Live & die TWICE ...

      

Just like little kids in the play yard, some grown men (who should know better) in their vain attempts to raise their self esteem & sense of pomposity in the eyes of those who do not know better, act like the fast guns in westerns we know so well, shooting down the fastest gun alive so to establish themselves as the fastest & greatest.
With minds filled with the same warped psychology as that of political assassins throughout the ages, who bring down icons, leaders of societies or nations in order to establish themselves as greats in the halls of infamy they go round tearing down established icons of human greats.
 

Which icon among human perception is the greatest if not GOD himself?
 

Thus a host of (so-called) intellectual, philosophical, analytical thinkers;  using their understanding of logical reasoning powers supposedly centered on Socratic evidence based scientific deductions conclude and proclaim as "ridiculous and unproven gibberish & superstition" the faith many have in GOD.  
What greater infamy than to tear down  an ICON so great as that of GOD himself. 

How much esteem would that not bring one!

However if one were to slow down a little to realize the insignificance of oneself when held up against the vastness of even just the known universe, would not one quiver when held up in comparison against the yet unknown, yet immeasurable greatness of the Maker of all that is seen and unseen ?
Would not any logically intelligent mind (imbued with or without scientifically tuned Socratic analytical abilities) be of the opinion that it is NOT important whether we the insignificant creatures known as human beings believe in the Maker God; RATHER whether the Maker gives a hoot at all about us ?!

Thus the story ends here; not in some grandiose verbose loaded pseudo scientific philosophical ranting to huge audiences & pod/broadcasted to every known electronic receptors, filling libraries of denouncements about the non-existence or the un-provenness of GOD. Nothing ever is decided or ever concluded at these displays of semantic prowess and exercises in intellectual arrogance. HUMILITY is never acquired, it has to be administered via a hard fall.

Living only once is insufficient for some - these should die twice… once in ignorant arrogance and then again in utter humility.

Please never grow old...

The confusion, dissension & debate about "unbelief", "disbelief" or "non-belief" is not about God.

Neither is it about the existence or not of God.

Not also if He can or cannot be proven.

It is not about lack of faith or the need for God.

Nor is it whether God is relevant in daily living.




It all came to pass (how biblical that phrase) because those entrusted with initiating, fostering, encouraging, making relevant & effective as well as edifying & strengthening, belief in God (ORGANIZED RELIGIONS & their minions i.e. pastors, priests & religious), messed up BIG TIME … giving God a "dirty image", in the eyes of ordinary folks who desperately want to trust in & believe a good benevolent God.




It does not help too with the many so-called highly educated (by human standards only) great & sundry, fringe philosophers espousing the folly of inflicting an unproven, false, illogical, unreliable personal faith in Religion.




It would be enlightening if these so called logical analytical great minds who are so well equipped with their elusive mysterious gifts of fathoming everything with no help from anyone other than their own abilities; could truthfully answer this question:

"If a loved one eg. a child of one of these gifted philosophers is dying very soon, of an unknown cause which no one in this world or any where else has the ability or technology or means to prevent, who would he call to for help, consolation or solace? Socrates? Einstein? Richard Dawkins? Some other philosophers or would he use his superior analytical mental abilities to work out an answer"?




Would appreciate if answers can be forthcoming as a truthful answer might help many in their direction in life.




There are many who do not ever imagine the day will come when they will grow old weak, senile & lose their many superior (so they imagine) abilities of body & mind.

If all they rely on is in the abilities of mind and body whilst in the spirit department they have set little store…their "awakening" in their twilight years is not going to be 'luminous' or 'illustrious' it would probably be 'disastrous'!

Good luck in their human pursuit of spiritual arrogance, independence & superior analytical thought processes.

If only...

Of all the most important decisions in the world, the one which could be called the greatest mistake ever made; which most affected the course of Man’s history; was the one Adam & his wife, Eve made when they disobeyed His order not to eat of the tree of Knowledge.


