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9 Oct 2004 @ 10:31, by jwwells. Philosophy
Knowledge or what is and what may be.
In this article I seek to answer the question: “Why do I believe what I believe?” This is a key question; one which must be answered by anyone seeking to teach and more importantly, by anyone seeking to add to the overall pool of knowledge.
Knowledge is in some ways like c, the speed of light:
In physics we see that as we approach the speed of light it takes ever greater energy to create ever smaller accelerations, until, at the speed of light, it takes infinite energy to create any acceleration. We cannot go faster than light.
In knowledge we see that as we approach truth, it takes ever greater thought to make ever smaller improvements in our model, until, at truth, it takes infinite thought to create any improvement. When our model accurately reflects truth, no improvement is possible.
Knowledge is in other ways more like an electron:
Every now and then in knowledge, a person has an Einstein moment. Einstein saw that Newton’s Laws of Motion apply only under normal circumstances, which lead others to Quantum Physics. At that moment, as the electron makes its quantum leap to a higher or lower state, knowledge as a whole, made a quantum leap into a new and advanced state.
We know from studies of evolution that these two rules apply to the evolution of species. There is slow change from natural selection and every now and then, rapid change from special selection. As we can say these two rules apply to several areas of science, we may apply them as a part of the theory of knowledge. From this we say “Knowledge normally grows slowly as thought is applied and errors are corrected. At unpredictable times, knowledge grows rapidly as an individual applies a previously unknown concept to the knowledge base.”
ONE: We can now say that the velocity of knowledge growth is lumpy except when arbitrarily near to the current model of truth.
From history and statistics we can now import the concept that the overall growth of knowledge is accelerating. As our current model approaches objective truth the lumpiness will average out, the acceleration will slow and knowledge growth will eventually stop: That is, unless an Einstein moment occurs. Should one occur, as seems likely, then the entire knowledge base will change and the lumpy acceleration will once more start; new growth towards a new and better model of truth occurs once more in normal mode.
TWO: This constant jumping to ever better models of reality is the most accurate theory we have for answering the overriding question “What is truth?”
Therefore, we have a test for the question “Are we close to the current model of truth?” The lumpiness of growth in the knowledge base is an objective standard measuring how close we are to the current model of truth. The closer to the current model of truth, the fewer new concepts are being added and therefore the flatter the curve of knowledge growth.
Now we must apply the known statistical corrections in order to remove anti-knowledge as we use our theory. The corrections are:
a) Is there any political pressure being applied to supporting the current model? From our knowledge of fear in groups we can say: The more political pressure being applied in favor of the model, the greater the odds are that the model is wrong.
b) Are there any data points in the current model which are wrong or probably wrong? From history of science we can say: The greater the chances of one or more error points, the greater the odds that the model is wrong.
c) What do our elderly and distinguished experts say about alternate views of the model? Again from history of science we can say: The greater the pressure from experts deriding an alternate view as impossible, the greater the odds are that an alternate view is the correct one. This comes from the observed concept that when an elderly and distinguished scientist says something is possible, he is almost always right: When the same scientist says something is impossible, he is almost always wrong.
Now we can use our theory of knowledge to look at individual models of reality.
From my point of view, wishing to understand spiritual growth as a tool of healing for damaged men, two of the models I most desperately wish to know about are the current model of gender and the current model of spirituality.
So I ask “How lumpy is the current growth of knowledge in gender?” That will tell me how close we are to the current model. After spending almost a year searching for scholarly articles on gender I can give as my opinion the statement that “knowledge growth in the field of gender is virtually flat.” All articles are rehashing of previous knowledge and do not include testing for concept errors.
Next I ask “Is there political pressure being brought to bear to support the current model?” The answer, based on the rather extreme damage done to people questioning the current model, is a resoundingly loud “YES.” The problems which Murray Strauss and Doris Lessing faced are only tiny examples in the sea of bigotry thrown at anyone disagreeing with the current model of gender.
Next I ask “Are there any wrong or probably wrong data points in the current model of gender?” As the theory of Patriarchy is a center point in the current model of gender and the theory of Patriarchy has a great many error points I can say “Yes, there are error points in the current model.”
