Questions for THEIST Friends ...

To all the nice, intelligent folks out there, dear and valued Friends such as the Christian Left type of groups, and wonderful persons, some of whom I truly love, to all who happen to profess a belief in some higher power or deity or savior or prophet or afterlife:  please note the "YOU" and "WE" used below are not personal, but General ... as in a spirited discussion of the merits of females and males ... an individual is essentially One or the Other with well-established and discernible differences with the acknowledgment of individual variations, and no single person bears responsibilty for another's variations.  But such a discussion typically engenders strong and passionate views, so this is YOUR Warning to read no further if you feel you may be offended in a discussion of an issue as intense and personal in nature as Theism.  Your decision is respected; but the honor is Mine, even if only in the aspect of your tolerance, should the offering below receive your examination.  The thick of skin and/or great of heart may proceed.

You may know of the cartoon going around Facebook with the unwritten caption implying something like, "a woman voting Republican is like punching herself in the face."  You may also wonder why otherwise intelligent women (other than 5%ers who will vote to protect their wealth)  do indeed vote GOPer.  Perhaps you cannot understand why they would vote for the political party which consistently seeks to restrict the full personhood of women and LGBTs and deny them the experience of all the rights, privileges, and self-realization that full personhood implies?  Why do these people choose something so clearly contrary to their own best interests?

Those of us who have found no reason to devote any of our existence to deity-belief, etc. .. well, we kinda wonder the same thing about you theists ..... why would intelligent and otherwise decent human beings have a need to choose an unsubstantiated Belief over a direct experience of Reality?

We do not understand why you have not transcended Theism like other pleasant imaginings such as the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, and the Tooth Fairy which at least do not have an undeniable history of violence, physical and intellectual, against those who do not believe in them.  And why do you choose to adhere to a belief tradition which has always been on the wrong side of the progress of science?  Why do you make excuses, perform apologetic contortions for a cosmic metaphor which is so obviously flawed, its divinely inspired books so ambiguous with vastly varying interpretations, and has so blatantly failed to manifest its professed ideals?  How do you find value in a belief whose adherents since the Hebrews slaughtered the inhabitants of Canaan has allowed, encouraged, and often commanded its adherents to do unspeakable violence to non-adherents?   How do you dismiss centuries of facts in order to feel good about a deity/savior/prophet in whose names so many atrocities have been committed?  Have some of You also postulated a convenient Evil One to explain the failures of your deity?  Or Is it your fear of death is so profoundly disturbing you must take comfort in an imaginary deity which promises an afterlife?

We just do not get it ..... but do not worry, We will not go all Theist religious-history on You, round you up, burn some of you at the stake, seize your lands, or blow up your country, because, you see, We really do have a form of "faith" ... a reasoned faith based upon Our experiences that intelligent people have come across information or liberating epiphanies which enabled them to take the training wheels off their cosmic-viewing bicycles.  We do not understand why you are afraid to ride your life's bicycle all by yourself without some imaginary hand steadying your balance.

Now before some of you may go tut-tut, feeling that my phrasing is too snarky or condescending, I ask how could You say that of My viewpoint? ....... BECAUSE .... 

It is the Theists who assert the existence of some deity which WE, otherwise intelligent and decent human beings, CANNOT perceive.  How much more condescending can one be than to assert an ULTIMATE COSMIC REALITY which We are unable to experience due to what necessarily must be some ignorance, insensitivity, lack of faith, or other deficiency which renders US incapable of seeing what YOU can see?    And the beliefs of many, many monotheists  consign US to a horrible eternal suffering for our inability to see what You see.

So ? YOU are able to see this idealized Cosmic Reality which WE cannot?  Oh, REALLY ???

Cannot YOU see how to US, that is actually what is truly a condescending position which has no evidence or facts to back it up..

But PLEASE Understand ....WE do not seek to only take some pleasant, comforting belief away from You .... We are just asking you to remove the veil you have chosen to wear which obscures your view of a greater reality.  We wish for YOU to realize that You, unlike a caterpillar, have complete control of When you can change into something which can escape the limitations of crawling on branches to Flying around in a world more wonderful and filled with nectars you never imagined when you were clinging to a branch.   Your Wings are ready, whenever you realize you have them.  FLY !!!  Fly, let go of the branch, Fly in the warmth of unveiled Light and taste the nectars of a grander universe.

As the description of this little blog says "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, does NOT go away ... gods go away, gravity does not."   Don't be afraid to try knowing instead of believing .... clean your windows of perception, and I assure you, the universe You will see is a more marvelous and precious experience without the limitations of imaginary friends  .... go ahead ... You Can do it ... pedal your cosmic-viewing bicycle all by yourself ... it is a much, much better ride .... you can do it ... there is no need to be afraid ... perhaps you might take comfort in the awareness that "In their Ultimate Essence, all things are ONE, and that Oneness is the Supreme Reality."

