Category: Faith Explorers Recent Topics

The Earth Charter is a declaration of fundamental ethical principles for building a just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century.  It seeks to inspire in all people a new sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility for the well-being of the whole human family, the greater community of life, and future generations.  It is a vision of hope and a call to action.

The Earth Charter is centrally concerned with the transition to sustainable ways of living and sustainable human development.  Ecological integrity is one major theme.  However, the Earth Charter recognizes that the goals of ecological protection, the eradication of poverty, equitable economic development, respect for human rights, democracy, and peace are interdependent and indivisible.  It provides, therefore, a new, inclusive, integrated ethical framework to guide the transition to a sustainable future.

Some of the points we discussed were as follows:

• The need to balance economic development with environmental protection and social justice
• The enlarged perception of home, and the recognition that we are a part of a large family of life, including not only other humans, but also other species.
• The awe and wonder arising from our increased understanding of the intricacy and complexity of life.

(Notes by John M)

The accompanying resource material was prepared by Matthew Riley – Research Associate, Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale.

This second half moved on from the mechanics of the creation and evolution of the cosmos to the emergence of life, culminating in the human species.

The section headings were  The Passion of Animals,  The Origin of the Human,  Becoming a Planetary Presence,  Rethinking Matter and Time, and concluding with Emerging Earth Community.

Some of the points discussed are as follows:

• The link between culture and the survival of the human species.
• Care and nurturing of the next generation of offspring being woven into the very fabric of life.
• The invention of written language that enabled not only the passing on of genes, but also enduring knowledge, in the form of customs, languages, science, music and arts.

(Notes by John M)

The accompanying resource material was prepared by Matthew Riley – Research Associate, Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale.

The Big Bang, which Swimme calls “the great flaring forth”, is dated as13.7 billion years ago.

In the earliest moment of the great flaring forth, all of the matter, energy, space, and time of the observable universe rushed out from a single, dense point. It was a moment of great heat, reaching trillions of degrees, in which boundless amounts of light and heat expanded quickly outwards.

The scientific Summary sections provided background information on the formation of elementary particles, and their eventual conversion into plasma and then atoms.

Other sections had the titles  Beginning of the Universe,  The Formation of Galaxies,  The Emanating Brilliance of Stars,  Our Solar System,  Life’s Emergence and  Living and Dying.

The whole scale of cosmic actions left us all in awe of the powerful gigantic actions, beyond our comprehension that have been going on for billions of years.  We have certainly been put in our places!

Some of the points discussed are as follows:

• The exact balance achieved in the rate of expansion of the universe.   If it were slightly slower everything would have collapsed inward, and slightly faster would not have allowed particles to join together, but fortunately for us it is just right.
• The realisation that every atom in all the cosmos, including those which make up our bodies, have existed from the big bang.
• We are quite literally made of stardust!

(Notes by John M)

This presentation was prompted by the increasing bipartisan and hence no decision-making, of the US political establishment.  He likened 4 characteristics of US social/economic trends to an approaching earth-colliding asteroid.  Do we have to let things become so critical, so obvious that action is required before the politicians are prepared to act for the greater good?  Two crucial issues were identified as:

• Global temperature rise – characterised by believers (Left) and non-believers (Right) with no common ground
• US Debt – historically high debt levels have been brought down through a perceived common objective and concerted effort towards debt reduction.   At present increased welfare spending is projected to spiral out of control and require policy changes which are not even being discussed.

Haidt postulated that left unchecked, these 2 factors mean US is (we are) doomed.   The solutions to these two situations have been frustrated by the increasing polarisation of US politics.  Large scale cooperation is rare in nature –either blood related individuals (bees, ants) or humans as they circle around common values.  But these common values can also blind to other views/perspectives.  This is what is being experienced in the US and many other countries at present and why there is no agreement on the ‘asteroids’ heading our way or what to do about them.

The other two asteroids are:

• Rising Inequality – characterised by an unwillingness to sacrifice for the common good (The Right is not concerned)
• Rising non-marital births (ie single parent families?) – which contribute to rising inequality (The Left is not concerned)

On these two at least, Haidt argued, both sides could address their concerns if they were prepared to cede some political capital to the other side – by the Left acknowledging family values and the Right allowing wealth re-distribution.

 An interesting perspective on matters of international criticality and a reminder that standing firmly on one’s principles may result in a myopic blindness to wider truths.

Reich is author of a book titled Supercapitalism (2008/9) in which “he argues that capitalism should be made to serve democracy – and not the other way around. ‘Supercapitalism’ – turbocharged, Web-based, able to find and make anything, anywhere – is working wonderfully well to create wealth. But democracy, charged with caring for all citizens, is failing under its influence.”- New Statesman.  This was an intriguing and concerning, well facilitated discussion with the Dean of Grace Cathedral.  Supercapitalism started to appear from the mid 70s.  Up to then there were few suppliers/manufacturers of goods and services, little really intense competition, (oligopolies) but democracy was doing well, with a small wealth gap in the US.  From the mid 70s, technology started to have a strong influence resulting in more choices, reduced real cost of goods, increased quality but less democracy and a widening wealth gap.  Washington changed from a bit seedy to glittering.  We have become consumers rather than citizens.  We need to practice ‘citizenship’ – to do it better!  In Reich’s view the only way to change the situation is to pass legislation and one of his first ‘acts’ would be to make donations for politics/electioneering made to a blind trust so there would be no opportunity for a ‘pay back’.  Spiritualism needs to be expressed as a society, in society values – not as individuals.

