Christian Philosopher

Must be praxis, the application or use of knowledge. Primary action is to practice poverty. The practice of poverty produces non-desire of material gain. No longer is one consumed with the action of aquiring wealth but spiritual gratification. First, seek the kingdom of God, then seek wisdom. To have the kingdom of God is suffecient, but to the philosopher it is not enough. Why am I doing the things that I am doing. For instance, corporate creed produced by organized religion. Corporate creeds are good and bad. The good is that it gives those without ime to have something to think about. The bad is that it stops one from seeking the King of heaven for themselve. Christianity is a self=centered religion that spreads out ward. I must get right with the creator!The way of the creator is manifested throught Christ. One must practice the truth they have recieved. The truth is the knowledge of God' true way.

To practice poverty does not mean to remain poor. Once, a person practices poverty, a new understanding of the words of Christ is unvieled to the seeker. The condition of poverty is a reality for many people, so they are not practicing but living it. However, it is not practiced, once one has the means to not be impoverised, then return to poverty a very different prespective is achieved. This develops a concept for the Christian and many that God does provide without us striving for material gains. In the post modern world we are consumed with the aquisition of wealth. The aquisiton of wealth has many reasons, primarily it provides a since of security to the individual. God provides this security.

Our free will as humans we want to accomplish things on our own, a since of independence, but none is truly independent. We rely on community and our community should rely on God. We desire to boast "I did this," but one truly has done nothing when seeing the natural beauty of the world around them. The aquisition of wealth has a blinding affect on the individual. No matter where an indiviual stands the are in the natural world. Many, tend to think the natural world is a place densly pack with plant life and animals. Humanity is the measurement of all things on earth, so looking at our community and our relationship with the community in a city is just as valid as watching earth worms and ants, more so. The relationship of humanity to nature, and self to nature and humantiy becomes easier when not consummed with getting money.

Poverty gives one the time to think. Just let yourself depend on God and see what happens. I know there is security.

Matthew 6 v 25 Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink: nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they are?

Poverty allows the Christian Philosopher to know the truth. Deminishing the desire for material increases the abundance of spiritual gain. I learn that submission to God one loses his self to find himself. All Christians do not have to do this, but the Christian philosopher must. We rely on faith and works. What we believe is true so we must do. We do the things we believe and we gain understanding. Christ governs our minds and actions. Overtime, we are moved by the entire trinity. We govern ourselves within the trinity.

To know ourselves we must discover the truth with time and guidance from Christ. Any one born in a Christian country is blessed.

The Christian philosopher is torn. The Christian philospher wants to do for God and do for humanity. It is being torn that makes a philosopher become a philosopher. The Christian philosopher is torn between service to God and service to humanity and searches for means to accomplish the two. To serve God is serving humanity but not all of humanity desire the Christian path so to help is difficult. To know God, one will know the institutions of humanity. The Christian philospher looks for means to put the institution of humanity in accordance with God.

Poverty gives the Christian philospher time to view the problem. Wealth gives a person the time to view the problem, but the wealth aquirred creates a torn position, because the person with wealth desires to preserve there wealth while trying to help. The ladder creates the condition of serving two masters wealth and God at one time. However, looking at the problem will give on the answers but frustration at the same time. To help humanity for God can become a meaningless endeavor. The world looks to be unsavable, so the Christian philosopher goes into isolation. For instance, a monk in a monastery. However, this is counter to the Christian way:

Matthew 5 v 14: You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill can not be hidden. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick: and it gives light to all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

I ponder this parable alot. I have noted it before. In a world of darkness the darkness is the light and to see the light is darkness that must be prevented. The light among light causes competition who is the brightest light. Among the good and the evil I find despair, which encourages isolation and contemplation. The spirit puts me into action which I do not know until the last. I am learning not to complain, because I sought and found but did not know what I sought to be found.

Original Sin Part I

What is the point for the sacrifice of Christ to save the world if we are gonna keep going back to the fall of man. Christ sacrifice is a renewal for humanity mnot an excuse to continue in sin. Today, I went to buy a soda at the local liquor store. I usually have a direct route strait to the refrigerator and over to the counter to pay and leave. I have never walked around the store. When I walked in today, the owner was getting re-supplied and I had to meander throught the store. Holy smokes, there was a third of the store covered in booz. I did not know there was that much liquoer inside. I got my soda and went to the counter to pay. The owner was talking to a liquor merchant to buy more booz. I mention to the owner, I did not know you had so much much liquor in here. The both chimed inn in unison, whatever you need we have it. I was like no I do not need, but you can come to my church. They both said they go to church and are Catholics. The liquor merchant said he felt bad selling booz to all the executives in downtown and the owner did not say he had the problem but compared drinking the caffine in my soda to drinking booz. So booz is the same as soda to the guy? I bought my soda and said as Catholics you have confessions with priest to absolve your sin, I do not so I don't drink. Technically, I get my Lord's prayer answered in 20/20 hindsight but that is a different story.

