Force, energy, or instinct are wrongly interpreted as “purposeless” in most religions, and intellect or consciousness is supposed to direct chaotic instincts, like riding a horse.
This perspective brings us away from life, from the material world, which is viewed beneath the sophistry of much of spiritualism as purposeless and inferior. “The Real” in most religions is beyond intellect and beyond the material world, and this has created what we call The Great Spiritual Blockade against life itself.
The problem can be understood with the knowledge that force, energy or instinct do have a purpose, a sacred purpose directed toward evolving to Godhood. Material life is the vehicle for the force of the Spirit to activate material life to Godhood. The mind, or at least the Soul, which is the Zenith of the Mind, can learn to assist the Spirit or force in Its goal of Godhood.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The Conservative Pace Toward Federalism
Why does the far Right and the far Left jump first to advocating revolutionary force or violence? This seems like arrested development, or a problem of impulse control. People are conservative. Human nature is conservative. It is as simple as that.
We don't need revolution to advance Federalism, for example, Michael Greve suggests that Congress need not affirmatively abolish federal entitlements. It need merely fall down on the job of creating them. The Supreme Court simply does not need to cooperate with Congressional desires for big national government.
Eventually we need to create Constitutional limits to Federal power, or rather we need to reaffirm the original Constitution. We are too big, and we need to empower, or re-empower the regions and states with great independence and variety. The fact is that the Constitution's structure and text is Federalist. But, “eventually,” is the key word here. It can't be done overnight.
Every advance toward independence can lead to further advances. Slow change, incremental change, may not seem like much, but these changes can lead to Constitutional constraints. This is better than advocating revolution, looking for one big solution, or doing nothing.
Greve reminds us of the pull of the two poles, one toward federalism, the other toward centralizing, which continues. Tocqueville warned us about the centralizing tendencies of democracies, but people are actually becoming increasingly discontented about lobby-ridden government, and this can be a basis for revival. In some areas, e.g. civil rights and federal entitlement programs, the revival has been under way with Supreme Court constraints. New liberal Justices, however, may try to reverse this revival.
Greve thinks that Federalism's future hangs on cooperation between the Supreme Court and political constituencies. The Supreme Court can be constrained by the political environment, and the Leave-Us-Alone constituencies, mentioned in an earlier post, seem to be the only existing force for Federalism.
Unlike Greve, I argue that Federalism's chief virtue is evolutionary, having citizen choice, state independence, and competition, relate directly to Ordered Evolution. Federalism constrains big national government, stops monopolistic movements and gives autonomy to the people and the states. Most importantly, Federalism can allow the Ordered Evolution confirmed by nature, which is affirmed in the Theoevolutionary Church. Without evolution, we cannot reach Godhood, the goal of nature. How about that for Federalist incentive?
The bottom line, the foundation, the historical base of culture is religion, which has always provided direction for human behavior. Therefore, along with reviving Federalism, establishing the virtues of the Theoevolutionary Church is our first concern.
We don't need revolution to advance Federalism, for example, Michael Greve suggests that Congress need not affirmatively abolish federal entitlements. It need merely fall down on the job of creating them. The Supreme Court simply does not need to cooperate with Congressional desires for big national government.
Eventually we need to create Constitutional limits to Federal power, or rather we need to reaffirm the original Constitution. We are too big, and we need to empower, or re-empower the regions and states with great independence and variety. The fact is that the Constitution's structure and text is Federalist. But, “eventually,” is the key word here. It can't be done overnight.
Every advance toward independence can lead to further advances. Slow change, incremental change, may not seem like much, but these changes can lead to Constitutional constraints. This is better than advocating revolution, looking for one big solution, or doing nothing.
Greve reminds us of the pull of the two poles, one toward federalism, the other toward centralizing, which continues. Tocqueville warned us about the centralizing tendencies of democracies, but people are actually becoming increasingly discontented about lobby-ridden government, and this can be a basis for revival. In some areas, e.g. civil rights and federal entitlement programs, the revival has been under way with Supreme Court constraints. New liberal Justices, however, may try to reverse this revival.
Greve thinks that Federalism's future hangs on cooperation between the Supreme Court and political constituencies. The Supreme Court can be constrained by the political environment, and the Leave-Us-Alone constituencies, mentioned in an earlier post, seem to be the only existing force for Federalism.
Unlike Greve, I argue that Federalism's chief virtue is evolutionary, having citizen choice, state independence, and competition, relate directly to Ordered Evolution. Federalism constrains big national government, stops monopolistic movements and gives autonomy to the people and the states. Most importantly, Federalism can allow the Ordered Evolution confirmed by nature, which is affirmed in the Theoevolutionary Church. Without evolution, we cannot reach Godhood, the goal of nature. How about that for Federalist incentive?
The bottom line, the foundation, the historical base of culture is religion, which has always provided direction for human behavior. Therefore, along with reviving Federalism, establishing the virtues of the Theoevolutionary Church is our first concern.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Spirit As A Benevolent Activator
The Spirit Within knows its goal, and it activates the body to evolve to Godhood. The Spirit is a benevolent activator, and so the evolution of the Body and the Soul and Spirit within the Body can take various paths, depending upon natural selection, cause and effect, and the laws of evolution. The cause of the Spirit is followed by the effects of evolution.