Next I ask “What do our elderly and distinguished experts say about alternate views of the current model?” Almost without exception the experts deride and disdain all alternate views of the current gender model.
Therefore, I can say with reasonable assurance that we are, knowledge wise, arbitrarily close to an incorrect model of gender. We need a breakthrough to a new and better model of gender.
So I now ask “How lumpy is the current growth of knowledge in spirituality?” After looking at a great many articles and books I can offer my opinion that the growth of knowledge in spirituality is quite lumpy. In fact, knowledge of spirituality is so severely fractured that I can go further and say that there is no currently accepted model of spirituality.
I now ask “Is there political pressure being brought to bear to support the current model of spirituality?” As the growth of knowledge in spirituality is so very lumpy and political pressure is being brought to bear on a great many models of spirituality I can say that this question is not answerable.
“Are there any wrong or probably wrong data points in the current model of spirituality?” It seems to be clear that there are error points in a great many of the models of spirituality.
“What do our elderly and distinguished experts say about alternate views of the current model?” Our experts are of a great many opinions.
Therefore, I can say with some assurance that there is no currently acceptable model of spirituality.
I now have a starting point. I know that the current model of who and what the two genders are is fundamentally wrong and that there is no generally acceptable model of exactly what spirituality is. More >
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 9 Oct 2004 @ 04:11, by skookum. Ideas, Creativity
The Raven King
Rascaminous raven squires his gleaming coat
His eyes flashing in golden reflected sunrises
Holding the wind up in his wandering circles
And swooping strafes by the seeded fields More >
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8 Oct 2004 @ 15:17, by craiglang. Ideas, Creativity
An interesting observation from the creative writing class I am currently taking.
We are presently working on writing fiction at this point in the course, and discussing the key things needed in a good story. One of the things needed in a (good and interesting) story is a drama of some form. This generally takes the form of a conflict - which is required to make the story interesting.
This is an interesting contrast to what I've been studying in the Eastern Tradition. In studying Vedic philosophies and the meditative traditions, I have noted that it is generally a goal to somehow transcend drama. On the road to enlightenment, it is an objective to simply be, rather than do. More >
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8 Oct 2004 @ 13:45, by scotty. Environment, Ecology
I'm becoming more and more confused about what is Ecology - can being more ecology concious really help the planet - and do ecologists themselves really know what they're talking about !! More >
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8 Oct 2004 @ 13:11, by jwwells. Religion
An Epistle to the New Church
May these words and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight oh Lord my God.
Greetings and peace to you. May God in heaven smile on your path and receive your spirit into everlasting joy.
You have heard it said that there are neither male nor female in heaven.
I say unto you, there are neither husbands nor wives, neither mothers nor fathers, neither rich nor poor, neither conservative nor liberal, neither masculinist nor feminist, neither straight nor gay within the unending Kingdom of the Living God. All are the children of God and each is called to his or her own purpose under heaven. All are worthy of the love of God and their fellow humans, even those who reject that love.
You have heard it said that the Kingdom of God is spirit and that all in heaven are spirit.
I say unto you that we on Earth are both spirit and flesh. The spirit which starves cannot understand your pretty words as the body which starves cannot act. Treat then in all matters the spirit and the flesh. Above all, do not destroy the spirit of another, for that is the essence of evil.
You have heard it said that the bible says this...
The ideas behind the words in the bible are perfect; the words themselves cannot be. If this were not so, we could read the bible only in its original languages. I say unto you that the spirit of the word of the Living God is more important than any person's petty interpretation of the words in any book. We are called to a relationship with the Living God: Christ Jesus freed us from the law for that purpose. Do not spit upon Christ's death and resurrection by using your own love of the law to destroy the spirit of another.
You have heard it said that this person or this group is not of God and therefore not saved.
