POLITICS PAST AND PRESENT

My favorite political story is about Calvin Coolidge. Senator George H. Moses once complained to him that a man being considered for a Republican senatorial nomination was an out and out son-of-a-bitch! Coolidge agreed saying, "That may be, but there are a lot of those in the country and I think they are entitled to some representation in the senate". That is how I feel about Rick Santorum. There are a lot of religious fanatics in the country and I guess they are entitled to some representation in the senate. But I sure as heck do not want one to be President. Especially one like Santorum who has publicly stated that separation of church and state is a bad thing. He seems to be saying that he wants our government to be under the authority of the Catholic Pope. I don't think so. Even though I am not happy with our choices, I would rather have a Mormon President who is not trying to rewrite our Constitution. It will be very interesting to see what happens if Santorum wins the Michigan Primary. By the time you read this, we will know the results.

"Government is not reason. It is force, and like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.~ George Washington


"Governments are by far the most dangerous elements of a society ~
Niccolo Macchiavelli 

STORIES AND THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD

Humans are a story telling species. Throughout history we have told stories to each other and ourselves as a way to understand and explain the world. Every culture has its creation myth and the stories do not stop there. They were used to discuss every aspect of the world. We humans are chatterboxes who can't resist  telling stories about everything. However compelling and entertaining these stories may be, they fall short of being explanations because they are only stories. For every story there is a variation or a different ending without giving a reason to choose between them. If you are skeptical or try to test their veracity, you will find most such stories wanting. One approach to this has been to forbid skeptical inquiry, branding it as heresy. This idea was so compelling that it was developed by cultures around the world. It is the origin of religion--a set of stories about the world that must be accepted by faith and never questioned.


During the age of reason a new paradigm got started. Instead of forbidding inquiry, some people began to encourage continual questioning. Stories were questioned skeptically and tested with observations and experiments. If the story survives the tests, then provisionally, it can be accepted as something more than a story. It becomes a theory that has real explanatory power. It will never be more than a provisional explanation because we must never let down our skeptical guard. These provisional explanations have become very useful. We call this process of making and vetting stories (theories) the scientific method. Science has taken us a long, long way from the dark ages!

A POEM ABOUT ME

WHAT I TRY TO DO

LIVE A LITTLE BETTER
LIVE A LITTLE LONGER
THAT’S WHAT I TRY TO DO

LOVE A LITTLE BETTER
BE LOVED A LITTLE MORE
THAT’S WHAT I TRY TO DO

LEARN A LITTLE MORE
THINK A LITTLE BETTER
THAT’S WHAT I TRY TO DO

STOP MAKING BLUNDERS
STOP HURTING OTHERS
THAT’S WHAT I TRY TO DO

TELL ME HOW I’M DOING
HOW CAN I DO BETTER
THAT’S WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO!

Poem by h. t. teets

HIT THE REBOOT BUTTON !!

It is not surprising that the digital computer functions much like a human brain. After all, it was the human mind that created the computer. They both operate by turning electrical signals into binary “on and off states” and flexibly manipulate these states by using switches. We are born with a hard drive that has been wiped clean. Then we are programmed by experience and education. Problems arise if we are programmed with corrupted and false information such as, prejudices, intolerances and mythical stories. We fix computers by rebooting them. We can do the same with our brains.

Meditation has been practiced since antiquity as a way of rebooting the brain (shutting it down and then restarting it) in order to recover from a malfunction (sometimes referred to as a brain fart). Various methods of meditation have been linked to changes in brain activation. Even in prehistoric times humans used repetitive, rhythmic chants to clear their minds. References to meditation are found in the Bible, dating around 1400 BCE, and in the Hindu Vedas from around the 15^th century BCE. Around the 6^th century BCE, other forms of meditation developed in China and India. So, I recommend that you reboot your brain and get rid of those ugly subconscious thoughts which were programmed into your mind without your permission!

ETHICS OF RECIPROCITY

Christians call it the Golden Rule and attribute it to Jesus but it was written in the Torah one thousand years before he was born. And it was a part of pagan religions long before that. Almost all religions have such an ethic as well as the ancient philosophers. It is the basis of human morality. I think it was intended to apply to the entire human race but unfortunately, some religious people apply it only to fellow believers. It is my opinion that one can be religious and immoral and atheists can be moral. Religion or the lack of it does not necessarily create morality. So far, religion’s dogmas have divided the world and stimulate immoral actions instead of uniting us for common good.

We need to work on finding the catalysts that will drive the world’s faiths to rediscover and practice the Golden Rule, “Do on to others what you would have them do unto you”. And “Don’t do to others what you don’t want them to do to you.” This is the real foundation of morality. If all people were compassionate enough to live by this rule, the world would be a more peaceful place. In my blog last week I discussed the importance of International education. I believe it could be a huge catalyst for living by the Golden Rule. We are all one. When one is harmed, all are harmed. When one is helped, all are helped. OM & Amen.

A BETTER WORLD THROUGH EDUCATION

Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a worldwide program of international education to promote intercultural understanding and respect? Such a program could encourage students across the world to become compassionate learners who understand that other people with their differences can also be right. The program would develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young  people who would help to create a better and more peaceful world. Some higher level courses could be added and blended into the standard high school curriculum. Several foreign languages would be required as well as a Theory of Knowledge Course designed to encourage students to reflect on the nature of knowledge by critically examining different ways of knowing (perception, emotion, language and reason) and different kinds of knowledge (scientific, artistic, mathematical and historical). Sounds great doesn't it?


Well it IS great and it already exists!! The name of the program is International Baccalaureate. I recently learned about it because my granddaughter is a participant at Adrian High School. The program, headquartered in Switzerland, was started 40 years ago for internationally mobile students preparing for university. It has grown into a major force for good in the world. It enriches the lives of students in 140 countries and over 3000 schools. It promotes critical thinking skills and international-mindedness necessary for life in our globalized world. I commend Adrian High School for being a part of the IB World School and I am proud of Clara for participating. More info is available at http://www.ibo.org/