Almost all people here on earth define themselves in ethnic, religious or political terms. Moreover, many of those who have no
interest in ethnicity, religion or politics, nonetheless live
according to a belief system, a belief system that they are not aware
of. For example, they can be convinced that they have to climb the
career ladder and become something great in the eyes of others, or
they may be convinced of that life is utterly pointless. Not
many people have begun to wake up yet. Almost all the people are in some kind of mesmerized state of mind.
To consciously opt out to be a follower of any religion or
political ideology is extremely offensive to some people. In many
Muslim countries this is a serious crime. You can be sentenced to
death. It is better to keep this position for
yourself, also here in the western world
*
It can be enormously painful to leave a religious cult. Many
former cult members can bear witness to how painful it is to lose all
friends.
Sometimes they also lose their family. The emptiness and loneliness
can be overwhelming. It can also be very painful to abandon a
political or a philosophical ideology. It can be painful to abandon a destructive lifestyle. Even abandoning common
everyday assumptions what life is all about can be painful. It is painful to wake up.
Why abandon a belief, an idea, a habit or an assumption if it is
so painful? Isn't it better to follow the line of least resistance?
Isn't it better to stay in your sect, church, or political party? Why
complicate life so much? Why not just keep your beliefs, your drinking buddies and your family? Why not just stay in the warmth of your community?
Because, if you've come this far, there are no options.
You simply can't stand to hear more drivel. You simply
have to get out and get some fresh air.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Friday, February 6, 2015
Unreal
Materialism and spirituality are just words, mental
concepts.
Reality itself is not material or spiritual.
It is impossible to talk about the true nature of
reality without using words.
We will never know what reality is like, really.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Dark thoughts
It's not just politicians and oil company executives who are
reluctant to limit the carbon dioxide emissions. People all over the
world want cheap gasoline. We also want pleasant room temperatures and cheap airline tickets. We don't want to reduce our emissions of
greenhouse gases
We also want cheap food and cheap clothes. That the production of cheap food requires toxic chemicals and terrible factory farms, and that cheap clothes require extremely low wages for the textile workers, is not something we care too much about. It's only a very small percentage of the world’s population who are trying to reduce their environmental impact and who are trying to avoid exploiting other people. Therefore I don't think there is a future for humanity.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Words
There are so many different kinds of Islam that the word Muslim
can mean almost anything. There are also many different kinds of
Christianity. There are no Christian ethics and morals. There are many different kinds of “Christian ethics
and morals”. American right-wing Christianity and Liberation
theology have nothing in common. Saudi Arabian Wahhabism and Sufism
are totally different ways of interpreting Islam. It's meaningless to
speak of Christianity and Islam. These words don’t mean anything.
Being human, however, is to be human. To be a human being means
something.
Designations, religious as well as political, can cause terrible wars and conflicts. These designations are not just covers to hide underlying motives. Sunni or Shia, Hutu or Tutsi, Catholic or Protestant, Serb or Croat, nationalist or liberal... A religious or political designation is not just a pretext to pick a fight. The designations are the causes of conflicts. We don't attack those who we believe are on our side, who describe themselves in the same way as we do. For those who live in Iraq the designations Sunni and Shia are extremely important, although all Iraqis really belong to the same group, humanity.
What distinguishes a Sunni Muslim from a Shia Muslim? What distinguishes a Jew from a Palestinian? Some believe in Santa Claus and others believe in the Easter Bunny? How can different beliefs be so enormously important?
Why is it so important with fictitious identities? Why is it so difficult to abandon a fictional character? Are you like an actor who doesn't change clothes when you go home after work? Are you sitting there on the commuter train as Hamlet or Ophelia? Why is it so hard for you to simply be human? Why is it so incredibly important for you to dress up and pretend to be someone else?
Is it possible for a human being, do you think, to not classify himself or herself, as something other than a human being? Is it possible to drop all religious or political identities? Is it possible to opt out? Why is it so difficult? I mean, you don't need to belong to any particular group in order to do the laundry or the dishes. Most of the day you totally forget about how you are labeling yourself. What makes it so difficult to extend this natural mindset to all of your day.
It's difficult to leave a destructive cult. I can understand that. You will lose all your friends. But it is possible. If you happen to be a Muslim it is even more difficult. A Muslim who wants to leave Islam is committing a serious crime and can be sentenced to death. The only option for him or her is to pretend to be a good Muslim, to go through the motions, to play a game, and try the best he or she can, to stay sane.