Evolution is not really the “coming outward of the within” it is the activation of the within of life. The Spirit needs the Body to reach its goal. This definition redeems the material, which has wrongly been called the “imprisoner” of the Spirit (see the Great Spiritual Blockade).
The activating vibration, or instinct, or Will to God, of the Spirit Within, is the nearest man can come to God at this time. Understanding this Ideal of the Instincts can explain much of the world.
We would describe the Tao, the flow of reality in the Kosmos, not as all peace and security, but as evolution leading to Godhood. Godhood can experience supreme peace and supreme security, but we cannot, not until we attain Godhood in evolution.
Evolution is not really the “coming outward of the within” it is the activation of the within of life. The Spirit needs the Body to reach its goal. This definition redeems the material, which has wrongly been called the “imprisoner” of the Spirit (see the Great Spiritual Blockade).
The activating vibration, or instinct, or Will to God, of the Spirit Within, is the nearest man can come to God at this time. Understanding this Ideal of the Instincts can explain much of the world.
We would describe the Tao, the flow of reality in the Kosmos, not as all peace and security, but as evolution leading to Godhood. Godhood can experience supreme peace and supreme security, but we cannot, not until we attain Godhood in evolution.
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Quest For More Than Living
The quest for what Germans call mehr als leben, “more than living” is central to experiencing the Spirit Within, but this is also the problem with the quest.
More than living? Living is enough, if one lives right, if one lives harmoniously with nature, with human nature, and with evolution.
Human impatience, human short-term thinking, leads to desire for the reward before the work is done.
Partial enlightenment, longing for the Absolute, defines this desire for more than living.
This quest, too often, leads to the Great Spiritual Blockade against our natural evolution to Godhood.
Detachment from sensory perceptions, as Buddha and others advocated, means ultimately detachment from evolving to Godhood.
Seeking the Soul Within, with the Involutionary Inward Path, should never be seen as the goal. It should be seen as a great glimpse of the goal of evolution to Godhood, through the Evolutionary Outward Path.
More than living? Living is enough, if one lives right, if one lives harmoniously with nature, with human nature, and with evolution.
Human impatience, human short-term thinking, leads to desire for the reward before the work is done.
Partial enlightenment, longing for the Absolute, defines this desire for more than living.
This quest, too often, leads to the Great Spiritual Blockade against our natural evolution to Godhood.
Detachment from sensory perceptions, as Buddha and others advocated, means ultimately detachment from evolving to Godhood.
Seeking the Soul Within, with the Involutionary Inward Path, should never be seen as the goal. It should be seen as a great glimpse of the goal of evolution to Godhood, through the Evolutionary Outward Path.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
No Easy Way
The states now favor centralization, not federalist choice, contrary to the Founders who thought the states might deprive the government of its legal authority. Michael Greve says the emasculation of the states was largely due to Constitutional changes that the Founders could not have foreseen, such as the great expansion of federal taxing and spending powers through the federal income tax with the 16th Amendment. The competition among states turned into a race for federal dollars.
According to Greve, at least campaigns for term limits, school vouchers, color blind civil rights laws, restrictions on political expenditures of trade unions, and abolition of bilingual education are alive and doing well in the states.
Decentralizing simply will calm things down. Nationalizing every subject creates too much national noise and much trouble in the country. But can we repeal the New Deal, the Great Society, and the pre-communism-fascism of Big Government? Or is federalist power to the states futile?
The liberals are nationalist in orientation, the Paleoconservatives are not (although economic nationalism may be a necessary exception). Yet there seems no easy way. Demographics and human nature, more than legal finagling will lead to change. The latest financial crash makes money scarce coming from the federal government or from any other place, and this may help the devolution.
According to Greve, at least campaigns for term limits, school vouchers, color blind civil rights laws, restrictions on political expenditures of trade unions, and abolition of bilingual education are alive and doing well in the states.
Decentralizing simply will calm things down. Nationalizing every subject creates too much national noise and much trouble in the country. But can we repeal the New Deal, the Great Society, and the pre-communism-fascism of Big Government? Or is federalist power to the states futile?
The liberals are nationalist in orientation, the Paleoconservatives are not (although economic nationalism may be a necessary exception). Yet there seems no easy way. Demographics and human nature, more than legal finagling will lead to change. The latest financial crash makes money scarce coming from the federal government or from any other place, and this may help the devolution.
Friday, October 09, 2009
Impressionistic truths and empirical truths
Philosophy and religion often have no real objects in mind, they speak of unreal objects such as ideas, equations or spiritual truths. Science at least tries to mirror material reality with its mathematics, although with such things as String Theory so far we know only denotations, equations, hypothesis, or faith.
