h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

In my mind there are three broad types of people in the world.

The first are the rational. Those that believe that we are merely electrically-stimulated, walking bags of chemicals. We accidentally evolved from the primal goo and have no other purpose other than to breed and die. Any growth, happiness or suffering we experience is transitory and is lost at death. Morals and ethics are rules we invent to ensure maximum survival of the species and the strengthening of the gene pool. We have neither souls nor spirits, these are psychological illusions to enable us to survive trauma and suffering.

The second type of people are those that believe that there is a purpose to life beyond the survival of the species. These have felt in their hearts the presence of the divine, in whatever cultural context they interpret that as. A mysterious spiritual force that infuses their lives with hope, love and purpose. Most don't claim to understand it, and each approaches it in their own way.

Some do so through the organised, mainstream religions. Choosing those whose spiritual and cultural doctrines match the need of the person, more or less. Others choose a more solitary path of self-discovery, seeking the divine within their own consciousnesses. A few see the divine within all things and try to work with it in that context.

In each of these cases morals and ethics become more than a mere survival kit. They come to define the relationship of the person with both the divine and the world about them. These morals and ethics can (and in the case of many of the mainstream religions) become codified as dogma, limiting the spiritual growth of the believer. This is an inherent weakness in the spiritual path in life. It makes the believer reliant on the church or priest for their relationship with the divine, and thus vulnerable to manipulation. The Rationalists use this as evidence of the folly of the spiritual path. Denigrating its values and degrading its ability to provide hope, love and purpose.

Since the 17th century the Rationalists have worked away at the foundations of the mainstream religions. This culminated, in the wake of half a century of total war, in a widespread loss of faith in them. Because of the Rationalists' inability to replace religion with anything else of moral or ethical value we now have the third type - the Destitute.

The spiritual vacuum of the Rationalists has led this third group, who form the majority of people in the West today, to replace their spiritual base with consumerism, mass (lowest common denominator) entertainment and dependence upon chemical stimulants. This doesn't fill the vacuum, but it does mask the pain of its absence.

The lack of moral or ethical guidance has caused the rocketing of crime rates all across the civilised world. The Rationalist response to this is not justice and rehabilitation but the ever more desperate attempts to control it through the spawning of more laws and punishment.
An, admittedly simplistic, definition of a psychopath is one who recognises no moral or ethical imperative. One who is interested only in instant, personal gratification. How many of our young could now be broadly defined as psychopathic?

Yet the Rational establishment, always an educationally-inbred elite, continues to condemn the spiritual path as one of confused, corrupt cultists. The problem in this is that in the face of such cultural extremism rise other extremists to oppose it. Across the world the movement towards religious and political extremism grows. In their desperation and fury these extremists resort more and more to psychological, political and physical violence in their attempt to break the Rationalists' stranglehold. The Rationalists wring their hands, unwilling or unable to comprehend what would drive a person (who in their philosophy has an instinctual directive to self-survival) to willingly give up their own life to further their cause. Thus the Rationalists are unable to respond intelligently, resorting, in their desperation, to unspeakable acts in their turn.

Where then are the established religions? Apparently shackled by millennia of tradition and dogma, and tied to a philosophy of retreat and self-recrimination. They are no longer capable of motivating their followers, whom they robbed of spiritual growth and freedom centuries before. Some die slowly, drowning in their own impotence, others retreat into a medieval mindset in the face of modern conflicts.

And so the ranks of the destitute grow as the Rationalists retreat into their ivory political institutions, and on the fringes the religious and political extremists vent their fury. These extremists are frequently able to give their followers some hope and purpose, but seldom love or a useful connection to the divine. An extremist sect cannot afford to give their followers the freedom of spiritual self-discovery, for down that road lies questions and dissent. It is a self-destructive philosophy as flawed as that of the Rationalists'.