Following that TRAGIC act of total DISOBEDIENCE - very weirdly peculiarly every other order; not withstanding how far fetched, ridiculous or illogical; has met with total compliance. (more or less)






• Abraham went so far as to consent to killing his ONLY son Isaac as sacrifice (what a guy Abraham must have been!)
•
• Joshua, a fighting man asked to "walk" around the city of Jericho with his troops to ensure its collapse.
•
• Moses being asked to strike an arid,
• bone dry rock with his rod to obtain a streaming fountain of water!!
•
• Peter (quite well off & successful by the standards of his days) & the others obeyed the very unfathomable request of Christ, to become "fishers of Man", dropping their nets and everything else to take after someone they hardly knew.
•
• After fishing the whole night and catching nothing, they agreed to try one more time, tired like hell they were; when so ordered by Christ.. catching their biggest haul ever!
•
• Peter defying common sense and logic; attempted walking on water!
•
• Even the dead are obedient... Lazarus; dead by all medical definitions known then, rose to life again when so ordered!
•
• Noah built an immense vessel, on DRY land, in anticipation of rising waters, when asked to; filling it with WILD creatures not normally known to be domesticated.




All these & more seemingly illogical orders/requests, which to us present day creatures are so glaringly of unsound logic possessing not even the least of common sense, are obeyed to the letter.
JUST BECAUSE He asked for them to be done!


Due to Man’s ego & refusal to submit, every living being has been paying ever since Time began.



If only Adam had been a little less disobedient...


Paradise would not have been lost.


If......

