined.
It needn’t be of course, not if I allowed for the possibility of something else to occur. Not if I accept the idea that things don’t necessarily have to go the way I would like them to go, and that I might still have a great time just being with my niece in the first place – taking on whatever it is that life throws our way. It needn’t be a single day either, and you can apply the same idea to long-term goals as well. In fact, it’s the long-term goals that can suffer most because they involve substantially more planning and commitment.
When long-term goals are thwarted it’s a big let down. It happens often. The thing to keep in mind though is that life always provides you with other opportunities – you just have to be open to them. They’re there, but you’re unaware because you’re locked in on whatever it is that your attention’s centered on. If you can take a step back from things, you’ll most likely discover other opportunities …and some that may even get you to your same goal – or others that get you to a different goal?! And this all leads to the idea that, in many cases, it’s not really the goal that’s important as much as the process itself. This is what we miss when we become things like obsessive, single-minded, over-zealous or inflexible. You simply have to be aware that other things are going on …and they’re not unimportant things. There’s a bigger picture kids …and we owe it to ourselves to consider it from time to time.
The neat thing about getting older I suppose, is the ability to recognize this. And not only just to recognize it, but to plan activities that actually consider these other opportunities. You realize that end goals are, and should be, sometimes more vague than precise. They should often function as guides and not as the ‘be-all-end-all’ of any exercise or ambition …encouraging the ‘here’, not ‘there’ – the ‘today’, not ‘tomorrow’. The other thing about getting older is that you honestly see that life really is a journey. And whether you feel it’s the only one, the start of another or perhaps even predestined …it’s how you approach it that ultimately affects what you get out of yours.
It unfortunately makes you aware of its brevity as well 
Few things….
Why haven’t Levy and Guest (Best In Show, Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind etc.) teamed up to make a competitive scrapbooking movie yet? *you know it’d be great*
Why am I on POF again? Do I have some secret longing that I continually repress? *no need to answer this one*
Why didn’t I plan ahead for my upcoming 10 day break (spring break for schools here)? Maybe I love this 5 month winter? *rhetorical question of course …bad planning on the former*
KM played the other night and it was business as usual. Why? -lol
After starting in on The Human Touch by Michael Frayn, is it possible for me to not be skeptical about everything so that I might actually enjoy reading something?
I think I need to rip coke, slurpees and other sugary beverages from my diet for at least a month. *the key words of course are ‘I think’*
Finally, did you know that the Jagermeister symbol of the stag and the cross was taken from the St. Hubertus legend …which was appropriated from the story of St. Eustace. It’s obvious these horn players are indifferent to the connection between religion and the Jagerbomb. Pity.
King Muskafa's JC and Ali ...St. Jager watching over them.
The following quote is from the article ‘True Unbelievers’ by Jocelyn Bell, The United Church Observer…
I love this. I don’t love it because I’m religious, believe in God or consider myself spiritual in the popular sense, but I love it because it parallels my own view toward life. If Jocelyn were to exchange the word ‘God’ with the word ‘Life’, ‘Self’, ‘Mankind’ or ‘Being Human’ then her well put thoughts would completely resonate with me. Actually, the words that I’ve suggested are wholly inadequate, and it may be the case that the word ‘God’, as she uses it, is the best description possible.
Perhaps this is why I often fail to see profound differences between religious and non-religious people. Life itself brings us both to the same conclusions …we simply structure it in a way that makes sense to us.
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To dig a little deeper; “to denounce my faith in God” might equate to ‘revoke my trust in human kindness’. It’s not to any external deity to which I consign my hopes, but instead to my primary belief in the inherent kindness of us as human beings. Our unkindness however, is a matter of perspective and situation.
“aliens land on Earth next week, explain everything to us…” This also would not change my perception. It’s almost as if having an established belief prevents us from any wholesale change in it. Yes, we would no doubt modify our thinking and our views on life, but we’d only do so in a way that would still work or function with what we already understand. You can’t comprehend anything new without first referencing it to something you already know, and it’s this referencing/relating to our pre-existing beliefs that doesn’t allow us a complete change.
“connected to everything on the planet and in the universe” The same material of which we’re made is the same material of which the universe is made. In that sense, we’re physically connected to everything else. We have no conscious/unconscious understanding of this (we often project one however!) but the basic idea that everything in the world is connected to everything else is part of what propels my idea of a basic human condition to which we all relate. We ‘feel’ that we’re all the same, and from this point we develop that basic trust.
“reason to orient my life toward good, however limited and faulty my idea of ‘good’ may be.” Our idea of good is relative. Our idea of good is subject to change. Good is to what we all endeavor, and although we have our own way of getting to it and are completely convinced that our actions are both true and noble, simply knowing that others may perceive us in a different way is part of what makes/keeps us humble. Part of what makes us better as a person.
I borrowed these comments from an Associated Press article that discussed a newly released marine census reporting on the biodiversity in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. What I like about these statements is that they demonstrate how the scientific process changes preconceived ideas but still adheres to the process itself. It’s self-correcting in a way. Science, admittedly, doesn’t know the answers, but depends instead on its process to make sense of that which it explores. The process in science includes the possibility of revision as a product of its assertion.
Science can move with our changing perspectives …and books get rewritten.
Image from 'Census of Antarctic Marine Life'
“I at times feel my life is predetermined. Each gain and each loss is in hands other than mine. I accept the good humbly and receive the bad as a matter of course. I take no great triumph or failure from my experience, and instead ride the emotion of each until it fades. However, I know this is wrong. I know that paths are the consequence of choice, and choice is available for one who desires it.”
There’s that ‘desire’ word again.