What then of the future? It doesn't look good does it? On one hand we have the failure of Rational culture, and on the other the growth of religious and political extremism. In the middle lie the destitute.
Can it be a coincidence that at this time so many people are rediscovering a personal connection to the divine? Amongst the mainstream religions has come a resurgence of charismatic evangelism. A force that frees people to forge an individual relationship to the divine or holy spirit. Albeit still tied in part to an entrenched dogma, these people approach life with purpose, hope and love. The best of them exude an immense amount of positive energy, the worst remain lost in the dogma.

But beyond the established religions lies the fastest growing realm of spirituality. A realm where self-discovery of the divine spirit, in a myriad forms, is the imperative. Hope, love and purpose infuses these people. Yet this realm is young and vulnerable. It is full of the recently awakened destitute, damaged by decades of rational philosophy or religious dogma. They are often angry at having been denied such hope, love and purpose as they now find, for so long.

This is where we must be wary. Such anger must be dissipated by understanding and compassion. Those who have walked before must treat those that follow with respect and honour. If we do not we shall allow ignorance and intolerance to breed, and we shall have our own extremists. Sadly I already see this on the net. There are seemingly endless attacks on people who "don't see it our way", especially on those still within the mainstream religions. If this goes on it will drive away those amongst the destitute who come here seeking hope, love and purpose. For we shall become indistinguishable from the Rationalists, Dogmatists and Extremists.

The Rationalists already recognise the threat we pose and are working through their control of the popular media to marginalise us as cranks and charlatans. We are lampooned daily and thus made less attractive to the destitute.

Our road forwards must be paved with tolerance and compassion. Rail not at the Evangelist who calls us "Spawns of Satan", or the scientist who declares us mentally unbalanced and unfit for rational society. We must walk the path, not just talk about it. Live our lives with purpose, bring hope to those that seek it and love life in all its forms. Then we shall find others amongst the destitute shall be attracted to the path, to that personal discovery of the divine that liberates us all.

We must be prepared to work with any person who shows moral courage and holds to ethical values, be they of our persuasion or not. A truly devoted Catholic priest can be an inspiration, a charismatic Evangelist lay minister a fountain of hope, and a Wiccan priestess a beacon of love. Look first at the person, not the label - we pagans don't own the market on hope, love and purpose.

When we meet intolerance and hatred we must look those two old impostors in the eye. Try to divine the causes, understand the need that drives them and respond with hope and love. If we are ignored, walk on with an open heart, all things will pass. By our example shall we sow the seeds of hope.

One day I believe this example will change the world. The destitute shall discover hope, love and purpose. Our children's children shall live fuller lives, free of hatred and despair. The road to this future lies here with each of us. With our next step. But do we have the courage to take it?

Hope, love and purpose to you all,
Matholwch the Apostate /|\.

I thought you said you didn't like 'labels'?

I hang around at a Southern Baptist Church. I haven't joined.
I show up every sunday and perform various tasks. I don't belong.
I volunteer for stuff when they have lists or someone expresses a need. I still get people asking me,"Why are you here, if you are not a Baptist?"

My only answer is,"This is where I ended up. I don't know why."

"Let Jesus tell you," they say. "Come forward, join us, then the answer will be plain..."

"Sorry. I don't like lying to God."

"What?"

"I don't make him any promises I can't keep and I hope he'll do the same."

"You're strange."

Unless the people in question are five, I wouldn't consider that OK behavior. You seem to have a perfectly natural curiosity for religion and they're not doing much to help you express it as you choose to.

But if you feel comfortable, why should you budge? Though maybe a little 'playing the field' would be appropriate?

I'll leave the rest to you and divinity.

- Jordan

The pastor doesn't give me any of that. He's glad to see me.
He's the guy that sold us our daughter's trombone and then donated the amount.

Sounds like a nice guy!

