james m nordlund Fargo, ND @ 11:23PM PT Oct 06
Pledge fulfilled May 26!

Ni hao and thanx All, for all you do and don't.  What we can discern, if we choose to, is that almost all practitioners of any religion, science, worldview, spirituality, art, etc., are really worshippers of the oldest religion, greed, mammon, a false God, and they think they're disciples of what they study; for, their studies are fronts behind which they practice, if not worship, greed, etc..  Athiests are only supposed atheists who worship greed, in reality, unbeknownst to them, etc..  We see this so abundantly in those who call themselves Christians, who believe the lies that the Roman Catholic Empire have purported to be the teachings of Jesus; which are, rather, an edited version, at best, to meet the needs of the first Pope's, before that he was Emperor, Constantine's, false-egoistic desires, greed, hegemony, empire building, etc..  That's, clearly, why we see such a supposed duality evident in the practices and lives of supposed Christians, Jesus really taught that something like a lack of $ was the gate by which all who truly wanted to study had to pass, in order to; yet, uber-greed is practiced, or, at least, revered by most of them- and millions of kids that die yearly from readily preventable diseases, the first of humanity in the eyes of God, are ignored by those things that call themselves Christians.

Who is most responsible for this, supposed religious, supposed political, etc., leaders, who, not only allow that bastardization of their disciplines, they revel in them; although, we are all responsible, to whatever degree.  Yes, "Humans have erred", and to err is human, yet, not to err is human, also. That, while being a great understatement, is a very disarming way to introduce a critical essay; for, no one could even disagree- bravo. This while the truth is that humanity, if it continues on the road it has dictated for itself, will be extinct in 5 to 10 years; and, at this point, the probability that the whole of humanity will stop dead in its tracks, change everything, and transcend the limitations of their individual beings, turn 360 degrees around, back to the future and the evolution, is about 1 billion to one- in a nutshell, humanity has to win the lottery, although, since they’re not even in it, as of now, they, certainly, can’t win it.

Let’s just skip forward a bit, shall we, you say, “They are not able to see "goodness" in "GOOD" and "badness" in "BAD". Rather they always try to find "bad" in "good" and "good" in "bad".”, shouldn’t we be careful when someone talks of a “they” separate from themselves? Who can’t “see "goodness" in "GOOD" and "badness" in "BAD"“, I’ve never heard of anything so preposterous. You go on with, “Rather they always try to find "bad" in "good" and "good" in "bad".”. First, “always” is an absolute, and there are no absolutes; they are delusion- no one “always” does anything. Second, doesn’t this “they” you speak of seem a little paranoid to you; I think it would to your average reader. Third, is it that “they” try and find “"bad" in "good" and "good" in "bad".”, or, is it more likely that there is, at least, a small amount of each in the other, in us, fallible human beings?

As well, the Taoists suggest that good and bad actions change, or can, in any moment, that’s why the study of the Tao must be ceaseless. Also, good and bad are subjective projections, based on one’s subjective perceptions; there, actually, is no such thing as good and bad, they being delusions- in reality. I’ve always said, one’s capacity for good is only equaled by one’s capacity for bad; and each of our potentials are illimitable- as our lives are indivisible, if we truly be.

We even find this in clichés, “one man’s meat is another man’s poison”, specifically, a vegan’s. In politics, one nation’s “terrorist”, is another nations “freedom fighter”, etc.. This while there is a deeper realm of perception available to us all, yes, there is no such thing as good and bad, in reality, yet, there is also not no such thing as good and bad; for, a delusion doesn‘t exist, nor, does its antithesis. So, how do we proceed, I suggest we start at the beginning, again, de-school society, so it can relearn being; how to walk in nature's balance, et al.

A child learns, not that fire is bad, they learn that fire can be both, either, or neither. This is the evolution, life, experience, real knowledge, not just human, religious, etc., knowledge. A hawk knows there are no boundaries, it flies hawk free, can’t we learn from the hawk, are not all living beings capable of teaching, as they have learnt; are not all threads in the fabric of life needed- isn’t it so that, “we,…”, can’t allow it to be torn asunder?