What activates material life and where is material life going? Here probability based on evidence can help us find what is real, the real has to be based at least on reading evolutionary patterns, such as evolution moving from the simple to the complex, and evolution moving toward higher and higher consciousness. But belief in the dynamic of material evolution attaining the Supreme Material Object, or Godhood, is also based on intuitive faith in the goal of material evolution, and related to generations of mystics who have seen at least a God-Within using intuition, faith and revelation.
To limit ourselves to what science can prove empirically is to live in a stunted world, and to live with perhaps one third of the truth. Faith is more impressionistic than empirical, yet it can also be the truth. Faith is broader than hypothesis, faith is like the hypothesis of the mystical world. But faith can also be informed by the empirical world, eventually.
In the Evolutionary Christian Church both impressionistic truths and empirical truths are used in both the Inward and Outward Paths to help define the truth.
What activates material life and where is material life going? Here probability based on evidence can help us find what is real, the real has to be based at least on reading evolutionary patterns, such as evolution moving from the simple to the complex, and evolution moving toward higher and higher consciousness. But belief in the dynamic of material evolution attaining the Supreme Material Object, or Godhood, is also based on intuitive faith in the goal of material evolution, and related to generations of mystics who have seen at least a God-Within using intuition, faith and revelation.
To limit ourselves to what science can prove empirically is to live in a stunted world, and to live with perhaps one third of the truth. Faith is more impressionistic than empirical, yet it can also be the truth. Faith is broader than hypothesis, faith is like the hypothesis of the mystical world. But faith can also be informed by the empirical world, eventually.
In the Evolutionary Christian Church both impressionistic truths and empirical truths are used in both the Inward and Outward Paths to help define the truth.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
It's not the math, it's the object that the math only represents
It's not the math, it's the thing that the math only represents, symbolizes, or denotates, which is Real.
Math may be “real” in accurately representing a real object, but the real thing is the thing represented by math.
The following interview with the edgy, interesting, young, cosmological math professor from MIT, Max Tegmark, alas, with his “mathematical universe hypothesis,” seems to be saying that math itself is a real object, and not saying that only the object that math describes is real. But he seems at least somewhat to be on our path too, because he is working with real mathematical objects and not just merely describing real objects. Godhood is one of those Objects, that is, a Supreme Object, or Objects, at the zenith of material evolution.
Discover magazine: “...I see where you’re heading. Without these descriptors, we’re left with only math.
Tegmark: The physicist Eugene Wigner wrote a famous essay in the 1960s called “The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences.” In that essay he asked why nature is so accurately described by mathematics. The question did not start with him. As far back as Pythagoras in the ancient Greek era, there was the idea that the universe was built on mathematics. In the 17th century Galileo eloquently wrote that nature is a “grand book” that is “written in the language of mathematics.” Then, of course, there was the great Greek philosopher Plato, who said the objects of mathematics really exist.
How does your mathematical universe hypothesis fit in?
Well, Galileo and Wigner and lots of other scientists would argue that abstract mathematics “describes” reality. Plato would say that mathematics exists somewhere out there as an ideal reality. I am working in between. I have this sort of crazy-sounding idea that the reason why mathematics is so effective at describing reality is that it is reality. That is the mathematical universe hypothesis: Mathematical things actually exist, and they are actually physical reality....”
Interview continues here
Math may be “real” in accurately representing a real object, but the real thing is the thing represented by math.
The following interview with the edgy, interesting, young, cosmological math professor from MIT, Max Tegmark, alas, with his “mathematical universe hypothesis,” seems to be saying that math itself is a real object, and not saying that only the object that math describes is real. But he seems at least somewhat to be on our path too, because he is working with real mathematical objects and not just merely describing real objects. Godhood is one of those Objects, that is, a Supreme Object, or Objects, at the zenith of material evolution.
Discover magazine: “...I see where you’re heading. Without these descriptors, we’re left with only math.
Tegmark: The physicist Eugene Wigner wrote a famous essay in the 1960s called “The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences.” In that essay he asked why nature is so accurately described by mathematics. The question did not start with him. As far back as Pythagoras in the ancient Greek era, there was the idea that the universe was built on mathematics. In the 17th century Galileo eloquently wrote that nature is a “grand book” that is “written in the language of mathematics.” Then, of course, there was the great Greek philosopher Plato, who said the objects of mathematics really exist.
How does your mathematical universe hypothesis fit in?
Well, Galileo and Wigner and lots of other scientists would argue that abstract mathematics “describes” reality. Plato would say that mathematics exists somewhere out there as an ideal reality. I am working in between. I have this sort of crazy-sounding idea that the reason why mathematics is so effective at describing reality is that it is reality. That is the mathematical universe hypothesis: Mathematical things actually exist, and they are actually physical reality....”
Interview continues here
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Spirit and Matter
Spirit and matter are of one essence and not dualistic, just as energy can “freeze” into matter, and matter can unfreeze into energy.
It's not really accurate to say that matter is the inferior aspect of spirit and spirit the superior aspect of matter, spirit is really super-materiality and not something apart from matter. Better to say matter has various levels of evolution all the way to Godhood.
This means you really can't define spirit and matter as good and evil, but you can define matter as evolved and unevolved.
