Rabbi Brian's Religion-Outside-The-Box Blog: 77% Weekly

23.40 Belief in God.

2009-07-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

NOTE: This article is part of an ongoing God-beliefs investigation. It's good to read NO MATTER WHAT you believe or don't believe. Really. - RB

Do you cringe when someone asks if you believe in God? If so, you’re not alone.

It often seems like the answer divides us more than it brings us together, so why answer?

I believe we all ought to answer in the affirmative (and that we can do so with a clear conscious) to prove that there just might be more common ground between "us" and "them" than "they" would have "us" realize.

Let’s examine why.

(Note: it doesn’t matter which group you believe is “us” and which you believe is “them.”)

Belief in God: what does it mean?

At its etymological root, the word belief — among other definitions — means 1) "to hold dear," 2) "to desire," 3) "to have faith," and 4) "to accept as true."

Therefore, the sentence, "I believe in God" can mean any of the following:

"I hold dear to the notion that there is a potential for each of us to act in accordance with the highest expression of human ability."
"I desire to feel loved by an unending love."
"I have faith that God revealed the Bible as a book upon which I should base my life."
"I accept as true the notion that an active, all-powerful and all-good, external deity exists."

As you can see, there's quite a bit of disparity in those four statements.

For example, the people who agree with statement #1 and those who agree with statement #3 might both say, “I believe in God."— even though they have very dissimilar creeds.
And that's part of my point — depending on whom you ask, the meaning of the letters G-O-D and B-E-L-I-E-V-E can vary greatly. And that variation makes the question moot.
(Most people never realize this.)

The science of belief.

Great books and articles have been published about the brain’s desire for answers and how our DNA is preprogrammed to believe in something greater than us. This is a truly interesting way of looking at all of this and I give it a lot of credence.

Some scientists argue that humans can need an active, external deity so much that, regardless of the actual existence of this ultimate parental figure, they will convince themselves to believe. These scientists believe that God is created from fundamental human longing. (This is a essentially a modern, über-scientific take on the classic notion that we created God in our own image.) The theory is that humanity, as a group, experiences such a strong need for God that it causes us to believe in God.

One of my hobbies is the study of group dynamics. It is very interesting to observe the way a group tends to perceive its authority figure(s) as all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good. For example, imagine that a group of people is told to go to a room and wait for something, but nothing happens. As long as the group has trust in the formal authorities that sent them to the empty room, that group will invariably put forth a theory to explain away the inconsistency: “The powers-that-be planned for this to happen to teach us a lesson.”

In doomsday cults where predictions are made for specific date, what happens if the expected event doesn't happen? Does the group disband? No. Instead, they come up with an explanation that shows how the previous prediction was somehow misunderstood.

Why belief doesn't matter.

It really doesn’t matter whether or not you believe in an active, external deity's existence. (I know that may seem a bit shocking, but it's still true.)

Let me explain why.
Let’s look at this logically starting with the following two statements:

Either an active, external deity exists or not.
Either you believe in an active, external deity or not.

If an active, external God exists, you still have to get through your day, right? And if there is no active, external deity? Well, you still have the same mind-boggling number of things to do from the time you wake-up until the time you go to sleep. So, really, God’s existence as an external deity involved in your life doesn’t matter.

(For a further exploration of this, click here to read my article about why it behooves us all to believe in Santa)

The second statement is also irrelevant. Believing in an active, external deity doesn't automatically make someone a better person. It doesn’t mean the believer becomes incapable of lying, theft, or worse, murder. And lack of belief in an active, external deity doesn't preclude someone from living a god-like or godly life.

Belief and actions aren't necessarily synonymous. But you knew that already.

It is possible to live a truly religious life filled with spiritual completeness without believing in or ever mentioning an active, external deity. Just as it’s possible to believe in God and still be a schmuck.

A final note on belief in God

I’ve attempted to explain that there is little reason to bother defining yourself as someone who does — or does not — believe in God. And there’s no point in pigeonholing others based on their answers either. Remember, actions are more important that words.

Treat yourself and others as though they are the incarnation of the divine.

22.40 LCK The Terrible Feeling of Loneliness

2009-07-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

My house seems so empty, dear Lord. My life's partner has been away for a few days and there are no sounds in the house except my own. How empty a house can be when there are no sounds in it except ones own. I have been thinking lately of the many people I know whose mates have died and have left their partners with soundless, empty houses. Empty houses that will never be filled again with the sounds of give-and-take partnerships. Empty houses that are never quite filled when only one person is in them. How empty a kitchen table can be, dear Lord, when there is no one on the other side of it looking back. How much less melodious a song is when there is no one else nearby to hum along with. How much less funny a humorous story seems to be when there is no other person's laughter to mingle with our own. Be with us lonely people, dear Lord. Sit across the table from us. Hum with us. Laugh with us. We need to hear some sounds other than our own. Make some noise, dear God. We need to know we are not alone.

21.40 The "What I Know About God" List.

2009-07-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

I've found that a lot of adults don't know what they know about God. (Even the ones who say they don’t believe in God don't know what they mean by that.) That's why I've come up with this simple spiritual-religious exercise, The “what I know about God” List.

Don't worry, you don't have to believe in anything to do this, nor do you have to worry that I'm going to try to convince you of anything. This exercise is just something to give your spiritual-religious muscles a workout.

Let's start with this analogy.

Sometimes when I go to the grocery store, I choose to keep my shopping list in my head, instead of writing down the items I need. As I maneuver around the market, I mutter the list to myself, like a madman, so that I won’t forget an item. I continue to repeat the list as I add my items to my cart, because at this point the list has become an unalterable mantra. It’s exhausting.

When I take the time to write the list down, my shopping experience is always a little more comfortable.

Writing something down frees your mind and leads to having a much more pleasant experience. That's exactly the idea behind this — "The What I Know About God list."

Many people are reticent at first. And we can certainly come up with reasons not to try this simple exercise. But let me encourage you to give it a go. This is not a permanent, once-and-for-all type of list — it’s just a chance for you, in this moment in time, to express what you know about God.

And, yes, I really do recommend you write out your answers. (That's what the grocery list analogy was about.)

