And that's a wrap

Well, tomorrow night -- at midnight -- things are going to change. It is then our turn to make a lot of noise bringing in our own new year. Yes, everybody gets to have one, and so do we. However, as is part of our own particular tradition, a moment's reflection on what has transpired over the last 360 or so days is most definitely in order.

2013 was a good year for bad reasons, but a bad year for the right bad reasons. We survived the year without a major international war; we had no serious economic disasters; there were no more than usual environmental catastrophes; and there were no large-scale armed revolutions. My question is why we should only be happy about what didn't happen. It seems like second-hand happiness. On the down side, we haven't resolved any of the ongoing armed international conflicts (Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan, the list goes on); we know we're heading for another economic disaster because jobs aren't forthcoming and benefits are being cut, and the banks are acting every bit as recklessly as they were back in 2007, when nobody saw anything coming; though no Gulf-of-Mexico class oil spills, the Keystone Pipeline is producing daily disasters, and fracking has got it down to hourly ones, and the disease is spreading on this side of the Atlantic as well; and the only real armed-violence-at-home is coming from the government(s) to the people.

Yes, pretty much a pretty normal year. And I suppose that's why I'm particularly glad to leave this one behind. It wasn't one of those years that will stick out in memory for all its exciting and emotional events. On our shared-reality plane, it was just another year. But, maybe, it shouldn't have been ...

We all know that the absence of disaster does not mean things are great. We know that we are faced with a large number of very serious issues, including the use of armed aggression at home or abroad, the survival of the planet, the fate of the 99%, inequality of all flavors, persecution, racism, terrorism, or the fear of simply getting seriously ill. What did any of us do about any of these things this year? Yes, I'm as guilty as anyone when it comes to such things.

Still, I think that both you and I know that we really can't afford to keep going on like this. We may not have had the disasters, but things didn't really get any better last year either. It just seems to me that if things are going to get better at all, in any way, then we really can't afford to just sit around and wait for someone else to make the first move. We all know that some kind of change is needed, and I am pretty sure that we all don't agree completely on what precisely and how or (more importantly, how soon. As I have been saying all along, though, talk always precedes action, and I don't hear us talking yet.

TPTB are being as loud and obnoxious as ever, but there's not a lot to drown out. Too many of us just keep our thoughts to ourselves, but we need to start expressing them and, most important of all, discussing them. Our lives are being dominated but the anonymous, removed, global, corporate Leviathan, but it need not be so. A beast that cannot be fought can be starved, and we take sustenance from that beast when we start sharing what we have with one another. Your house, your block, your neighborhood, your community ... is where we all need to start.

And, 2014 is as good a time as any to start as well. We missed our chance last year, so let's not miss it this time around. Starve the beast. Start sharing.

Just to set the record straight

In all that I've posted lately, I really hope you haven't come to the conclusion that Christmas doesn't matter. It does, probably more than ever. This time of year has traditionally been one of celebration and introspection, so while you're busy doing the former, you shouldn't forget about the latter.

To put it most directly: it doesn't matter so much why you do something, what matters is what the results of those actions are.

People of many different persuasions, cultures and backgrounds have found comfort, strength, and hope in what Jesus said, even if they never packed it all together into a single whole. I've always been inspired, I must say, by his insight, courage, and unflinching support for the underdog. If you ever get a chance to get your hands on one of those red-letter editions of the New Testament, I heartily suggest you sit down and just read the parts in red and nothing else. It won't take you long. We're looking at fewer than 2000 verses, or around half the total text. I can assure you, though, it is worth the effort. When you get rid of all the context, the confusion, the potential ideology or theology, you are just left with some very simple ideas that are, well, profoundly moving. And that's what has moved so many people in the past and continue moving people today.

Love whoever needs you, or your help, as you love yourself; don't do to others what you wouldn't done to you; feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, heal the sick and visit those who are incarcerated. I mean, just how complicated is that? And regardless of what you may personally derive from such actions (though those of you who have ever tried it know as well as I do that such things make you feel a whole lot better about yourself), there's not a bit of anything there that isn't just reasonable, if not downright common-sensical. The question that begs itself, of course, why so few people actually do this?

