An Unearthly Paradox

      For over 70 years throughout the world and up to the present time there have been literally thousands upon thousands of reports of UFO activity, many of which include alien abductions. Even granting that the majority have been from mischief makers or hoaxers, there still remain thousands of cases reported by the public in addition to many unimpeachable sources including astronauts, pilots, air traffic controllers, the military, and police forces.

Throughout this time the reaction from official sources has been to denigrate, ridicule, scorn and deride such reports. This even extends to casting doubt on the sobriety and even the sanity of those involved. Indeed, the career prospects of many who dared to speak out have been adversely affected. With the recent exponential growth in a variety of communication options, this maligning and muzzling of witnesses has become more difficult to enforce. The amount of evidence is overwhelming. Although non believers referring to “little green men” etc is possibly becoming a less routine response, understandably there remains some reluctance to “go public” with genuine sighting reports and run the risk of being humiliated.

Nevertheless, there are many who are willing to go on the record. YouTube has a large number of these, some more credible than others.  Among the most credible of those with no doubt whatsoever, is astronaut Dr. Edgar Mitchell who was the sixth person to walk on the moon;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExCeqjJ2-G8
as was his fellow astronaut, the late Gordon Cooper.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvPR8T1o3Dc

Also Paul Hellyer, ex Canadian Defence Minister, has frequently spoken publically on the subject  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BhXgkYY_hY

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In the case of alleged abductions, many of those affected suffer memory loss and psychological after-effects. In some cases their experiences can be recalled during regressive hypnotherapy sessions. However to publicize this tends to reinforce the outpourings of the “I told you so” experts who claim this as verification of mental instability. Strangely however the reports from abductees show a remarkable agreement in describing their captors and the details of their ordeal. Many claim to have been abducted on numerous occasions.  In spite of the commonality in their accounts there still remain those who won’t be convinced, whatever the evidence. 
However there is one event which to me provides the nearest thing to “smoking gun” evidence that exists. It concerns a school in Zimbabwe where over 60 school children witnessed a UFO which landed on the school grounds during recess and from which emerged two entities who approached and engaged the children.

Subsequently many of them were interviewed by Dr John Mack, a Pulitzer Prize winner and world renowned Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard University, who was investigating the alien encounter phenomenon. He is probably the most esteemed academic to have studied the subject.

The school is a good example of a post colonial multiracial establishment and the YouTube video showing some of the interviews reveals that they are intelligent and remarkably articulate in their responses to difficult questions. After viewing this can anyone doubt their accounts? Moreover they are very much in line with other similar reports world-wide. Watch this and see;   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W75HZD8VaE

So there we have it. Even when all the chaff has been removed from the wheat, there still remains a huge body of irrefutable evidence to consider. Additionally, there are those who despite having experienced extra terrestrial phenomena, feel outside their comfort zone to reveal their stories. This is no doubt to preserve their ongoing social acceptability.   

The very defensive attitude exhibited by US politician Dennis Kucinich in this recent YouTube video is typical of the discomfort expressed by public figures when questioned;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOwqlYeWqxA

Even with the evidence in plain sight of increasingly mathematically complex crop circles, there are still those who prefer to believe that these are the work of a couple of drunken farm hands armed with a stake, a ball of string and planks tied to their feet!  In addition to these yeomen of the sod there has been a great deal of thought and effort put into crop circle construction by artistically minded humans. These can result in fairly complex patterns which are aimed at debunking all and any other explanations.

Example 1 shown below from 2001 consists of 409 circles. In 2012 a challenge was issued to the debunkers to recreate this design. So far there have been no takers. It would suitably stretch the imagination of those who might accept the challenge, knowing that they have to leave no signs of their presence, lay the wheat in the customary weaved, layered configuration and have just dusk to dawn to complete the work! The extraordinary Example 2 raises the bar considerably. Taken by Lucy Pringle it shows what appears to be an alien head and a disc in binary code which apparently contains an enigmatic message which has been decoded (see below). Planks and string just don’t cut it anymore!

The latest development in this saga has been the emergence of “debunking debunkers”. 

The following video is very compelling;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMOezRBwHWo

In summary it is quite extraordinary that in the face of so much evidence, desperate efforts to deride and denigrate the phenomenon continue unabated. 

  

Example 1

         

Example 2

Released decode of message contained within circle of Example 2.