In a moment, I'm going to give you a chance to write down a few things that you know about God. But, before that I have two recommendations that usually help people get started:

1. Write out five different declarative sentences about God a day for the next five days. Don't worry whether or not they’re good sentences. Just do it. Then, after a week's time, look at your 25 sentences. Pick out your favorites and place them on the list below.

2. E-mail your friends and ask them, "What do you know for certain about God." When a person's response resonates with what you also know to be true in your soul, write it down and add it to your list. (Don’t be afraid to ask the question, in my experience I have found that adults are often starved for the opportunity to converse about God.)

The list.

In the first column, list the things that you are certain know God is or does. In the other column, place all the things you are certain that God isn't or doesn't.

(Remember, this works a lot better if you print this out and fill it in.)

"What I Know About God"
I know God is /does:	I know God isn't / doesn't:

Spiritual-religious advice for the week: Fill in your list.

When you are done, feel good about yourself that you now have a better understanding (at least for today) of what it is that you mean by the word God than most people do.

With love,

Rabbi Brian

20.40 The Reality of God.

2009-06-22T04:00:00.000-07:00

NOTE: Our investigation into God-beliefs that will continue on and off for the rest of the year begins in earnest with this short article and will be revisited in greater depth in issues 21, 23, 26, 30, 34, 38.- RB

The reality of God isn't defined, but experienced.

It doesn't matter what your beliefs about God are, the reality of God isn't defined, but experienced.

Spiritual-religious advice for the week: stop thinking you can think your way to an understanding of God, reality, and the world and try experiencing it!

19.40 Religious Baggage.

2009-06-15T04:00:00.000-07:00

NOTE: This article serves as an introduction into an investigation into God-beliefs that will continue in issues 20, 21, 22, 26, 30, 34, and 38. My hypothesis is that most adults have stagnated in their theology and I hope to jump-start you back into thinking about these things. - RB

I want to share with you a beautiful spiritual-religious story; it is an ancient, religious legend of some people who live in the hills of northern Thailand. Read it slowly and take it in.

Long ago, one human being wronged another and tried to un-do that error. But, the record of the error was lodged in time, never to be undone. While amends were made, a scar forever remained in history. Time passed, more blunders occurred, and the toll of humanity’s sin grew. After a number of generations, the amount of wrong in the world was seemingly infinite, and humanity could hardly stand to breathe.

The heavens had compassion upon humankind and wanted to help.

A deity had an idea: to balance the scale, an infinite sacrifice — something beyond human ability — would be required. This deity, infinite by definition, became human – finite – a man. And then, as a human being, this divine being killed himself thereby making an infinite sacrifice on behalf of humanity and forever wiping out their collective debt.

I think this is a beautiful tale of a god's love and compassion for humanity. Now take a moment to note your own response to this story: favorable, lovely, charming….

I have to admit that I’ve purposely misled you a bit.

While it is true that this is a legend of a group of people who live in the hills of northern Thailand, I didn’t tell you that those people are modern day Christians living in northern Thailand. It's also the story of many Christians in the rest of Thailand, and also of Christians the world over. If you re-read it, you’ll find it is really the story of Jesus dying for the sins of humanity.

Here’s my point — we tend to have baggage with regard to organized religions with which we are familiar. A dear reader of this newsletter told me that she cringes whenever her born-again relatives say “God bless you,” but she was fine when religious folk in India bestowed upon her their exotic blessings.

If you are like most people, your response to this beautiful tale of God's love is not the same as your take on the basic Christian doctrine of John 3:16 translated into over 1,100 languages and read by billions upon billions of people — "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son."

A favorite quote of mine speaks to this:

If we dislike someone, the way they hold their spoon might offend us. If we like someone, they could drop a plate of food on our lap and we wouldn’t care.

In other words, our preconceived perceptions get in the way.

This is very important to realize — our assumptions that things, people, or religions are a certain way can make us see them as only that and not necessarily as they actually are.

It wasn't until after I was able to drop my baggage about Jesus that I was able to see this story for what it is — a beautiful Midrash that speaks about God's love and compassion for humanity.

As in airports, I will advise you to keep your eyes on your own baggage.

Baggage can tarnish and ruin the most beautiful aspects of religion.

(And, please, for the love of God, let’s not let that same baggage get in the way of what I’m talking about here. I know some folks can get confused when a Jew, not to mention a rabbi, mentions Jesus in a favorable light. Let’s not get bogged down in that.)

With love,

Rabbi Brian

N.B. What I have written reminds me of the article by Horace Miner about the bizarre culture of the Nacirema. If you enjoy anthropology at all, I encourage you read "Body Ritual among the Nacirema .")

18.40 LCK Read My Lips

2009-06-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

I was talking to you in a public place the other day. Lord. My words were so softly spoken I could barely hear the words myself. My lips were moving quickly to express some urgent feeling I wanted to share with you when a woman interrupted my soliloquy and said to me: "Pardon me, were you speaking to me?"

"No," I said, "I was just speaking to myself."

I wasn't really just speaking to myself, O God.

I mean, I was speaking to myself but I was also speaking to you, too. But I didn't say that to the lady. I don't know why I didn't tell her. She certainly looked like a nice enough lady. I think I was a little embarrassed. I was caught off guard with my spiritual side exposed. But, in this two-dimensional, materialistic world I was quickly brought down to earth by her question. I felt uncomfortable. I felt as though she wouldn't have understood where I was in that special moment of my spiritual reverie. I also felt disturbed to have been removed by her from the sacred place I had been lifted to and abruptly forced by her to return to a place of such ordinariness. I should have told her the truth. Maybe my truth would have lifted her to a better place as well.

Help me, dear Lord, to keep speaking to you in public places. Help me to have the courage to simply let others read my lips and to not be bothered about their wondering about my private wonderings.

17.40 Frustration!

2009-06-01T04:00:00.000-07:00

We all get frustrated in our day-to-day lives.

Why? I think it might be because we all have expectations on how things ought to happen, but reality is not affected by our wishes. Consequently, we get frustrated.

This week, as a spiritual-religious exercise, I want you to practice getting frustrated. Just to practice.

(You don’t have to.)

Let's face it, you are going to get frustrated anyway; so here is a chance for you to learn about yourself in a safe environment.