The holiday we just celebrated was -- originally -- in honor of the guy who advocated acting that particular way. We've come a long way from that, to be sure. You don't have to believe that guy was God, God's Son, the Saviour, the Messiah, or whatever else you want to call him. You don't even have to believe that the guy ever existed. It just so happens that in the greatest part of what we know as Western Civilization, the stories surrounding this guy play a central role in our societies, economies, and political structures. The principles which that guy advocates are those that would lead to a more social, humane, and equitable world, a world of less suffering, a world in which greed, violence, and hatred would be disdained, not revered, a world actually worth living in, a world that would not be suffering the wanton environmental destruction that ours is.

The people who follow that guy's suggestions, for whatever reason (for you will note that there is never a demand for having a particular motivation to act in such ways), have, at least in my mind, the right to be thought of as and to call themselves Christian. Whether they do or not, is completely up to them; there's no obligation. The folks who don't would do well to not draw such attention to themselves, especially if they're claiming to be Christian. It's not what you say that makes the difference, it's what you do. So, if you want to talk the talk, walk the walk, or just zip your lip and let the rest of us try to salvage what's left of the world.

It's time

Well, here we are. Whether we like it or not, we've come to the day that, regardless of belief, is the reason that there's any kind of celebration at all here in the Western World. Irrespective of gender, race or creed, this evening is the day we have set aside to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child.

It's odd in a way. Be we believers or not, the celebration is here. Oh sure, we can rationalize it all off to some pagan festival that we've long forgotten, or we can ignore everything below the surface and simply join in the fun. It doesn't matter (and how often have I said that in the past month?). Here we are and I am only suggesting that it would do us all good to stop and ask ourselves why.

In my own reflections, I'm forced, by virtue of time and place of birth (both of which were totally under my control, right?), to think about why we even have a holiday now and what it is we're supposed to be celebrating.

The short answer is we live in a(n) (alleged) Christian culture, and today, according to tradition, the saviour of humankind was born. In a stall in Bethlehem, an unmarried virgin gave birth to a baby boy, cared for and protected by her estranged husband. This humble situation was the beginning of the most powerful movement that has ever swept over humanity. Well, that's the story, at any rate ... granted, in very condensed form. For some, this baby is the Messiah; that is, the one whom God sent to redeem humankind. For others, this baby was to become a prophet who would pave the way for God's true prophet. For still others, the baby was simply a troublemaker. For the rest, well, they didn't care.

The question poses itself, naturally, who's right? The answer, whether you like it or not, it everybody ... and nobody. Yes, the real answer is the one we've heard about so much recently: it doesn't matter.

You see, while there may be a number of ways to look at this, from the tradition in which we Westerners were born, there are two ways that push themselves into the foreground. That is, when you get right down to it, there are two "Christianities" out there, regardless of what we think or what we see. There is what all the Churches (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Fundamental, Pentecostal) "believe", and there is whatever it is that we have handed down to us as what the baby (later, a grown man), Jesus, had to say. They are, regardless of what anyone tells you, two very different things. The former ... the so-called "party line" -- is actually what the disciple Paul tells us (all the books of the New Testament between the Gospels and the Apocalypse); the latter is what Jesus said -- and more importantly, did -- as reported in the Gospels. You can twist and turn and force it anyway you like, but the two are, in truth, incompatible with each other.

At bottom then, this time of year is also a time of choice. If we choose to celebrate the holiday, we must choose whether we believe in what Jesus said and did, what Paul and his followers say is the only way to go, or we just want an excuse to party. The choice is yours.

Zeroing in

Let's face it. There is nothing radical or extremist about anything I have had to say recently. At the beginning of the season, I did intimate that what I had to say was not the "party line", but it should be clear by now that there may not even be such a thing. We all believe in something (or not) and we all want only the best for ourselves and those around us. So, I ask you, why is the world so screwed up? Really, none of you are ready to witness for the perfection of reality. Where are we going wrong?

You would be mistaken if you thought I knew. You would be correct, however, is guessing that I might have at least a suspicion. And here it is, a simply as I can state it: most of us are simply hypocrites. Sound harsh? Maybe it is, but I do believe it is accurate. Why am I so sure? Let me tell you.

