I heard about a #1 seller on the book-list titled "The God Delusion"
Anyone else heard about it? Read it? If you haven't, you can catch a glimpse here:
http://richarddawkins.net/godDelusion where you can get a glimpse of chapter 1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_God_Delusion where you can see other reviews and summaries.
Share your thoughts.
Here are mine:
My initial observation witnesses a stronger case against religion versus God, although I'm lead to believe through additional reading of summaries that he does state a stronger case against God as the book progresses.
A strong element of his ideology would then suggest that natural selection is a significant factor in the evolution of life and the world. Were this true, then that would mean that some of us on this planet are useless to the progression of the human race. And yet, in our world we care for and support what we judge as lesser beings who may be afflicted with illness and/or handicaps. In doing so, those of us closest to the experience with these supposed lesser beings discover immense value in lessons of life, humanity, and the intrinsic value present.
In the same way that the existence of God cannot be proven, so too can the existence of God not be proven. Proving God is a personal journey, a personal relationship, and non-denominational. It is not something to be scientifically debated, and nor can it be empirically proven; it must be experienced. Yet the struggle remains: How to prove or experience God?
Before unequivocally discounting or disproving God, I believe any person would be best served to first question and seek an experience of God before making any determination. Seeking that experience of God would also be best served time and again, much in the same way a scientist will devote a lifetime researching a particular field of study. How many times is a scientific study met with failure after failure before a breakthrough is experienced?
Time and time again, in my own journey, I have denied God, found God, railed against God, wrestled with God, doubted religion, hated religion, loved religion, and every possible variation. Test and prove, test and prove, test and prove and why, time and time again? Could this not be a simple aspect of human design, left unexplainable in the same way science cannot specifically pinpoint consciousness, emotions, etc?
In the times I came close to God, were times when I would suggest I've been at my most vulnerable. Ironically, many of those times were also the most vocal against God as I lamented my circumstances. And yet, there was something there, even so far as to have an actual experience of an otherwise unexplainable event that included a presence in my room, embracing my body, touching my own spirit, consciousness, emotions, and physical body. I've never been able to forget that experience that occurred at about the age of 33 or 34.
Religion on the other hand has also been my biggest enemy at coming closer to God. Our history books offer enough evidence, as I'm sure many experiences some of us may have had with religious fanatics. These instances would eventually drive me away from religion, and on more than one occasion, away from the pursuit of God; or any sort of spirituality for that matter. And yet, something would always draw me back -- not to religion necessarily, but certainly toward an idea that God is real.
I can also assure you that I didn't always seek this out. Yes, sometimes I did, though on many occasions I railed against the possibility and insisted that whatever this internal disturbance was to please just go away and leave me alone! Let me get on with my life. Yet, this thing persisted. Does this then make me weak as part of the evolutionary process of natural selection? Given the book, it might be concluded that this is so.
This world, this creation, this universe, etc., is pretty magnificent and amazing, of that there is no doubt. Can everything be explained from this context alone? I'm not so certain, and given my field of study, I'm not likely to find that out. People like Richard Dawkins, the author of "The God Delusion" spend a great deal of time in the scientific world, as do many other scientists, and they may find a good many answers. And yet, even so I will experience questions that go beyond the answers provided. So who is right and who is wrong? Where some science tries to disprove God, I've got to tell you, it was science that brought me back to a belief in God.
I'd like to suggest that each individual embark upon their own satisfactory quest to have their own questions answered. In time, those answers may come. There may be periods of absence, periods of discovery, periods of doubt, and periods of certainty. But seriously, do you really want to take someone else's word for it? If you do, then let me sell you some land just West of Vancouver Island right on the Pacific Ocean. The scenery is gorgeous.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Courage Prevails
Weary to the bones, feeling the heaviness and despair, the fatigue demands you to sit and breathe awhile. As you sit and withdraw within the burdened mind and heart, you pant for breath, for life to return. A gust of wind stirs and refreshes you momentarily, clearing away the dark thoughts of the day, the months, and the years, and you raise your head and eyes to observe.