What you will learn in this upcoming exercise is going to be personal to you. You will learn answers to the question, “what do I really do when I get frustrated?” (A lot of us think we know, but frustration isn’t a thinking, it’s a feeling.)

Here’s what I've learned about when I get frustrated:

· I chastise myself for not being clever enough to think myself through whatever problem I’m having .

· I get excited fantasizing of having solved the problem and feeling accomplished in having done so.

· I spend time trying and re-trying solutions that I already know won’t work and then chastise myself for rehashing instead of solving the problem.

· I tend to hold my breath a little bit and don’t notice it until I make an audible, forceful exhale.

Now it’s your turn.

Try to figure out the following:

What is the next number in the following series:

· 1

· 11

· 21

· 1211

· 111221

· ___________

Note your reaction until you either figure it out or give up on it. I advise that when you do either (figure it out or stop trying), you spend a few moments writing a recollection of your experience.

Please notice your reaction to both the problem and to this entire exercise of learning from your reaction.

Spiritual-religious advise for the week: try to learn to be comfortable with the discomfort of being frustrated.

With love,

Rabbi Brian

For those of you still wondering about the answer? The solution will be revealed in the next issue of The 77% Weekly.

16.40 Get Out.

2009-05-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

I know of many, many people whose greatest spiritual-religious experiences have been when they were out in nature.

(Have you had a sense of spiritual-religious connection in nature? If so, then you might be one of those people.)

Oddly enough, many of those same people haven’t been out in nature in a long time nor have plans to be out in nature in the near future.

Isn't that bizarre?

If you like a certain readily available food that is good for you, but you do not eat that food, what does that say about you?

Please, please, if you are one of those people whose greatest spiritual-religious experiences have been when you were out in nature, get out to nature.

Spiritual-religious exercise for the week: If you know of a spiritual-religious activity that fulfils you, schedule it.

With love,

Rabbi Brian

15.40 LCK The Joy of Playfulness

2009-05-11T04:00:00.001-07:00

I was watching the little children stepping on their shadows, dear Lord. They were actually trying to run after their little child-like shadows. Their game went on and on for several minutes. They were lost in their playfulness. I looked at their faces and I saw my face reflected in one of them.

But all of a sudden my face vanished and it wasn't my face at all. My vision of my own childhood passed away as quickly as it came. My own playful spirit vanished too. Just a vapor for a moment extinguished by adult realities.

I miss that little child in me.

I miss those playful moments when the most serious thought I had was to successfully slip away from my own shadow.

I think I understand why adults look so longingly at children at play and why children absolutely never look the same way at adults who are busy working. I think children understand something the rest of us adults don't.

Please, dear God, revive some of the child in me so I can remember and understand what a magnificent gift I once had and, hopefully, can have again.

Love,

Larry

larry@rotb.org

14.40 Religion?

2009-05-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

If you are pressed for time and can only read some of today’s article, skip the beginning and go straight to the section towards the end entitled, “Religion Defined.” -- RB

There is no real history as to the origin of religion. So, here’s my version:

You are in a cave. It’s raining. You are scared. Really scared. Thunder. Lightning. You are terrified. Those with you huddled around the fire are also worried, distressed, and anxious.

Someone suggests asking the tree outside the cave for help; since this makes as much sense as anything else, you do.

Together, you beg the tree that seems unaffected by the deluge to make the water stop pouring down from the sky.

And, miraculously — or by coincidence (it's hard to tell which) — the rain lets up. The tree, it seems, helped.

As a symbolic way of thanking the tree (and perhaps to curry favor with the tree in the future) you place ashes from your fire at its base. This both nurtures the tree and keeps you remembering the importance of gratitude.

The next time it rains, you know what to do.

Religion is born.

Note: There is a difference between religion (connection with the holy) and organized religion (a set of goals and paths to the holy). The main difference is the inclusion of the word organized.)

The view that the origins of religion is based in totemism was put forth by 20th Century Polish anthropologist Bronisław Kasper Malinowski . He theorized that as societies mature, what once was considered magic becomes religion. He continued to say that what once was considered religion becomes science.

And, I think he is right.

I would also offer that we live in society so removed from the origins of religion that we frequently lose sight of the magic in our lives.

Religion Defined.

From the short tale about the tree above, we can learn what religion is really about. Religion, when you boil it down, is about a goal and a path to that goal.

I know that might seem too easy an answer, but it’s true.

· Religion = Path --> Goal

Religion is about a goal and a path to that goal.

This is what people mean when they say, "She exercises religiously." The goal is physical fitness, the path is physical activity like jogging or tennis or skiing.

And, right away we notice something. There can be more than one path to the same goal. If your goal is physical fitness, you can do many things to achieve it.

Moreover, let's examine the goal of physical fitness itself. For some the goal of physical fitness is bulking up and looking buff. For others, the goal of physical fitness might be having a healthy heart. For others, the goal of physical fitness might be flexibility.

Let me present an example where (I think) the path and goal are clear: this newsletter. The goal of The 77% Weekly is: "To encourage you to take your religious life into your own hands — helping you create paths and goals that fit your lifestyle — in order to help you find and be with (the) God (of your understanding)." The path: " this e-newsletter of something spiritual-religious to think about, delivered 40/52 weeks a year."

Now, let's look go back to examine the story of the rain and the tree. The goal was "keeping it from raining" and the path "pleading with the tree."

Or, the goal might be "finding comfort" or "being less frightened."

And, the path could be "imagining results" or "petition prayer."

You can begin to see how what was at first simple, actually is open to interpretation.

Triggers

There is one more element we need to add to our definition that religion is about a goal and a path to that goal. We need to take into account triggers.

Chronologically, a trigger is the first element of any religious path towards a goal. A trigger reminds you of a path and points you towards a goal. It's what triggers you.

In our example about the tree, the trigger could be the rain or feeling the sense of fear.

Triggers are either sense or time related. The former start with sensations: seeing, hearing, etc. The latter start with an event: every new moon, at meal times, in winter, etc.

Almost anything can qualify as a trigger event: picking up your keys, touching money, getting into bed, eating something larger than the size of an egg, seeing a string you tied to your finger, April 15, the last Thursday of the month of November, turning on a light switch, hearing a car horn, seeing a rainbow, feeling a twitch in your hand, knowing that the calendar says Tuesday, being scared, etc.

