The Paradox of Humanity:

 

 Almost all the world’s greatest philosophers and poets have faced up to the paradox and incongruities that confront us when we consider ourselves and our humanity.

 

 

" From Psalm 8 to Shakespeare’s great soliloquy in Hamlet, many of the world’s most beautiful and profound reflections have focused on the paradox of man and woman.

 As humanity, we humans are so small and so great, so strong and so weak. We rise so high and we sink so low. We are body and we are spirit. We are mortal and we are immortal. We have a grandeur and we have a pathos. Sometimes our little lives seem like a momentary fleck on the heaving ocean, yet we are all always the center of our own universe while we live, and together as humanity we are the most powerful and influential creatures in the whole kingdom.

 We can see things as they are; we also know the way things ought to be, and sometimes the difference makes us laugh and sometimes it makes us cry. 

 

What other beings in the universe are like us in these ways? What explains this paradox and these incongruities, and even more, how can we hope to reconcile them in a way that makes life meaningful?

Unquestionably, the current vogue in thinking is to duck the incongruity by stressing only one side—in the case of the new atheists, reducing reality to what can be handled by reason and science, and denying everything else that does not fit this reductionism.
 Not surprisingly, Dawkins and his naturalistic cohorts have put such a stress on the naturalness and smallness of humanity that they now routinely deny aspects of our humanity that were once considered part of human greatness—human dignity and freedom being the latest to be assigned to the dustbin as “illusions.”

Os Guinness, the Author of  Fool’s Talk:

 

 

(Edited and Final Form by Digital Anvil ) 

 

 Science vs Other Elements:

 

It should be noted that the assumption of science of being the source of the all -conquering advance of humanity is  called "scientism." While this belief has some truth,it relegates other belief systems to naught. 

That is manifestly false.

As always other systems are necessary and mindful of the spiritual, psychological,relational,economic and social aspects of  life from the individual up to the whole world.

Although science may analyse the composition of a birthday cake and technology aid in its duplication, it can not discern its meaning, and purpose.

The biblical account, however, goes further than science will allow, by claiming that while every living thing has God’s breath of life in it, humans alone bear his image and thus the special responsibility of representing God to everything else. This is the genesis of Shakespearian odes to humankind being the “paragon of animals” or, alternatively, claims of “species arrogance” that reserve for humanity alone unique perks and privileges.

On this point, science — as is said of God in biblical idiom — both gives and takes away. The evolutionary account of our origins grants us a peek into our own beginnings but it’s one that winds up demoting human life, if attributed solely to blind, natural forces. In that case, man and woman, made in God’s image, are no longer the pinnacle of creation, as in the biblical account. Instead, we’re unlikely, upright apes left to create our own meaning in a meaningless universe, left to wrestle with the difficulty of reconciling what we know to be true and all that we feel about that truth.

Man and Woman cannot live by science alone.

 

But by every human who loves, wisely acts and selflessly gives of themselves to other humans.

Thanks also to an unknown contributor.

( edited and re-worked by Digital Anvil. Final form by D. A.)

Sum- Up:

God always welcomes humble men who discovered that they had done wrong and are wrong in the sum- up of their lives.

 

 

By Digital Anvil. 

 

 

The Worldview Essay: 

 

Forgive my boldness; I would like to share something you probably know, the term: Worldview.  This is a set of beliefs you and I live by. These ‘guides’ to life or ways of living are taught and learned through various means. Much of today’s dominating global -view has trickled down from the mountainside of the great intellectuals of the past 400 years in Western society. A small group of thinkers like Darwin, Hobbes, Hume, Rousseau, Nietzsche, Freud, Marx, Sartre, Kafka, Camus, Jung, Hesse, Koestler, Huxley and  a few more have established the newer intellectual landscape for some centuries.

You may not have heard of all of them, but they certainly fuel some of your beliefs.

I have read a few of their famous books, devouring the publications eagerly and was deeply impacted by them. Some were great thinkers who liberated my mind and our contemporary society. They were unrivaled men whose contribution to Western thought is priceless. Some of their books caused me to stay up for hours overnight to complete reading those works of compelling genius.

