"Rats and roaches live by competition
under the law of supply and demand;
it is the privilege of human beings to live
under the laws of justice and mercy."
--Wendell Berry

 

"...growing up in church desensitizes you to logical inconsistencies, and that opens up large numbers of people to manipulation tactics employed by individuals and institutions keen on controlling groups of people for their own self-serving purposes."

 

—Neil Carter in How Faith Breaks Your Thinker 

APRIL 10, 2018

SOURCE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/godlessindixie/2018/04/10/how-faith-breaks-your-thinker/

Excellent resource on logical inconsistencies:
https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/

I am a lover of what is, not because I'm a spiritual person, but because it hurts when I argue with reality. We can know that reality is good just as it is, because when we argue with it, we experience tension and frustration. We don't feel natural or balanced. When we stop opposing reality, action becomes simple, fluid, kind, and fearless.
~ Byron Katie

What I Have Learned So Far

Meditation is old and honorable, so why should I
not sit, every morning of my life, on the hillside,
looking into the shining world? Because, properly
attended to, delight, as well as havoc, is suggestion.

Can one be passionate about the just, the
ideal, the sublime, and the holy, and yet commit
to no labor in its cause? I don’t think so.

All summations have a beginning, all effect has a
story, all kindness begins with the sown seed.
Thought buds toward radiance. The gospel of
light is the crossroads of — indolence, or action.
Be ignited, or be gone.

~ Mary Oliver

So when I say, as the subtitle of my book, that I think religion poisons everything, I'm not just doing what publishers like and coming up with a provocative subtitle, I mean to say it infects us in our most basic integrity. It says we can't be moral without Big Brother, without a totalitarian permission. It means we can't be good to one another, it means we can't think without this. We must be afraid, we must also be forced to love someone who we fear, the essence of sado-masochism and the essence of abjection, the essence of the master-slave relationship and that knows that death is coming and can't wait to bring it on. I say this is evil. And though I do, some nights, stay at home, I enjoy more the nights when I go out and fight against this ultimate wickedness and ultimate stupidity.
--Christopher HItchens

One of the best things about my sweetie is that he is at least 73% grown up.  He's 62 years of age, and he's neither an early or later bloomer, he's just a man.  I credit his wives and life with educating him, and him with making the effort to become a decent human being.  It doesn't happen to everyone.  The mankind project helped.  He really is kind, generous, and thoughtful.  He is a very hard worker.  His word is better than his memory.  He's trying.

Unfortunately, he still leaves dirty dishes in the sink.  I've been working on him to realize that this is important to me but he persists in thinking that I am unreasonable in asking him to do it differently.  When we have partners that we care about, it is wise to concern ourselves with their desires, even if they seem irrational.  Doing what we want to do for them is different from doing what they want us to do for them, or just in general.

So I just ran across this article by a man who confesses up front that he was a terrible husband.  He's so awash in authenticity and willingness to work on himself that I'd be surprised if his ex-wife doesn't want him back.  If she doesn't, someone else will.  Guys who are sincere and have integrity rule.

Here's the guy's blog.  It's awesome.
http://mustbethistalltoride.com

And the article about leaving things in the sink:
http://mustbethistalltoride.com/2016/01/14/she-divorced-me-because-i-left-dishes-by-the-sink/

BE IMPECCABLE WITH YOUR WORD
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

DON'T TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

DON'T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama.

ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

If you don't stick to your values when they're being tested, they're not values: They're hobbies.
--Jon Stewart

http://personalliberty.com/difference-ron-paul-rand-paul/
This article says what I have been noticing.....but not saying. Young Rand has not yet hung his hat on any particular values, he is simply playing the political game. That doesn't mean there is no hope for him. There is hope. One can develop integrity in the course of life. But he is not yet the statesman that his father is, and he has no guarantee of getting votes from the principled voters that have supported Ron Paul all these long years.

American men have a variety of handicaps, not the least of which is that ruggedly independent badass image they try so hard to live up to. But it does them a disservice when it prevents them from really being close to others. There's no guarantee that they'll have or develop the ability to really connect deep down .... so it's something to celebrate when it happens. It turns out that age 80 is not too late to develop emotional intelligence. =-]

WORTH READING:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/06/opinion/brooks-the-heart-grows-smarter.html?smid=fb-share&_r=2&