The Ideological Dream

How many so-called 'good people' were hoodwinked by National Socialism, Leninism and Stalinism, and many other cases of sociopolitical change and reform that from a selective view seemed to be a progression towards a better society?

Politics is in part about truth, however, it is as often about personal and ideological desperation as well. The Early signs from Nazism wasn't that of camps and murder, 'the Soviet project' was praised even after the bloody civil war, purges and show trials. It seems that many would rather believe in the perfect future than treat reality with the kind of harsh scepticism it deserves.

We see much the same of Islam, with many Muslims who at least don't ignore the actions of ISIS but they may quietly desire a new Muslim super-power and religious authority to usher in a new golden age of the faith. In that way, the examples of religious fundamentalism across the world are a kind of inspiration, much like many-an-old-Marxist was hopeful that the Soviet project, despite a shaky start, would offer up fruit.

You can find western communists who seem to be unable to accept the insanity of North Korea, any bad news is called capitalist propaganda, and so easily dismissed by all true communists. They, as with many Muslims, Neo-nazis and other ideological views, think we in free societies are living on borrowed time and out of the chaos, they'll bring about a better world. I can only assume that something about the idea of knowing the ultimate truth breeds arrogance and even greater credulity as they swallow lie after lie from their comrades in arms. As if their conspiratorial tones are more than musings of those who dream of their ideological victory.

It's actually odd that rather than respecting facts first, many millions of people would rather believe in the coming of their hopes by some kind of inevitable process. Instead of noting their errors and noticing the irrationality they hold dear they would rather ignore those things that may move them out of their comfort zone. I suppose I've been too narrow, and as I ponder this I can imagine this frame of mind with any number of beliefs.

In general, when reason leads you will discover, and when faith leads you will make excuses.

Personal Spirituality and Irrationality without Religion

Personal Spirituality, irrationality without religion

The best you can gain from spirituality without religion may be a delusional view of reality, minus the traditional culture of indoctrination, you have another style, if still the voodoo of faith.  Escaping the bastion of traditional religious organisations, with their rules and conformity, so you have free choice, exploration, and the ability to disagree massively, even if you cling to the mystical and experiential as critical for a serious view of reality.  Religion minus the church, minus the priesthood, and without a holy book, it sounds superior to religion indoctrination, even though you still have groups and organisations, experts and officials, and, you have many books that offer spiritual knowledge.  You may have broken free in some ways, yet you are still very much caged in others, the limits of an orthodox religion have been surpassed, but you cling to fun ideas that religious thinking can offer.  'Spirituality' is often just a term used to say personal religion, you mix and match based on what you wish, not what's traditional, nor what's evident, and commonly, its bias to own desires and the arguments you use to support your views. 

The removal of Hell is an example of this with moderate Christians. Liberal Christians may rethink the concept, making it philosophical, non-literal, we see this process being watered down even more, which isn't a bad thing.  Although most religions like to select texts, in new age spiritualism almost anything goes, and any nonsense will do.  Such as the idea that Jesus spent time in India learning from great masters, at the feet of gurus, or even travelled to Tibet.  Even though there is no serious evidence to confirm this idea in the least, you may as well suggest he moved to China while you're at it.  This kind of thinking and that of moderates means the books are a starting point, how they proceed to include ideas depends on common sense.  You can quickly dismiss a pet theory that is true but unknown and call a thing the true while not knowing that this is the case. 

Many suggest a foundation to spirituality, so they kind God in all religions with a few wild interpretations.  It's all selection, and who says what is the foundation and the errors created afterwards?  Fundamentalists say their belief is right and the rest became corrupted, the spiritualists claim the cute stuff and then claim the unpleasant things are to do with negativity and materialism. 

Even if many possibilities are used to say that the things you hold dear are correct, selection for fundamentalist Christians is to select stories about great floods in ancient times.  Searching the history books and ancient legends to find anything that suggests that the biblical stories are true, and often finding a flood myth is enough for them to say that the global flood is reported in every culture.
To pose the idea that a global flood took place, even if their flood story is Atlantis, is simple enough.  The way they prove the faith is by poor connections, so a spiritual person selects data to fit it into a lost global civilisation belief, and then without question will accept reincarnation stories as evidence, just because they have a bias the idea that one can reincarnate, as well as spirit channelling, and other mystic ideas.