My first problem is that they both felt bad that they where selling liquor to people. Right there in that instance, there is some aspect of the trinity telling not to do it or just being human. I think since the grace of God and Christ we have that know without being a Christian (debatable). We get it more as Christians. There is a point where we have no desire to do wrong and we do good. Saying we are under the burden of original sin is not good. Christ redeemed us for us thus we have that little thing in us that says don't do it. People, squash that out of them and do whatever they choose (can be gotten back), The little voice will not have to tell you that action is wrong, but you are doing right. either can be cultivated, I know the way to cultivate it in the optimum conditon is with the grace of God through Christ.

These two guys go to mass and get there sin absolved by a priest but go back to doing it the next week until they can no longer bear it and go back to the priest. Im like go to God and you will get on the path to peace. The doctrine of original sin gives everybody the ability to do evil. I accept Christ to know the good in life, not to keep doing the same wicked deeds. I am still thinking about the whole cadre of things.

Critique of the Wisdom Jesus

Written by Cynthia Bourgeault. I have not read the complete book as yet but the frame of mind the book desires to place me I disagree. First, the authors seems to make an assumption that Jesus learned threw seeking the kingdom of God. I think Jesus new the kingdom of heaven from the moment of his birth. Therefore, if Jesus seeks, What he is looking for is Wisdom that exist in the world that he is born into. He is a light looking for other lights. I like to think of him as Diogenes carrying a lantern during the middle of the day looking for the truth.

I am coming to the conclusion that Jesus foray into the wilderness is looking for the light among humanity. He did not find light expect for one that is John the Baptist. This is similar to King Solomons search for a wise man in the world and he only finds one. Moreover, it seems that people forget that Jesus is the first born son to Joseph and Mary, thus he would be consecrated to God from birth, establishing his manhood in the Jewish community. (not really gonna look at it at this moment) Jesus is a Nazareth according to Jewish law and i have heard called by this term. As a Nazarine, Jesus knows the Law. Living the Law by God first and learned within his culture as being a first born son to Jewish parents. For instance, the author makes the claim that Jesus could have been an Essenes Jew. He being the first born son gives him many duties.

My counter speculation: Is living as Nazarine (keeping the Jewish Law real, as a duty for the Jews, but the word made flesh by God) He learns the hypocrosy of the Pharisee. He might can not teach in the temple but he definately has access. He is not a Levite those that give the Law to the people. Jesus teaching "Wisdom" outside the temple is an infraction of the Law (a job of the Levites) but the Levites do this inside the temple not outside. The death of Christ takes what was behing the veil of the temple to humans outside. While he walked among us, he was the ark outside of the temple. So much ignorance in humanity/world/ the world is more than humanity/ that he was so distressed because the truth he knows had been lost.

The author mentions our "20/20 hindsight." We don't see to good. I think Jesus was pissed. A way was prepared for him, with stumbling blocks in his path. One of the reason Christ does not want chidren to be lead astray of him. From my personal experience, I have set in quite a few course in college, and there was information presented in class from professors and students that I wanted to scream "BULLSHIT" but I kept my tounge silent and presented my position in time. To know the a truth and see it butchered is torture. Moreover, at least once a week I hear ignorance considering Christians Faith. Do I cast my pearls before swine, or walk on them like bad salt? Overall, I wish they would seek the truth instead of second hand information.

Furthermore, I do not think seeking is from reading it is from doing. I did not need to read the gnostic text for further guidance. I am not saying to read them is bad but, do and you will learn from the parables of one book of the Gospels. The Gospels being the four books written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The book is keeping my attention, and good to hear anothers journey to self realization in Christ.

Man ape = sinner

The Greek Philosopher Diogenes was the first to attack the category system of Aristotle. For instance, during a lecture at the lyceum (similar to the area outside the Jewish temple) Aristotle made the proposition that a man is a two legged featherless animal. To counter the argument, Diogenes plucked a chicken and returned it to Aristotle saying her is a man for you. Aristotle changed his proposition to say clawless.