So, to review, triggers remind you of a path and point you towards a goal.

Numinosity.

Of course, the word religion usually has something to do with the numinous, which is just a fancy word for "of or relating to holiness, spirit, and/or God."

So, using what we learned above, the goal of religion — most of the time — is connecting with the numinous — or, as I like to write it — connecting with (the) God (of your understanding).

The paths (including the triggers) to that goal will vary with the individual.

What Real Religion Ought to Be.

Jiddu Krishnamurti, the 20th century writer and lecturer wrote in 1929, "I maintain that Truth is a pathless land."

How true. How true.

The paths and goals of religion are quite illusive and difficult to define.

Nonetheless, I am going to offer some definitions that I like. Hopefully they can help us remember the goal of our spiritual-religious lives.

Real religion is:

"[Real religion is...] seeking the face of God, striving both to live in God’s presence and to be holy.” (Arthur Green)

“Real religion is surrender.” (Muhammed)

“[Real religion is...] recognizing our inherent connectedness and knowing that we belong to the drama of the universe.” (Larry Hoffman )

“False religion is about how to get to heaven and how to avoid hell... real religion is about how to get through life once you've been through hell.” (Author unknown.)

“[Real religion is...] is not about self, but rather, about self-transcendence.” (Linda Thal)

“Real religion ought not shackle or limit people in their coming to an understanding of reality, God, or themselves; true religion sets people free.” (Rabbi Brian Zachary Mayer)

Now, try adding a few of your own statements or favorite quotes.

Add your own: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

With love,

Rabbi Brian

12.40 LCK Seeing Stars

2009-04-13T04:15:00.000-07:00

from the desk of Larry Keene

Seeing the Stars
Dear God, I have noticed from a lifetime of observing people, that there are two distinctly different kinds of individuals I seem to encounter on a daily basis: those who look upon their circumstances in life and see nothing but mud, and others who look up and around themselves and only see stars. Mud and stars. They are both there, to be sure, but most of us tend to only see one or the other. I saw a woman the other day standing knee-deep in mud but all she could see were stars. I have seen others standing on the crest of a high mountain on a crystal clear night and all they could see was mud. What people see in life,O Lord, doesn't seem to have much to do with where they are in life at all. It seems to have so much more to do with who and what kind of people they are.

Help me, dear God, to see stars even in muddy situations. Give me hope, dear Lord, when I am up to my knees in discouragement. I am not asking you to change my circumstances, I am just asking you to help me to change the way I look at them. Keep me from seeing less when I could be so much more wonderfully blessed by seeing more. Don't let the mud in my life keep the stars from shining for me.

11.40 $2 Angry!

2009-04-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

$2 Angry!

When I drove into the parking lot, the attendant asked me for $10. I handed it to him and he gave me a receipt.

When I drove up to exit, he lifted the gate and I noticed that the posted rate for the amount of time I was there was $8, not $10.

I asked him for my $2 back.

He told me that I should have told him when I arrived that I wasn't going to be there for more than 2 hours. I calmly explained that this was not my fault, but his for asking me for $10 when I drove in, and that I wanted my $2 back.

He pointed to a sign that read, "No refunds given."

“Come on,” I said and waited.

He waited, too.

A car behind me, sensing that no transaction was happening and seeing that the gate had already lifted, honked.

I said, "I'd like your supervisor's number."

He looked at me stone-faced me and waited. (At this point I realized that he had probably done this before, that I wasn’t going to get my $2, and that the longer I waited the longer it would take me to get home. He, on the other hand, was probably paid by the hour; plus a few extra dollars on the side ripping off patrons like me.)

The one beep from the horn behind me multiplied.

"Asshole," I said as I punched the gas and left. (Hey, I'm human — and, like most other human being, I then chastised myself for my being human and losing my cool.)

On the ride home, I called my friend Marla and told her about the incident.

I exclaimed to her, "I can't believe I'm so angry over $2."

She said something very wise that made me feel better, "You have every right to be angry, you were ripped off."

How right she was.

The amount wasn’t the important thing and my telling myself that I shouldn’t be upset was not helping me.

When I'm angry or upset, I often tell myself that I shouldn't be.

And I know I'm not alone.

So many of us commit spiritual-religious violence to ourselves when we tell ourselves that we ought not feel the exact way that we are currently feeling.

What if, instead of berating ourselves, we all heard compassionate voices telling us that it is all right for us to feel exactly as we feel?

Spiritual-religious advice for the week is also the title of a Cat Stevens song: If you want to sing out, sing out.

With love,

Rabbi Brian

10.40 Three things

2009-03-23T04:15:00.000-07:00

There is a song in the musical Godspell that I just love. Chances are, you know it and love it too. It's called “Day-by-Day.”

So simple, so profound, so wonderful.

Day-by-day,
O dear God,
Three things I pray,
To see thee more clearly,
To love you more dearly,
To follow thee more nearly,
Day by day.

While it sounds like Biblical language, this prayer-in-three-parts isn't in the Bible. I've done a little bit of research and found that it was inspired by the prayer of Saint Richard of Chichester who wrote it this way:

May I know you more clearly;
Love you more dearly;
And follow you more nearly.

April 3, officially, is the feast of Saint Richard.

While I don't know much about the traditional ways in which Saint Richard is celebrated, I do think a fitting tribute to him would be for each of us to pray some version of his prayer.

(Really, you can do so regardless of your individual conceptualization of the divine. The prayer works if you use the word God as a placeholder for your highest notions of ethics or if you believe in an active, external deity.)

We can all benefit from "seeing" or "knowing" God more clearly; from loving God more dearly; and "following" God more nearly.

A happy Saint Richard's Day to all of us.

Amen.

With love,

Rabbi Brian

09.40. Downside

2009-03-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

This week I just have a simple, yet earth-shattering question:

What is the downside of having faith that things will work out in the end and letting go of your expectations?

(Perhaps a lessening of your sense of self-importance?)

Spiritual-religious advice for the week: have a little more faith, what can it hurt?