Designations, religious as well as political, can cause terrible wars and conflicts. These designations are not just covers to hide underlying motives. Sunni or Shia, Hutu or Tutsi, Catholic or Protestant, Serb or Croat, nationalist or liberal... A religious or political designation is not just a pretext to pick a fight. The designations are the causes of conflicts. We don't attack those who we believe are on our side, who describe themselves in the same way as we do. For those who live in Iraq the designations Sunni and Shia are extremely important, although all Iraqis really belong to the same group, humanity.
What distinguishes a Sunni Muslim from a Shia Muslim? What distinguishes a Jew from a Palestinian? Some believe in Santa Claus and others believe in the Easter Bunny? How can different beliefs be so enormously important?
Why is it so important with fictitious identities? Why is it so difficult to abandon a fictional character? Are you like an actor who doesn't change clothes when you go home after work? Are you sitting there on the commuter train as Hamlet or Ophelia? Why is it so hard for you to simply be human? Why is it so incredibly important for you to dress up and pretend to be someone else?
Is it possible for a human being, do you think, to not classify himself or herself, as something other than a human being? Is it possible to drop all religious or political identities? Is it possible to opt out? Why is it so difficult? I mean, you don't need to belong to any particular group in order to do the laundry or the dishes. Most of the day you totally forget about how you are labeling yourself. What makes it so difficult to extend this natural mindset to all of your day.
It's difficult to leave a destructive cult. I can understand that. You will lose all your friends. But it is possible. If you happen to be a Muslim it is even more difficult. A Muslim who wants to leave Islam is committing a serious crime and can be sentenced to death. The only option for him or her is to pretend to be a good Muslim, to go through the motions, to play a game, and try the best he or she can, to stay sane.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Islam
Fanatic Muslims create enormous problems in the world today, and it's not a matter of just a few mad terrorists. In Saudi Arabia and
Iran they are in power, and in Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Libya,
Nigeria, Mali and Pakistan, they are fighting to gain power.
I have met many Muslims, throughout the years, which I have had the deepest respect for. I have also met many good people who believed in astrology. Beliefs are not that important to me. Religions and superstitions are harmless, I think, as long as no one takes them too seriously. The problems come with convictions. The stronger the conviction is, the more problems it will create. Blind faith and convictions are serious problems. I say no to both religious and political convictions. I say no to Islamic fundamentalism, Christian evangelical fundamentalism, neoconservatism and right wing extremism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV710c1dgpU#t=296
I have met many Muslims, throughout the years, which I have had the deepest respect for. I have also met many good people who believed in astrology. Beliefs are not that important to me. Religions and superstitions are harmless, I think, as long as no one takes them too seriously. The problems come with convictions. The stronger the conviction is, the more problems it will create. Blind faith and convictions are serious problems. I say no to both religious and political convictions. I say no to Islamic fundamentalism, Christian evangelical fundamentalism, neoconservatism and right wing extremism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV710c1dgpU#t=296
Friday, January 2, 2015
Metaphorical interpretations
When the Quran calls for war, it is often an internal war the text is
referring to,
an inner Jihad against temptations and selfishness.
When Krishna urges Arjuna, in the Bhagavad Gita, to do his duty and go to war,
it should be interpreted metaphorically.
Jewish rabbis have always been forced to find metaphorical interpretations
to the extremely violent and dreadful exhortations from their brutal God.
Why was it so hard for the authors of the ancient religious scriptures to call a spade a spade?
And why do the scribes of today spend so much of their precious time to find decent interpretations of the ancient texts? What do they find there that appeals to them? Why don’t they just write new books where they would be able to spell out clearly what they consider is right or wrong?
an inner Jihad against temptations and selfishness.
When Krishna urges Arjuna, in the Bhagavad Gita, to do his duty and go to war,
it should be interpreted metaphorically.
Jewish rabbis have always been forced to find metaphorical interpretations
to the extremely violent and dreadful exhortations from their brutal God.
Why was it so hard for the authors of the ancient religious scriptures to call a spade a spade?
And why do the scribes of today spend so much of their precious time to find decent interpretations of the ancient texts? What do they find there that appeals to them? Why don’t they just write new books where they would be able to spell out clearly what they consider is right or wrong?
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