Evil in the world? God creates Kosmic evolution where some evolve and some do not evolve.
Plato thought that matter was the passive principle, moved by the spirit, which is almost accurate, except God is the highest evolved aspect of matter.
Contrary to the Platonic and Gnostic perspective, evolution does not imprison the spirit or life in matter. Evolution is the activation of the will to life within matter to evolve to Godhood. The spirit does not “escape” matter even when it attains Godhood, Godhood is materiality.
We are not seeking “universality,” we are seeking the goal of universal Kosmic evolution of matter to Godhood. Traditional religion tends to emphasize convergence in evolution over divergence (most recently with Teilhard de Chardin), whereas Godhood can be seen more through divergence. the will to live is activating humans to evolve to the actual Supreme Object Godhood, working along with outside evolition and national selection.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
As We Move Toward a Federalist Position
As we move toward a Federalist position in national politics, bringing more and more power back to the States, we want to avoid being too strident, too angry, or looking like a populist or racist jihad---this shuts the door.
Revitalized Conservative development, accepting small inoculations at a time without overwhelming the system, Ordered Evolution, is the way to go. Even the secessionist movement is too revolutionary.
We do require some form of economic nationalism to protect our manufacturing base, which, along with national defense, and keeping the peace with general justice, are about the only things national government should be involved in.
To repeat, we are talking here about a loosely connected Leave-Us-Alone coalition of: Populist, grass roots, gun owners, school choice, home schooling, term limits, property rights, religious advocacy, tax limitation, small business owners---and we add (although some of these need to be tamed down) the New Right, national anarchists, localists left and right, libertarians, secessionists, etc.
It will be long and slow, like moving through the mud, but it appears to be the only game in town, baring any big unforeseen events, which could change the speed of acceptance or rejection.
Revitalized Conservative development, accepting small inoculations at a time without overwhelming the system, Ordered Evolution, is the way to go. Even the secessionist movement is too revolutionary.
We do require some form of economic nationalism to protect our manufacturing base, which, along with national defense, and keeping the peace with general justice, are about the only things national government should be involved in.
To repeat, we are talking here about a loosely connected Leave-Us-Alone coalition of: Populist, grass roots, gun owners, school choice, home schooling, term limits, property rights, religious advocacy, tax limitation, small business owners---and we add (although some of these need to be tamed down) the New Right, national anarchists, localists left and right, libertarians, secessionists, etc.
It will be long and slow, like moving through the mud, but it appears to be the only game in town, baring any big unforeseen events, which could change the speed of acceptance or rejection.
Friday, October 02, 2009
The Real Shadow
Civilizing the Beast is truly integrating the Shadow and not partially, as is often done with Jung's conception of the Shadow which only goes as deep as the human unconscious. We confront the instincts, with all their primitive power, and we integrate or refine them with the Ideal of the Instincts, the evolutionary goal of life which is Godhood. This is a Shadow most people have not confronted.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
The Constituency
Some Uncommon Optimism
I see the separate powers of the United States under the original federalism of the Constitution gaining ground as the existing “Leave-Us-Alone” constituencies and the growing influence of the sociobiologists gain ground with both the grass roots and the intellectuals. Michael Greve listed them as a universe of loosely connected, partially overlapping property rights advocates, term limits movement, home school and school choice organizations, right to life groups, gun owners, tax limitation initiatives, certain religious denominations and lay organizations, and small business owners. We would add, along with this Paleoconservatism, the New Right and perhaps even the trendy national anarchists, as well as sociobiologists (or evolutionary psychologists) and perhaps some physical anthropologists. We cannot make laws against human nature which will last for very long.
Government doesn't have to be reinvented, and this can be accomplished legally. To develop their egalitarian programs, the liberals required the central control of the government, as they sought the destruction of localism and federalism. The Leave-Us-Alone constituency, in much the same way, should seek local control and the diversity of federalism through the Supreme Court.
The Theoevolutionary Church makes itself available to all states, all people, all races, promoting religiously founded Ordered Evolution and Revitalized Conservatism for all, as states and people recover their natural independence, which seems inevitable in the course of time and history.
This is an uncommon and optimistic note for a corrupt and declining country, but I think it is realistic. The alternatives, for example, a Latin American Style Democracy or some form of Caesarism, are a future to be avoided. It is the most natural thing to separate fighting parties when it is obvious that they cannot get along. Even if the large scale corruption of empire comes first, history suggests that empires always devolve back to small states with harmonious populations.
I see the separate powers of the United States under the original federalism of the Constitution gaining ground as the existing “Leave-Us-Alone” constituencies and the growing influence of the sociobiologists gain ground with both the grass roots and the intellectuals. Michael Greve listed them as a universe of loosely connected, partially overlapping property rights advocates, term limits movement, home school and school choice organizations, right to life groups, gun owners, tax limitation initiatives, certain religious denominations and lay organizations, and small business owners. We would add, along with this Paleoconservatism, the New Right and perhaps even the trendy national anarchists, as well as sociobiologists (or evolutionary psychologists) and perhaps some physical anthropologists. We cannot make laws against human nature which will last for very long.