 “Beware the bearers of false gifts and their broken promises. Much pain but still time. There is good out there. We oppose deception. Conduit closing”.

* * *

  

In complete contrast to the foregoing, all organised religions are based exclusively on faith with no supporting evidence other than that provided in the relevent “Holy Book” of each. Since I am more familiar with the Judeo/Christian Bible, I will confine myself to its content. The history of this venerable document stretches back nearly 2000 years since when it has been translated and edited multiple times from its original Aramaic or Hebrew into Greek, Latin and ultimately English. Far from representing a consensus of its content, each edition inevitably reflected at least an element of the individual agenda of each editor. By the Tudor era there were many different and opposing interpretations. It was a shambles.   

The Garden of Eden; from history to mythology

Lucas Cranach der Ältere(1472–1553)

Finally in 1604 under the auspices of King James 1 and despite the objections of many, a concerted attempt was made to produce an “Authorised Bible” which was designed to represent the best of the disparate other versions. As this task involved no fewer than 47 scholars, this led to still more differences in individual interpretation and content. Furthermore the Apocrypha was arbitrarily omitted from the Protestant version as were several other books. Nevertheless despite its chequered background and doubtful provenance, the outcome is still considered by the faithful as being God’s word.

* * *

    

       In conclusion, here we have a strange dichotomy. On the one hand in the UFO case there is a wealth of supporting evidence but considerable resistance to embracing it. Regardless of personal conviction it is considered better to reject than to run the risk of career limitation or social (-no pun intended!) alienization. On the other hand we have an ancient religious book which has been, and still is accepted without any supporting evidence or proof at all. Over the past centuries belief has been obligatory under pain of torture or death and even nowadays it is still more socially acceptable to believe -or as I suspect in many cases, to feign belief. The latter is sometimes referred to as Pascal’s Wager or “playing it safe”.

Deliver us from Evil!

          In view of the somewhat serious tone of my previous few efforts, I considered that it was time for a lighter topic. However, recently I had occasion to view a remarkable TV documentary entitled “Deliver Us From Evil”.

This is now available on YouTube in a series of bite-sized 4-6 minute episodes. I would strongly recommend that all who visit here should take the opportunity to view it in total to fully appreciate how unspeakably evil is its content. I was so incensed I felt bound to respond immediately.

The below address locates Episode One. From here it is simple to navigate onwards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N86RFBz4rs

       This chronicles the experiences of several families with small children, all of whom become sexual prey of a Catholic priest, Father Oliver O’Grady. The distress of the parents when they learn of his abuses can be imagined. Their family life was effectively destroyed.
       In one of the examples, a 40 year old woman victim who remains mired in Catholic dogma insists that when she is married it must be in church. Sadly this is unlikely since her father who must be present to give her away refuses to ever enter a church again because of what happened. The mother became so distressed that she had to give up work whilst her husband has had to do likewise to support her. In another and quite astonishing example, O'Grady was actually successful in establishing a sexual relationship with a mother as a means to getting access to  her small son! Despite all this, the reaction of church officials after being informed of these abominations was disbelief denial, deception and lies. Clearly this was nothing new to them and one with which they had become familiar over the years 

        Throughout the entire series the only church representative with genuine concern and integrity is the commendable Father Tom Doyle who, in addition to his clerical affairs, is a lawyer and historian. His actions over the years to bring all this abuse into the open he says has resulted in him being fired from two major church positions.

          To give an idea of how high in the church this extended, in 1978 the church appointed someone responsible for making sure that priests did not abuse children. This appointee was none other than Joseph Ratzinger the current Pope! Not only was he very unsuccessful in this but he was actually accused of covering up sexual abuse in the US, but at the Vatican’s request the then President George W. Bush granted him immunity from prosecution.

          At the conclusion of the documentary, two of the victims, together with the parents of one victim accompany Tom Doyle to Rome. Here they attempt to deliver a letter to the Vatican but are refused admission. They hand over the letter to the guards. No reply or acknowledgement has ever been received.   

          As for the disgraced Father O'Grady. It was later estimated that he had hundreds of victims. Ultimately he would serve seven of a fourteen year prison sentence, after which he was removed to Ireland. Throughout, he seems remarkably sanguine and  quite complacent without a trace of remorse.