Data selection based on bias includes the acceptance of hearsay and supportive ideas, which are held together by a unifying hypothesis, or series of hypotheses, and from the shaky ground the unsound idea is constructed.  This can including the unaccounted years of Jesus meaning that he must have been in India learning from gurus, just as ignoring the periods of floods reported in various cultures and myths can seem to support a biblical view of a global event, well, if you are fine with selecting what you want, not that which is in full context and backed by solid evidence.  And you may even say the great flood was evidence of the planetary shift that sank Atlantis, or even that it was the result of a near miss, as a planet X passed close to the earth, but you would still be trying to support beliefs with unsubstantiated legends. 

The issue is how we rationalise things based on limited information, even using hearsay as evidence, so beyond myths, the concern is poor reasoning based on belief, a poor comprehension of terms and concepts, and this ignorance, and a kind of arrogance has a knock-on effect on society.  Moderate people, whether religious or spiritual, are often very vulnerable to such leaps. 

Misconception

Misconception

Often I have discussed Atheism with internet Christians, and the misconceptions I will note, I selected a comment, for this response I have removed filler, as well as cheap insults. The content discussed was in regards to Islam, specifically the refutation of Islam and it's foundations, the audio placed on YouTube, edited from god is not great, by Christopher Hitchens, and many people added their points in the comments, often without reading the book or listening to the audiobook. It's worth noting, many pathetic tirades are common to internet comments, those with strong beliefs have a series of claims that are based more on bad philosophy than the facts, personally I value what is truly more than what is accepted on faith.

The comment begins, “Christ is the Word of the Living God. God is Good”, I would call that tame for the youtube, well until the usual claim comes up, “Bloodthirsty atheists can't see this because their eyes are blinded because they hate truth but love with all their heart lies”. The funniest thing about such claims, at least to me, is they are fighting the straw-man, what atheists must be to doubt the Christian faith, he may as well claim we worship Satan and eat babies, well, in for a penny, in for a pound. Many a devout Christian may well think Atheists worship Lucifer, or even because we have no moral guide in god, that we may eat babies if we wish, and if you're willing to make things up, you may as well go all out and tell some really amusing lines. And, in the knowledge, they will antagonise those who oppose you.

To show his poor contact with reality, Erik says, “Ironically enough the power of God claims once a man loves lies, he has sacrificed himself to Satan, the father of lies. For as Satan will use the fool aka atheist at his every whim will then turn and devour that which was faithful to him.” The best work of Christians isn't when they repeat hollow rhetoric, Such statements work on many, affecting those who are vulnerable to such beliefs, yet with most non-believers, you may as well be telling us about our lack of Jedi practice and meditation causes us to fall to the dark side of the force. Repeating over and over the word of the bible is as meaningless as repeating Harry Potter, going over bible verses like the Christian fictional hero, Bible-man, is ineffective except on those within that culture of belief, to us non-Christian it's as compelling as stories about Narnia, and I have let to find evidence against The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe that makes it's absolutely sure that it is impossible. Most things are improbable, even in a vast universe, and we don't get to absolutes as much as the point at much an idea is so improbable that it in effect impossible, making the biblical god with all its miracles as probable as Narnia.

My response was short and clear, “Bloodthirst isn't the point, if there was any, the point is religions often push their politics on everyone, secularists demand that we don't give any group a superior position, to best avoid a limitation of choice.” The thing that the devout don't often understand is that non-believers do not the religious claims about them, we are not out to smash freedom of religion, we are out to ensure that secular values protect the rights of all people regardless of background, including religious creed. However, some people want to utterly destroy religion, even if most atheists see that religion is already practising self-destruction, and at worst no special treatment should be given, no privilege.

These Bloodthirsty Atheists don't seem to exist to any great degree, even angry atheists are often making a point because they are affected by religious influence in a society, some are repressed in a fundamentalist region or town, maybe a local politician is getting the Christian vote by condemning non-Christians, doubters, secularist, and homosexuality, with such decisive politics in the mainstream in the United States, and elsewhere, it's little wonder that many people are antagonised. In highly religious communities it isn't always easy to be the outsider, and with fundamentalists calling atheists the fools for Satan, some people are bound to express their anger on the internet. Much like the disrespect towards many communities, religion says it knows what's best, if you're not following the rules then you have nothing worth saying, this is a major attitude problem, “If you're not with us, you must be against us.” is the belief of many churches, whereas most doubters and religious moderates can get on happily in society, even when they disagree.