Government doesn't have to be reinvented, and this can be accomplished legally. To develop their egalitarian programs, the liberals required the central control of the government, as they sought the destruction of localism and federalism. The Leave-Us-Alone constituency, in much the same way, should seek local control and the diversity of federalism through the Supreme Court.
The Theoevolutionary Church makes itself available to all states, all people, all races, promoting religiously founded Ordered Evolution and Revitalized Conservatism for all, as states and people recover their natural independence, which seems inevitable in the course of time and history.
This is an uncommon and optimistic note for a corrupt and declining country, but I think it is realistic. The alternatives, for example, a Latin American Style Democracy or some form of Caesarism, are a future to be avoided. It is the most natural thing to separate fighting parties when it is obvious that they cannot get along. Even if the large scale corruption of empire comes first, history suggests that empires always devolve back to small states with harmonious populations.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
History Repeats
We could be headed for some form of Latin American “democracy” where class fights class, race fights race, with a ruined economy and with military creating order from time to time. And democratic “Caesarism” could come with Americans giving up their freedom to a single master who can supposedly fix everything.
A better alternative would be to secure the States of America, without having to change or break down the United States Constitution, with something as natural and independent as “informal ethnostates.” This is not revolutionary change, the Constitution already gives great power to the states. This is the sort of federalism, territorial democracy and representative government that makes sense. And indeed, it reflects more what the Founders had in mind.
A better alternative would be to secure the States of America, without having to change or break down the United States Constitution, with something as natural and independent as “informal ethnostates.” This is not revolutionary change, the Constitution already gives great power to the states. This is the sort of federalism, territorial democracy and representative government that makes sense. And indeed, it reflects more what the Founders had in mind.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Object before knowledge of the object
“If there were not some first, our knowledge would never be anything more than a hypothesis...”
“This is probably the position of the naturalists and physicalists... All successful knowledge is scientific, all scientific knowledge is hypothetical, therefore etc...”
“St. Thomas and Aristotle implicitly respond to this criticism by the simplest route: they show that there is something known first...”
(From Just Thomism)
My comment: We go deeper into nature and say that before there can be something known of a subject, or known of an object, there is an object. This includes knowledge of the Supreme Object God.
“This is probably the position of the naturalists and physicalists... All successful knowledge is scientific, all scientific knowledge is hypothetical, therefore etc...”
“St. Thomas and Aristotle implicitly respond to this criticism by the simplest route: they show that there is something known first...”
(From Just Thomism)
My comment: We go deeper into nature and say that before there can be something known of a subject, or known of an object, there is an object. This includes knowledge of the Supreme Object God.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Why, Who, Where?
Life is an endless evolution toward Godhood, the highest form of life in the Kosmos.
Consciousness does not evolve on its own, it evolves within the material world.
Life evolved up through species long forgotten, and is yet to evolve into species not known by man.
We are finite now, but by evolving to Godhood, and then by continuing on in the evolution of future Kosmos, we can become “infinite.”
We contain within ourselves all the evolution of the Kosmos, at least up to our species and our time. We also contain the Spirit Within, which is beyond our own time and our own species, although the Spirit is also contained within ourselves.
We are here primarily to evolve to Godhood. We primarily measure our value by how far we have advanced in consciousness and complexity toward Godhood.
On Idolatry
It is not idolatrous to see God as a Supreme Object. It is idolatrous to see God as only a Word, Logos, or Denotation. This is opposite the usual definition of idolatry.
When past men saw God as a white haired, bearded, old man sitting on a golden throne, the so-called primitives were closer to describing God then the sophisticated theologians who pictured God as a mathematical Logos.
God is not invisible. God is only very difficult to see with human abilities.
The Kosmos contains the elements of God as the “offspring” of God, and within these elements is God's Spirit, activating the elements to evolve and mature to Godhood. Godhood Itself contains the Spirit but It is Spirit evolved to Its highest form in the Mind of God within the Body of God as the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit does not exist on Its own as a Word, or Logos, or Golden Equation, the Holy Spirit exists within the Supreme Mind-Soul of God as the Spirit exists within the Mind-Soul of man. We are the image of God in this respect.
God is always tangible, an Object, although a Supreme Object.
Evolution Before Art
The activation of the Spirit Within is first and foremost designed to urge man on to evolve to Godhood. The fact that man creates beauty or engineers new objects is a secondary use of the activating Spirit, and can help in our evolution, as culture can help.
Virtue and the Fall
This has been a time of the destruction of virtue, but which virtues have been destroyed? The True Fall was the fall from the virtue of evolution.
The Involutionary Inward Path affirms the virtues of the ancients or the virtues of Traditional Religion. The Evolutionary Outward Path affirms the virtue of evolution. The Evolutionary Christian Church and Beyondist Virtues work together enhancing the virtue of evolution.
Consciousness does not evolve on its own, it evolves within the material world.
Life evolved up through species long forgotten, and is yet to evolve into species not known by man.
We are finite now, but by evolving to Godhood, and then by continuing on in the evolution of future Kosmos, we can become “infinite.”
