Divided we fail – united we can achieve miracles!
There are so many questions to which we seem unable to find answers, despite learning more and more about the human brain and the processes of evolution.
We know how we are born but there is no universal answer to the question “Why was I born?”
Research on the brain in recent decades has shown that the part of the brain which relates to empathy appears to have failed to develop in psychopaths.
We know, from work done with stroke patients and others who have sustained brain injuries that, while certain areas of the brain generally control specific functions, it is sometimes possible to train other parts of the brain to take over the function of an area which has been damaged.
The brain is, in itself almost mystical, although technicians are working really hard to develop AI which can perform as well as the brain.
I wonder whether it will develop irrational processes as well as rational ones? Certainly, early computing processes were based on logic, whereas, particularly when it comes to beliefs, the human brain is clearly capable of highly irrational processing.
Under the current government, religion has become an issue to an extent we have never before experienced. Sadly, it seems that the irrational, witch doctor approach has won out.
Having, as a teenager, studied the Scriptures – as an academic exercise – I was left with several very clear impressions.
The Old Testament, the first five ‘books’ of which form the written part of the Jewish Torah, the Law of Moses, is essentially the history of the Jews, their exile from the Promised Land during the reign of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, then going on to the teachings of their prophets and their belief in a future Messiah.
The New Testament opens when Rome occupies Israel, the gospels record the birth and ministry of Jesus Christ, whom his followers believe is the longed-for Messiah, and much of what was written was far from being contemporaneous with the events recorded.
The writings of the disciple Paul dominate the rest of the NT, and there are question marks as to whether he actually penned all that is ascribed to him. Certainly, many of his teachings were not in harmony with those of Christ himself.
There is a degree of confusion as to whether his followers thought that Christ came to help throw off the Roman yoke or to promise a future life after death. The Jews did not accept him as their Messiah, although, later, the also monotheistic Muslims, at the time of Muhammed, accepted Christ as a great prophet.
What came through to me, loud and clear, was that Moses provided a set of rules in the 10 Commandments, which, to a group who believed in one god, formed the laws by which they were bound.
All of the teachings were based on the knowledge of the time, which was clearly very different from current knowledge derived from ever-expanding scientific research.
Some in today’s world, are taught that every word in the Bible is god’s word, to be believed implicitly.
Yet the New Testament, recording an occasion when Christ was ‘asked by one of the religious leaders to identify the greatest commandment in all of the law, Jesus replied by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands. –Matthew 22:37-40 (HCSB)
In many ways, Jesus’ response summarised the heart of the Ten Commandments. The first four of the Ten Commandments have to do with our relationship to God, while Commandments six through ten addresses our relationship to one another.’
So, it is clear he was changing the approach to fundamental rules governing the Jews, making clear that change was not only possible but essential, and laws are not, like those of Moses, set in stone.
A lesson that too many of those who claim to follow him fail to accept.
What was also clear throughout his ministry – at least to me (but, remember, there are many translations of the scrolls on which the Bible is based, and also many interpretations of the resulting scripts!) was that Jesus was opposed to violence and had a message of love.
And with many Christian sects, their behaviour gives the lie to their claim to be following his teachings!
This is obviously to our detriment, now that we have a collection of religious nutters in power whose behaviour gives the lie to their claims to be religious zealots!
It seems that, in some perverse way, their twisted beliefs in eternal life are leading them to encourage events that will hasten the end of the world and deliver them their weird rapture!
They should be locked up and the key thrown away!
Their failure to accept the urgent need to take action (let alone actually take that action), to massively reduce emissions and deal with all pollution, is destroying lives and livelihoods of those suffering the ravages of unprecedented bush-fires – with no end in sight.,
Scott Morrison is not remotely proactive, and delayed reactions are his trademark.
He is far from alone in stamping flawed policies on his country. Modi in India is motivated by Hindu zeal to the disadvantage of Muslins in India and Kashmir. Some Muslim countries are headed by strict and intolerant religious administrations. Other countries have authoritarian leaders for whom money appears to be the god they worship!
Meanwhile – there is no Planet B.
Yes – we are bound by a Constitution which requires us to elect our governments and makes no provision for ousting a government which is incapable of taking the actions which are essential to benefit the electorate.
Not all revolutions have been 100% successful – but this current government is a 100% failure!