We shared our thoughts over a series of comments, and in essence, the Christian judged Islam as false using the same logic that refutes Christianity, different specifics with the same reasoning to counter the poorly supported claims of the religion. Claims made about the lack of evidence and history for Islam, and no acceptance of the large gaps in Christian history, the lack of evidence for Christ's existence says as much as the fact we know little of Muhammad. Much of what we claim to know of Muhammad is from the Quran and others books after the time, just as we know of Jesus is from the Bible and the second-hand histories after the time, it is easy enough to say Muhammad is at least a historical Character, and Jesus may as well be largely fabricated. It's worth noting that the majority of historian consider it probable that the man, Jesus, existed, even though a fair number of people think that he may have been created by a few people, or utterly fabricated, others say there must have been some foundation for the stories. It may well be, the earliest stories could be based on the man, the passing through various cultures added to the legend, and, as is evident, the myths of others became weaved into the tapestry.

Erik stated, “I respect the argument that religious people can be pushy as tyrants in the radical Islamic belief, they(Muslims or radical Muslims) say do or die.”, I don't know what was being addressed, I didn't raise that point, pointing out bad beliefs doesn't make other ones good by default. I'm not sure of her meant Muslims in general or the militant forces within Islam, it seemed like a side step from Christian issues on to that of Islam, and the bandwagon that paints Muslims with the brush, rather than explaining what you truly mean, such as the difference between Wahhabi-Sunni Muslims and moderate groups such as the Pacifistic version of Islam as expressed by the Sufi.

The Problem with many Christians is they learn debate tricks from the same sources, the churches and ignorant communities that push an agenda, fleshing the belief out by agreeing with each other, although, sometimes they gets sketchy in a discussion and want to find something to agree upon, or a sidestep the lack of evidence that plagues all religions. Ignoring Christian problems by finding a more dangerous or aggressive ideology cures nothing, pointing out Muslim extremes doesn't cancel out Christian ones, they seem to think we'll forgive and forget the troubles of Christian politics, past and present, and will we accept the lesser of two evils. Evil in this context simply means harm done in the name of ideology, I only note this because a common trick is word games, such as responses like “And where does evil come from.”, so any claim of truth, love, or anything is said to be god's property, and the estate of evil is attributed to Lucifer.

An obvious point about Muslims, outside of the middle east and third world, they are, on average, far from the type of person to threaten you with death, well not more than most other communities, whereas, in the middle-east, including various capitalist democracies, we cannot fully judge a people group by the general view of the worst extremists, since where the freedom to think beyond the Imam or Mullah exists the people flock away from pure devotion. I think many Christians make a fair point about radical Islam, sadly, as long as nations like Saudi Arabia fund Sunni extremism, and the Iranian Government support Shia extremists, we have a mighty problem, and out of such extremes danger will emanate, using hard-line ideology to gain influence backfires, and creates groups like Islamic State. Think about how some American preachers have, by extension, supported the execution of homosexuals in Uganda, you see the tip of the iceberg, where pseudoscience and fanatical preaching pushes such agendas, if not in the western world, then such ideological views filter into less educated and liberal nations, empowering religious extremism, and laws that limit freedoms, and in this case lead to government mandated murder of those who don't follow the same lifestyle as the majority of the population. A preacher in the United States can say things that the US government will not pass into law, knowing this and rallying the church, the preacher can spread hate speech, and post this brand of extremism online as just an opinion, this can easily be picked up by a person in almost anywhere on the planet, from there this 'Science' can be passed off as official. And, if preacher should have an unaccredited doctorate, from a Christian college or diploma mill, then such a quack may be referred to as a doctor before audiences of ignorant fundamentalists or on a professional website.

A common error, the claim of how free and open Christianity is, they ignore the long social changes took and the philosophical development of our society, we're no longer treated badly for questioning the opinions of the church, yet, this is a moderation, not a fundamental view of the Christian faith. Another comment states, “Christianity and Judaism aren't pushy, and anyone who quotes the Holy Bible to testify otherwise is indeed misreading the book.”, this is ignorant of our shared history, how the moderation of religious power isn't due to the faith, as much as the cultural scenery in which religion can operate. Trying to get a modern Christians to agree on which laws and traditions of the old testament that should be used now is a battle they aren't prepared for, it isn't a clear series of ideas that works without interpretation, so how can a person twist Jesus's coming into changing a divine law, since he is said to claim to not break the law, most Christian values are based on modern morality, which is by definition moving beyond the bible. If we reject the old laws it becomes unclear, if you take it as non-literal then where is the line drawn, and if you cast off the bits that are no longer okay, you're believing in something that isn't biblical, even if inspired by aspects of it. Once you reach a wider philosophical view, you're almost ready to drop the Christianity altogether, accepting the books of old were inspired, not scripted by the creator of the universe, not the perfect word of god, nor a clear and factual history. Most Christians play a balancing act with ideas of what is moral, mostly based on background, most Christian don't know the bible well, so many accept what they think they know, and what a minister selects for a sermon.