Oh, and when your body, an amazing though Most Temporary coalescence of stardust, ceases to function, the "you," the-once-in-the-history-of-the-universe self-aware-energy generated by that stardust, simply returns to what it was before "you" were born ...."you" are again part of the undifferentiated and therefore pure essence of the Cosmos,... "you" are no longer separated by your body and petty ego-centered consciousness from the Ground Being of Reality ... "you" again resonate with the cosmic chord of the music of the celestial spheres..... "you" are once again ONE with all that ever was or will be ... "   That is not so scary, is it?  And WE would ask YOU  "what more could you want?"

Realizing language is inherently incapable of expressing the Transcendent as experienced by humans, I would attempt to describe what We offer You in place of a limiting theism as a "Spiritual" Realism ..... a perspective which may allow one to experience an awe of blissful self-awareness of being an integerated part of the Cosmos .... being what you really are in what really exists.

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SOLUTION to a GREAT AMERICAN CONTROVERSY

Among those knowledgeable on the subject, few things arouse more passionate and reasoned arguments than the Designated Hitter rule in Baseball.  The pro and con camps are well-defined, and no quarter is asked nor given.  That the DH eliminates much of a Manager's strategic decision-making is unquestioned. The American League has decided  the sport needs more offense to entertain the fans; for many, watching a pitcher hit is as exciting as watching paint dry, hence the DH in the AL and in the AL parks during the World Series.  The current World Series situation, to me, seems to give a distinct advantage to the National League which is used to playing without the DH but gets an additional regular hitter in the AL parks.

Historically, the DH position has been filled by power-hitters, either aging and past their prime as an everyday player OR a hitter who is a definite liability in the field.  My solution will change this situation and place value on players with complete baseball skills, especially those capable of fielding more than one position, and actually create MORE managerial options in game strategy and pitching staff management.

Under my Solution, any person with enough baseball knowledge to be able to "watch" a game from the Managers' perspectives will easily think of many, many possible new game situation managerial options, decisions, and strategies.


****  Expand the roster by three players, which my Solution will likely dictate to be complete players. The players union should love this, and the teams will likely not be paying them the huge money big-boppers usually command.

****  The DH must always bat in the traditional pitcher's slot ... ninth.

****  Here is the big one ....... If the Manager makes a pitching change, he also must change the DH on the lineup card at the time of the pitching change, even if the starting DH has not yet had an at-bat.  This only applies to the first pitching change in an inning.  If there are multiple pitching changes in any inning, there is only the one DH change in that inning. The new DH must be a player from the bench (or a roster catcher from the bullpen; pitchers are not eligible to DH with one exception to be explained below).  A new DH must stay in the game for at least one at-bat, regardless of any other pitching changes by his team made before his time to bat comes up UNLESS the other team makes a pitching change in which case the manager may pinch hit for the DH or replace him with a new DH.  (This provision is a disincentive to the manager to insert as DH an injured player, or a player he intends to give the day off, when the DH turn at bat is several hitters away and then make a DH change before the next DH at-bat.)

****  At the time of the pitcher/DH change, the Manager can make a switch by having the current DH take a position in the field  (this places value on players who can also play multiple positions in the field).  If the DH at the time of an inning's first pitching change is not placed in the field, he is done for the game as is any position player the DH might replace unless the manager makes a double-switch involving the player whose position the DH takes.

****  Players who are currently playing a position in the field are not eligible to switch to DH.

****  After a third DH change has been made because of a pitching change by his team, that DH may remain in the game regardless of the number of subsequent pitching changes by his team (this provision prevents compulsory exhaustion of the bench by pitching changes.)  If the fourth DH must leave the game because of injury or a pinch hitter, he may be replaced by a bench or bullpen regular player for the remainder of the game, or if regular position players have been exhausted, this is the only time a pitcher from the bullpen may DH.

My Solution gives more opportunities for truly versatile baseball players and creates many more decisions for Managers. The baseball world is welcome to apply my Solution to a Great American Controversy, and if they do, I only ask that it be known as the Swain Solution.   LOL. 

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a JULY 4th Note to Ammosexuals, Gunworshippers, Bible Abusing, Teabagging Rightwingnuts

 .......July 4, Independence Day, our nation's "birthday," (acutally the United States of America was not created until the ratification of the Constitution and inaugaration of Geo Washington as its first president some 13 years later to replace the Articles of Confederation which had proven completely unworkable with its emphasis on states' rights), nevertheless it is the date we observe as the of the signing of the Declaration of Independence which was an INTELLECTUAL achievement of political theory and human rights, NOT one brought about by the direct force of arms. And in the armed conflict which followed, the Colonies could never have been successful against the professional armies and mercenaries of Great Britain without the significant help of the FRENCH, who provided arms, uniforms, military advisors, and naval and troop support .... it was the support of the FRENCH of the regular Continental Army and NOT the mythologized Minute Men which was the difference in the Revolutionary War.

