Friday, January 29, 2010

NOT SO FREE

I am puzzled as to why the concept that the way we think, meaning what we believe, is the cause of much of what we feel and have happen in our lives. Now many things happen in life that we have no control over but it is entirely up to us how we interpret these happenings and how we feel and respond to them.

What we believe about ourselves, about others, about life, and about God (belief in or not). The God thing is of the utmost importance if one has a belief. Either the belief is in a God of Unconditional Love or it isn’t. If one has a dogma and creed one follows, (Xtian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu etc) then one doesn’t have a God of Unconditional Love and that is the cause of much evil.

It is said we have free will. Really? Do we know all the options? Do we know everything? Only then can our will be free. We cannot choose what we don’t know.

I watched The Kite Runner the other day. I was moved and angered by it. It changed my mind about the war. The Taliban is an evil force that does evil things to people. People like you and me. These ARE people-our bothers and sisters so it IS our business. However, I was still angered and astounded and bemused that once in the USA these people took their oppressive belief system with them and so were not experiencing freedom as we understand it.

The most wicked thing we do to children is to indoctrinate them in religious faith. It is wrong to do this. Evil. It castrates children. It robs them of their freedom to choose. It ties their minds and hinders them. It is well known it does this, which is why we do it! As the Jesuit said, I think it was, ‘give me a child till he is 7 and I shall give you the man’. A mind thus hindered has limited free will. Not only are they taught a limited range of choice but are also taught that other choices are evil and to even think their might be another choice is evil.

It is extraordinarily difficult and painful to undo a childhood of indoctrination and most do not embark upon it unless the pain of living becomes so great they must or die.

This indoctrination runs deep to the extent that we still sanction child abuse and don’t even recognize it. Circumcision of boys and girls is one such abuse. Interestingly, the circumcision of girls, mainly done by non whites, is now condemned by whites who routinely allow the ends of boys’ penises to be cut off! Both have always been done because it reduces sexual pleasure. This is the ONLY reason it is done. Because ‘God demands it is’ crap and an excuse and one that should no longer hold up as reason to abuse a child. It is an even worse abuse when it is done to toddlers in a public ceremony. How cruel and vile is that?

We can be, and are, taught in such a way that we can see evil and do evil and not recognize it as such. We used to execute people in vile painful ways. Although not all of us have reached a state of civilization where we have stopped executing people altogether, we at least do not burn people to death. However, we do still kill and in the ME barbaric methods are still employed, and also in the USA. We used to keep slaves. We used to force children to work in mines and factories.(We still do the latter so we can have cheap clothing but we pretend we do not.)

Our free will does not really exist in the way we seem to think it does. We can only act upon what we know and therefore our will is only as free as our knowledge allows.(Not to mention what our bodies allow!)

Now science has shown that in some cases, our behaviour is not subject to will. A recent documentary showed how it appears that many fat people have a deficiency of LEPTIN which causes hunger. So who are you going to blame now? Yes, it is the one thing we are still allowed to be cruel and nasty about and discriminate against-fat people.

Okay, so it seems three times a week is what I can manage at the pool. I went out last night and knew I’d be home latish but also knew that today the swimming hours were different and thus I could go later.No way. I awoke in pain and fatigued so knew swimming was out. Pigs bum!

I will complete Global Warming socks today. I cast on a new pair last night when out. I didn’t take GW with me cos I knew I’d finish them whilst out and then have nothing to do so started a new pair. Once GW is done though, I want to swatch the merino Baby Ull for a twisted stitch Aran I have in mind. This will be on small needles. I know it will take an age but I think it will be worth it.

 

3 comments:

Iris said...

Sometimes, I wonder how the world survives at all.

Looking forward to the sock pics.

Mary Beth said...

Colin: I am thinking today of my nephew who says,

God digs me!

and smiles.


Backstory on this gentle man is hair-raising but his phrase is so worth sharing

Yes, I think it could be just that simple.

TracyKM said...

I really liked your comment that if you believe in God and belong to an organized religion, then you don't have a God of unconditional love. I do agree, but I'm wondering about the religious people out there who really do feel they can be tolerant and unconditional...although, I guess what you're saying, by belonging to one faith you must exclude others...but can't you (not you, Knitman, LOL, 'you' in general) have parallel faiths that acknowledge other faiths...
I have a friend that belongs to a Unitarian Universalist Congregation and she doesn't believe in God, but calls this her 'church'. www.cuc.ca
I don't believe in God either and don't really care if someone else does as long as they don't mind that I don't, and they don't preach!