With love,

Rabbi Brian

08.40 LCK Being Negative

2009-03-09T04:15:00.000-07:00

from the desk of Larry Keene

Being Negative
Dear God, I spent a great deal of time the other day with a very cynical person. It had been such a long time since I had been exposed to such overwhelming negativeness. When my day with him was over I felt completely drained of my energy and hopefulness. It was as if my inner light had been turned off and I was left with only my darkness. The birds had stopped singing for me. No one was whistling a happy tune. The world seemed tilted to one side and I was tilted along with it. How cruel life must have been to this person to have led him to look at life in such a mean-spirited way. What made that dark experience so terrible for me was that his attitude not only robbed the light and music from his own soul but it robbed some of the light and music from mine as well. It was so sad that his joyous spirit had been silenced. But it was just as sad that he had succeeded in silencing, for the moment, the chorus of joy in me at the same time. A couple of days have passed since then, O Lord, and the light inside me has come on again. The birds are singing=2 0once more. My hope is up and running again and I am whistling a happier tune. It was a good reminder to me, O God, of just how terrible the darkness can be and how easy it can be to get lost in it. Thank you for providing that wonderful life-giving light again for me. Thank you, too, for the birds and their sweet music.

07.40. More! Fast! Easy! Fun!

2009-03-02T04:00:00.000-08:00

I went to a lecture by David Walsh, Ph.D., who is the President of the National Institute on Media and the Family. He spoke quite eloquently about the adverse effect advertising has on our culture. Indeed our society is quite consumer focused. (Did you realize that the mass media no longer refers to us as citizens and instead calls us consumers?)

His book, No. Why Kids-of All Ages-Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It can be found here.

Unfortunately this consumer focus unduly influences our spiritual-religious lives.

Dr. Walsh mentioned four concepts used both explicitly and implicitly in advertising that frequently impact and influence us perniciously. You'll recognize these four ideas that keep us from feeling whole: More, Fast, Easy, and Fun.

I’m going to talk about each message, the truth, and then give some possible spiritual-religious antidotes.

More
We are led to believe that we need more and that more is better. We are encouraged to get things we don't need in addition to new and improved versions of things we already own.

In truth, we know that less is usually more.

Spiritual-Religious advice:
Next time you are told you need more, focus instead on the fact that life is filled with both abundance and sufficiency. {Blog link: sufficency} Remember that chasing more will never fill the emptiness we all occasionally feel inside.

Fast
We are led to believe that we shouldn't have to wait. Delayed gratification is frowned upon. We are encouraged to enjoy now, pay later. We live in a world that celebrates "instant" everything.

In truth, we know that Gandhi was right when he said, "There is more to life than merely increasing its speed."

Spiritual-Religious advice:
Next time you feel you ought to rush (like at a meal), take a moment to notice the compulsion, perhaps simply take a breath and contemplate what’s making you feel the need to rush.

Easy
We are led to believe that life ought to be easy.

In truth, we know that things that are easily gained are neither as pleasurable nor as appreciated as those things that take some effort. {Blog link: Pleasure and entertainment}

Spiritual-Religious advice:
Next time you are led to believe that a certain something will simplify your life, take a look around and marvel at all how simple your life already is.

Fun
We are led to believe that our life experience ought to be fun all the time.

In truth, we know that pursuing fun is equivalent to taking a drug that will never satisfy.

Spiritual-Religious advice:
Next time you are lured by the promise of fun (a drink or other escape activity), think about which aspect of reality you’re attempting to avoid.

A Prayer / Reminder.
God, please help us all to remember that a healthy spiritual-religious life needs to include unconditional acceptance of ourselves and the world as it is — without changing it to include more, fast, easy, or fun.

With love,

Rabbi Brian

06.40 Except Through Me.

2009-02-16T01:00:00.000-08:00

From my understanding (and probably yours as well), one of the hallmarks of Jesus' life was his radical love and inclusivity. He touched those condemned as untouchable and cared for those deemed unworthy of care.

And yet, John 14:6 — a passage quoted often by fundamentalists seeming to say that the only path to God is through believing in Jesus — flies smack in the face of that concept.

My friend Rev. David Moorman, of the United Methodist Church, helped me to understand that this passage of the Bible is simply and widely misinterpreted. (Note: Dave credits Marcus Borg for this insight.)

Here's the original text:

Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but through me. (John 14:6)

Most folk who misread this text simply don't understand the mathematical rule called the transitive property, which states that if A=B and B=C then A=C.

Let's use some simple variables: X = way; Y = truth; Z = life.

Jesus said, "I am X, Y, and Z."
Jesus said, "No one gets to be with God except through me."
The way to be with God, therefore, is to through X, Y, and Z.

The way to be with God, no matter your theology, is by following a path, investigating and living the truths found, and fully living your life.

Now that makes sense.

As Dave said, "No one gets to God by quoting a passage incorrectly!"

Amen.
Amen.
Amen.

Thank you, Dave, for clearing that up.

Spiritual-Religious thought for the week: go on your way, cherish truths, and fully live.

With love,

Rabbi Brian

05.40 LCK Faking It.

2009-02-09T04:15:00.000-08:00

from the desk of Larry Keene

Faking It
He was faking it, dear God. He acted so confident and self-assured. He appeared so on top of everything but he wasn’t really on top of anything at all and he knew it. In fact, most everyone else knew it too. It was painful watching his self-confident charade. The more unsure he felt within himself the more he seemed to bolster his outward appearance with boastful and prideful proclamations of certainty and assurance. The embarrassment that others around him felt for him was total but no one said a word to him. The King was indeed very naked and everyone acted as if he was beautifully clothed. Truth had taken a holiday. Everyone was faking it. Social lying begat more lying and once we were all a part of it it was difficult for any of us to stop and speak up for the truth.

O God, please keep us from being prisoners of our fears. Clothe us with a clear perception and respect for the truth about ourselves so that others won’t have to be so embarrassed by our duplicity. Give us the courage we need to resist the temptation to fake our living. Give us the tenderness and boldness we need to speak the truth gently and honestly to the people who feel unable to resist living a lie about who they really are. We know that covering up or faking it does not ever free us from our worst fears. Give us the assurance of knowing that the truth can set us free. Help us to trust and believe that being on top of some of the little things in life can eventually lead us to the feeling that we can be on top of the bigger things too. Help us to understand that telling the truth about our fears is the best weapon we have in chasing those fears away. It would be so nice for all the naked people around us to be wearing clothes again so the rest of us wouldn’t have to lie so much to spruce up their appearance.