How many of us like to make an objective and neutral impression, but are, in reality, pushing our own agenda? How many of us declare our tolerance but still have reservations about others who are not like us, including, but not restricted to, people of color, those of a different sexual persuasion or declaration? How many of us tell others that some of our best friends are , but never have them in our homes? How many of us declare our love of God or Jesus, yet blame welfare recipients for being lazy takers? How many of us declare our love of the environment yet drive to the corner store and advocate "dirty" energy? How many of us deny climate warming and simply go on consuming as before? How many of us believe we have worked hard, and therefore have earned, what we have, but refuse to admit how much circumstance and luck have played in our good fortune? How many of us think our country/culture got it right and why do all those others not realize that they haven't? How many of us apply the same measure to big companies and banks that we apply to other individuals not so different from ourselves? How many think responsibility is an important characteristic but don't think that corporations or countries should be held to the same standard? How many of us believe that violence is no solution but still possess firearms and use language that inflicts injury on others? How many of us think others are simply abnormal, because everyone knows what normal is? How many of us believe we are saved and are simply sorry that everyone who isn't simply has to go to hell?

Well, if you ask me, the answer in every case is the same: too many. I really don't know where any of us get off thinking we know what's what and why things are that way. I don't know how any of us can believe we've got that "wisdom thing" all wrapped up. I don't know how good, caring, loving individuals can hate, but you know and I know that we are not few. I don't know how we can realize that we're anything but perfect, yet expect perfection in others. I can't even begin to imagine what's going on in the heads of people who are in mosque/temple/church or elsewhere at least one day a week can act the rest of the week as if they didn't know what was said at the last service. I don't know how most of us can look at ourselves in the mirror in the morning considering how often on any given day we were one way with those we like and who are near to us and so very, very different with those we don't or aren't close to.

Yes, dear reader, we humans are anything but consistent. Which is fine as far as it goes. There is something to-be-expected about it. But what really makes us human, in the end, is that we can transcend what's only expected.

Beating around the (burning) bush

It's not what you say, but how you say it. It's not what you hear, but how you hear it. It's not what you read, but how you read it. Just a couple of simple axioms to start your day.

There are a lot of things we haven't figured out yet. There are a lot of things we just don't know; there are fewer things we know for sure. There are a lot of things we may never figure out. That's just how it is, and that's OK.

It seems to me that there are too many people who miss the point (whatever the point may be in the end) simply because they are all wrapped up in non-essential details. These might be the facts of science, the wording in a given Holy Book, or just some belief we have come to accept (either consciously or unconsciously). For those of you missing the point -- either consciously or unconsciously -- it's OK, you're in good company: most of us are with you.

As I have said, this time of year should be one of joy, hope, peace and light. Why? Because a lot of folks for a lot of time in our history have thought it isn't a bad idea, and even a minimum of reflection on that and what should be will tell you it's not a bad idea at all. Any time we can bring more joy, hope, peace and light into our lives and into the lives of those around us are, well, simply good times, memorable times, happy times. And there is not a human being on this planet who doesn't share that sentiment.

The leading cause of strife/tension/conflict/ is really due to misunderstanding or, more precisely, miscommunication. Different cultures and different languages use different images and metaphors and allusions to get their points across, and we don't always get what the speaker or writer is saying simply because we attach different values to pictures and metaphors they are using. The wonder of communication is not that we communicate, it is that we can communicate at all.

The same things can be said in many different ways. If we always simply listen with our own ears or read with our own eyes, chances are good that we're going to miss something important or just miss something period. We have to recognize that we may not understand; we must be aware that we probably will misunderstand; we must be patient with the speaker/writer for they are under extreme pressure to get it right (and probably won't); and we must suspend our own disbelief when we encounter something that doesn't make immediate sense to us. This is no mean task. This is anything but easy. This is the hardest thing we will ever have to do. And, everybody does it in their own way, whether they like it or not, whether they know it or not.