We contain within ourselves all the evolution of the Kosmos, at least up to our species and our time. We also contain the Spirit Within, which is beyond our own time and our own species, although the Spirit is also contained within ourselves.
We are here primarily to evolve to Godhood. We primarily measure our value by how far we have advanced in consciousness and complexity toward Godhood.
On Idolatry
It is not idolatrous to see God as a Supreme Object. It is idolatrous to see God as only a Word, Logos, or Denotation. This is opposite the usual definition of idolatry.
When past men saw God as a white haired, bearded, old man sitting on a golden throne, the so-called primitives were closer to describing God then the sophisticated theologians who pictured God as a mathematical Logos.
God is not invisible. God is only very difficult to see with human abilities.
The Kosmos contains the elements of God as the “offspring” of God, and within these elements is God's Spirit, activating the elements to evolve and mature to Godhood. Godhood Itself contains the Spirit but It is Spirit evolved to Its highest form in the Mind of God within the Body of God as the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit does not exist on Its own as a Word, or Logos, or Golden Equation, the Holy Spirit exists within the Supreme Mind-Soul of God as the Spirit exists within the Mind-Soul of man. We are the image of God in this respect.
God is always tangible, an Object, although a Supreme Object.
Evolution Before Art
The activation of the Spirit Within is first and foremost designed to urge man on to evolve to Godhood. The fact that man creates beauty or engineers new objects is a secondary use of the activating Spirit, and can help in our evolution, as culture can help.
Virtue and the Fall
This has been a time of the destruction of virtue, but which virtues have been destroyed? The True Fall was the fall from the virtue of evolution.
The Involutionary Inward Path affirms the virtues of the ancients or the virtues of Traditional Religion. The Evolutionary Outward Path affirms the virtue of evolution. The Evolutionary Christian Church and Beyondist Virtues work together enhancing the virtue of evolution.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Human Nature and Federalism
“The Federalist Papers” talked about competition between States and the Federal Government “for the affections of the people” and they did not really say much about competitive business. James Madison wrote, “The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the Federal Government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the state governments are numerous and indefinite.”
When I speak of the United States as becoming laboratories of evolution, I have in mind the Federalist idea of healthy competition and variety. Federalism of course also protects us from outside forces and keeps the peace between states, which is the main task of the Federal Government.
I think that the forces that are eventually tearing us apart can eventually pull us back together again. The United States and the Constitution actually accommodate human nature, and human nature prefers such things as localism, strong attachments to small states, and even ethnicity.
Thinking of Federalism this way, with the States as laboratories of evolution, requires a hospitable political climate, or perhaps more accurately, a less favorable political climate. When we are at each other's throats perhaps then we will see the sense in “devolution” and the restoration of the separate enumerated powers of the original Federalism of our Constitution. Like the Evolutionary Christian Church, the restoration of Federalism needs a supporting body of citizens.
Who might they be? Michael Greve (Real Federalism) suggests that they are a conglomeration of leave-us-alone populists, grass roots gun owners, school choice and home schooling groups, the term limits movement, property rights groups, religious advocacy organizations, tax limitation groups, small business owners, and so on. But we would also like to see the the Left, the New Right, the far right, and even the anarchist right perceive the practical sense of legal Constitutional Federalism.
When I speak of the United States as becoming laboratories of evolution, I have in mind the Federalist idea of healthy competition and variety. Federalism of course also protects us from outside forces and keeps the peace between states, which is the main task of the Federal Government.
I think that the forces that are eventually tearing us apart can eventually pull us back together again. The United States and the Constitution actually accommodate human nature, and human nature prefers such things as localism, strong attachments to small states, and even ethnicity.
Thinking of Federalism this way, with the States as laboratories of evolution, requires a hospitable political climate, or perhaps more accurately, a less favorable political climate. When we are at each other's throats perhaps then we will see the sense in “devolution” and the restoration of the separate enumerated powers of the original Federalism of our Constitution. Like the Evolutionary Christian Church, the restoration of Federalism needs a supporting body of citizens.
Who might they be? Michael Greve (Real Federalism) suggests that they are a conglomeration of leave-us-alone populists, grass roots gun owners, school choice and home schooling groups, the term limits movement, property rights groups, religious advocacy organizations, tax limitation groups, small business owners, and so on. But we would also like to see the the Left, the New Right, the far right, and even the anarchist right perceive the practical sense of legal Constitutional Federalism.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Libertarian and Conservative Misapprehensions of Human Nature
Russell Kirk writes of John Stuart Mills “imperfect apprehension of human nature” leading to the libertarianism of today. But conservatives also have an imperfect apprehension of human nature.
Libertarians believe in personal liberty or freedom as the whole end of everything and they seem oblivious to the positive achievements of the use of force throughout history. Yet conservatives seem virtually oblivious to biological evolution even as they affirm the wisdom of their ancestors and Tradition.
