Wednesday, September 29, 2010

RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OF THE SHAKERS

I recently visited a National Historic Landmark in Pittsfield, Massachusetts called the Hancock Shaker Village. It brings the Shaker story to life and preserves it for future generations. The Shakers are one of the most intriguing social and religious movements in American history. The Shaker population reached its peak of 5,000 in the mid-19th century. Today, it has disappeared because they were celibate and did not procreate. Believers gave up private property and worked for the common benefit of the group. Sexual relations were prohibited and men and women lived in strictly enforced separation. They attempted to transform sexual energy into creativity, thereby facilitating a mystical awakening. They were called Shakers because of the whirling, dancing, and other ecstatic movements that would overcome them during worship. This was thought to be a spiritual and physical means of shaking off their sins. The Shakers have disappeared but their cultural contributions are still with us. They were fascinating but misguided people. Now, you know that rock and roll dancing was invented to get rid of our sins!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

OH NO! MORE PHILOSOPHY

The main business of modern philosophers is to use logical analysis to try to understand profound questions of importance to mankind. So far, the human intellect has been unable to find conclusive answers to questions such as: "Does God exist?” "Is there such a thing as human immortality?" Yes, faith in religious dogma gives an answer to some people but this truth is still hidden from science and pure human logic. We have made great progress in answering questions such as: “What is space and time?” “What is mind and what is matter?” These questions were formerly obscured by the fog of metaphysics but now are answered with precision and by objective scientific methods. The ancient philosophers would be amazed by what we now know. They were concerned with the nature of the world and the best way of living. They kept inventing “proofs” that confirmed their theories but the next historical philosopher would disprove that theory and offer “proofs” of his theory. For every philosopher, there was an equal and opposite philosopher and unfortunately, they were all wrong. Today’s philosophers are getting closer to the truth by using scientific methods. However, in my opinion, they have a long way to go. The only thing I know is, “I think therefore I am”__Renee Descartes.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

THE HISTORY OF MARRIAGE

On October 16th, Nancy and I will celebrate 44 years of marriage. On September 25th, my youngest son, Marcus, (age 32) will marry Julia. He is the last of our 5 children to enter into matrimony. Looking forward to an anniversary and a wedding ceremony got me thinking about the institution of marriage. When did it start? Why do people enter in to it? How do you define it? How has it changed since it’s beginning? It predates recorded history and has changed dramatically over the years. One of the oldest known marriage laws was recorded in Hammurabi’s Code enacted in ancient Mesopotamia. Confucius said, “Marriage is the union of two different surnames, in friendship and in love.” Christians quote Jesus, “So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” In Ancient Greece, no specific ceremony was required for the creation of a marriage—only mutual agreement was required. For most of European history, marriage was a business agreement between two families who arranged the marriages of their children. In modern times it is a legal contract recognized by the government and a religious authority. The act of marriage changes the personal and social status of the individuals who enter into it. Now days, romantic love and affection are considered essential. I say, “Show me a marriage with humor and I’ll show you a healthy marriage! I hope Marcus and Julia have as much laughter as Nancy and Harry.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Islam must turn other cheek.

This is a terrific editorial! I could not agree more. Nolan Finley is a genius! Please click and read.

Islam must turn other cheek | detnews.com | The Detroit News

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

NEW TECHNOLOGY TO ENJOY

High definition, digital radio has been around for a few years but the public is not generally aware of it. Up until recently, HD Radio tuners were expensive and did not perform very well. Now, they are inexpensive and the technology has been improved. My audiophile brother-in-law recently gave an HD tuner to me as a gift. I love it! AM radio sounds like FM stereo and FM radio sounds like a perfect stereo, compact disc recording. The sound quality is unbelievable. This is much better than satellite radio and it is free! If the primary digital signal is lost, the HD Radio receiver will revert to the analog signal, thereby providing seamless operation between the newer and older transmission methods.
No hiss, no static, no distortion and no subscription costs. This is the biggest improvement in radio broadcasting in 50 years. You should take advantage of it. My brother-in-law recommends the SONY FM/AM DIGITAL TUNER XDR-F1HD. It works great for me. Thanks Bill!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

A PHILOSOPHER IS A LOVER OF WISDOM

One of the joys of retirement is the ability to study subjects that I had no time for when I was busy earning a living and raising a family. My latest endeavor is to learn more about philosophy. I decided to start with the ancient philosophers and work my way up to the modern philosophers. Presently, I am up to Socrates, who was a Greek philosopher in Athens 500 years before Christ. Today, he is considered the father of political philosophy, ethics, and moral philosophy. He is also known for inventing the scientific method of inquiry using a hypothesis. Ironically, he was sentenced to death by poison for corrupting the minds of the youth of Athens. His last words before he died: “Crito, we owe a cock to Asclepius. Please, don’t forget to pay the debt.” Asclepius was the Greek god for curing illness, and it is thought that Socrates’ last words meant that death is the cure, and freedom of the soul from the body. He said a lot of weird things and his most famous quote is, “I only know that I know nothing”.

Much can be learned from the philosophers. Here is what I have learned, so far: Clear thinking is the most important requisite for right living. The good life is one inspired by love and guided by knowledge. Neither love without knowledge nor knowledge without love can produce a good life. A ham sandwich is better than nothing. Nothing is better than eternal happiness. A ham sandwich is better than eternal happiness! Logic can be fun.