        The film was made in 2006. In March 2011 Oliver O’Grady was caught in Dublin Airport in possession of thousands of pornographic images of children from the ages of 3 to teenagers  

*  *  *

          This appalling debacle seems to have stemmed directly from the Church’s policy of celibacy by priests. This was not as a result of any New Testament directive. In fact the subject was rarely raised until the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. In fact, many Popes were married and continued to be so for a considerable time thereafter. According to several sources, including the film, the main purpose of celibacy was to prevent the estate of deceased priests being handed to their eldest son and instead transferred directly to the avaricious Church coffers. In fact it seems that celibacy was not considered in any way mandatory until the eleventh century. 

         

        In my view this policy inevitably led to the priesthood being comprised from three main sources or categories:

1. Heterosexual

Very few likely. What normal healthy man would willingly give up normal, highly desirable relations with a woman together with the concomitant foregoing of family life. This would be quite unnatural. Why would they reject a great gift from God?

2. Asexual.

Another small number –many of whom could be experiencing emotional dysfunction or other health problems.

3. Homosexual or paedophilic

Very appealing to those with these proclivities: either between themselves or unfortunately involving children of their congregation. Their workplace environment combines maximum availability with frequent opportunity.

          Other than group 2, no one is immune from sexual instincts and associated hormonal agitation. Nature is no respecter of religious rank or denomination No one is impervious to its powerful urges. Periodically, some relief process is unavoidable and will occur by one means or another; either by sexual intercourse, masturbation or if all else fails, nocturnal emissions. It will occur. How the formulators of doctrinal protocol could ignore or turn a blind eye to this fundamental reality of all animals (-including bishops and Cardinals!), beggars the mind.  

The disastrous results of this thinking (-or more likely lack of it) are manifested in the film. The sole function of these self-styled representatives of God is to provide pastoral support and spiritual guidance to their congregation. It is impossible to conceive of such a massive betrayal of trust. Their vile and despicable acts extend even to babies!. I am completely unable comprehend how they can continue to live with themselves.

*  *  *

          In addition to the above, historically the Catholic Church has been responsible for bloodletting and massacres on a grand scale. From the Crusades, the Conquistadores, the Inquisitions, burnings at the stake, beheadings and torturings during Britain’s Tudor period and more recently in Rwanda, erstwhile Yugoslavia and elsewhere. Yet despite all this, the Church and its diverse activities continue. The effects of early indoctrination amounting in effect to brainwashing are difficult to overcome particularly in underdeveloped countries. Thankfully at long last as people become better educated, more and more will at last see it for what it is.  

Deism -not such a giant leap of faith!

I have lost count of the number of times that I have heard that America was created by the Founding Fathers as a Christian Nation. This assertion is quite untrue. I have recently been doing some research on the subject, the results of which have been very revealing. Washington, Jefferson, Locke, Adams, Paine and Franklin were surprisingly ambivalent on religion and indeed most held Deist views. In fact Thomas Paine penned the seminal Deist book “Age of Reason” which was an eloquent tirade against organized religion, particularly Christianity. Deism became more prominent in the 17th and 18th centuries during the Age of Enlightenment both in Europe and America among thinking people who had been raised as Christians. They believed in one God but found fault with the so called “revealed religion”. In particular they could not accept its beliefs in supernatural events such as the New Testament miracles, the notion of a Trinity or the Resurrection.

Deism is based solely on reason, personal, experience and the observation of nature.The main contention stresses the difference between “revealed” or “reasoned” beliefs. As Thomas Paine said; revelation is solely a onetime event. No biblical writings were by people who were actually there. Subsequent to this he states -“there is only hearsay”. He went on to say:

“I believe in one God and no more; and hope for happiness beyond this life.

I believe the equality of man, and I believe that religious duties consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our fellow-creatures happy.

I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. 

My own mind is my own church.

All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian, or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit.”

Below as a printed example of the foregoing, I paste Article 11 of the treaty of Tripoli which was signed by President John Adams and unanimously ratified by the Senate in May 1797 

  
Deism, which is currently enjoying something of a resurgence, is the purest, most honest and simplest of all belief systems, requiring nothing more than a God who they assert, having first calculated the appropriate equations, fired up the creation programme and then sat back to observe the results. At the time of the Founding Fathers there were no evolutionary considerations as this predated Darwin’s “Origin of Species” by about 60 years. There were no Big Bang concerns either, so there was no muddying of the theological waters. Simply accepting that God was the original Creator they argued, was all that is necessary and attempts to introduce intermediate stages between God and the people are invalid. All so called “revealed” religions with their convoluted complications and restrictions are the manifestations of either the power hungry, control freaks or those who make a living from it.           

