Faqir's Secret (film)

What a wise man who tells followers seeking his counsel look no further than inside yourself. I would have loved to have met this great man. It sounds so simplistic but yet is so profound. On "U2"'s Joshua Tree album, one of my favorite songs is "I still haven't found what I am looking for."
My generation (including me) is obsessed with the search for "meaning." Guru's, shrinks, religious leaders and mothers are quick to give advice and even quicker to make you feel guilty for not following the advice. It's time to take control of our lives, give ourselves meaning and create our own destiny!!!!!! I felt so impowered after watching that film - thank you!

da free john

The only article during this week’s reading was an article you (Dr. Lane) wrote. The only reference to “Da Free John” was his fictitious involvement in a discussion involving other philosophers. I could be way out there but the only thing (from that reading) that comes to mind is that the “message” or information being disseminated should stand on its own merit. Who or where the information is coming from should not dilute nor add credence to the message.

Bertrand Russell's reasons for not being a Christian

If God made me than who make God? Christianity “is not logical.”

The arguments for a God have changed over time.

Nature (i.e. animals, etc.) were not “designed” by God because they have and continue to evolve.

The reason most people believe in God is because they were taught to from infancy.

If there were a God why would there be injustice in the world.

Fear “is the foundation of religion.”

Mr. Russell is correct or at least makes sense on half of his arguments; however, his deductions on three are flawed:

Reason # 4 is very weak. For example, I was raised a right-winged Republican (my parents had a picture of President Nixon in their den well after he was impeached) and a hell fire and brimstone evangelical. Today, I am neither.

Reason # 5 makes no sense. Just as man has the capacity to do good, he has the free will to do really bad things. Even Adam and Eve had a choice. Besides, if you are a Christian, justice is reserved for the afterlife.

Reason # 2. Of course “the arguments for a God have changed overtime” just like our knowledge of the earth (when it was flat) has changed. We as a society are constantly evaluating and reevaluating our beliefs. Science and technology have grown (and changed) exponential in the last 50 years (thank God {no pun intended})

Freeman Dyson

Mr. Dyson, a mathematician and Quantum Physicist, has a very unique view on the compatibility of science and religion. He used a powerful metaphor describing two windows on a wall side by side (Religion and Science). You can't look out of them at the same time. He firmly believes that there is a God and views him (or her) as a kind of "master mind" that created the universe.
I really liked his view that religion is "a way of life, not an 'ism'" (Buddhism, Catholicism). Our purpose he believes is to live a good and kind life. It's our actions, he says, not our beliefs that connect us with this universal mind of God. I really liked the fact that he identifies as an agnostic. Because, as he put it "you just never really know." Bravo!

Shaving off the false

In Dr. Lane's "Believer-Skeptic" he attempts to give the reader the right tools to find the truth - whatever the truth maybe. He believes the greatest tool or quality we can have is our ability to doubt. Which, of course, goes against every fiber in our being. When I would ask a spiritual question growing up the response was "Don't doubt - believe, have faith." Or don't be a "Doubting Thomas. He was humiliated in front of Christ." Doubt was akin to a character flaw.
I was surprised to find out that Faqir Chand was a believer in Edgar Cayce. I have read all of Cayce's books and found his altered states fascinating. But I never really knew what to make of it. I just thought that we humans are so desperate to believe in spirituality and life after death it's easy to believe in what we can't explain away.

11

The short film, "Eleven," was well done, thought-provoking, and tragic. Like every American, I too was pissed off after 911. But unlike Samia, I did not take my anger and kill. How ironic that his hatred was so blinding that the victim of his hatred was not even a Muslim. When Samia decided to "fight terrorists" and start at the local mosque, he failed to realize that he himself had become a terrorist.
The narrator and journalist of the piece was searching for the truth regarding the first incident/hate crime. The common theme that runs throughout the film is, as Mahatma Gandhi once said, "an eye for an eye just makes two people blind." Anger and hatred harms the barer of these destructive emotions. "Eleven" is a cautionary tale of how man can destroy mankind.

Faqir Chand's secret about religious experiences

"Religious visions are not due to outside or disconnected forces
(although exterior stimuli can act as a catalyst for it), but to the
internal process of concentration. A force that for approximately
sixteen hours a day enables one to see the everyday, common sense,
lawful world, and for another several hours at night can allow one to
fly to the moon, converse with unknown people, and create incredible
panoramas. Consequently, the appearance and duration of such visions is
intimately related to consciousness and focality."
Out perception of what is creates our reality. Can it be that easy
that EVERYTHING is just a matter of perception? Maybe so.....Faqir's
argument is very compelling (and very believable)

Ken Miller on "Intelligent Design"

Ken Miller's seminar on "Intelligent Design" was right on the money. "Intelligent Design" is neither. As a prominent scientist and researcher, he breaks down the aspects of this new theory being pushed by Christian evangelicals. The problem is this new paradigm is not based on any kind of scientific fact. It is purely a religious argument made to appear as an alternate theory of evolution. While evolution is not perfect is dose explain our reality accurately.
Our forefathers were adamant about a separation of church and state. "Intelligent Design" violates that edict. If you want to learn about God and religion you should go to a Church, synagogue or another house of worship - not a public school. No matter how much lipstick you put on a pig it is still a pig. "Intelligent Design" is a religious theory - period.