Yes, science, as it’s practiced and studied, is only supposed science, not a great deal more than marketeering, and supposed religions, the same, and that is the root of all the earth‘s life‘s problems. Though, as well, we can study real religion, real spirituality, real science, real philosophy, real psychology, real politics, real worldviews, real art, in a word, reality.

Yes, delusional constructs like supposed ‘separation’, there being supposed ‘sides’, supposed ‘materialism’, ‘might makes right‘, when it always makes wrong, have been an integral part of the sociological programming of us all, and, therefore, in varying degrees, at varying times, directly part of all those problems, yet, we can discern truth, realism, more and continue to learn, grow, transcend; if we choose- it‘s not too late, yet. That’s enough, for now. Spiritual sophistry can be “dealt” by anyone, anytime, I suggest that they’d be dealing from the bottom of the deck; and humanity doesn't, nor, the world's needy children, have the time for games.

Matutinally Yours,

james m nordlund   reality (aja) :)

Music is life's song accompanying the abundance of joy's Spring. For those interested :) "of or pertaining to the morning, day: relating to or happening in the morning or in the early part of the day (formal), (Mid-16th century, from late Latin matutinalis, from Matuta, goddess of the dawn.)". I look forward to hearing from you. Copy, share, as you will. Ciao, for now.

Suzanna van der Voort Maastricht, Netherlands @ 03:39AM PT Jul 03

I totally agree.

All religious leaders should be more active in their believes in a better world. They should condemn ALL abuse where children and animals are involved loud and clear, instead of burning candles and praying on their knees!

It does not matter if you believe in Ali Baba or the god of the son...when a leader of any church is telling about their "good and loving god", they also should DO something in public to ban out every crime and violence towards any species!

They should fight a war of respect, love and compassion...

Susan McCrary Columbus, OH @ 08:56AM PT Jun 28

For several years now, what I have hearing is that being moral is about a list of prescriptions about what people should not be or do.  It tends to be coupled with someone asserting of taking of a personal moral high ground and condemning someone else.  Meanwhile exploitation of others in the context of business is not a moral issue. 

What about when your business conduct exploits the weak such as in the financial crisis of this nation.  Then the conduct of our businesses is not our business or the governments business. 

While exploitive and greed pervade the business climate of the nation, where have our religious leaders been.  Looking in the bedroom windows of individual?  What a distraction from the damage being done to millions.

Let's change the focus of our moral dialogue to how we actually treat each other on the larger scale.  It is not as safe, there can be economic consequences for those who speak up.  But doing the right thing is not always easy or convenient.  Isn't it what we should expect of our religious leaders.

Vladimir Diaz-Arbelaez Miami, FL @ 10:25PM PT Jun 22

In Colombia (South America) 8.500 children work in mining activities for gold, emeralds, coal, and others, highly exposed to toxic substances and in hazardous conditions. Some have to work 16 hours per day. Their human rights to education, health and recreation are utterly violated.

Vladimir Diaz-Arbelaez Miami, FL @ 09:57PM PT Jun 22

According to the International Work Organization there are about 200 millions children dedicated to work worldwide. Many boys and girls are cruelly exploited in agricultural, mining, trading, sexual, and domestic activities.

Only in Colombia (South America) there are more than 1.629.000 children, between 5 and 17 years old, with no option for their lives other than hard labors.

It's an abominable sin against humanity and God himself.

Stephen Wider Asbury Park, NJ @ 10:22AM PT May 29

I'd suggest that the Founder of this Organization consider contacting Jim Keady at Educationing for Justice ( http://www.educatingforjustice.org/ ), a Non-Proift which fights against Nike and other Sweat Shops, as well as against Child Labor!

That's about all I can offer aside from moral support, since I ama low income person, myself!

Steve

murray franklin guntur, India @ 06:28PM PT May 23

Hail to CHHASE,
You have been posting real possibilities to eradicate child labor if religious leaders will give a thought of the evils of child labor.