Ultimately it is evolution which determines the tradition and wisdom of one's ancestors. It is success in survival and reproduction which sets the tradition and wisdom of one's ancestors. As it turns out, one of the best arguments for affirming conservatism is that it has been the best philosophy for long term successful survival and reproduction.
Evolution is not an affirmation of neoterism—the lust for novelty—which is the weakness of the libertarian in their completely open view of “freedom.” Long term evolution takes place best in traditional societies. During war most positive actions cease.
We are circumscribed by our sociobiological human nature as if, as suggested by E. O. Wilson, we are on a leash which allows just so much freedom. The leash of human nature, however, tends to include the traditions of conservatism, that is, pair bonding, kin centeredness, group altruism, hierarchy, even ethnocentrism.
Like conservatives, we also suggest a deeper religious source of human action and human nature in which the Spirit Within, or the Will to Godhood activates human nature. There is a dialogue between the activation of the Spirit and natural selection in evolution. Although traditional conservatives do believe in a transcendent moral order, and libertarians (or liberals) do not, we believe that we are evolving to Godhood in nature, activated by the Spirit and formed by evolution.
The Evolutionary Christian Church, of course, is not the same as Marx's dialectic materialism, which has no spiritual activation and no Godhood goal, although Hegel's view, which Marx transvalued, might have anticipated evolutionary spirituality.
Libertarians believe in personal liberty or freedom as the whole end of everything and they seem oblivious to the positive achievements of the use of force throughout history. Yet conservatives seem virtually oblivious to biological evolution even as they affirm the wisdom of their ancestors and Tradition.
Ultimately it is evolution which determines the tradition and wisdom of one's ancestors. It is success in survival and reproduction which sets the tradition and wisdom of one's ancestors. As it turns out, one of the best arguments for affirming conservatism is that it has been the best philosophy for long term successful survival and reproduction.
Evolution is not an affirmation of neoterism—the lust for novelty—which is the weakness of the libertarian in their completely open view of “freedom.” Long term evolution takes place best in traditional societies. During war most positive actions cease.
We are circumscribed by our sociobiological human nature as if, as suggested by E. O. Wilson, we are on a leash which allows just so much freedom. The leash of human nature, however, tends to include the traditions of conservatism, that is, pair bonding, kin centeredness, group altruism, hierarchy, even ethnocentrism.
Like conservatives, we also suggest a deeper religious source of human action and human nature in which the Spirit Within, or the Will to Godhood activates human nature. There is a dialogue between the activation of the Spirit and natural selection in evolution. Although traditional conservatives do believe in a transcendent moral order, and libertarians (or liberals) do not, we believe that we are evolving to Godhood in nature, activated by the Spirit and formed by evolution.
The Evolutionary Christian Church, of course, is not the same as Marx's dialectic materialism, which has no spiritual activation and no Godhood goal, although Hegel's view, which Marx transvalued, might have anticipated evolutionary spirituality.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Ontology is not mathematics
Ontology is not mathematics (see Plato and Badiou). Ontology consists of the Real Supreme Object Godhood, as well as God's Real “Offspring” in the Kosmos.
Sacred Mathematics reflects Reality, profane mathematics does not reflect Reality. Both can be created. In this sense human philosophers, theologians and mathematicians who define God's mathematical form will likely be applying profane human mathematics since only the evolved God,or perhaps a penultimate God, knows the mathematical formula of God.
We can evolve to Godhood, activated by the Spirit, guided by the Soul-Mind, in natural evolution, where we may then know the mathematics of God. But even then, the mathematics of God will mirror the Real Supreme Object God (the Son and Holy Spirit), as the Mind-Soul of God lives within God the Real Object and not apart from God in a mathematical form or denotation, which is closer to the Real definition of the Father in the Trinity. This is a transvaluation of the usual way to define who or what mirrors who.
Sacred Mathematics reflects Reality, profane mathematics does not reflect Reality. Both can be created. In this sense human philosophers, theologians and mathematicians who define God's mathematical form will likely be applying profane human mathematics since only the evolved God,or perhaps a penultimate God, knows the mathematical formula of God.
We can evolve to Godhood, activated by the Spirit, guided by the Soul-Mind, in natural evolution, where we may then know the mathematics of God. But even then, the mathematics of God will mirror the Real Supreme Object God (the Son and Holy Spirit), as the Mind-Soul of God lives within God the Real Object and not apart from God in a mathematical form or denotation, which is closer to the Real definition of the Father in the Trinity. This is a transvaluation of the usual way to define who or what mirrors who.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Federalism
The United States can be laboratories of evolution. But this requires a return to the balance between states and the federal government, a revitalization of the sovereign states. This, of course, will not be easy. Nationalism, like globalism, takes away variety and competition, and hinders the distance in separation required for evolution to take place. I am not here emphasizing so much a competitive federalism, although competition is very important, I am more suggesting a return to the places of our birth, our residence, our home.
The ideologies of secession or anarchy take away the important protections of national defense, the assurance of objective justice, as well as the shielding of the manufacturing base of the states with some version of economic nationalism. These are the real tasks of the national government. Historical Conservatism teaches us that it is healthier to legally revitalize than to tear down in revolution an established government. A return to the Federalism of the Constitution therefore makes sense.