Inaccurate misconceptions

• Democratically elected Governments are never corrupt. Only Fascist or Communist or Dictatorial countries are. 
• You are your father's and mother's biological child. 
• You are the center of the Universe. 
• If a person is smiling, he cannot be angry or 'bad'. 
• A man of God can always be trusted. 
• Anything in hard copy has a letter-head/logo is genuine, & is official. 
• They who are not with us are against us. 
• If you love God you have to tithe till it hurts, even at the expense of your family's/dependents' well being. God's love cannot be measured in dollars and cents. Your sacrifice, tho not needed by God, will yet be greatly rewarded. 
• If I ask people about anything I do not know, I am stupid. 
• A person with a degree and letters after his name is intelligent & to be trusted. 
• When an old man, especially a non-Caucasian, un-wealthy- looking &Asian, speaks to a stranger young lady, (the subject is not relevant) he never has honorable intentions. 
• An old person is trust-worthy and will never cheat or try to get inside your panties. 
• Young people know nothing about life or sex or anything important. 
• When there is a sale the prices are always cheaper then when none. 
• If you own hi-tech gadgets like the latest iPhone or iPad you are someone to admire. 
• When a product is guaranteed for life it will always be replaced as long as you live. 
• A person who uses public transport, cash not plastic, eats at stalls not restaurants, dresses in unbranded attire, is unimportant, a nonentity. 
• Your enemies are God's enemies too. 
• One who drives an expensive car, is rich & famous; fucking with the guy is safe. The risk of catching STD/HIV is zero. 
• Smoking is cool, matured, attractive to the opposite sex & indicates a seasoned international jet-setter. 
• A person who speaks a foreign language or with a foreign accent is a super star. 
• Those who do not subscribe to your views, are wrong, must be despised & isolated. 
• One who dresses like a tourist is a tourist. 
• Titled people are definitely trustworthy, principled and highly educated, and will not try to get inside your pants. 
• Highly educated people seldom commit criminal acts. 
• What is on the news, TV and Internet about current events are true and factual. 
• Justice is never politically influenced or controlled. 
• The ruling government of a democratic country always has the peoples' welfare foremost. 
• Communism is BAD and it's leaders are Evil. 
• Money can't buy love. 
• To be Successful is to own an expensive car, a huge house, exotic pedigreed pets, has membership of an exclusive club, yacht, & a foreigner as spouse, plus many Facebook friends. 
• You can trust your spouse in all things. 
• You can trust your friendly neighborhood police man to watch out for your neighborhood's safety & security. 
• You can trust your Boss or supervisor in all things related to your job, your career advancements and your assured employability. 
• Western Democracies are successful political structures. 
• Anyone who is good looking, can karaoke, & dresses cool is a good person. 
• A person who looks like a man is one. 
• A person who looks like a woman is one. 
• Sex is the least of people's intentions & when someone picks you up, it's due to your interesting personality. 
• Your child is your biological offspring. 
• You catch cold because of getting drenched in the rain. 
• Love is never having to say you are sorry. 
• Love can overcome all hardships. 
• If some one says he loves you, it's ok to fuck with him. 
• Going to Sunday services in Church is enough to become a good person. 
• There is no need be courteous, especially to migrants, old people or nonentities. 
• A person who has a badge, & wears a uniform is authorized to do what he/she wants to do with you. 
• Eating sweets & candy will definitely spoil your teeth & health. 
• Going to far away places as a tourist improves your appreciation, knowledge & understanding of other cultures. 
• Mosquitoes spread AIDs. 
• Budget Airlines are concerned with saving money for you. 
• Patriotism is instilled by (Compulsory) National Service. 
• Patriotism is cheering the national football team hysterically & getting stoned (especially) at the all night Bar during the World Cup. 
• If a stranger, especially if male, smiles at your young child, he IS a Pedophile. 
• Those on Death Row are guilty beyond reasonable doubt & deserve their sentence. 
• No one is above the Law. 
• Corruption of any public officials, can be eliminated with lucrative remuneration. 
• What you get is what you pay for. 
• Good stuff is always highly priced. 
• Cheap stuff can never be worthwhile. 
• Highly salaried people are highly motivated & usually super-achievers . 
• Everyone is equal in the "Eyes of the Law" 
• Money can buy anything. 
• To be respected you must have power, money and good looks plus an expensive foreign car, & your spouse is a foreigner preferably Caucasian. 
• Talk is cheap. 
• Frequent masturbation leads to blindness, ED, sexual problems, & makes one a gay, or a lesbian. 
• You definitely don't need anyone when you are sick or in trouble as long as you believe in God. 
• Absence makes the heart grow fonder. 
• Silence is consent. 
• If a man opens the door for you & behaves generally like a gentleman, he IS one. 
• It is pointless & totally unnecessary to do anything other than to benefit self. 
• If you repent all the evil you (deliberately) did while young God will forgive & take you back. 
• It is praising God when someone says Praise The Lord or Amen. 
• West is best. 
• Admitting you are wrong is a sign of weakness. 
• When a fellow colleague does well or achieves a feat at work, it is ok to be envious & bitchy. 
• If a person is better off (financially) it is entirely ok to always allow him/her to pick up the tab. 
• When a gadget or instrument is broken, it is better to discard it. 
• The earth is to be saved for our future generations. 
• Keeping the earth "Green" will save it for future generations. 
• What looks dirty & unpalatable is usually 'bad'. 
• If some one says he loves you, he is not lying & it's ok to fuck with him. 
• What appears 'wholesome', "nicely packaged' & smells 'great' is always Good. 
• God loves you. 
• You are most important to Him. 
• If God is with you no harm will ever come to you. 
• Free will is a gift from God. Thus you are free to do anything you please. 
• You can trust the labels on the stuff you buy. 
• It is safe to place your money in Banks. 
• Investing in the Share market is trendy & assured to bring you good returns. 
• You can rely on your Insurance agent to be concerned with your welfare. 
• Your share market remisier has the welfare of your portfolio in mind. 
• Money can never become "useless". 
• Anything that goes up will surely come down again, including inflation. 
• You will never grow old, unimportant or irrelevant. 
• If a person is a foreigner or if he speaks with a foreign accent & is white, he is a good person & can be trusted. 
• Someone not of your faith or religious conviction IS an INFIDEL. 
• God has no favorite race/nation. 
• List will be periodically updated.... 