Growing the economy is the only thing which interests it and its methods are systematically damaging the economy.
We have a totally incompetent – read the Auditor General’s reports – Department of Home Affairs which is steering the country into a police state (don’t start me on the Department of (IN)Human(E) Services!) and we have media baron Rupert Murdoch very effectively opposing truth and progressive politics.
The French have Juillet 14 – Bastille Day.
The USA have 4 July – Independence Day.
Here in Australia there is division over celebrating 26 Australia as Australia Day, when our First Nations regard it as Invasion Day.
So, let us unite the nation by making it Australia’s People’s Day by getting out en masse to tell the government they are doing a lousy job and we want them out!
Change is scary – but not half as scary as the current bush fires.
Our children have been pleading for action and we are letting them down.
Grit your teeth, defy the government and let your children know that you really care for their future.
Please use this Australia Day to tell the government enough is more than enough and they are leading us to destruction!
“I will do everything in my power to enable Australia to be restored to responsible government.”
Divided we fail – united we can achieve miracles!
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5 comments
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Dr Ian Bayly -
RomeoCharlie29 -
RosemaryJ36 -
Keitha Granville -
RomeoCharlie29
Return to home pageYes, Rosemary, well said. One of your major points about “religious nutters” is covered in more detail in my AIM posting made on 22/12/19 entitled “Heeding the Cry of the Earth”. In my estimation Scott Morrison is a very dangerous nutter.
RJ36, well said but in our neck of the woods only one of our four elected representatives is from the governing coalition and she is as thick as two short planks without relevance or influence even in her own party, let alone the broader bunch of misfits.
As the rain finally tumbles down and we look out on all-pervading tropical greenery the reality of what our fellow Australians are suffering is hard to credit, despite the apocalyptic pictures we are being shown on Facebook, or our mainstream media ( not to mention the platforms I don’t see). Despite having one of the worst starts to a wet season in decades, despite record high temperatures including a capital city overnight highest temperature ever, I suspect most of our fellow citizenry will be shrugging off the calls to action.
I doubt very much that the increasing evidence of the stupidity of pursuing further fossil fuel production, eg the Bank of England warning of coal and oil/ gas as potential stranded assets (?). I do not see the children running our own regional government reversing their decision on fracking, and there is no skin off the noses of exploring companies because we, the taxpayers, are funding it through tax deductions which they can even offset against any profits for years to come.
The search for coal, oil and gas will only stop when these companies have to pay for it themselves and realise they may also face sanctions down the track for their irresponsibility and what will be shown to have been criminal negligence in failing to recognise their contribution to climate change.
Any other government, faced with the catastrophe which Australia is experiencing at this time, would be seeking real and serious ways to help in the process of mitigating the effects of climate change by stopping the insane pursuit of more fossil fuels, by cutting off the access of those exploration companies to the public teat, and by demanding that these tax avoiders pay not only their fair share of taxes but also for the damage they are doing to the climate.
Hawke or Keating would be having a summit of all those with real knowledge and understanding of the problems, and real proposals for a solution. They would recognise that this is a national disaster a threat to life, property, the environment and the economy with a profound need for concerted action.
But this bunch, no way. Hopelessly bereft of understanding or ideas they appear to be ideologically blinded to the necessary course of action. Sadly some state governments, including Labor ones, appear to suffer the same ideological blindness.
Nevertheless We will protest with you on the 26th. Because if we don’t who will?
RC29 – Thanks! We need all the volunteers we can get and we need to make a plan of where and when – perhaps round the main location for Oz Day citizenship,ceremonies?
Not just Jan 26th. Protest, write letters, ask questions, every day until the next election. Do NOT forget what is happening now and just vote with the flow next time. Remember what a failure this government is when leadership is sorely needed, when action is needed. Who the hell cares about a budget surplus when the planet is burning.
Thanks for the clarification about the message of JC. He was a rebel in his time, a protester. The religious ( I use that word advisedly) nutjobs – Pentecostals, Mormons, fundamentals of any variety – have cherry picked the bits of any religious book they choose to fit their scenarios. They are dangerous.
Maintain the rage folks, keep it alive for another 2 years and we may just get out of this mess.
RJ36 that would be the Council chambers. I wonder if any of the local protest organisers have plans?