I happen to know -- and I believe it is good that you know -- that most of the images and metaphors I use come from what Christians call the Bible. The first part of that book, of course, is what the Jews call their Tanakh, and it is that same part that the Moslems hold sacred. Why? Because that is the primary source of pictures and metaphors in the culture in which I was raised and still live. In other words, to me, they are the most natural and familiar images I have at my disposal. They are, as well, the most natural and familiar images that most Western writers have at their disposal as well.

Does this mean they are the best images to use? No. They are simply the ones we can use most easily. And they are those images that will most likely be most familiar to most of those who hear or read what we have to say.

I must add, however, that this is an increasingly challenging task. Too many are becoming too unaware of too many things. My suspicion is that this does not bode well for us as a culture. I thought I would just throw that in.

The right to be wrong

Don't get me wrong: I've not been trying to say that anyone has their head where it does not belong nor that they are simply ignorant. All I'm saying is that their beliefs, in the end, are not on as firm a foundation as they would like. Given that this is the case, it would behoove them, I believe, to tone it down a little and not be so vociferous in telling others they are full of whatever.

And, don't get me wrong: this is supposed to be a happy time of year, so the last thing that I'm trying to do is sow the seed of discord. I'm merely pointing out that there are too many people who can find too many reasons to subvert making this a happy time of year. Me? I'm all for live-and-let-live. Really. It doesn't matter even a little bit what you believe or don't believe, or why. The only thing that matters -- that can matter -- to me is how you act in this world. To be perfectly honest, nothing else matters to me at all.

If you believe it is right to do good, help others, be non-violent and who knows what else because some little green creatures told you in a dream to act that way, then I've got no problem with that. If you believe it is right to heal the sick, free the oppressed, feed the hungry because your Holy Book tells you to act that way, then I've got no problem with that. If you believe it is right to succor the suffering, fight injustice and visit prisoners because it just seems like the right thing to do, then I've got no problem with that. If you believe it is right to not insult others, to show a bit of compassion for the less fortunate and to try to be happy as much as possible your favorite movie star said it would be a nice way to act, then I've got no problem with that either.

The long and short of it is: the motive, the motivation, the reason for your particular belief isn't as important as whether or not you act upon and in accordance with that belief.

If you believe that you should look after you and yourself first, or exercise violence on others; if you have the right disparage the sick, infirm, suffering, or hungry; if you believe you have the right to look down upon the less fortunate or oppress them, or if you believe you have the right to blame the victims of circumstance for their plight, well, I do have a problem with that, and I don't care what your reason is: little green creatures, Holy Book, or favorite person, or any other "reason".

My point is this: the "reason", the motivation, the impetus, the stimulus for what you do doesn't matter at all. What matters is what you do. How you act, regardless of what you believe or why, is really all that matters in the end. If the why is more important than the what in this case, then I can only say that you need to re-evaluate your priorities.

What you believe may (or may not) be "wrong", but it doesn't matter as long as what you do (or avoid doing) is "right".

The right to be right

When we take a look at what we may call the "religious landscape" of the world today, a couple of things become fairly obvious fairly quickly. As a quick review:

• There are about half-a-dozen, so-called world religions: Shinto, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity.
• There are more other "faiths" than can be counted: ranging from remote, tribal, probably never-seen-before systems to "alternative religions", like Wicca and its variations, to long-standing traditional ones like Baha'i and Taoism to far-out ones, like the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
• Even non-believers believe in something: atheists are simply those who don't believe in "God", but that doesn't mean they don't believe in anything, even if it is "only" science, for example.
• Of all known religious/belief systems, to my knowledge, there are only three which are exclusive (that is, it's-our-way-or-the-highway, we're-right-and-everybody-else-is-wrong/deluded), namely Islam, Christianity (in most, if not all its major flavors), and Atheism. (I know, for some of you that last one was a bit of a surprise.)

If you've ever taken the time to talk to other believers, you quickly realize that most of them (a) don't really want to talk about details, (b) are more than willing to let you believe whatever it is you do (or don't) believe, and (c) really aren't sure why you're asking the question about what they believe in the first place. With the "exclusionists", as I like to call them, the situation is reversed. They are more than willing to beat you over the head with the details, are quick to tell you how wrong you are in whatever it is that you believe, and finally glad that they found someone to brain-dump on. That's always struck me as odd.