I say unto you, it is written that we will be judged by the same standard we use in judging. How dare you judge the spirit of another! We who cannot see the spirit may judge fairly the actions of the other, only God may judge the spirit. We who cannot see the spirit may judge fairly the words of another, only God may judge the spirit behind those words. Moreover, any person using contempt of the other as a weight in their judgement is in danger of hell fire. Purge your own heart first: Only then may you see clearly in judging the other's words or actions.
You have heard it said that evil is that which destroys the spirit.
I say unto you, any person who through their own prejudice and hard heartedness destroys the spirit of another behaves as the enemy of God. The friend of the enemy is that person using pretty words with foul meanings to destroy the spirit of another. The enemy tries through all means to destroy the spirit: Do not help the enemy.
You have heard it said that this person is more evolved than that person and that this group is further evolved than that group.
I say unto you, any person who claims superiority over another proves their personal inferiority. Love them and teach them as lost children, for they are lost in their own twisted mind.
You have heard it said that men are violent and abusive.
I say unto you, people are violent: Violence comes in male and female bodies. People who see gender as the prime component of abuse speak from their own fear and not from a love of the victimized. Pray for them. Teach them that all are children of the Living God. Think then beyond the violence which destroys the body to the violence which destroys the spirit. All people abuse others through their own ignorance, lack of faith and hard heartedness. In this matter there are no innocents; no, not one.
You have heard it said that we are to treat others as we ourselves would be treated.
I say unto you, we are also to treat ourselves as we would treat others; for we too are children of God. The man who says to himself "I am a man, I have no right to speak of my own feelings" spits in the eye of God. The woman who says to herself "I am a woman, I have no right to speak of my own need for leadership" spits in the eye of God. Cast out your fears and doubts: Know that God loves you as well as the other. Follow then the path of God and not the path of the law or of the enemy.
You have heard it said that all must be responsible for their own actions.
I say unto you, carry that concept further: When we call for responsibility from one and not from the other, we attack the spirit of both. When we call mothers the great angels of the home, we attack the spirit of both mothers and fathers. When we call men defenders of our civilization or tyrants out to destroy civilization, we attack the spirit of all people. When we spout racism or other hate we attack all of civilization. How then are we different from the enemy? Destroy not the spirit of any. I say to you once more: "All are the children of the living God: How dare you destroy any."
You have heard it said that we must love the sinner while hating the sin.
I say unto you, take this one step further. Love all people while always fighting error. The path to the Lord given each person is straight, narrow and difficult: Walk your path with pride and deep lasting love for God. You say "How then shall I know error?" To which the Lord your God replies "Error is that which destroys the spirit." Have great care to build the spirit of the other, by doing so you fight all error.
You have heard it said that we must protect the children.
I say to you, among many there is an old adage which reads "No amount of prosperity is worth the life of one child." Hear the message of these words. Furthermore, I say unto you, that which kills the children, kills us all. Those who savage this planet for their own purposes are as much child killers as those who kill by their own hand. Those who see their own profit as more important than the life of a child are child killers as are those who put their politics in front of a child's life.
Please pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. Pray also for those doing the work of God in all parts of God's kingdom, with no regard to the label they bear. The last days of this age are coming to their end: Pray deeply that we follow God, speak the truth and reject malice.
Greg
Aylmer, ON, Canada: October 2004
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 8 Oct 2004 @ 09:30, by magical_melody. Environment, Ecology
Volcanic Update: Mount St. Helens Update, October 7, 2004, 6:15 p.m., PDT -Current status is Volcano Advisory (Alert Level 2); aviation color code ORANGE.
In Rinjani, Indonesia: Tremor quakes were registered since 23, 24, 25 and 26 September 2004, in number of 6-36 per day with range of amplitude between 12 mm - 14 mm, duration between 94 - 1450 mm. Based on increasing of hazards at Rinjani after explosion, the authorities have risen the Alert level to III (Orange) since 1 October 2004 at 06.00 WITA.
Thursday, October 8th, 2004 -All volcanoes below active:
St. Helens in WA, Colima in Mexico, and Asama in Japan, Fuego in Argentina, Fuego in Guatemala and Rinjani in Indonesia
and Etna in Italy. Unknown Country Links of Active Volcanoes
We have our own active major volcano right here in New Zealand only 4 hours away from Auckland! Scientists concerned More >
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 8 Oct 2004 @ 08:37, by jazzolog. Politics
White dew on the bramble,
one drop
on each thorn.