In the most significant battle in the South, COWPENS, the citizen militiamen under command of Gen. Morgan of the regular Continental forces were so distrusted for their lack of courage under direct fire from the British and their highly disciplined advance in attack (as were most militia units fighting with Continental Army regulars) that Gen. Morgan positioned the militia in front of the regular Continentals who were intentionally backed up against a river so the militia could NOT break ranks and retreat from the field of battle. It is a complete myth that privately armed citizens in any way lead the Continental forces to victory. The Colonies achieved their independence from Great Britain NOT because of the Minute Men and militias but because the regular Continental Army had significant support from the French. Without the French navy trapping Cornwallis at Yorktown, preventing the British navy from evacuating the British troops, and FRENCH troops under Comte deRochambeau supporting Washington's Continentals, the Colonials would not have won.

The notion that armed citizenry and not regular soldiers organized into traditional armies was the crucial factor in the Revolutionary War is a MYTH, at best a historical romanticization, and in today's climate of NRA ammosexuals, at worst a complete LIE or at best an expression of the most Profound Historical Ignorance which should embarrass anyone who utters it and offend anyone who hears it .. . and now that you have read this, if you ever assert that an armed citizenry EVER protected, much less liberated the people from British governmental tyranny in any meaningful long-term fashion, you are indeed nothing but a LIAR since you can no longer hide behind a wall of ignorance.

(more articles for your entertainment or irritation available in BLOG ARCHIVE near top right of this page.)

GUN WORSHIP

(the following is a section of an article in this blog April archive on the right .... CRITERIA)

a first step in the reduction of gun Violence in the USA is to address and bring into public disrepute the culture of GUN WORSHIP ... and a place to begin is the NRA crowd's deliberate misrepresentation of the 2nd Amendment which they propose to revere and protect (worship).  We MUST take the serious discussion of the 2nd Amendment away from those who would distort it for their own profit whether it be monetary, social, or political.

GUN WORSHIP ... includes the ludicrous and erroneous notion that the possession and love of firearms is an expression of genuine patriotism and the implication that anyone who does not also worship at the altar of gun ownership is less patriotic (btw, I own guns).  Anyone who believes that our personal freedoms now, or throughout our history, have been achieved or preserved through personal decisions about the use of firearms is, in the most literal sense of the word, Ignorant.  (The issue of privately held arms being an effective element in the Revolutionary War against the British can be found in the article ... a JULY 4th NOTE to AMMOSEXUALS in this blog archive)   Apparently, they do not, or refuse to understand basic English grammar and the meaning of conditional clauses.  
The  2nd Amendment: 

Article [II]

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

"the right of the people to keep and bear arms" is NOT an absolute stand alone statement or completely independent clause.  This clause is CONDITIONED grammatically by our very literate Founders' intent through the  clauses "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State..."  What part of "well regulated Militia" do they not understand?

An accurate reading of this language could be made crystal clear with the printed addition of just one word ... a word not printed because its meaning was implicit in the Founding Fathers' literacy ..... that one little word is ..."BECAUSE a well regulated Militia is necessary to the security of a free State .." etc.  It does NOT say, nor did the founders intend it to mean "any bozo has an absolute right to have all the automatic, semi-automatic, mega-magazine capacity, rocket launchers, etc, that he can afford and to parade around with them in public as if today's society has devolved into the old Wild West where everyone has semi-automatic weapons."

The right of the people to keep and bear arms was for the purpose of citizens of being called up into a well regulated Militia to DEFEND the free State, not to take up arms AGAINST the legitimate state.  Today, this function for the states is by and large performed by the various state National Guard units, and our National Security against foreign enemies is guaranteed by the Federal Government's armed forces which are the best and most expensive in the history of the world.

But at the time of the ratification of our Constitution, the Federal Government did not have the wherewithal to equip and maintain a large enough standing army and navy to defend the frontiers against foreign enemies, much less stock large arsenals in frontier regions which could be seized by an invading force.  Therefore, the well regulated Militia for the protection of a free state would be armed by the privately held weapons of the citizens.  The purpose of protecting the right of the people to keep and bear arms is clearly for the people to be able to serve in the well regulated Militia and NOT for some idiot to defy the legitimately constituted authority of our local, state and Federal Governments .... and to say otherwise is wrong, if not outright stupid.   And you do not want to live in a country where average armed citizens can defy the legitimate government, and if you do, move to  the regions of Africa or other Third World places where there really is no local civil order maintained by the government.

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HOMOPHOBIA





(section of a longer post on this blog .... CRITERIA

HOMOPHOBIA ...  In today's political climate, the most virulent, hateful public rhetoric is put forward on this issue, usually buttressed by a fundamentalist religious viewpoint.  These haters need to get over it.   Somewhere between 5-10% of all human beings have always been gay or bisexual. Gay people are buried in our veterans cemetery at Normandy, in every national cemetery, have been some of our greatest artists, scientists, philosophers, politicians ... EVERYTHING !!!
To deny gays any rights whatsoever which heterosexuals enjoy is the real abomination.

(more articles for your entertainment or irritation available in BLOG ARCHIVE near top right of this page.)