Darwin & John Maynard Smith

Like Smith, Darwinism was contrary to my religious upbringing (the term "Blasphemy" was used quite a lot). Also like Smith, after studying evolution and Darwin, I was so relieved to find out that I was not going to hell. I loved how Smith answered the question as to weather or not he was a Christian, Agnostic, or Atheist. He said "I am an Atheist but I don't want to be sure about anything so I will identify myself as an agnostic."
"Natural Selection" or "Survival of the Fittest" makes so much sense to me. There are no spiritual explanations for nature and animals. Spiritual texts just say "have faith" or "God made everything in 7 days." Every time I go on a hike and look closely at the fauna, birds and surroundings any and all questions I have can be answered scientifically.
Interestingly enough, Smith believes that the "electronic organisms" we have created (computers) will most likely evolve and gain intelligence as animals have done. He kiddingly said we should be "nice" to our computers. He's right.

Beyond Belief

The conference on "Science vs. Religion" could have been a seminar entitled "Science is flawed. Religion is solid. The first speaker went to great lengths to quote important historical figures to prove his point. "Science deals with facts but Religion deals with values." Ergo, if you don't have blind faith in faith, you don't have values? The speakers documented time and time that science has been "wrong" in the past. After all, didn't scientists at one time believe the earth was flat?
No one, however, pointed out that science, like knowledge, evolves as we learn new information and have better technology to support any findings. Prior to 1804, there was no proof or knowledge that a waterway existed connecting the new America to the Pacific Ocean. But we learned that after Lewis and Clark discovered one (via the Missouri river) and mapped the route, there was in fact a way.

Religion is a virus that spreads and permeates thought our brains and can affect every aspect of our lives – for good or for bad. Dawkins analogy of a computer virus was outstanding. I was taught from birth that “sin is bad and separates you from God and family.” I, however, loved to sin. I did everything my pastor father (and God presumably) said I should not do (i.e., drink, smoke, swear and fornicate). So of course I was miserable and thought God hated me. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I have studied world religions and hung out with Jews, Hindus, Catholics, Buddhists and Muslims. There is a common theme that runs through almost all religions – ‘If you have questions, you lack faith’ – bad. Without faith, no matter what the religion, you are bound for hell. I have come to believe in a kind and loving God/Goddess who welcomes all who seek.

Cargo Cult

One example of a “cargo cult” is the belief in Unidentified Flying Objects. I do believe people have seen U.F.O.’s but as to what they are exactly is still a mystery. There have been many theories over the years of U.F.O.’s. Scientific researchers have shown that many of these U.F.O.’s are nothing more than weather balloons, hoax - sters, foreign aircraft (not from the U.S.) and/or secret military aircraft.

Researchers who have identified themselves as “U.F.O.” experts cannot look at unexplained flying objects with any kind of clarity. They have too much vested interest in the outcome (financially or otherwise). How can they be really honest with themselves or others if there findings contradict what they believe to be true. True scientific researchers must have "blinders" on with the goal of finding the truth – whatever the truth may be.

Richard Feynman, Ph.d.

The thirst for knowledge and inquiry are, I believe, in our DNA. Feynman’s constant questioning of his environment and things that interested him led to research, development and finally, discovery. When I go out at night at look at the stars I can say “How beautiful those lights in the sky are” and leave it at that. Or I can go further and use a telescope to get a closer view.

This process of learning can go on and on ad infinitum and lead me to the study of astronomy. The more I learn of those “beautiful lights in the sky” the more I am in awe of how our solar system works. After looking at pictures that the “Hubble” telescope was able to give us, I have a whole new respect for the field of astromny and am astonished at what “those beautiful lights in the sky” really comprise.

“Karma” was disturbing on so many levels. If that was the point than it succeeded. I believe Karma if a real and natural cosmic force akin to gravity. What goes around comes around. The video depicted scenes of robbery, assault, and murder. These actions did not appear to me to come back to haunt the perpetrators. There was nothing “karmic” about it. It is hard to critique a video like that after taking 911 calls for 22 years and having to deal with the victims of these acts of violence. I could not understand one word of the music (I am probably grateful I didn’t hear any of the words).