Tawa Union ChurchTo round off the year we watched this video which talked to people from many faiths about their understanding or experience of their God. Sincere people with views that reflected the whole gambit of religious belief or no belief.
Our group was unsettled by the analysis and conclusions outlined in this book. It shows that from an analysis of many countries, that those with a more even distribution of wealth have less societal problems and so overall, the whole of society – including the more wealthy – is better off. The challenge is how to re-balance wealth when incomes have a very wide spread. According to the author’s research (from UN data), NZ has one of the largest wealth gaps between the poorest and richest 10% of the population. The authors suggest two options
– Increased taxes on higher incomes
– Compressing the income earning gap
The latter seems less feasible than the first. The social unrest seen in UK, Greece and Spain this year reinforces the impression that all is not right with unfettered capitalism and the ‘market’ is not always right or yields outcomes of benefit to all. A disturbingly good read which should prompt a rethink by all people especially those who are ‘religious’ and those with an ability to redress the gap.
Ian Harris 23 Nov 11
Particular concerns that the politicians are not focusing on: eg increasing inequality, asset sales can equal asset stripping as per railways and Telecom, ethical investments, employment – where are the jobs?, greater support for pre-school education and health care at no cost (we spend much less on children than other developed economies with more costly consequences later on), concern that we will trade away Pharmac under US pressure to gain a Free Trade Agreement, need to promote a greater sense of social responsibility.
This is the third and final episode that we’ve watched in this series. The presenter, Jeremy Bowen, painted a number of scenarios to support a fairly literal interpretation of the record of the week as portrayed in the Gospels.
He noted that Jesus had targeted the sick, the poor, the disabled, and ‘all those regarded as sinners’. Pilate would not have tolerated any sign of trouble making by the Jews. Caiaphas was ‘in Pilate’s pocket’ as a means to keep a lid on any protests.
The upper / guest room where the Last Supper was held, was likely to have been in a house of a wealthy owner and supporter. The garden of Gethsemane is half way up Mt of Olives.
These interpretations were then followed by explanations of sweating blood (under extreme stress), a claim that Judas handed Jesus over to the Temple Priests just as Jesus intended. This was supported by the claim that Jesus could have escaped but didn’t try to. This was followed by literal investigations of the physical details of the crucifixion and the resurrection. These attempts at a literal interpretation of the Bible didn’t impress me; the Roman occupiers were very well practiced at crucifixions – it was a slow, painful, tortured death as a public deterrent not make trouble or the same fate will happen to you! A physical resurrection raises more questions than answers and contributes nothing to the Christian message of new life, fresh starts.
Ian Harris 5/10/11
This started off with a claim to have found where Jesus was baptised as its the site of a 3rd century church which is interpreted as being part of a shrine as people would have remembered where John was baptising. Exposing and removing the corruption in the Temple was Jesus’s mission. So rather than an initial direct challenge he built a people power base from those on the margins of society which he then used to challenge the Temple priests. His main weapon was proclaiming ritual cleansing for those otherwise outcast. This outraged ordinary Jews but incensed the Priests as it removed their ‘skimming’ operations from the Temple cleansing process/practices. The Good Samaritan story is more political swipe than good neighbour!
This series takes a fairly literal interpretation of the biblical texts and uses recent archaeological finds and 2002 era computer animation, to place the stories in real places, time and context. So we see Caesarea the port built by Herod and where he lived, a creation of the stable where Jesus was born (and the actual shrine) and an explanation for the star that guided the 3 wise men! (Some basis in astrology plus Jupiter in the dawn sky).
No notes
Covered somewhat similar ground as Part 1. Science hypothesises compared with the authority of the Bible. Did not support the idea that the earth is only 6,000 years old – this idea itself is only about 100 years old. Genesis is not a text book! Science demonstrates a designer; intelligent design as too complex for random evolution. This was reinforced by the observation that very few genetic modifications are better than the original and therefore evolution only proceeds along a relatively few lines. So cancer, earthquakes etc are a necessary part of evolution and therefore prevent ‘paradise on earth’ not possible because of human nature. [Hence I suspect they would claim that ‘paradise has to be somewhere else!] Wealth has been based on cheap energy => impact on climate.
This records senior scientists explaining how they can believe in a fairly conservative interpretation of the Biblical texts and also work at the frontiers of science. Their viewpoint was supported by their belief that the universe had to have some reason to exist and the underlying order of the natural world suggested a creator/an under lying intelligence, did God light the ‘blue touch paper’? They discount ‘God of the gaps’ as greater scientific understanding will narrow those gaps over time. ‘Nature can’t prove God’s existence, but is consistent with belief in god.’ A multi-verse is no threat to faith.
Whenever you sense mystery you recognise there is a dimension beyond the physical.
In the West we tend to associate God with the source of energy; in the Eastern religions, God is regarded as the manifestation of the energy, the vehicle for the energy. The manifestations are our experiences of wonder, love, compassion, hatred, malice which Campbell likened to ‘faith’. These are different manifestation of the divine; so divinity is in the mind – what we think. He illustrated with the image of an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other in constant conflict – which we all experience ie whether to do this or that. This imagery can be so strong for some people that they believe this is the physical reality.
Campbell suggested that we therefore see the divine in others – and they in us; we each radiate the presence of the divine!
Noted that the circle is a common symbolism in all religions for the endless repeating cycle of life we experience in the natural world, tides, moon, seasons, day/night.
He suggest that clowns were very useful in illustrating the essence of life, faith, spirituality, divinity while not allowing the actual details to be taken too seriously (or literally).
The experience of eternity is now as it shuts out the perception of time; this is not heaven which is everlasting ie has no concept of time at all. If we don’t experience eternity now we never will as if/when we get to heaven – which is everlasting and therefore negates the experience of eternity which shuts of time (presume he means for just a short while). [I’ve re-listened and realise I was arguing incorrectly last night – now corrected]
AUM the vowels of the sound of the universe (the mortal component) combined with silence as the immortal component.
Heavy stuff!!!!