So, here's my question: why do the exclusionists think (believe) they've got it right and everyone else has got it wrong?

Well, for the first two, the exclusionary religions, it's easy: their Holy Book tells them they are right and everyone else is wrong. At least that's what they'll tell you. For the last group, the absolute-non-believers, they'll tell you it's because there is no empirical evidence for anything you believe; that is, no proof, so you must be wrong.

The position of the first two is built on the fallacy of circular argumentation: the Book says so, therefore it is so, because the Book says so. The latter is based only on an assumption, namely if you can't access it through our five sense, it can't exist.

In other words, the claim to exclusivity is based on nothing that can be objectively and unequivocally verified in the end. Makes it all a bit shaky, don't you think?

A word to the unwise

If you've been following the last few posts, it should be slowly dawning on you that there is a bit of method to my madness. Legends, fairy tales, and myths are not acts of deception, they are reminders of what might be good to take notice of should we want to live better lives. All of us, regardless of our true convictions, play along with this. Let's face it, not only the Christians -- of all flavors, from Catholic to Orthodox to Fundamentalists -- are well into the Christmas Season, and even our other-believing friends -- the Atheists -- are getting festive, too. Truth be told, there are even some of other faiths who are going to put up a tree or have a special meal or exchange gifts because, well, that's what everyone else is doing, so why not join in the fun? Right. When we get into the spirit of celebration, we all feel better. And that's how it should be.

Now, for those of you out there who think there's a War on Christmas or that Christians are trying to shove their religion down your throat ... get over yourselves. Either breathe deeply into and out of a paper bag or take extra doses of your chill-out pills or simply partake a bit more of your favorite intoxicants. I don't care. Just be quiet and let the rest of us have our fun. You guys are downers, bummers, kill-joys or whatever else we can think of to accurately characterize who you are. Christmas and the Christmas Season (and the Hanukah Season for our Jewish friends) is about feeling good, feeling loved, caring and sharing.

As for me, I was born and raised (as I mentioned a couple of posts ago) in a Christian environment. Why? Because I was born there by the luck of the draw. I had as little say in where I was born as anyone else. This was part of the culture in which I was raised, and I understand, fairly well I think, how it functions. Over the years, I have learned that other peoples in other cultures have different (but often very similar) reasons for celebrating when they do, and I'm more than happy to join them in theirs. And they are, at least to me, more than welcome to share in mine. Where's the problem? Right. There is none, so don't make one out of any of it.

When someone greets me with a "Happy Holidays" or a "Happy Hanukah" or a "Merry Christmas", my first thought is, "Well, there's someone who's into the spirit of the season." That makes me happier, my day brighter, my burden lighter, and it encourages me to simply pass it on.

If you don't hear what you think you should be hearing, or if you suspect that Western Culture as we know it is about to collapse, or if you have the urge to set those jerks straight, or if you believe that the end of the world is probably near ... well, you probably need more help than all the rest of us can give you.

Lots of cultures throughout history have organized celebrations of sharing, hope, love, and light at this time of year. So, why not do something "traditional" for a change: get into the Spirit of the Season, and leave the mundane to itself. It will do you a world of good.

Do you believe in St. Nick?

It is really by chance that the topic of beliefs and faith should be on tap today. In some parts of the world (for example, the one in which I happen to live), today is St. Nicklaus Day. Ironically, it is everywhere there are Christians, even if most of the faith may not know it, however, in most places, it's not celebrated in any way. Last night, children put their shoes in front of the door, hoping he'd stop by and leave them some sweets, an orange or maybe even a small present. Well, only if they were good this year, of course; otherwise, it could be they end up with a lump of coal. My American friends should recognize elements that have been taken over and incorporated into our own Santa Claus. We well oh-so-enlightened moderns know there is neither St. Nick nor Santa Claus, but we still act in ways as if he did.

Even non-believing parents and certainly enlightened ones will still see that something gets in the shoes. Why? Well, it makes the kids happy. And if the kids are happy, well, chances are good that the parents are going to feel better, and maybe even the grandparents got into the act as well. For those enlightened souls who rob their children of all that magic and simply slam the chocolate bar down on the table will probably pass the day less satisfied. And I have to ask myself whether that is an appropriate price to pay for sacrificing a simple belief. No, I don't what to hear about how it's all a lie, how we are deceiving our children who need to be able to face the facts of life in determined and decisive ways. You should grow up before you expect your children to.

