Re: prayer and consciousness

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: : Phil wrote: "Well, give me awhile to ponder all this and I'll put something up." and "But. . . just what, exactly . . . Oh, never mind!" : : Wait a minute old buddy; I know EXACTLY what you were going to ask. : Yes, you pretty much did. : : Before we put our epistemological tools to the global ethic task, it is : : VITALLY IMPORTANT that we ask the questions who, what, when , where, how : : and why of truth, beauty, goodness and love. : Yes, this part is especially important. An old philosophical adage has it that the knowing is known in the mode of the knower--a good thing to keep in mind when considering the meaning of scripture, dogmas, etc. : : The manifold and multiform answers have concrete expressions in reality for : : individuals and cultures: doctrines which articulate the truth encounter, : : rituals which celebrate the encounter with beauty, laws which preserve the : : goodness experienced and social entities where interpersonal dynamics gift : : us with love (and hate, but let's not go there). : Yes, and some might regard this as a problem, but, on the other hand, it does attest to the grandeur of the mystery encountered. : : It is therefore no small wonder that primary encounters with reality result : : in so many creeds, codes, cults and community structures: : Quite so, but as one grows in the spirit, this is not viewed as a "problem." Only people in the early stages of the faith want everything to be the same everywhere. : : Presuming that Why we ask these questions in the first place is to obtain : : answers which will direct the commitment of our resources to action. : Yes, or because the questions are a "gift" of the Creator to lead us to find Him/Her. : : WHAT comes out of this consideration is not a deconstruction of the great : : traditions and ideologies but the deabsolutizing of secondary expressions : : that result from our primary encounters with (ultimate) reality. : OK. : : It is this deabsolutizing that will take our intuition of unity in : : diversity to a level never before enjoyed on our planet. : But it can only be deabsolutized in minds that have moved beyond either-or thinking. : : The dynamism of this VERY MAJOR paradigm shift is: "Awaken to Solidarity : : that Compassion may Ensue!" And this is the apophatic complement to: "If : : you want peace, work for justice". One approach is trophotropic and the : : other ergotropic. At their extremes they could be considered quietism and : : pelagianism. And you know what? Extremes are useful, indeed good, but they : : aren't THE picture. Why are they good? It is when there are NO extremes : : that one might get worried: it means you have no middle. : Good point. : : Shalomplace definitely has a middle for here I am on the edge. Thanks for letting me muddle. : 'Twas a pleasure to hear from you again. Thanks for your reflections. : Phil

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