The fact is many Christians are pushy, otherwise, there would be no debate over abortion, stem cell research, intelligent design, women's rights, LGBT rights, what politicians believe (or do not), and much more.  It's not as bad as Islam in the middle-east and third world, and who would expect the first world comforts to create a Christian State army as a mirror to Islam State, we have comforts and laws that have kept fanatics in line, so religion has become moderate and realistic where extremism isn't tolerated.

Beyond the Holy Word

Beyond the Holy Word 

The bible supports the idea that heathens are evil, or foolish, and passages differ, the trouble with Christianity, as well as Judaism and Islam, is verse selection, the act of quote mining their own religious texts, and in many cases the group or sect they belong to sets a view that condemns or condones a group of people by a very bias selection process. So selecting passages can be used to support nearly any position, especially with some cunning interpretation, this is the sad case of what religion is, in its fundamentalist and moderate forms, an expression of bias that claims divine warrant.

Philosophising the bible means you pretty much place the new perspective, as a modern ideology, above that of the bible, every church is interpretation above pure biblical acceptance, because the contradictions mean that you cannot come to a view without an interpretation of the bible. Even if you try die-hard literalism, the various contradictions mean you cannot accept all things as equal, the first motion is to say one set of ideas are divine and secondly others were man-created, or only laws and traditions of the time, the line between what we should accept now and what we need not, is not set out in scripture, so even literalists admit this problem. The trouble is that sects find excuses to picks a select various rules out of their books, some by bible study, some by modern tradition, others by claiming that Christ tells them what is right or wrong, this last one being more about conscience than anything divine, and based on a cultural background as the ethical foundation for what god may wish to you. Many read popular Christian books, as a result of modern apologists many think that a Christian belief is rational, depending on who's work they read, and the sect in question. Some are more honest and say that god is not testable, non-falsifiable, such reasoning isn't about confirming that their religion is true, as much as suggesting there's room for some kind of god, and Christianity fits the mould they have just created enough to suggest that their belief is possibility true. 

The modern Christianity we face is a reformed religion, even in cases of biblical literalism, this reformation hasn't fully taken place in regard to Islam, of which similar methods of interpretation are used, and, much like fundamentalist Christians, they claim not to be interpreting the holy works, even though there is no other way to take them perfectly literally, since texts that consist of great contradictions and imperfections.

rr

religion assumes too much about God. [ramble - draft thoughts that will feature within my book]

We find religious people, in general terms, assert a god by faith and from a gap logic, so from a belief in a book and interpretation, and the idea that a hole found within reality is a god shaped hole, so from the belief they hold and a place to build, they spin a belief that we know that a "god" is one who represents a Biblical God, or Koranic Allah.  The idea of a God is already slanted, from the faith position it is a question of confirmation bias, from the god must fit the bill position it's an extension, extended from the belief to include a potential for validity.  The result of confirming, for example, a first cause god, a creator, we are told utterly nothing about that creator by having the idea that he/she/it was somehow there, we are told nothing of it's will, desires, laws, orders, hopes, dreams, nor do we have any pointer towards any kind of religion, if any should be valid.  We are given, at best a series a mildly poor arguments by the faithful for why their must a be a god, they fail on their reliance on faith or upon selected definitions to assert by use of words a greater cause or force and mind to create the complex universe and all within, and even if this were true then what would it confirm in regards to any sect of Christianity?  What we find are assertions upon the foundational bad argument for a creator god, such as how many an apologist may make an unholy leap from infinite to god to the father god or trinity of the bible, the leap frogging between bias terms is a favourite of the faithful, because all they need is a thesaurus to find a series of related terms to take facts back to their version of god. 

Top 10 Bizarre Cult Teachings

Good Deed Spam

A man does a good deed, he is a muslim, and this deed helps many, and some would say it confirms the good nature of his religion, and indeed the truth that is natural to it.  As it transpires he is not a devout muslim, in fact does not go to mosque, but those who want to hijack good deeds to prop up a failure to provide evidence for faith love to use anything they can.



a fictional story that happens in reality in some form all too often, as the good deeds are done by people and someone wants to use it to prove their belief, as if a good deed prove anything of a belief, religious or not, as being totally true.

