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The old idiom of “you never know a person until you walk in their shoes” applies to each of the questions you presented here. Why is there poverty? Until you have lived an impoverished life you cannot answer this question. What you think of as poverty may not be poverty to the person living it. They may see it as something else. A simpler, less complicated life with hardships to overcome or live with. Maybe we think they are ignorant and need to be taught about disease and cleanliness. Most certainly we believe they need to be educated and helped which is why we have created many organizations to help those we feel need help.

Many things attribute to poverty including choice and free will. Yes, we also have to consider that there are those who look to oppress and control others for their own profit and it is situations like those that we desire to change and the end result is almost always war. Good, bad, Ying and Yang. Everything has a balance. Chioce and consequence.

Where we get into the most trouble as human beings is when we try to impose our believes on those around us who may believe something differently. This leads to war, terrorism, oppression. We are all kids on a playground bullying each other around to see who is right, who is strongest, and who is the best. All natural internal survival of the fittest instincts. I see it in my children. There is a quiet truth to sibling rivalry that we forget we carry as we age. Science and belief intertwined in a daily experiment for us to watch and learn from with constant opportunities for teaching.

The older I get the more I appreciate my friends, my family, my surroundings, the environment, strangers, animals, music, art, wind. These are the things that we can forget. Why we forget them is different for each of us. Why are so many people depressed? They have forgotten how to explore, create, grow, learn, and feel. They are afraid that if they share their sorrow they will be exploited, demeaned, browbeaten and bullied. Or even worse? Who would care?

Our human brains that give us so much intelligence also have given us emotion which is a beautiful quality. That is if you have been taught that your feelings are OK. There are many who have not been taught that their feelings are normal or they have been forgotten by friends and family or society and therefore have no outlet for their emotions. As a society we have become closed. In that process we have cut ourselves off from our emotions, we don’t want to care about a stranger who is struggling and that is why we are failing.

That is the true moment of possibility for peace. Opening yourself up to the world and the people in it. Taking that chance to look beyond yourself into the life and heart of another and with your whole being care for them. All of them, crazy, sad, angry, insane, tired, poor, or wealthy them. That is when you are living completely in the present. The more you do this, the easier it gets, and the more you gain from the experience. Wisdom comes with that experience so we need reach out as often as we can.

I guess that is the greatest wish I can have. That we all decide that we all matter and act accordingly and if we could do this then our lives will be fulfilled. So yes, we are one and we need to remember that when we walk out of our door each day. One living sphere of energy that can only survive through community, conservation and generosity.

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http://profiles.yahoo.com/blog/XKEOOYSXZZSZ35RRCJCZMONNAM?eid=VCX0v.JhyXhPiEEEkWimN.eQkwage9C3ekCCRkyVatGwwUWL1A

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2. What is the relationship between science and religion?
They are both attempts to gain control over the unknown. Control through understanding, and also, with science, through innovation. They could easily coexist, but humans, especially when organized, tend to polarize and like to take sides.

3. Why are so many people depressed?
Because they are confused.

4. What are we all so afraid of?
Pain, in one form or another.

5. When is war justifiable?
When the state (or group or whatever) is attacked or oppressed (but it can only go to war with the actual aggressor), or when a (non-agressive) party is being attacked or oppressed and asks for help.

6. How would God want us to respond to aggression and terrorism?
I don’t know that there is a God, or that if there is one, it would have opinions about what we should do.

7. How does one obtain true peace?
If I knew that…

8. What does it mean to live in the present moment?
I’m not sure.

9. What is our greatest distraction?
It’s not the same for everyone.

10. Is current religion serving its purpose?
“Current religion”? What religion, where, for who? Some of it probably is for some people somewhere. Most of it seems like it isn’t for most people around here. But some of it is, even for some people around here.

11. What happens to you after you die?
Don’t know.

12. Describe heaven and how to get there.
I have no idea whether there is an afterlife, or, if there is, if there are multiple afterlives of differing qualities determined by the arbitrarily judged “goodness” of a person’s life.

13. What is the meaning of life?
Do you think I know that?

14. Describe God.
Potentially existent.

15. What is the greatest quality humans possess?
Passion.

16. What is it that prevents people from living to their full potential?
Confusion.

17. Noverbally, by motion or gesture only, act out what you believe to be the current condition of the world.
I have no way of displaying my response to this.

18. What is your one wish for the world?
Reason.

19. What is wisdom and how do we gain it?
It’s what you get after seeing a lot.

20. Are we all one?
` Literally, I guess maybe. Metaphorically, for sure. We’re all animals trying to satisfy our need for satisfaction.

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http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/quirksaio_20090425_14761.mp3

Interesting fuel for Question 5.

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Here we go: http://livinginthemystery.blogspot.com/2009/08/20-spiritual-questions-to-ponder.html

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Here’s mine: http://rebel-workinprogress.blogspot.com/2009/08/20-questions.html

And I’m off to read how others have answered.

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I finally got around to reading the answers of others, and I found your thoughts full of resonance. I especially liked your answer to the question “What is our greatest distraction?”, which I missed in my own perspective.

Thanks for sharing.

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Q 21. Why do I imagine that “teleological” questions are answerable in principle?

Q 22. Why do I think that there are so-called spiritual truths?

Q 23. Why do I think in black/white?

Q 24. Why do I turn to metaphysical Ponzi schemes?

Q 25. Why do I allow myself to be dictated to by frauds?

The de-deification of western culture (including the sciences) is our task for the next 100 years.

the anti_supernaturalist

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