 I studied deeply their ‘messages to the world’ in High School. I learned that these thinkers were skillful with words, causing 100s of 1000s like me to accept their cognitive engineering of contemporary Western society’s social and evolutionary progress.

There were key themes in books that we studied in High school. For example, the individual vs the society: Huxley’s vision of the near- future where people were divided into 3-4 classes and how a particular drug was given to ‘lower’ masses to stop them from knowing that they were living in an elitist governed Utopia and kept ‘happily’ unaware.  ( Book^[1])

My generation, the Baby Boomers, wanted to change the world! We did precisely that. For good or ill? You decide? As I aged, I grew up in a way that reflected what I had read for about three decades of early adulthood. Yes! Ideas, you shall find, can have real-world consequences.

 Yet as I grew older, I began seeing some flaws with the loss of critical thinking and the indoctrination of the modern Western civilization  in latter decades.

 I’ve read more contemporary philosophers and particularly technology books, which opened my mind to search, review and understand carefully.

It wasn’t the wisdom of another more extraordinary thinker that brought down the intellectual Everest for me. The then overall meaninglessness of my life, the emptiness and the void in my heart, tolled the death- bell of this long-cherished Worldview. 
After some more time, I concluded that their writing was intelligently crafted, deceptively skillful fiction.  We could term this collective body of work as misleading, delusionally conceived and destructive information. The over-arching strategy of their books is an attempt to explain away God. To deny Him a place in our world and present Him as an ancient mythic- being. An improbable Wizard in the sky.

 It was my original acceptance of their spellbinding system of beliefs (the atheistic worldview) that brought me to that cave of despair and darkness in the first place. They taught that God is dead! ‘If you want to, then do it, don't stop!’Nice single girls can too! ‘If It doesn’t hurt anyone, go ahead, do it.’ ‘That  We, not God, are the measure of everything.’  Anyway God left us all alone, and He departed after creation.’ True? Or not? I thought, 'Pessimism seems true.'

Existence is meaninglessness; Face that life with courage. Courage is meaningless.The gladiators motto or tagline was,' eat, drink and be merry. For tomorrow we die!'

Look up at the night sky and see the trillions of galaxies in overwhelming blackness. Is the universe impersonal or is it the intentional craftsmanship of an intelligent Designer?
 

Ask yourself, when you are faced with a likely moral decision, do I invest this moment ( meeting girls by serendipity ) in my life for short term benefits or for long-term gains? We ask ourselves how do we make sense of all the particulars we encounter in our lives? From Adam to Zoology, from a baby's cry to a Ferrari,from ideas to transcendence, from the cell to a prisoner. All is  phenomena in the world of our space and time. All things, we can see or sense,yet there are things that we cannot see, yet we know that they are true and real. We have asked, how does this all fit together? The question wrestled throughout human history. 

Who do we trust? Mortal man or immortal  God?

Because, like 100s of millions of others, we choose to trust some of those trickled down ideas from a few mortals who—I believe-- undermined the foundation of our current Western society to fracture the granite-like base of our collective lives. Their ideas sound good until you see the downstream consequences. Compare Putin's Russia with Singapore ? Hong Kong under Britain vs Chinese Protectorate? Who is truly free and who has freedom chained ?

After -effects of some trickled down thoughts are found in the rise of relativistic ideals, radical Islam, neo-atheism and the emergence of communism -Lite, political correctness and reality ensembles. One example is the popularity of reality TV. These people are rarely endowed with awarded talents, fine acting skills or other merits except that they are famous. For instance, the Kardashians' fame lies primarily in persistent self-promotion and clever marketing. Mega-numbers crave such celebrity, power, wealth and prestige. ‘Appearance is everything,’ a myriad voices cry out. Cosmetic surgeons do whole-body makeovers to chase the elusive ‘fountain of youth.’(like Cher)

Today, celebrities, whether athletes, rock bands, movie stars, billionaires, models... etc., project our inner desires. Our lives in the digital age reflect the core value of belonging: where do we fit in? We are composites of the persons we want to emulate.  We mirror other mirrors, other like-minded people; it is one reason for the massive popularity of social media.( Four Billion + members) Becoming more like what we desire. Is this good or ill? We consume and assume worth by buying acceptance and belonging to particular people- groups. From our data, the algorithmic marketing pitch, honed and shaped by our offline and online lives over the past decades, precisely targets our human need for worth. Despite our fiercely guarded independence, we comply, longing to belong.