04.40. Goal of a Spiritual-Religious Life

2009-02-02T01:00:00.000-08:00

The goal of a spiritual-religious life...

What if
the goal
of
your
spiritual-religious
life
wasn't
to transcend...

but to be — to fully be —
and to experience your life as it is?

-With love,

Rabbi Brian

03.40. Artistic Process

2009-01-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

I should be used to the process by now.

At least, I think I should be used to it.

Months ago, on a Tuesday night, I stood at the workshop where I've faithfully made stained glass every Tuesday night for the last seven years. I made a few sketches for a lamp to adorn a beautiful art deco bases a friend gifted to me. After abandoning one design altogether and tweaking two others, I began to get frustrated.

The "right" design wasn't unveiling itself to me.

So I started on another piece of paper.

Half an hour later my design looked less art deco and more like a cat face.
I told myself not to be frustrated, but that's about as useful as telling the sun to stop shining. (It never ceases to amaze me how often we tell ourselves and others to cease having whatever particular emotion we or they are experiencing.)

I've been doing glass work for years, but I still get frustrated when the right design doesn't happen fast enough for me.

I've even written articles and recorded podcasts about the Muses, the classic intermediaries between humanity and the gods who only help after hard work has been exerted.

It still didn’t stop me from getting frustrated.

I continued on, because, in part, I didn't know what else to do.

And then, it happened. In an instant, a simple solution revealed itself in the complex pattern in front of me.

The lamp is gorgeous. I’m proud of it. Take a look.

There is a quote, one of my favorite quotes in the world, by Lao-tzu in Tao Te Ching that speak to this.

Alert as a warrior in enemy territory.
Courteous as a guest.
Fluid as melting ice.
Shapeable as a block of wood.
Receptive as a valley.
Clear as a glass of water.

Do you have the patience to wait
till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving
till the right action arises by itself?

The Master doesn't seek fulfillment.
Not seeking, not expecting,
just present, welcoming all things.

Oh God, please help us to all to be present to our lives as they unfold like works of art before us.

Spiritual-Religious advice for the week: Meditate on the above quote from the Tao Te Ching until you arrive at an answer other than no.

With love,

Rabbi Brian

02.40 LCK Child's Eternity

2009-01-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

from the desk of Larry Keene

Wanting A Child's Eternity

I saw a little child the other day, Lord. I looked intently at him. This was no mere glance-in-his-direction kind of look. It was a long and thoughtful look. The child was humming an unrecognizable tune. A moment later he was caressing an old worn stick with his stub by little fingers. There was no worry or stress on his face, only the complete absorption in that moment's discovery. Time seemed to stand still for this little child. Past, present, and future all seemed to be compressed between his little fingers. Eternity was in his hands. O Lord, I want to find that stick and hum that tune. I want the kind of face that little child had.

01.40 Indulgences

2009-01-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

Take a moment to think about a character flaw you wish you could be rid of.

(This spiritual-religious exercise works much better if you have a specific character flaw in mind, so please think of one. It doesn’t matter if it’s large or a small.)

Got it?

If you've printed this out you can write it here: ____________________________.

Chances are, you would be willing for pay a few bucks to be rid of it, right?

The question I have for you is, how much?

How much would you be willing to pay to get rid of that flaw? Can you think about a dollar amount?

Would you part with $50 if you knew that doing so would keep you from biting your nails?
How about $5,000 if you could quit condemning yourself?
Would you pony up $50,000 if you could have absolute forgiveness for a hurtful act you once did to a loved one?

Now, let's flip this whole thing on it's head.

What if I told you that I would be willing to BUY your flaw? How much would I have to give you to purchase it? Would it be the same dollar amount you were willing to pay to rid yourself of it? Did the amount go up or down? And, how might you feel about the money you earned by selling your shortcoming?

It's bizarre equating spiritual-religious wholeness and money, right?

But we live in a society in which many of the things we "value" have price tags associated with them. So I thought it would be interesting to see if we could assign a dollar amount to the parts of us we don't value.

Social economist Dan Ariely, in his book Predictably Irrational, points out that it's confusing to put a price tag on something that doesn't already have a marketplace monetary anchor. (He tested this by performing an experiment where he asked people how much they would be willing to earn or pay to listen to an annoying sound.)

As you might recall, in the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church was in the forgiving-sin-for-money business. They did this by selling indulgences — certificates to offset the amount of time one had to spend in purgatory as the consequence of a sin. Today we use the word indulgence to mean luxury items with hefty price tags — albeit usually on our physical or financial health, not on our souls.

The selling of “indulgences” still happens today. Tycoons and companies try to buy good names by funding museums and philanthropic causes. Moreover, there are also companies trying to sell forgiveness to the eco-minded for the sin of pollution. Terrapass, LiveNeutral, Carbonfund, and NativeEnergy all allow individuals and companies to off-set their carbon emissions (and ostensibly, their guilt) by planting trees or investing in renewable energy sources. (I'm a bit up in the air about these companies. It seems like a good idea, but saner living might be an easier and better solution.)

Let me end with the spiritual-religious question for the week: If you don't think you can buy your way out of your sin or character flaw, how else do you think you can be redeemed?

Feel free to e-mail me your ideas...

With love,

RB

99.40 Theodicy

2009-01-02T19:39:00.000-08:00

Theodicy.

Introduction

If
God is all-good, all-powerful and all-knowing, how can
there be evil?

Theodicy
isn't a word a lot of people are familiar with. Theodicy — which rhymes with,
but has no relation to, Homer's classic The Odyssey {http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/odyssey.html}
— means "an argument in defense of God's benevolence despite the
existence of evil." Theodicy is a word that encompasses all the answers to
the question: If there is only one all-good, all-powerful, and all-knowing God, how can there
be evil?

But, before we can begin a discussion of God's
goodness in the face of evil, we need to take a closer look at three concepts:

·
monotheism

·
why people don't want
to associate "the bad" with God

·
the definition of evil

1. Monotheism

In polytheism, dysfunctional relationships between deities
explain why bad things befall good people. For example, if your farm got
flooded, it might be explained that the God of rain was upset at the God of the
harvest for some reason outside of your control and you were just an innocent
casualty of their feud.