Earth-Shaking Verbalizations...

     

     Superior Intellectuals Verbalizing ... If one is unable to explain a supernatural being (or what is commonly referred to as God) & to provide demonstrable scientific evidence that such an entity exists it is not a logical given the unproven entity does not exist. 
The level of technological development and scientific facilities available at the period one is presently at, may not present one with the skills or tools to make such evidence demonstrable, quantifiable or tangible. 
The absence of scientific evidence alone does not confirm  the non-existence of the entity. 
Besides the sophistication & or incomprehensibility of the nature of the Entity (god) by human intellectual faculties/abilities may make that proof impossibly unobtainable.
Socratic logic plus a highly developed ability of analytical thinking & the gift to perform impressive Platonic  mental acrobatics may imbue some with a heightened sense of intellectual superiority.  Coupled with a verbosity and fluency in semantics may embellish one with a self perceived aura of extreme intelligence and knowledgeability but in the final analysis based on the universal common denominator of goodness, humility and charity one stand on a slippery slope of self arrogance mutually boosted and reinforced by fellow pseudo intellectuals.
By denying and ridiculing the idea of a supernatural being most call God, one might feel that one is greater perhaps than God himself. It is usually an insecure, childish attempt at self glorification,  by destroying or denigrating a commonly regarded icon of greatness.
If one claims that inflicting a non factual premise on others is immoral what  then is so moral about inflicting the opposite stance of not subscribing to the former non factual premise ?
A hypothetical situation :
An Atheist when in an utterly hopeless & desperate situation, eg. when an only child/loved one is dying of an incurable terminal illness, finds no help from every human facilities/faculties and intelligent HUMAN medical resources; 
would call on  : 
° dead relatives vis father or mother presumably endowed with supernatural powers ?
°Albert Einstein ?
°Richard Dawkins ? 
°Stefan Molyneux ?
°President of department of Philosophy at Ivy League University ?
°The Professor of Philosophy at their Alma Mater ? 
°Their great thinker colleagues ?
°Obi Wan Kenobi ?
°The President of the Socratic Society of Rational Analytical Thinking
°Their own EGO ?- 
for help ?
Or would he deep down wished then that there is a GOD?

Using words like 'inflicting' a belief based on faulty premises & accusation of planting a 'viral infection' in the mind of a person is analogous to a small boy gleefully running down an idea much greater than himself to boost his own self esteem.

If there is a God ('If' … since He cannot be, [actually need not be] proven) He would feel sad & sorry for the insecurity of the Atheist/philosopher.

Is Talking part of "LOVE" .. ?

Why does the TV guy say people from the "very hard to say" countries are 'BAD'? 
Can "BAD" people from "very hard to say" countries make so many happy things in Walmart?
Are "BAD" people from "very hard to say countries" part of Love?
Is TV guy part of Love?


Is Charity giving money to Church?
Is Charity, giving away trash to the poor?
Why does TV guy kneel at Church?
Does TV guy work for Church?


Is God the cook at Soup Kitchens?
Are those eating at Soup Kitchens "Bad"
Are "poor" people eating at soup kitchens "sick"?
Is God part of Church?


Am I "sick" when I am angry?
Can I get "sick" watching TV?
Is it OK to be "sick" at Church?
Is TV good for me?


Does the "poor" need Love?
Do the "sick" need Charity ?
Is Love part of Charity?
Is Charity part of Love?


Does priest work for Church?
Is it OK to love the "sick", "poor", "BAD" people?
Is talking about "poor", "sick", "BAD" people, part of "Love"?
Is talking part of Church?

Dare you do a "Calvary" ? ...