Would appear that the book is well worth a read!

Thompson used Jefferson and Darwin to explore the nature of ‘conflicts’ between science and religion.  The specific reactions are part of a broader reaction to change.  This is reflected in how we have come to know in the first place – by what we know personally or what we know from others. Knowledge and ideas now change very rapidly – more rapidly than mainstream ideas can keep up.  Reactions to new ideas/concepts can be

• Development of a complex explanation to preserve the old explanation of the truth
• Ignore it and see how the new idea develops ie whether reinforced or discredited
• Run with it and see what new insights it brings

Jefferson was a creationist, how saw the natural world was complex and therefore must reflect the work of an intelligent creator, the forerunner to the present ‘intelligent design’.  After noting the contorted strata of the Blue Ridge Mountains compared with the ordered layers in the western plains, and the fact that fossils were found on the top of the mountains, he sought to explain these through logical explanations resulting his observation that the earth had been ‘created in time” ie not in some instant of time through the say-so of a creator.   This realisation provided the ground work for the later development of the concept of evolution (over time) by Darwin.

How do you react to new ideas that challenge previously held briefs?

Vincent Van Gogh is the archetypical tortured artistic genius. His obsession with painting, combined with mental illness, propels him through an unhappy life full of failures and unrewarding relationships. He only manages to sell one painting in his lifetime. The one constant good in his life is his brother Theo, who is unwavering in his moral and financial support.

At 26 he was appointed as a missionary to a very poor mining area of Holland resulting from pleading to be given a chance after failing theology exams.  While there he realised that preaching at the desperately poor mining families was not making an impact as he couldn’t fully appreciate their dire circumstances.  He thus started to live as they were and trying to bring some material relief to people’s lives as possible – to model his life on Jesus.  When visited by church hierarchy, they were horrified by his living conditions and dismissed him for undermining the dignity of the priesthood.   Not a very enlightened reaction to the miners situation!

In his paintings, churches have no doors and no lights – a reflection of his experience that churches are lifeless and people can neither get in nor out.

The film continued to explore his other struggles with making a living and his fraught relationships with people – famous artists and the not-so-famous.

The majority of the movie is a conversation among three characters: a Norwegian scientist, Sonia Hoffman, “the only woman in my department, the first in Norway doing quantum field theory”; an American politician and former presidential candidate, Jack Edwards; and poet Thomas Harriman, a former political speechwriter, as they wander around Mont Saint-Michel, France. The setting therefore makes this a little different than just three talking heads.

The Discussion is wide ranging starting with Descartes mechanistic view of the world and people’s behaviour which suggests that everything can be broken down into their component parts.  Problems can be solved by addressing the issues of each part.  But the discussion revolves around the concept that everything at from a macro to sub-atomic particle level, is inextricably interconnected.  Fixing the bits only addressing the symptoms – not the underlying causes. However taking a holistic view is almost impossible in today’s partisan, take-no-prisoners, political environment where firm, visionary leadership with an eye on the wellbeing of future generations not just the present one, is seen as unacceptably autocratic.

However such political circumstances don’t change the truth of the underlying issues – you can’t do deals with nature as one of our members observed.  Scientists are not held accountable for their discoveries eg nuclear bomb, but lose control when discoveries are handed over to the paymasters.  How can we justify the aspiration for continual economic growth and increase in standards of living beyond that which the planet can sustain?

Not a very dynamic film with some heavy dialogue, but raised some fundamental issues which we are unwilling or unable to face up to.

The Progressive community in the Bible Belt was very clear about where they stood without being exclusive.  While such statements will not satisfy everyone and some may disagree to such an extent that they leave, such statements do provide a sense of what that community stands for.  Trying to satisfy everyone can mean standing  for nothing.  Having clear objectives/mission and then executing accordingly provides focus and motivation.  Interestingly the largest church group is the Peacemaking Committee – ie addressing environmental, justice and peace issues – suggesting a group of highly motivated people trying to make a difference.  They challenged local strip mining, hold an Evolution Sunday/Weekend close to Darwin’s birthday, hold equinox and solstice celebrations, use drumming, dancing and blogging extensively with a un-apologetic viewpoint.  Two quotes of their situation ” Spiritual bullying is a reality wherever you go.” and “Being progressive … is about being human and being in community.”  Amen to that.

In the last few weeks, as we have delved further into this publication, it has proven to be a very interesting collection of short essays, sayings and thought pieces.  Some will make you laugh, some cry, some cause to muse over and most will cause you to pause and think.  It’s not a book one reads from cover to cover, but to dip into read a few, pause for reflection, consider application and move onto something else.  Highly recommended.

We lead the worship service at 9:30am on ‘Believing or Doing – that’s the question’ which outlined the development of the Apostle’s and particularly the Nicene, Creeds.  The service included a dialogue discussion and a time for reflection via pictures and music.