During my undergraduate studies a professor told me that the greeks assigned value to thing related to its function for society. For example, the purpose of a tree was to be: table, chair, spear, etc. I did not understand the argument. For me, I believed the purpose of a tree was to be a tree. We argued the matter for five minutes, and it finally dawned on my professor that it was a Greek that thought like that not me. Two seperate understandings. A tree is my neighbor, to the ancient greeks it is a commodity to be consumed by humans.

When i look at a tree I notice that it gives itself freely. Ripe fruit falls from the tree and the bark also falls off the tree: use bark to cook instead of chopping down trees. Humans have a tendency to covet and Nature is the first to suffer from this ailments humanity has.

The man ape to me is one that buys into the concept that we are animals and it is in our nature to behave like beast. Thus, negative behavior patterns are associated to animal behavior. It is natural to behave evil. I think it is natural to behave good. The natural condition of man has been debated, as an American I have inherited the secular understanding from John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. For Locke, man is majestic and free, to Hobbes men are a beast to be controlled.

However, most animals do not kill there own an activity humans are quite fond to do if given the proper encouragement and conditioning. Negative behavior patterns are considered sin. Therefore, a man ape is a sinner. The greeks called this barbarian. The term barbarian is to denote one that does not speak greek, I geuss like a non Jew is a gentile. The Jews learned Greek not to be barbarians did the Greeks learn Hebrew? A man is good. To be human is to embrace the divine.

I think Shakespear said something like men are between the angels and beasts and have the ability to act like both. The thing is that we act like what we are taught by other humans. Angels and beast act the way God made them to act. I geuss an angel must look like us for us to listen to them. Today, we have two competing belefs creation and evolution concerning humanity. God made us or we grew from some soup dejour. They both attempt to explain our negative behavior problem.

One is because of sin, the other because we are animals. I use the term man ape because a gorilla gave me the terminology. (Recently, I was told by one who has wisdom not to make light of a serious event that has occurred in my life or beliefs that I hold dear and true. It dumbs down the message. However, just mentioning that I commune with animal life at certain points of time during my existance is unbelievable in this day and age of science and technology. But,we have all these signs and symbols of animals from the old world and the new world that had meaning. Today they are just emblems on cars, blue jeans and corporate logos. They mean things to me at times and speak to the heart of the matter at hand. I believe a sentient creation of God communicates with God and the holy spirit allows cross communication. A plant knows to grow to light for life.) A gorilla will know the actions and behavior of men and how it has changed over time. A gorilla is peaceful, more like an angel than a man. When I look into the eyes of a gorilla in a cage, it is like, he is questioning me, when are we going to return to the positon God intends for us. The gorilla still lives in the condition that God has made for it. We are trying to be God and change their role in God's creation. Man's downfall has always been trying to be GOD instead of men.

Creationism and Evolution are both used badly, they justify bad behavior among humanity. The purpose of Christ is to remove the negative behavior from humanity. The beatitudes tell us the salvation he brings to humanity. We no longer need to look at angels or beasts for guidance we look to Christ. It does not mean that we can not listen to angels and beast for more guidance. I do not mean disecting a frog in a high school classroom.

Comparing a human to a gorilla is comparing apples to bananas. Comparing a human to an angels is comparing apples to oranges. Basically, human can only be compared to other humans, but our systems of value and catergorization puts humans closer to angels or beast. The number one will be angels and number ten will be the beast. I want to be number one, so I must act like an angel. A gorilla is just the same as an angel a creation of God that can not say no to the will of God.

We still got live with each other. Imagine if animals had angels to defend them. As a creation of God they are protected by something divine. The world God loves is so much bigger than humanity, but the world will be different without humans. We are the Divine comedy and that makes us divine. A gorilla of the divine would see the comedy in our actions.

Good Bye

From a distant
past I hear
today,
while
whistling
Yankee Doodle
and
washing dishes
smeared with bar-B-Que sauce
sprinkles
of
pie crust crumbs
and
drops
of
cold cinamon sweet apples.
Farewell,
or
Fare Thee Well,
prehaps
PEACE UNTO YOU.
We the people!
MUST HAVE
(not NBC T.V.)
but
COLOR BLIND ,
Proper words,
for our proper people
constantly edited
and rewrited
by HAMILTON
or
was it Madison,
Our first leader
said.
To the mases
huddled in fear
and doubt
concerning our experiment.
Representive Democracy!
Our model for the World.
A shining light
shone from
Plymouth Rock
Displaying
Providence
a NEW ROCK
in the
NEW WORLD
IN GOD WE TRUST
no other.