This isn’t so with monotheism — the notion that there
is only one God. If that God is the one God of the whole world then all calamities
must originate with that deity — there’s no one else to blame.

N.B. The early sections of the Bible are rooted in polytheism — 1)
the Bible makes multiple references to the existence of other Gods.
[http://books.google.com/books?id=BDq7AUgIYacC] 2) The one God of the Bible
might originally have been conceived of as more than one God and were later
unified. This would explain why God has different names, why each name has
different attributes, why the names are in the plural, and why, for example,
Genesis records two stories of the creation of humanity — each favoring a
different name of God.

2. But God can’t be bad!

British psychoanalyst Melanie Klein {http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanie_Klein}
used the term "splitting" to describe a phenomenon that can happen
when humans experience a heightened state of anxiety. Klein observed that while
we may be aware that in good there is bad and in bad there is good — we
nonetheless try to manage our discomfort by splitting our feelings, assigning
the good ones to ourselves while projecting the bad ones onto other objects and
people. This emotional ”splitting” also explains why we commonly view God as “all
good” while eschewing anything that may be perceived as negative.

3. Evil

What is evil? Well, as it turns out, evil is relative.

Things are only evil based
on comparison to other things. Evil is not an absolute — just as there is
no absolute hot, absolute comfortable, or absolute sweet. (Still, it is fun to
put the adjective "absolute" in front of the word evil to describe
something you really, really, really don't like — but it makes about as
much sense as saying that your car is absolute fast.)

The greatest evil has to be viewed in relation to what is considered the greatest
good. So, if you consider the preservation of all life
to be good, then you will probably define the extinction of any life as evil.

Evil is often defined as the
absence of good. This is known as the privative theory of evil and is attributed
to Augustine of Hippo {http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo}. Privative means the indication of the absence
or negation of. But there is a problem with the
privative theory of evil (as with most any privative theory): a lack of
something does not necessarily mean that the opposite exists. An individual
without the strength of a lion is not necessarily a weakling. Not being or
having good does not mean being or having evil.

For our purposes, we will use the word evil as a placeholder for those things of greatest repugnance.

God and Evil.

Back to the question:

If
God is all-good, all-powerful and all-knowing, how can
there be evil?

Before we get into to the answers, I want you to be aware of
two things: 1) We won’t finish this topic with much
more clarity than we currently have here, at the start. 2) Most of the answers will
seem terribly unsatisfying. (Sorry about that; as you might have surmised, this
is a bit of an impossible question to answer.)

The classical answers to the problem of theodicy are:

·
God made evil.

·
There is no God.

·
This is just beyond our understanding; faith, my child.

·
God is limited.

·
Something's gone awry.

Let’s explore each
answer, and then I will present my own answer to the question.

God
Made Evil.

Why? Why would God make evil? Is God a sadist? (Well, based
on the early parts of the Bible it would appear so, but since we’re working with the assumption that God is all-good, this
cannot be the answer.)

Classically, the answer that God made evil is explained as
follows: God made evil so that God can test humanity's freedom of will. Of
course, this presents a bit of a problem because freedom of will ignores God's
omnipotence and omniscience. After all, how can God be all-powerful and control
everything if we have freedom of will? Moreover, how can God be
all-knowing if we have the ability to choose our own future?

Regardless, the notion that God — assumed to be all-good, all-powerful, and all-knowing — made evil
isn't a satisfactory answer.

There
Is No God.

“If there is evil, then an all-good, all-powerful, and all-knowing
God cannot exist.” The existence of evil is the lazy atheist's argument.

Although this line of reasoning might explain why there is
evil in the world, it does not fit the definition of theodicy: "an
argument in defense of God's benevolence despite the existence of evil." Therefore,
we have to move on.

(I know, really unsatisfying.)

This
Is Just Beyond
Our Understanding; aka Faith, My Child.

A lot of folks give
up on organized religion after having a question dismissed at some point by a
religious authority figure with, "This is simply beyond your comprehension."
We want to know but we are told that we can’t know. And
we are told to just trust God and believe.

This answer also implies that the things we
experience as bad aren’t really bad from God’s point of view. Being informed that
we don’t know enough to recognize evil is disconcerting at best.

There is also a non-deistic, metaphysical
version of this answer. It tells us that human perception is the only thing that
makes something evil. In Hamlet, Act
2, Scene 2, William Shakespeare gives voice to this seemingly Zen line of
thinking: "There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it
so." In other words, only an all-good, all-powerful, and all knowing God
can see the world as it truly is — it is beyond human thought and
understanding.

Although somewhat disturbing and mainly
unsatisfying, this line of reasoning is in fact the best argument in defense of
God's benevolence, omnipotence, and omniscience despite the existence of evil.
Yikes!

God is
limited.

The kabbalists {http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabbalah} — a Gnostic-like Jewish group with roots
in 13th century Spain — posit
that God constricted some of God's omnipotence to allow for freedom of will.
They reason that God isn't everywhere, evil exists, and that God needs
humanity's help to repair the world.

This
answer is a wonderful call to social action and encourages humanity to take
part in repairing the world, but this philosophy blatantly ignores the premise
of God's omnipotence, so it doesn’t fit as an answer
to theodicy. (Again, sorry.)

Something’s gone awry

If you've ever been on a theme park ride, then you are familiar
with the premise of “something has gone awry.” Most versions of this defense of
God's goodness cast the devil as a fallen angel operating evil and badness
outside of God's control.

This
answer fails with regard to the notion of God that God is in control of
everything. So it doesn’t work for our purposes.

Rabbi
Brian’s Thoughts

I don’t have a waterproof philosophical argument in defense
of God's goodness despite the existence of evil.

What I do know is that nothing is solely good and nothing is
purely evil. An ancient rabbinic commentary on the Bible says, "There is
no absolute good without some evil in its midst." {http://books.google.com/books?id=82TvQE7i3pIC&pg=PA174&lpg=PA174} This is true. There is no good without
bad and no bad without good.

Nonetheless, I want: I want to be comforted when I’m scared. I know it’s juvenile, but I still want God to be
an idealized parent — all good, all powerful, and nurturing me.