Meanwhile, religion can do its work, helping to instill virtue in individuals, which is the most important way to change the world. Which virtues? Which religion? We, of course, prefer the Evolutionary Christian Church, which synthesizes Traditional Christian and Scientific Beyondist virtues.
The ideologies of secession or anarchy take away the important protections of national defense, the assurance of objective justice, as well as the shielding of the manufacturing base of the states with some version of economic nationalism. These are the real tasks of the national government. Historical Conservatism teaches us that it is healthier to legally revitalize than to tear down in revolution an established government. A return to the Federalism of the Constitution therefore makes sense.
Meanwhile, religion can do its work, helping to instill virtue in individuals, which is the most important way to change the world. Which virtues? Which religion? We, of course, prefer the Evolutionary Christian Church, which synthesizes Traditional Christian and Scientific Beyondist virtues.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Beyond Strauss
Leo Strauss (see this excellent article on Strauss by Claes Ryn) seems to have used sophistical analysis in defining some aspects of Conservatism. He twisted Edmund Burke's meaning of the inevitability of the power of Providence in saying that Burke gave into “the new” if the new had enough power behind it. (See Kirk's “Three Pillars of Order” in Redeeming The Time” )
Could we conclude that the reason Strauss did this was so that he could emphasize Plato's “conservatism” more or less minus Christian conservatism? Could we say that Strauss hinted that Plato's “Guardians” might be compared to modern neoconservative "guardians?"
In any case, the Evolutionary Christian Church seeks to retain the Classical-Traditional religious synthesis within our Involutionary Inward Path and add evolution to our Evolutionary Outward Path. That is, we seek ecumenism among all the world's religions because we define them all as existing within the Involutionary Inward Path to the God Within, and we add to them the natural law principles of evolution, with the goal of evolving to Godhood. This basically defines both Ordered Evolution and Revitalized Conservatism.
Could we conclude that the reason Strauss did this was so that he could emphasize Plato's “conservatism” more or less minus Christian conservatism? Could we say that Strauss hinted that Plato's “Guardians” might be compared to modern neoconservative "guardians?"
In any case, the Evolutionary Christian Church seeks to retain the Classical-Traditional religious synthesis within our Involutionary Inward Path and add evolution to our Evolutionary Outward Path. That is, we seek ecumenism among all the world's religions because we define them all as existing within the Involutionary Inward Path to the God Within, and we add to them the natural law principles of evolution, with the goal of evolving to Godhood. This basically defines both Ordered Evolution and Revitalized Conservatism.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Where We Differ From Conservatism
Evolution and the Moral Imagination
When Burke spoke of the wisdom of the ancient structure of our civilization and the “contract of eternal society” he was not speaking of evolution, but he should have been. There is nothing older or more eternal on earth or in the Kosmos than the process of evolution. Human history and the moral order of our civilization, which Conservatives prefer to follow, as they well should, are not as ancient or eternal as evolution.
In the spirit of Conservatism we seek, with the Theoevolutionary Church (TC) to “refurbish the wardrobe of moral imagination” (Burke-Kirk), perhaps like Plato and Burke, by adapting the ancient structures of evolution to civilization and to religion. In EC the Involutionary Inward Path of Traditional Religion, which taught us primarily about the Soul and the God Within, is refurbished with the Evolutionary Outward Path of the Evolution to Godhood, the way to the Real God.
Evolutionary Sociobiology has taught us that the enduring principles, social institutions and human nature, defined by Conservatism, are grounded in the enduring principles of Evolution, which in fact, help ground the ancient religion that conservatives affirm.
Some conservatives think that “natural law” is an inadequate basis for political authority, but we would turn that around and say that the moral order without consideration of the natural law of evolution, is an inadequate basis for political authority. Indeed, TC believes that evolution is a theological concern in essence.
When Burke spoke of the wisdom of the ancient structure of our civilization and the “contract of eternal society” he was not speaking of evolution, but he should have been. There is nothing older or more eternal on earth or in the Kosmos than the process of evolution. Human history and the moral order of our civilization, which Conservatives prefer to follow, as they well should, are not as ancient or eternal as evolution.
In the spirit of Conservatism we seek, with the Theoevolutionary Church (TC) to “refurbish the wardrobe of moral imagination” (Burke-Kirk), perhaps like Plato and Burke, by adapting the ancient structures of evolution to civilization and to religion. In EC the Involutionary Inward Path of Traditional Religion, which taught us primarily about the Soul and the God Within, is refurbished with the Evolutionary Outward Path of the Evolution to Godhood, the way to the Real God.
Evolutionary Sociobiology has taught us that the enduring principles, social institutions and human nature, defined by Conservatism, are grounded in the enduring principles of Evolution, which in fact, help ground the ancient religion that conservatives affirm.
Some conservatives think that “natural law” is an inadequate basis for political authority, but we would turn that around and say that the moral order without consideration of the natural law of evolution, is an inadequate basis for political authority. Indeed, TC believes that evolution is a theological concern in essence.
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