"How did I not notice this?" you ask. Two paths open before you. One appears to lead down the same path life has been handing you the past 10 years. It doesn't feel right, it feels like a lie, like all smoke and mirrors. The other road is shrouded in mist, within a dark forest. Even so, off in the distance you see a speck of light, like a promise, of something that appeals to a deeper part of yourself.
You look again, at the foreboding dark forest, the mist, and wonder what lurks in the dark. Its’ eeriness sends shivers and goose bumps crawling across your skin and through your bones. What surprises you is that the bones know, they know that this is your road, and one that you've passed many times before.
Finally, tired of the same repetitious path of life, the path that has lulled you into a slumber of pity, self-loathing, even longing, you find a spark within the heart that ignites a tiny spark in the belly, and then the head, and you know the adventure begins: The life you were born to live. All that needs to happen now is to turn towards the ominous and hopeful path of rightness, not familiarity, and to strike out on foot with courage.
For many, the piercing arrow of fear strikes to heart with its' ghost-like quality. The transparent, smoky, frail, and temporal arrow of fear relies on illusion to fool them and their ever-so intelligent mind that can never be wrong. As they turn away from the path of rightness, of their true life that they were born to live, fear returns to the dark woods as a whispery haunting laugh follows the blind back to the illusion of familiarity and security.
You remember this, how many times you glanced and walked on; how many times you stopped and longed; and you even have a vague recollection of having passed it without even noticing. No, the time has come, the pain of familiarity has made you too numb, and you long for life to seize your heart and start beating again with the joy of promise given to you as a child in the arms of the Supreme.
Checking in one more time, you feel the excitement build in the bones as the pilot lights sparked earlier fuel the passion to be alive and ride life. With nary a look back your heel strikes out and into the gloom of the dark forest, and the promise of that light off in the distant future. Inside the forest, you find the familiar surround you again, as the denseness of this familiar place brings memories, mistakes, missed opportunities, and the healing to let go.
This dark forest is love and loves you. The embrace is firm, cold, and yet bold. Welcoming each error of past misjudgment transforms you, empowers you, fuels you, heals you, and the forest urges you on as each barb yields to the beautiful rose. And one day, in the unknown distance of time, you step out fully into the brilliance of your authentic life upon the meadow of gaiety.
Dancing, singing, rejoicing you spin and turn and tumble with joy. After moments or hours, as time is no longer the prison it once was, you stand, exhausted with joy and delight and turn slowly absorbing the beauty that surrounds you. Gazing back along the road less traveled you see the path from the forest to discover the beauty in the tragedies and pain, as majestic Oaks, Maples, Firs, and so many more, tower to the sky with a firm strength that stands the test of time.
Bending to knee, falling forward, embracing the earth, and all your self-worth, you give thanks with tears and sobbing that releases the fullest joy imaginable. And the quiet voice of Love speaks into your heart, clearing your mind once again, and says, "Sweet child. I honor you. It was you who seized upon Courage and found Strength where I reside. It was you, My Delight, and you bring great Joy to My Heart, knowing that you have claimed this Gift of Life fully."
The bones speak again as the flesh is crawled with goose bumps and the rightness of the words sink into the flesh. Rolling over and sitting up, you lean back on your hands for a moment to gaze up into the blue wonder to ponder thanks. "My dear God," you say, "I have fought you, misunderstood you, and even abused you, yet you call me your delight. Thank-you for acknowledging that which is in me as you, and never, ever, giving up on me."
Regaining your feet, you feel the ground firmly beneath you like you've never felt it before. You feel the blood course through your veins with a fury of life that will never lay down again. You feel the gratitude and love of a heart that has swollen in proportion to ALL. And you forge on with a zest and appeal for experiencing joy that leaves your mouth watering, knowing that the path of rightness is your own and that goodness will always reign.
A ghost appears, ever so slightly, to pierce the truth with a nightmare of fear. And just as quickly, you turn one last time and remember what that forest has taught you. For all the mistakes, wrong turns, hurts of life, and damage caused to others, forgiveness and love have never left you, let you down, abandoned you, or held any grudges. It was you, it was fear, it can and has been let go, and firmly planted in the roots of majesty. You will prevail.
This, I just wrote, from heart and creative spirit.