The first church of 'DR WHO'

Abusive Criminal Cult Leader - Godman Guru Asaram Bapu

gurus come in many form, some are good enough, not much more of an issue than any other religious leader, yet time and time again they seem to get a bit power crazed. 

Eckhart Tolle is a cult leader? or a poet with issues?

Well, not all that much of a cult leader...

Where else may you find the traits we see in cult devotion, where could we find such treats of nonsensical reasoning, one such place is a mental landscape in which an aloof guru may ply a trade in platitudes for a more than generous profit.  One such Guru is Eckhart Tolle.

The Guru find him or her self as a poetic speaker of little intellectual note, a person who can carry hearts on wings of philosophy, inspirations that offer flight to the imagination, yet as to their truth, the factors by which we judge, an absence of foundation.  By my words, I need only express a gentle breeze to may the branches sway, and so be as a guru, and to offer a reality beyond a sense of wonder is another realm altogether, since hopes and feeling are not guide posts to a reality that seems to have not been made for our comfort or pleasure. 

How else may a man stand as a voice of reason other than a man of truth?
A: by talk to those who may not know better, or can be converted by the sales pitch rather than the broader principles and knowledge.

Can an answer come from a person who has learned to say the right things?
Can truth come from the desire to be enlightened?
Can we find reason in unreason, and unreason in reason, and nothing is total, no absolutes?
Are we looking at a few ideas of truth that are quite general and those draw you in, and at the same time other things that are mostly meaningless are accepted as true, as part of the package?

The Cult, is a culture, a belief in a poetic former depressive, who got over a back patch in his life, created his own religion that gave him purpose, this faith in a neutral idea "Now", is a construct that can be used like the term "god", "infinity", or anything, to offer scope to one's hope as lenses to a telescope.  Magical words gather magical thinkers, those who wish on a star, but the stars are not able to give them liberation.  To create an idea and pass it on as truth, the great wisdom, that which offers liberation, freedom from a self-manifested sense of not being whole or happy, or directed, to be free by belief of responsibility, and the only liberation is in your mind, and if you just get real you can reach it regardless of New Age daydreams.

The followers in chains they make, and labour is not really required, just a neo-theology of simple ways that don't make my sense of pressure rise, to avoid stress by simplifying the way you perceive reality, but it is not reality that is moved, it is you alone.  The revelation to you seems great, and you seem to take on great ideas, yet the feeling does not last, the placebo passes by, and you must try again, re-read, buy a new book, practice the system to gain personal power Now, maybe go to a lecture, try to re-spark interesting and the sense of reality.  In most cases this fails, some move on to new and great gurus, from 'The Power Of Now' to a different cult of faith, 'The Secret' and power of attraction maybe?  It is easier to find peace, and many of us are busy finding those who offer promises instead, but hey, it works somewhat, and if you lose you high and quit the belief it's your fault?!

If only people knew they need not be servants to beliefs, if they just pause and consider for a few moments, slow their thoughts, and the fog clears, that is all they need do.  Maybe easier said than done?  It is worth considering philosophy, how your world can be meaningful even if seemingly less than perfection, and why not read a book like The Power Of Now, and remind yourself the worlds just offer and excuse to do what you know you need, or want, to do, it is just more than you doing more than dwelling in a rut.

In all fairness Eckhart is not a cult leader, just a man who makes easy money on simple ideas, ideas so limited a child could do it, a system that simply says think calmly and do what you really should sort out for your self-betterment.

I have found, as have many of you, that reading any good book, a novel, maybe, will help you step away from stress and person problems, and so you may as well read the hobbit or harry potter to step away from your issues, you need not find a wondrous solution, just a way to step from stress and allow yourself to get a grip on your life.  It's not as easy as a new religion of "Now", but it's worth more to you to find real self-value beyond a construct that is based on devotion to a blindly positive belief.

Excuse my ramble if you found it a bit incoherent, I just had an inspiration while working on a video project, and though I could share it, see what people reckon, and I do see Eckhart's Teachings are a new extra-soft religious teaching, like if you got a holy book and cut out all the bad stuff, it would sound good, but good does not mean it's true.



my recent videos on Eckhart Tolle, followed by my rebuke to the false copyright claim.