My life, like yours, can be scary — I will never be
able to control enough of my world to feel completely safe and I will never
know when a tragedy is going to befall me.

In conclusion

Is there an answer to the question of theodicy? Why do bad
things happen? I think it has to do with our being attached to a specific
outcome of reality and the future.

The simple truth is, things that
fall outside of our sense of control and how we think the world should be will
always be what we deem to be "evil."

[40/40] Thank you.

2008-12-22T01:00:00.000-08:00

THANK YOU!

One of the hallmarks of a spiritual-religious life is a sense of gratitude.

Oh, am I thankful! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

He is some of my thank you list...

Thank you for your support of this "outside-the-box" approach to religion.
Thank you for having told your friends and shared the newsletter with them.
Thank you for the e-mails you have commented back on.
Thank you to the myriad of folk who read The 77% Weekly at their computers adding some quiet form of "amen."
Thank you to all of you for adding to this world because you are here.

And, I want to publicly thank those who made financial contributions to Religion-Outside-The-Box in 2008: (Somewhat in order of donation)

Anonymous · Mr. & Mr. Don Lively & Mitch Blum · Mary Van Arsdel · Drs. Marcel & Fabiola Nimni · Robert Beuth & Terry Frias · Arlene Ruth Sobel · Jay Hodes & Penelope Fremes · Jeff & Sparky Jamison · John Samuelson · John Nelsestuen · Dayla Frazier · Aurora Milstein · Bruce & Julie Lang · In honor of Brian & Judy's marriage · Clifford & Amalea Caplan · Eileen Barnett · Doug Cox · Judith Keane · Ruth LeFaive · Paige & Jamison Selby · Brett Warner · Suzanne Mullin · Leslee Sipress · The Walpert Family · Julie Harris · Patricia Prezyna · Marla Kaseff · Nicole Martindale · Linda Krell · Elissa Davidson · She who does not care to be listed · Sheldon Renan · Lisa Kaseff · Damon & Amy Pitler Shimota · The Martone Family (Mark, Lisa, Gabrielle, Grace & John) · Mark & Isabel · Steve Krantz · Lis Stewart · Fran Jablway · Julie 'The Dreamer' Klee · Larry Arnold · The Verdught-Cooley Family · Anonymous · Steve & Carol Billig · Peter Ostrow · Please Do Not List Me, Thank You · Anonymous · Robin Shanker & Joseph Anzelmo · Mary Gibbins · Bruce Hazen · Bryan & Alissa Binns · Larry & Anne Lincoln · Maurice Frank · Do Not List Us, Thanks · Kathy & Josh · Rev. Dave · Natasha Kaul · Tammy Matz & Daniel Millner · Diane Goodman & Nicolasa Cecelia Navarez · C.Liesy · Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church's Peace and Justice Task Force · Donald & Ylain Mayer · Marilyn & Morris Sands · Mrs. & Mrs. Jimenez-Doitch · Michael Poirer · Tracy Hartley · Brian Maxey · Judith Keane · Michael Medena · Linda Crosfield · Sonya Ash · James McClelland · Debbi Zimmerman · Reverend Dave · Sarah Lucas · Staci Valentine · Mary Beuth · Adrian Gologan · Catherine Rosenberg · Nancy Smith · Peter Hartel · Jonathan Galatzan · Amy Dominy · The Garcia Family · Scott Magged & Susie Mintie · Ralph & Patricia Barlow · Rena Dushey · Leah Sullivan · Anonymous · Ketubah Ketubah · Frances L.G. Jablway · A Reader in Canada · List this as the name to be listed · Bob & Mary Lou Wallner · Sharon 'Glass Class' Allen · Jess, Dean, & Logan Christopher · Susan Dietz · ? · Laura Jane Forrester · Martin Rutte & Maida Rogerson · Tarin Bross · Tammy Matz & Daniel Millner

Click here if I omitted you. (I'm terribly embarrassed if that happened.)
Click here if you would like to make a tax-exempt contribution to help further this ministry-rabbiniate's goal of empowering people to find and be with (the) God (of their understanding).

Thank you and with love,

Rabbi Brian

[39/40] Merry Whatever

2008-12-15T01:00:00.000-08:00

Last year for our family holiday newsletter photo, I donned a Santa hat.

Similarly, when I visit a church and everyone sings a hymn that mentions Jesus is King, I sing along too.

Some
Jews I know seem to believe that their religious identity would be
somehow tarnished or diminished if they dared to do things associated
with Christianity.

I'm not so skittish.

God
and religion, as best I understand both, are inclusive - not meant to
separate us from each other or our experience of life, but to bring us
together.

(This is important, so let me put it here one more time: God
and religion, as best I understand both, are inclusive - not meant to
separate us from each other or our experience of life, but to bring us
together.)

Consequently, this week, I'm very glad to wish you a Merry Christmas.

With love,

Rabbi Brian

Rabbi Brian's Religion-Outside-The-Box Blog: 77% Weekly

23.40 Belief in God.

22.40 LCK The Terrible Feeling of Loneliness

21.40 The "What I Know About God" List.

The list.

20.40 The Reality of God.

19.40 Religious Baggage.

18.40 LCK Read My Lips

17.40 Frustration!

16.40 Get Out.

15.40 LCK The Joy of Playfulness

14.40 Religion?

Triggers

Numinosity.

Real religion is:

12.40 LCK Seeing Stars

11.40 $2 Angry!

10.40 Three things

09.40. Downside

08.40 LCK Being Negative

07.40. More! Fast! Easy! Fun!

06.40 Except Through Me.

05.40 LCK Faking It.

04.40. Goal of a Spiritual-Religious Life

03.40. Artistic Process

02.40 LCK Child's Eternity

01.40 Indulgences

99.40 Theodicy

Introduction

2. But God can’t be bad!

GodMade Evil.

ThisIs Just BeyondOur Understanding; aka Faith, My Child.

Something’s gone awry

RabbiBrian’s Thoughts

In conclusion

[40/40] Thank you.

[39/40] Merry Whatever

God
Made Evil.

This
Is Just Beyond
Our Understanding; aka Faith, My Child.

Rabbi
Brian’s Thoughts