---Buson
An artist is usually a damned liar but his art, if it be art, will tell you the truth of his day. And that is all that matters. Away with eternal truth. The truth lives from day to day, and the marvelous Plato of yesterday is chiefly bosh today.
---D.H. Lawrence
From the evening breeze to this hand on my shoulder, everything has its truth.
---Albert Camus
While I was in college in the late 1950s, the Government Department at Bates changed its name to Political Science. I feared the worst, and began to read poetry instead of constitutional law. Political scientists (if there be such things) not only tell us what happened in 2000, they go on to predict 2004. With the mess in Florida lurching the entire world into the US Supreme Court back then, a few states in this country have been seized upon as "swing states," in which our presidential election will be decided. I'm sure someone other than a fortune-teller can tell us how such precognition is determined. I can't though, nor have I been interested in finding out such things since Government changed its name.
Ohio is one of these states. Even if those scientists of the polis hadn't told me, I might have guessed something was up, since at least one of the major candidates is here every day. Most Ohioans I talk to are delighted to receive all this attention and up close contact with these guys. Friends elsewhere in the country and around the world envy us and ask for insight as to what's going on---somehow not satisfied with American news services anymore. Until this week I've felt the giddy power of a junior high school kid who knows a secret everybody wants to find out. Unfortunately that party now is over, and the story breaking out of Ohio is frightening in the extreme. More >
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8 Oct 2004 @ 04:04, by skookum. Ideas, Creativity
Hello, Raven
When I was a young mother and my oldest son was about four years old, we had a strange experience. I was divorced and I was living with my mother. We had a very large black cat named Maynard, a Siamese named Tillicum and several fish. We obviously loved animals. There was a park nearby and the river not too far either. The small park was at the end of the street and always had joggers running around it and kids playing soccer. More >
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 7 Oct 2004 @ 21:01, by jhs. Spirituality
(Italian version / italiano)
To understand the phenomenon of "nehama d’ksufa" (bread of shame), Kabbalists use the following picture:
"G.d" unfolded itself into two parts, a source and a vessel. Like one is pouring wine from a bottle into a container like a chalice, there is a point where the vessel is full. To 'reunite' itself, there must be flow back. This they often call the 'way home'.
There seem to be at least two different definitions of "nehama d’ksufa" (bread of shame) around (please e-mail or post other definitions which you heard):
a) the backflow itself, that means the flowing of the wine from the chalice back into the bottle, b) the spilling of wine in the process
In the dynamics of polarities we don't want to accept the same label for two different things. Let's call the first phenomenon simply 'backflow' or a "clean flow" and the second a "dirty flow".
For anyone who studied "Polar Dynamics", it is immediate clear how these flows relate to polarities, but it is apparently not clear enough how these rather abstract descriptions apply to life itself.
Here are some definitions to embed it into the language of polar dynamics:.... More >
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7 Oct 2004 @ 18:24, by ov. Politics
The Canadian parliament has started up for another season with the first minority government in twenty five years. The good news is that nothing radical is likely to happen out of fear that a vote of nonconfidence will trigger an early election; the down side is that a lot of time will be wasted and nothing at all will be accomplished.
This morning I heard a letter I wrote read on the CBC radio. They even pronounced my name correctly. It sounded good and felt good. Next step is to get a petition started. I hope this flies.
Greetings Anna Maria Tremonti
Intention and perspective are two of the most important aspects of reaching a common ground where it is possible to cooperatively work together. Think of the shift in attitude that would occur if we were to officialy change the name from "The Official Opposition" to "The Official Other Hand."
It has a touch of that Canadian humor that would lead to wide transmission. More importantly it would be a constant reminder that members of parliament are expected to work cooperatively towards the citizen's best interests, instead of the adversarial partisan politics which often does nothing but set the stage for pretentious ego battles leading to loggerheads.
Robert Oveson
Vancouver More >
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