 I know you believe we are all made free. I was duped, but now I see. I am free from massive deception. More than a game changer, it is a Life- Transference! Transferred from the domain of man to the Kingdom of God.
I am overwhelmed by gratitude. Who or what liberated me? All that happened was that somebody took me out of a deep cave into pure, radiant light. This new reality, which I have begun to live in, makes me want to rescue others trapped in the deep cave and release them. This is a gift I am unworthy to receive, yet I did! Originally a prisoner now rescued from falsehood and fiction and myth and delusion. 

Why should I be fortunate to experience this true enlightenment, this change of perspective, heart and mind?  Had Love found a way?

Transformed by new concepts and some persons whose selflessness, devoted actions and committed friendships shared their light. There is abundant love, genuine acceptance, and a meaningful and purposeful life to be found.  Experiencing new and renewed relationships in the illumined world that reaches beyond barriers and toward healthier Living with the fundamental dynamic Love from the Book of Ages.^[2]

(Thank you for reading this letter.)

Recommended sources for further research:
Renewing Your Mind by R.C. Sproul.
Consequences of Ideas by R.C.Sproul.
Streams of Confusion by Brad Scott.
1984 by George Orwell.

The Intellectuals by Paul Johnson
Dekonstructing the Kardashians by MJ Corey
Academy of Ideas: YouTube Channel.

What do you think? drop a comment? Your nuggets, your thoughts are welcome?

 ^[1]   Brave New World by Aldous Huxley 1930.

[2] The Bible.          

 By Digital Anvil.

Before You get Married

“Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?” Amos 3:3 NLT

Here are three things you should be clear about before you commit to a lifetime relationship in marriage:

(1) Does your partner have a strong relationship with Christ? “Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?” (Amos 3:3 NLT). To stay together, you must walk in step and in the same direction. 

(2) Is your partner growing spiritually? “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18 NIV). If you are not growing together, you will eventually grow apart. Looks may bring you together, but a shared faith and values will keep you together for the long haul. 

(3) What kind of family background does your partner have? God can help us overcome our handicaps caused by family dysfunction. But you need to know what you are dealing with before you vow to love one another “For better or for worse.” Paul wrote: “Carry each other’s burdens…this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2 NIV). But you need to know upfront what those burdens are before committing to a lifetime of helping to share them. Do you know about your partner’s past relationships? “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV). But that doesn’t mean you can cover up the past or lie about it.

 Mutual transparency is the name of the game!

 When you know the whole truth about one another, the past loses its power to sabotage your present and your future. No spouse is perfect, but don’t settle for less than God’s best.

SoulFood: 1 Sam 27–31 Matt 24:15–25 Ps 102:12–17 Pro 17:7–10

My Thanks to Vision.org.au

( from Digital Anvil )

Resilience: Faith ? 

 

 We may be suffering a job loss, a health crisis, a public scandal, the death of a child or a close friend, or a Job-like combination of disasters. But however bad the immediate, the ultimate is always hopeful, and in the tension between the immediate and the ultimate lies the possibility of the resilience of faith.

Os Guinness: Fool’s Talk: 

 

(from Digital Anvil) 

 

Liam Out Loud: 

 

The social justice and neo-Marxist policies marketed as compassion have produced no tangible benefit.

In fact, many have had disastrous effects.

The policies built on so-called empathy have a record now, and the record is disastrous. 

Safe supply programs worsened addiction and homelessness. 

Lenient bail and sentencing reform arrived alongside a crime wave. 

Mass migration fragmented communities, drove up the cost of living, and suppressed wages. 

Billions of tax dollars administered on behalf of Indigenous communities have not improved material conditions on the reserves. 

Teens with gender dysphoria were given life-altering hormones on an evidence base that was never established in the first place.

So while the failure of each individual policy is now undeniable, the worldview that produced all of them remains in full effect. 

Until we strip the moral cover of empathy away from that worldview, it will keep conjuring new ways to destroy the status quo and marketing them as compassion.

From Liam Out Loud.

Original thinker:

(Many thanks from Digital Anvil.)