There really was a Nicklaus, who was later canonized, and his miracle had to do with seeing that children in need got help and even saving a few. Around this factual event, which is so obscured in the shadows of history, a number of stories grew, some of which became so firmly established that we understand them as legends. Legends, like fairy tales and any number of other fictional accounts, serve an important purpose, however: they remind us of what should be good and beneficial in life in spite of all the hardships and stumbling blocks we encounter. They are, by nature, not there to deceive us, but to give us a (or perhaps even the flimsiest of) reason(s) to make the world just a little bit better, even if only for a short while. I really don't see what's wrong with that. When we do these little things, we and everyone around us is just a little happier, a little more content, and feels just a little more loved than before. Again, I don't know what's wrong with that.

You see, it doesn't really matter whether there ever was a St. Nicklaus or not. It doesn't really matter whether he did any of the things it is claimed he did. It doesn't matter whether we believe in the stories or not. All that matters, in the end, is that we can be reminded to be better people and spread a little joy instead of grief. If we believe that acting so is a good thing (and I'm pretty sure most of you would agree), then that is why we should. It's really that simple.

What's what

We are on uncertain ground, to be sure. There comes a time in everyone's life when they have to decide what they believe. This is a good thing, even if it is a difficult thing to accomplish.

At the heart of the matter is "God". Yes, it's that simple. Does "God" exist or not? Atheists, if they're worth their salt, say "no". Many others (and here I'm speaking in broadest terms) say "yes" (e.g., Jews, Christians, Moslems, and others). And here, two interesting questions arise: (1) Do those who believe in "God" agree who/what "God" is? and (2) Do those who don't believe in "God" agree on who/what "God" isn't? In both cases, the answer is "no".

Time for some clarification. First the so-called "non-believers", the atheists. Let's face it, just because you don't believe in "God" doesn't mean that all atheists "believe" in the same thing. In other words, atheists reject a whole array of different beliefs. I don't think this is really all that problematic. For most atheists, "God", I would think, is some kind of omniscient, omnipotent, Charleton-Heston-kind of being, who damns whom he wishes and saves whom he wants without any really recognizable system. What is more, they have trouble recognizing or acknowledging that this "God" is the original cause of everything that is. For them, chance is a sufficient explanation of what we see and experience of the universe, and science can very well define and describe all that we experience as reality. I realize that this is a very condensed view of things, but I don't think it's inaccurate. I also think, to be honest, that it is an honest and sincere explanation of "how things are" or "why things are the way they are". To put is most succinctly, it's like LaPlace said to Napoleon: "God is not an hypothesis that I felt in need to invoke."

One can "explain" the universe without recourse to the notion of "God". One can make sense of all that is without postulating that "God exists". I wouldn't argue that for a minute. The question is: Does this prove that God does not exist? And here, the answer is a very simple "no". In fact, that which we know has, at least in this case, absolutely nothing to do with what we may or may not believe and what may be beyond what we think we know. In other words, we still don't know if "God" exists or not. Hans Küng, the pre-eminent German theologian, has argued quite convincingly (in his seminal work, Does God Exist?) that there is no way to prove (or disprove) that "God" exists; it is a matter of faith: we can believe that "God" exists, or we can believe that "God" does not exist. Proof is beyond the issue. It is, in the end, simply a matter of faith, which in my mind is simply a stronger, perhaps more formalized, form of belief.

I, for one, think that Küng is right. It is a matter of what we believe. We can't "prove" it, either empirically or logically. Küng's greatest contribution to the debate, however, is that, in the end, it doesn't really matter. There are some things that are simply beyond "proving". And whatever these things are, they are, in the end, simply matters of faith.

Phrasing it differently, are the atheists "right"? The answer is "no". On the other hand, are those who believe in "God" right? And here, as well, the answer it "no". In other words, there are some things that we just can't know. The question is: Do we need to know them? The answer ... sorry, one possible answer next time.