Lee Markland (
markland@rockisland.com )Questions, questions, questions
We ask so many questions, but do we ask enough questions or even the right questions.
The question is not What
The questions is Why
Not what to believe?
But Why do "I" believe?
The answers is simple. Because "I" need to believe?
That raises the question: Why do "I" need to believe?
What needs are being fulfilled, what fears are being assuaged?
And why do "I "believe what "others" tell me?
The way" I" was raised? The group fantasy of" my" household?
Because" I" get my identity by belonging to a group who shares a common belief and identity?
Why do "I "believe "authority"?
We don't believe all authorities, only those authorities which we are taught to believe? Or we want to believe?
Never question authority, unless it is the authority of another group of word controlled humans.
"I" have THE EXPERIENCE and that is why "I" believe. Well what about all those millions who have a different, and often mutually exclusive experience, or no EXPERIENCE at all?
"Are all EXPERIENCES equally true, equally valid?" If so then chaos and insanity, maybe the reason for Chaos Theory, how to make order of a Chaotic World.
"If all beliefs and experiences are equally true, then simultaneously there is no god and hundreds maybe thousands of gods, each with different qualities, characteristics, mandates, prohibitions and laws, or none what so ever as the case may be".
What causes gravity?
Newton said: Matter is made up little corpuscles, evenly distributed throughout and each attracted to each other. - Mass causes gravity, but if that is true then gravity causes mass and that is circular reasoning.
Heck we love circular reasoning. The Bible is the word of god because it says so in The Bible is the word of god because it says so in The Bible is the word of God.....
OK Mass causes gravity (at least NASA concurs in it Dictionary of Astronautical Terms).
So HOW does mass cause gravity, and which came first the mass or the gravity?
Well god did it, the Big Bang (obvious psychosexual undertones), Pope agrees, sez its proof of YHVH.
Christian scientist (an oxymoron) agrees.
Who said the Big Bang? Why authority. On what basis? Mathematics? On what basis? Assumptions? Assumptions been proven? Not really, but math and authority sez it's so, so it must be so. End discussion.
Ah gravitons cause gravity? What are gravitons? Bites me, just a word someone made up to answer the question.
But hey gravity is not a pull it's a push, push, pull, push, and if it is pushing then what is making it push?
Ten thousand abstracts and books later, and up to ones arse in Nobel Prizes and the only answer left is "god", whatever and whose ever that is, your god, my god, his, her, its god. God did it, the devil did it.
No it is Ctultha, and he is pissed, the festering collective unconscious (whatever that is, again no proof) of mankind and he is arising out of his bed of filth and muck and I hear his awful tread even now.
And the Wizard stood on the cliff, looking at the horde of dolts below him, gathered the folds of his star studded robe, and muttered incantations to Mazzaroth-the Zodicac and pronounced in the name of the god whom he created in his own image.
E equals mc squared
or earlier
I am the lord thy god, and I am a jealous god and don't mess with me or dare to disbelieve in me or I'll have this wizard and his band of merry men smite you, or was that Moishe on the Mt of the Moon.
And the real questions are never asked, because we are afraid, maybe intimidated or brainwashed and hence won't ask them.
Why do things move? Because........ god made it that way.
Why does the earth spin on its axis forever? Because.........god set it spinning and only god can stop it.
Why do "I" believe? Because......... I have these needs and fears and I'm afraid not to because I might be punished if I don't believe?
Why do you want me to believe? Because....... I'm lonely, and if you don't believe then that means I'm all alone and crazy.
Why do people commit suicide? Despair.
What causes despair? Alienation.
Simple answers for simple minds.
What actions by humans result in Alienation?
Getting closer.
Why do people resort to actions that cause alienaton?
Ah, this is getting touchy, might have to look deep inside of ourselves, at our own biology our own chemistry and the source of our own fears and needs.
You see we never ask enough questions, and we always settle for easy and convenient answers.
"We live at the bottom of an ocean of air that is 78% nitrogen. Divers have a word for life in a nitrogen enriched environment - Nitrogen Narcosis or Raptures of the Deep" Frederic R. Jueneman, Chemist, "Raptures of the Deep", pub: R&D Magazine, 1995.
(See N3/99)