© 2007 Lee Down, all rights reserved
"How did I not notice this?" you ask. Two paths open before you. One appears to lead down the same path life has been handing you the past 10 years. It doesn't feel right, it feels like a lie, like all smoke and mirrors. The other road is shrouded in mist, within a dark forest. Even so, off in the distance you see a speck of light, like a promise, of something that appeals to a deeper part of yourself.
You look again, at the foreboding dark forest, the mist, and wonder what lurks in the dark. Its’ eeriness sends shivers and goose bumps crawling across your skin and through your bones. What surprises you is that the bones know, they know that this is your road, and one that you've passed many times before.
Finally, tired of the same repetitious path of life, the path that has lulled you into a slumber of pity, self-loathing, even longing, you find a spark within the heart that ignites a tiny spark in the belly, and then the head, and you know the adventure begins: The life you were born to live. All that needs to happen now is to turn towards the ominous and hopeful path of rightness, not familiarity, and to strike out on foot with courage.
For many, the piercing arrow of fear strikes to heart with its' ghost-like quality. The transparent, smoky, frail, and temporal arrow of fear relies on illusion to fool them and their ever-so intelligent mind that can never be wrong. As they turn away from the path of rightness, of their true life that they were born to live, fear returns to the dark woods as a whispery haunting laugh follows the blind back to the illusion of familiarity and security.
You remember this, how many times you glanced and walked on; how many times you stopped and longed; and you even have a vague recollection of having passed it without even noticing. No, the time has come, the pain of familiarity has made you too numb, and you long for life to seize your heart and start beating again with the joy of promise given to you as a child in the arms of the Supreme.
Checking in one more time, you feel the excitement build in the bones as the pilot lights sparked earlier fuel the passion to be alive and ride life. With nary a look back your heel strikes out and into the gloom of the dark forest, and the promise of that light off in the distant future. Inside the forest, you find the familiar surround you again, as the denseness of this familiar place brings memories, mistakes, missed opportunities, and the healing to let go.
This dark forest is love and loves you. The embrace is firm, cold, and yet bold. Welcoming each error of past misjudgment transforms you, empowers you, fuels you, heals you, and the forest urges you on as each barb yields to the beautiful rose. And one day, in the unknown distance of time, you step out fully into the brilliance of your authentic life upon the meadow of gaiety.
Dancing, singing, rejoicing you spin and turn and tumble with joy. After moments or hours, as time is no longer the prison it once was, you stand, exhausted with joy and delight and turn slowly absorbing the beauty that surrounds you. Gazing back along the road less traveled you see the path from the forest to discover the beauty in the tragedies and pain, as majestic Oaks, Maples, Firs, and so many more, tower to the sky with a firm strength that stands the test of time.
Bending to knee, falling forward, embracing the earth, and all your self-worth, you give thanks with tears and sobbing that releases the fullest joy imaginable. And the quiet voice of Love speaks into your heart, clearing your mind once again, and says, "Sweet child. I honor you. It was you who seized upon Courage and found Strength where I reside. It was you, My Delight, and you bring great Joy to My Heart, knowing that you have claimed this Gift of Life fully."
The bones speak again as the flesh is crawled with goose bumps and the rightness of the words sink into the flesh. Rolling over and sitting up, you lean back on your hands for a moment to gaze up into the blue wonder to ponder thanks. "My dear God," you say, "I have fought you, misunderstood you, and even abused you, yet you call me your delight. Thank-you for acknowledging that which is in me as you, and never, ever, giving up on me."
Regaining your feet, you feel the ground firmly beneath you like you've never felt it before. You feel the blood course through your veins with a fury of life that will never lay down again. You feel the gratitude and love of a heart that has swollen in proportion to ALL. And you forge on with a zest and appeal for experiencing joy that leaves your mouth watering, knowing that the path of rightness is your own and that goodness will always reign.
A ghost appears, ever so slightly, to pierce the truth with a nightmare of fear. And just as quickly, you turn one last time and remember what that forest has taught you. For all the mistakes, wrong turns, hurts of life, and damage caused to others, forgiveness and love have never left you, let you down, abandoned you, or held any grudges. It was you, it was fear, it can and has been let go, and firmly planted in the roots of majesty. You will prevail.
This, I just wrote, from heart and creative spirit.
© 2007 Lee Down, all rights reserved
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