CHRISTIAN APOCRYPHA & ESSAYS

jk's faith
Home | JK;s faith | LETTERS OF HEROD AND PILATE | THE DEATH OF PILATE | SEPTUAGINT BIBLE--account of its commission | 1 ENOCH: apocalypse once canon | ADAM & EVE: as told by Seth, their 3rd son | THE ACTS OF THOMAS | PEDOPHILE CATHOLIC PRIESTS | Saint Bartholomew Day's Massacre | THE SOUL--LUCRETIUS (from De Rerum Natura) | Against Epicurus' blissful gods | Peter vs. Simon the Magician | Peter vs. Simon cont. | Pistis Sophia, commentary | Pista Sophia, Book One | Pistis Sophia: Book One, Chapters 34 to end

(written 6/28/6)

 

It isn’t that deep down I believe there are god-like aliens of another dimension overlook our actions.  I give this under a 5% probability; thus that such gods would install a reward system has an even lower probability.  That there is an incorporeal creator of the universe about one chance in a million, and zero probability if you add to the proposition omniscience, omnipotent, and perfect beneficent. Moreover, if there are gods of some sort, I consider it about a 5% chance that they want us to pray to them, and less than 1% that any one of the major world religions have been molded by such super beings.  Moreover, it is much more likely that they would reward an enlightened skeptic such as Bertrand Russell than a Martin Luther.  The analytic side concludes that religion is a human, social phenomenon, like the belief in alternative medicines, ghosts, and how wonderful our political-economic system is.   

 

Though a skeptic, I still cling to a set of imaginary deities, for such thoughts are pleasing.  I was raised without religion and the gods whom I have had the greatest exposure to are the Greco-Roman group. I studied Latin in junior high school, and first read the bible when I was eighteen.   I am a classicist, for I have spent more hours reading the works of that period than the literature, history, and philosophy of any other period. Thus I imagine the gods to be like the idealized Jesus, free of the hell and devotion demands and expecting us to behave godly.  Now instead of just an abstract system of ethics (utilitarianism for me), I also have imaginary, anthropomorphic buddies; ones who chide me when I fall below the standards of beneficence, good example, and inner peace that their favorite humans have obtained. Such am imaginary friend helps me towards a goal. 

 

  The goal is—again leaning on the Greek wisdom--that of the good life, which in Greek is eudemonia.  Central to such life is ataraxia  (another Greek term that is part of the English language). It is an inner calmness free of fears and unbridled passions, for they would reduce the ability to obtain the purer pleasures.  Purer pleasures are those which have minimal associated discomforts, such as those obtained through studies and the association with friends having a similar view of the good life.  There are negative passions that are to be avoided include those associated with anger, loss of temper, cruel thoughts, and delight harm befalling others:  A loving heart is happier. Thus it is essential to maximize the ability of the rational side to control the animal side, but not to deny it.  Reason is the guide for obtaining the purer pleasures. The other major piece eudemonia is that of honor.  This conception of the good life I imbued my imaginary gods with.  This combination of ideals:  of reason, of calmness, of inner peace, of pleasant thoughts, of honor, of delighting in promoting the good, The gods are full of love.  I strive towards their perfection. 

 

This striving for god-consciousness is my religious quest.  I enjoy such thoughts and have written at length on this.  The love of all things is a central part of that path.  

 

Honesty is another part of that goal.  As Socrates said, know thyself.  Thus I ought to reduce the conflict between belief and action.  This website is part of my effort to live my faith.  Thanks for visiting.

Logical analysis shows that the propositions of religion are so bad as to not be worthy of serious rebuttal.  However, as an exercise in logic it provides many sweet hour of diversion.  I think of the debate on evolution between Huxley and Bishop Wilburforce.  And I realize that the species homno sapient is more homoo than sapient.  And the best proof thereof lies in religions.   

 

 

"Would you prefer to be descended from an ape on the side of your grandfather or your grandmother?" Wilberforce asked.

