what contributes to happiness
1
Why so much fear about death?
1
For the overwhelmingly secular society we live in, one assumes that it is not connected to any metaphysical concern about the possibility of an afterlife and the need for redemption.
If anything, Western societies seem to have a death instinct hanging over us, especially evident in late empire USA which has turned itself into a fantastic killing machine.
1
When one thinks about the opposite of Thanatos, Eros, some interesting thoughts are triggered. Simple linear logic might suggest that a strong Thanatos would be consistent with a weak level of Eros. If true, how might this weak love of life be evident? Where would one look to see a robust sensuality not being expressed in a society’s everyday life? Using C. S. Lewis’ formulation of the four aspects of gift love as a useful structure to start to survey the landscape, – a less than hopeful picture emerges of the state of itsWestern cultural expression.
1
In vicious caricature:
1
Motherhood/fatherhood/affection – contracted to for profit ‘child care’ and limited to dogs.
1
Friendship – degenerated to social media collections.
1
Eros in loving relationships – overwhelmed by pornography.
1
Charity/Compassion – Blame the victim.
1
How has this come about one might ask.
Some have said that it started in the Eurocentric world with the death of God and its replacement with failed humanism. However, the death of that God was not the death of the Cosmic Mind-like mystery sitting behind everything and usually talked about in the philosophical stream called Personal Idealism. Nor by some readings of the personal nature of that mystery; embedded in human consciousness and expressed most powerfully in Mark’s Gospel of the ‘Western Religion’.
1
However, all of that is irrelevant if the mindset of Eurocentric Peoples cannot be prized loose from Philosophical Materialism and the failed experiment with Humanism.
1
Until a new solid rock is found to tether a new Western Mythos, the idea and experience of happiness will continue to experience head winds.
1
Vladimir Putin’s thoughts in an interview he recently gave to the Financial Times and accessed via the link below, are thought provoking. One can understand the intense hatred expressed not only by US citizens but also by other Eurocentric people who have hitched their wagon to the failed humanism post. Here he is telling the West that Liberalism (humanism) has become obsolete. More than that, in a similar way to the message of the 2001 catastrophe in New York sent by Usama Bin Ladean, he is in effect asking “who are you dude”? You have no rock to stand on, in fact it is becoming obvious to peoples around the world that the West is sinking in quick sand. Shining the light on someone’s failure is most likely to call for destruction if that someone is asleep to their own condition! – The Soviet Union has already experienced it, resulting in its demise. Peoples of the Russian Federation have had to look inward to start to come out of the catastrophe.
1
Can we?

Happy Birthday

Julian Assange is an interesting person for followers of the Christian Way, and all people of good will, to think about in relation to what he represents in a system which is gaining more and more echoes of the Communist Stasi mode of societal control. (Remembering of course that it was staffed by numbers of operatives of the preceding Fascist Gestapo model.)
1
All of the shenanigans in Anglo/American society swirling around him can be distracting and quite blinding to the core issue; TRUTH.
1
Assange can be likened to the Beloved Follower of John’s Gospel who was charged with observing and then retelling the redeeming story. Of course, associated with him are the Jesus figures, represented by the whistle blowers who have a degree of courage, morality and ethical BEING which goes far beyond what most of us seem able to muster.
1
TRUTH/truth of course is like a flame thrower to a nest of vipers.
1
Gangster-ism is on the rise and hell and high water for we the mob’s demise!

For We are Many

Mark’s story of the man with unclean spirit resonates with the times we live in. In more poetic language; it seems like:
1
We are on the edge of a cliff, so high up it is almost impossible to see the end in sight; the void. We cannot seem to fathom at this point in time and space, the consequence of what is to happen unless heed is taken of the messages the scientists are telling us; because it only seems like a fantastic make believe story. Nothing like this picture has ever occurred in human history and the Big Bang that brought time and the physical Cosmos into being is so stupendous that it is unimaginable.
1
But, nuclear and climate apocalyptic holocaust is just picture-able because it is somewhat sized to suit our little speck in the Galaxy. Too big to grapple with even then one might say, if it wasn’t that the eerie noise of the approaching tsunami is now just audible in our daily lives.
1
Weather events that are so severe in some places as to make production of certain food stuffs decline precipitously. As an example; the loss of wheat production in Australia, normally one of the World top producers and exporters, has been affected so much by drought recently that it will likely have to import some for its own domestic consumption this year.
1
OR
1
In the mid-west corn and soy producing areas of the US, so much rain has fallen that sowing of these crops has been reduced to less than half of usual tonnage.
1
Looking around the World there are “Legion” examples.
1
The sophistication and deviousness of the latest weapons systems as unstoppable nuclear delivery vehicles is growing to the point where any serious exchange will be the last. As the Russian President was quoted as saying “WW4 would be fought with sticks and stones” – well until only the ants are left.
1
But even this level of “evidence” is impossible to accept as the fear induced by it is too great to live with for most people. So, down to a more bite size, digestible level. Which one would you like to choose for there are plenty on offer as the linked article amply shows?
1
After reading the sad afore mentioned article, it is obvious that there is only one of two ways to handle it.
EITHER
Stay a child with wilful ignorance
OR
Grow up and BECOME a self driven adult.
1
Sadly it seems that most follow the behaviour of people referred to in Mark 5:17. – It’s all too painful – better to die than change. A wonderful present for the children and grandchildren eh!
There is good news though, albeit as old as the current age. There are as numerous examples as there are great wisdom traditions, but taking the Christian example Jesus; who for the followers of that way, is the definitive example of a human being who is the epitome of human wholeness. A definitive example of the human expression of God’s intention for humanity.
1
Here is a human being one can strive to emulate in one’s own human journey toward wholeness and in the process develop a personal experiential relationship with the great Cosmic mystery within, which rises out of the earth. For those who seriously try, it seems to result in remarkable change – a real metanoia.
1
As the quote from Julian of Norwich goes – Bliss is seeing God in everything.
1
Going back to the linked article one wonders how many see the writing on the wall like Legion and act on it, or how many will keep waiting for the next and the next social efforts to change the situation. In a Western world that is in the process of seeing the collapse of humanism, it is rather sad.
1
What is needed is a revolution of human wholeness. A revolution of human self worth; which if one is honest, doesn’t seem as if it is going to happen until catastrophe of a cataclysmic order presents itself. Sad because extraordinary help is available for those adequate to see it. And if one is not adequate at this point, then plenty of help from friends and loved ones to get you to that starting line will be needed.
1
Go look for the people who will love you enough to lend a hand and then return that gift to someone else when you can. Start in the local and expect good luck to accompany you.

“The defamation of one’s enemy is a cult among the courtiers in the realm of darkness” E. Junger
1
After the darkness – peace
1
And who is that darkness?
1
Undealt within all who do not claim morality, decency and self inner acceptance of respect and value for all – not just a few.
1
Link to the article by Michael T Klare and then conjure what would/will be the likely outcome of this. Besides the bestiality of planning for deliberate nuclear war, because that is where it would end up; think about what won’t get done with the wealth squandered on it – addressing climate problems, world hunger, environmental degradation etc. etc. although how you reorganise an economy set up on a war footing, hopefully the top class sociologists/political economists in the world may have some idea because there is no time to lose.