Myslf, finally

I am a sphere:
complete
a crystalline globe lit from within
with prismatic, undulating fire

glancing down at the pale skin of my arm,
I expect to see it rippling
with
the effervescence that threatens to utterly,
delightfully,
consume me

my eyes are shining brightly
I know this although I do not consult a mirror
I can feel their wide wonderment
a palpable sparkle

my lips curl with amusement
for no one is glancing my way
solemn necks holding upturned faces
sit stoically in careful rows before me
oh, you insensate wretches –
you do not know what you are missing!
can you not sense the electricity
- emotional, intellectual, spiritual –
that envelops me
in a vital, writhing cloud?

my fingers tingle restlessly
but this very impatience is pleasurable
reminding me that I have
passion and anticipation and hope and hunger

unlocking the cell in which my true self has been held
has inspired awe
awakened the smouldering embers that
lie
just under the surface of my breast,
flaring with the fervor of long ago

glaciers melt and flow into brisk rivers
that steam joyously to the roaring sea
natural and achingly right, this breathtaking reunion
I am myself

finally

Supernatural

I think many, if not all, 'supernatural' occurances will eventually be able to be explained by empirical science.

At the moment, I do not partake in the Judeo-Christian idea of a personal God (as if you couldn't tell by the original sin post...). That is, the God portrayed in the Bible - the one who created everything in six days, sent his supernatural Godman of a Son to this earth, and condemns everyone who doesn't follow the human-constructed religious practices to eternal torment.

This is not to say that I reject all things 'supernatural.' Quite the opposite, in fact. Things described throughout history as angels and demons might - probably do - exist, but maybe without the moral ramifications.

Ghosts, for instance. I have heard 'ghost stories' from two separate people whose sound minds and rational judgement I trust a great deal.

Original Sin

Shit happens because you are evil and you don't work hard enough.

This, I have come to understand, is an unspoken tenet of the specific denomination of Christianity (LCMS) with which I grew up. Let me tear it apart and build on it for you.

Why do bad things happen? The existence of evil is certainly a problem for theists. Does gratuitous evil (i.e. evil that does not further the greater good) exist or are all seemingly evil things part of a 'master plan'? If God is so wise and powerful, couldn't he have made the world exclusive of evil?

Well, the LCMS handles this by saying that originally there was no evil in the world - until the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was eaten by Eve and Adam, at which time evil entered the world. My question is...why would such a Tree needed to have been made at all? (and do remember that I am speaking with tongue firmly in cheek here, I do not necessarily believe/disbelieve in God or the literal truth of the Judeo-Christian bible - no claims made yet!) Such an omission would not have taken good away from the world, surely, only evil. Free will would still exist; free will does not depend on the ability to choose between good and evil, only the ability to choose. (I have heard Adam/Eve and the Garden of Eden compared to a toddler left in a room with a loaded gun. A bit harsh, perhaps, but something to think about nonetheless.)

One starts off from behind, paying for the sins of the father so to speak. The concept of original sin is rather tricky, really. No matter what one does one can never get away or work out of it.

One could be tempted to give up: what's the point of trying? That's where the grace of God comes in! This deity first gave man curiousity, then the temptation of knowledge - an animate, crafty one at that - and then when man succumbed, as He surely knew they would, He laid the burden of original sin on every subsequent life, which one can only be rid of by whole-heartedly buying into the grace thing. Even though this grace is 'a gift, freely given,' one is morally compelled to strive to do all the good works possible, and to feel guilt if one doesn't do all one can to better other people without concern for personal needs. Selfless God-ordained service is the theme here.

Which leads me to the absurdity of the personal God concept. Humans are so very narcissistic. A quote from Robert Heinlein's Time Enough For Love articulates my feelings here exactly: "The most preposterious notion that H. sapiens has ever dreamed up is that the Lord God of Creation, Shaper and Ruler of all the Universes, wants the saccharine adoration of His creatures, can be swayed by their prayers, and becomes petulant if He does not receive this flattery. Yet this absurd fantasy, without a shred of evidence to bolster it, pays all the expenses of the oldest, largest, and least productive industry in all history."

What is an alternative to all of this? Step away from original sin, from the Garden of Eden, from God, even, if you wish. A subject for another post, perhaps.

Sonnet

Belief in the system of fate,
trusting in the product of chance,
lifting from yourself the great weight:
"You are culpable for Life's dance."
Cast your guilt off from your shoulders,
free your limbs from their heavy chains!
Stoke the fire where it smoulders -
forget the superstitious banes.
It's unknown on what cause depends;
trusting providence, that's the key.
For, of course, you can't see all ends
and whatever will be, will be.
Exhaustion ever is sweet pleasure's leech.
Why be a slave to things beyond your reach?

Reincarnation

Matter and energy in this universe are conserved, according to current scientific law. Why shouldn't this apply to souls as well? So far science doesn't explain the presence of souls, but at the rate they're going that will probably change sometime in the not-so-distant future. I think the law of conservation applies to souls as well. Meaning reincarnation. Why shouldn't they be used again?