"...It would not have occurred to me to bring forward such a topic as that for discussion myself, but if the question is put to me, would I rather have a miserable ape for a grandfather, or a man highly endowed by nature and possessed of great means and influence, and yet who employs these faculties and that influence for the mere purpose of introducing ridicule into a grave scientific discussion, I unhesitatingly affirm my preference for the ape," Huxley replied.

 

 

 

 

Steven Allen wrote is his autobiography that there should be a fourth R, reason, taught in school.  It was the Greek philosophers who stressed that the purpose of education was to give their students (since the philosophers were the teachers of young men) the ability to reason.  We would do well to follow their example and add a fourth R.

        I would add one more subject, the vision of utopia.  To understand how far we can evolve we would study the many ways in which harm is done.  I am sickened when I hear news of deaths and suffering.  I am saddened when I see a person limited by a wheel chair or gross obesity.  And I want to cry out THINK!!! when I observe how our people support the old apple cart of our political system.  I think about how much better our nation would be if our people would demand of our elected officials the assiduous promotion of the public weal.  I want to shout at the common herd concerning all their foolish beliefs.  This website is that shout. 

 

Jk’s FAITH (first statement thereof)

Written 11/04

          Often I feel religious.  It is a feeling of the gods presence, a warm, peaceful feeling.  Often my intellectual side kicks whisper in my ear, “do good.”  I know that this is how I can best serve the gods.  Being requires being aware; viz., being a skeptic in the sense of forming beliefs according to the weight of the evidence there for.  Such a person would be the most pleasing to the gods--see The Rinker.  At the top of the list of good things is—because of my training in science and philosophy--to promote the evolution of man to a higher state of enlightenment.  I feel a calling similar to Socrates’.  In so doing, using foggy thought is instructive.  The best well-known example is that related to religions.  I thus scoop us the bullshit that the common-herd leaves in their process of venerating the gods.  (Yes, gods, for as David Hume pointed out if a process brought about a god, then why not many gods?  Moreover the Christians and Jews in calling the deities of other faiths "gods", they have through usage established the meaning of god, and so established their angles, devils, and saints qualify).  I find much in religion that offends reason.

          But it is much more.  In my life as a guiding principle is utilitarianism, which states that we are to promote the public weal.  Being that I have some skill due to years of university training in the communication of ideas, I have chosen this method to promote the publics good.  I, like Bertrand Russell, John Stuart Mill, Thomas Paine and others feel that much harm has been done in promoting the fictions (including its misguided morality).  As John Stuart Mill in his autobiography said of his father (and by intent applied to himself):  He [James] looked upon it as the greatest enemy of morality; by setting up factitious excellencies beliefs in creeds, devotional feelings, and ceremonies, not connected with the good of human kind and causing these to be accepted as substitutes for genuine virtue; but above all, by radical vitiating the standard of morals, making it consist in doing the will of a being, on whom it lavishes indeed all the phrases of adulation, but whom in sober truth it depicts as eminently hateful.  The popular examples of religion not violate the principles of ethics and reason. 

          Of course religion is not the only great evil that the masses ought to perceive with clarity.  On the podium of awards beside religion stands our political-economic system.  Like athletes on a team, there are numerous connections and similarities.  Both are more concerned about their own ends that truth.  Both know that careful, analytic analysis turns people way from their folds.  And both care squat little—other than lip service—for the public weal. 

          On the positive side, I argue--as indicated above—for the promotion of the public weal and mastering the use of logical analysis.  Personal happiness is an essential element in the promotion of the public weal.  Three keys (besides mastering the art of logical analysis with all that it entails) has been presented: The Love of all Things, selflessness, and understanding scientific psychology.  All this is done not for the sake of pleasing the gods, but rather for the sake of happiness.  If there are gods and they do reward the good and wise the most, then those with the spirit of philosophy will fare the best.  If however what the evidence favors is true; well, than not living in the future is no worse than not living before birth. 

powered by lycos
SEARCH:Tripod The Web