Well meaning friends tend to forward many 'good for our soul' mails, with inspirational messages, exhorting us to change, reverse our lifestyle, make sacrifices; calling on our higher values; to love unselfishly, to live unrestrictively, to strive unceasingly:

To attain THE NOBLE values Man are supposed to have in him.

In everyday living most people pray, help many others, addressing many concerns; material and spiritual.

Though trying to imitate Christ, striving to walk his talk, endeavoring to live a life worthy of Him, I doubt I can, as yet, do a 'calvary' as he did.

It is unimaginable to give one's living life up for some one whom one loves; beyond logical human considerations & completely irrelevant, if it's for someone not loved.

Many give money, many others services; some ‘imagine’ they give love; many ‘believe’ they give their entire lives to God when giving up their family privileges eg. taking oath of celibacy.

Some give life's blood; some leave organs from their corpses.

All 'SACRIFICES' no doubt. And being what we are .. human beings, Super human efforts indeed!

"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends" (especially greater if it's some one we 've never known or met)

There is a psychoanalytical term called the Oedipus Complex see Penis envy/Castration Anxiety 

Here we have "Calvary Complex" (how I love syndromes & complexes & such) where a person has an innate unreasonable drive/force/tendency/desire to want to do a Calvary...

Dare you, are you able to do a 'calvary'?

All other SACRIFICIAL "acts" be they small, medium, large, extra-large or even glorious by earthly human standards, pale in comparison to "Calvary".

Sent from my iPad ....

"From the desk of Sir Thomas de Laluie"

"From the pen of Lord Sukuharga Untungdiree"

"From the Department of Inland Revenue"

"From the Office of the Ex Prime Minister"

Many would have seen these signatures adorning some letters & correspondences received over the postal services in days gone by. By themselves they signify the epitome of ridiculousness. Every fool knows a desk, a pen, a department is inanimate, & being so, unable to initiate anything, let alone write and send a missive.

More contemporarily, we now see: "Sent from my iPad",  "from my Samsung", "from my iPhone"

Funny how a simple "From Rev Fr. Pha Jip Khung" or "Fr Miss Beh Thar Hahn" or "From The Venerable Tiu Nia Seng"  is never good enough.

The need for the Desk, the Pen, the Department and now the "iPad" or "Samsung" or "iPhone" is necessary to affirm oneself. 

Is Man so insecure, so insignificant in his own eyes that he needs his office, his pen, or his iPad to ensure recognition?

 Are we only SOMEONE if we have an "iPad" or a "Samsung"?

It is laughable how the need for an address in a high end Residence, a Ferrari & a Lamborghini (or 2), several Rolexs, or a married name of a much sought after ethnic group; is so crucial for many.  

The process by which humans are assessed by the power they wield or the perceived wealth & affluence they own, has dehumanized us all. 

Much is lacking if a man has need for self assertion and does it through reliance, not on his own abilities or strengths & higher qualities, but on flippant titles, worthless articles and meaningless things acquired by fair or foul means.

Thus is complete the Fall of Man … not only from Grace but from being human!

By this dehumanization we finally have arrived at universal equality .. ground ZERO.

Everyone truly is now 'same' as everyone else....no one any greater or less than the other! Should be good; correct? 

Not so ... 
the need to not lose out, to 'appear' better than the next person, the compulsion to reaffirm the ego, the small-minded 'competitive' spirit; is never extinguished: thus we 'kill' (ourselves) acquiring  Mercedes, an address at Beverly Hills (even if  it's the maid's quarters), to marry (at all costs to any person who would have us, as long he has a particular epidermal pigmentation & has a foreign nasal twang), to send our kids to perceived 'renowned'  Institutions (at risk of financial melt-down), etc. etc. 

We jump through hoops, somersaults & more just to make sure we do not become universally equal to every other of our fellow man - i.e. a nobody.

To ensure we are not a 'Zero', (which everyone has now become in each others' esteem); and to indicate we are 'special', more 'equal' than the other nonentities, we have *to send it from my iPad*  

This is "progress"