The Republic For:
PEACE!
LIBERTY!
and
The pursuit of
HAPPINESS.
Brave and Bold
He rode his horse
into the setting sun
to rise again
on the lips
of this patriot:
Be wary of:
Beware of:
dividing your self
between the OLD
and
NEW
Just be one:
I AM AMERICAN!
Today,
placing
clean dishes
in an old cabinet
with rusty hinges,
I think:
My Country
that was made
for ones similar to me:
AMERICAN!
are being
sacrificed and sold
to the OLD WORLD:
BRITIAN,
JERUSALEM,
EGPYT,
our
young men are dying
in IRAQ and AFGHANISTHAN
and losing their minds
for "Lot's wife syndrome."
LOSING OUR BLESSING
for the
TANGIBLE
ALMIGHTY DOLLAR
but
NOT
the IDEAS and Aspirations
printed on the Bill,
portraying
George Washington.
making me,
FEEL
ill at ease,
and sick to my stomach
for many moons,
we are giving
away the American Dream
I will say
GOODBYE.

We walk

In the darkness.
some are
searching
for the light,
others not caring,
STALE,
luke warm coffee,
that will dumped in the sink.
Many love
the shadows.
Hiding
their imperfections,
and
willing it to grow.
Down the sink they will go.
Us that search for the light?
No reward.
A servant doing their job,
made
to be!
walking toward the light.
FEEL IT!
The light is here,
not over there,
not up there,
or
around the corner.
Definately
not
a commodity
to be bought
and sold
at the hardware store,
or
a transaction
on Ebay
neither
can it bought
on Amazon dot com
or
on Sundays
where the bells toll.
The steeple is the place,
for a gentle
reminder
for my mind:
In the valley of shadow
there is evil
and the unkown
but evil is not the narrow path
and
Wisdom is a light
I GAIN
to not trip and fall
on the Roman roads
as
I walk.
when
we walk.

Crazy is What crazy does.

I was going to use this story in a book, but I am putting here for now. I have so many journals and note books that I am juggling I needed a place for it. Anyway, one day and many others days I was moved by the spirit to go commune with theprimates at the zoo. I have done this once before and it was quite disturbing after learning science for awhile. After hitting a few trails I like to go to I went over to the zoo. I began to commune with the head of the gorilla tribe at the zoo. It is hard to explain, it is not directly talking to them, but thoughts come to your mind that I seldom entertain. The gorilla began to explain to me how there are too many man apes around. I looked around at the hustle and bustle of the crowds going in and out of the zoo and I agreed. Yes, this place must be unnerving for you, all the noise and lack of seclusion. The gorrilla agreed but he was not talking about the crowds in his general vicinty, but overall the total population of man apes on the planet. I thought about it and again I agreed with his assestment of the situtation. He called me a monkey man and and told me to walk around and he will explain. I began to walk around the park. My first encounter, was seeing a band of friends playing the park. I was very impressed with the performance. The lead instrument too me was a base made with a bucket. I was so impressed that I wondered why they where playing off to the side. The said you need a permit to play music in the park. I found it strange that one needs a permit to play music in the park. I looked at various things in the park. The most disturbing was when I encountered a tribe of man killers. There was a boy sharpening sticks. I had him why he was sharpening sticks. He had no idea but kept sharpening. I asked him are you making a spear. Maybe. I told him there are more things to do with a stick instead of sharpening it to make a spear. Like what he asked? I said you can use the wood to make a fire to cook. He stopped for a second, thought about it, then continued to sharpen the stick. "He is a man killer I could feel the gorilla tell me. So, I began to walk down the trail and ran into another family. There was a little boy playing with a stick. He heard me talking to the other boy and I asked him are you making a pointy stick too. His mannerism told me no, and he threw the stick to ground. He told me in a way that he was a man ape not a man killer. I did not understand the differrence. I turned around and went back up the trail, the kid with the stick had a family of kids with pointy stick/spears and they where destroying the foliage of the park. I asked the father was he training hunters and is said yes to kill people in Iraq. It dawned on me what a man killer is. The gorrllia told me there is no future for man ape with man killers. He told me tthere are to many man apes. It began to dawn on me that we are not human. We behave like men and beast not the creation God had intended for us. We are torn between being men and beast. He told me that the Tigers take over the spirit of weak man apes and make them like them man killers. Since they can not kill men themselves they would posses their soul and use the man to kill other men. So much knowledge of the condition of humanity hit me from this spirit walk with the gorilla. He told me once again to many man apes teach them to be men and maybe we will be human. Walking with the gorilla and him showing me his prespective really freaked me out. There is no one that knows these things. I was a monkey man. My thoughts made him laugh.