- Jordan

This statement made me giggle It reminded me of my first husband's parents. They are the "Elite, Socially Acceptable Intellectuals" you speak of.
"Mrs. S." was born a dirt-poor farmer, but managed, through sheer tenacity, to climb to the revered position of wife of one of the most honored Professors, from a family imbued with old money. "Mr. S." was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and had the world at his fingertips, but was uninterested in the wealth. Although I believe they truly loved each other, they have stayed together solely for the image, as the passion has been absent for many years.
When I came along, a single-mother of three children working at whatever she could to earn a living, and their son told them I was the person he intended to marry, all heck broke loose.
I was, to say the least, "the wrong type of person" for their family. I presented the wrong image. I was "tainted" because of having had children outside of marriage. And, I was not a "Professional" anything. It didn't matter to them that I had once had membership in the local "Mensa-type" club, that I had graduated high-school among the top 500 in the country, that I had been the most successful radio broadcaster in the country in my years on air, that my children were well educated, well behaved, well nourished, well mannered, and well dressed, that I was dedicated to the success of my soon to be husband and was promoting him in ways he hadn't thought to access before (He was a classical musician), and that I was not ever involved with drugs, alcohol, crime, or the like. All that mattered to them was the image I would project onto their family, that being one of utter failure.
I knew it would be a challenging road to travel, and in truth, the reason our marriage broke-up was because of the constant harrassment of my husband's mother. But, I simply went on loving them as I would love anyone, and I was able to open their eyes a bit to other ways of thinking. I am now their favorite "outlaw", and I have the respect of my ex-husband's mother.

It has also been my experience with "evangelical, born-again Christians" that many of these people, although they may start out with an innocent and eager view of the way things 'could be', if they follow their renewed passion for living life with the awe of self-discovery, end up becoming the people they sought to escape, with attitudes of "have to, must, and to be truly worth anything one needs to do it our way". I have many friends who are in these religions, and I value every one of them. I learn things from all of them.
I had to come to believe, understand, and accept our differences, and not let it get under my skin when they started pushing their views on to me. I had to be able to love and let go at the same time. (Something I am still trying to learn).
I would jump to the aid of any of these people at any time. Just because I do not hold to the same belief system, or doctrine, as they do, does not mean I would ever turn my back, or dismiss them as wrong.
In fact, I admire their ability to stand firm in their beliefs, and I respect them for it.

Here I am ranting again.....

Community can only be community when we respect the individual beliefs of each person there. Like a body has individual cells, those cells each work with other cells, even if they do not have the same function, to hold the body together.
And look at what a marvel our bodies are
Big, small, fat, thin, brown, yellow, green, male, female, hermaphrodite, hairy, bald, scaly, or what have you.

I'll quit ranting now
lady Karen

On the subject of bodies; mine is getting too fat, at the moment. I was looking at my stomach in concern (as I do most days) and I observed a noticable bulge in the skin. I'm kind of scared, I don't want to be fat! I want to be thin and muscular! I had the thin thing, but now I'm losing even that! Kind of annoying. I refuse to grow any more! I think I shall start a diet. I don't know how I'm eating so much, but I must be, so if I simply cut back on it I should improve pretty soon. I hope.

Sorry, just felt like forcing my body-image insecurities on y'all. I'm determined that if I'm going to love my body, it's going to be because I made it the way I wanted it to be! [ at body.]

- Jordan

- Jordan

lady Karen

Flower? -->

- Jordan

For me?
lady

Mais oui, madame... avec mon amour...

- Jordan

Merci, Monsieur
Je vous adorez!
Karen

Icky-poo!

I you, too, Tonsil
You're one of my first flirts here
lady Karen

[Flirts with tonsil also.]

- Jordan

Hi Karen .

The correct French would be: "Je t'adore". The use of "vous" is impersonal whereas love is considered personal .

Matholwch the Schoolmarm /|\.

[Watches Matholwch's cane nervously.]

- Jordan

for the 'marm..
give 'im a lemon, and 'e'll make marmalade!

Flirting!
And I didn't get to see an umlaut, let alone an asterisk....

signed:
visually orientated...

Astarte and her dog!
He's not only a pedantic druid, he's a member of the
Acadamie Francais secret service!