Some traditional deists believed that God, whilst no longer active in creation did not abandon it but merely watched to observe. However, most modern deists believe that God is most likely to have made some course corrections or carried out some fine-tuning. With the arrival of evolutionary thought, some feel that the emergence of homo sapiens required something more than merely holding a watching brief. This was due to the intangible -some may call it spiritual properties of the new species.

The most difficult to understand features of physical evolution are now understood –even the eye (-or so I am told). However amongst all living creatures, mankind possesses a number of quite distinct and unique properties. The most obvious is conscience, and it possesses what might be described as an instinctive morality which embraces the concept of good and bad, right and wrong. Although born with it, for a variety of reasons, many choose to compromise or even ignore this. 
Perhaps even more remarkable is our ability to create and appreciate music, literature, sculpture, painting etc. However, for me the most puzzling -unless our evolution followed the same branch as kookaburras or hyenas, is laughter. From what or how does a sense of humour evolve? 

Also to consider is the precise positioning of the earth relative to the sun and its 23.4 deg. tilt to give the seasons. Which came first, the evolution of plants to match the above or was the earth tilted to match the sun to the plants?   Do we really need to know? Deists take all of this in their stride. Believers are simply encouraged to give some thought to life’s mysteries but not to obsess over it.

The same thing applies to life after death. They will find out in due course as to its veracity. If it’s not true then they won’t know or care one bit. God has given everyone a magnificent mind to think with and would expect that it is used to its fullest capacity, not regrettably, like many of religious persuasions who expect someone else to do their thinking for them. Deists argue that you deal directly with the top man, the President and CEO. He is unlikely to defer anyone in the direction of the self-appointed sectarian subordinates -all complete with their specific and stifling agendas. Provided that you’ve made your best and honest effort with life, that would be considered quite sufficient.

After having recently read a number of publications –including Paine’s “The Age of Reason”,  I am amazed at how the plethora of so called “revealed religions” still prevails -complete with their seemingly endless and contradictory sects, ostentatious structures, paraphernalia, trinkets, fancy dress and funny hats. Above all is the shameless exploitation of primitive fear, superstition, coercion, the supernatural and finally threats of divine retribution, followed by eternal damnation (-by this God of unconditional love!) for those who fail to make the final cut. This monstrous proposition has for long oppressed and terrified much of the world’s population. For those prepared to make the transition there is no further need for sycophantic grovelling on bended knees, chanting, begging and telling God how great he is. He will already be well aware of the fact! Deism would effectively render the ecclesiastical baggage and self centred control wielders of all monotheistic belief structures redundant.

My recent exposure to Deism has been nothing short of an epiphany into an environment where common sense prevails, with all unnecessary theological knots untangled, a transition into an world of sunlit simplicity; a breath of fresh air; an expanse of cool clear water –or any other suitable clichés to comprise -as its adherents would have it; a reasoned, nature-based assessment!          

To conclude, the address below from the Modern Deist website outlines its principles and offers up a sensible list of 12 modern “Commandments” http://moderndeism.com/html/deist_principles.html These make infinitely more sense than the antiquated original with its oxen, asses, graven images etc., However, despite the dictates of the original second commandment, no doubt the latter will continue to be well represented by the many stone facsimiles which exist in and around  places of worship!

What Kept You?

                       My old scoutmaster, who was also the local Rector of our parish, despite being a bit of an irascible old tarter, held some fairly progressive views on the subject of human history and specifically evolution. Far from the creationists beliefs that the world had been magically kick-started into existence a mere 6000 years ago, he was a supporter of Charles Darwin. Seeing a perplexing disconnect between evolution and the story of Adam and Eve, I plucked up enough courage to ask for an explanation. His response was immediate and unequivocal. Genesis was not tied to a specific historical date, but was a creation myth meant to represent the period within evolution when Man (and Woman) first became aware of the difference between right and wrong and possessed the conscious ability to make moral choices. I was quite impressed!

            According to a wealth of historic scientific data, Man is considered to have reached his current evolutionary state several hundreds of thousands of years ago.  Indeed Louis Leakey and his successors have found anatomical remains of humanoid fossils in Kenya from well over a million years ago.

            Religious scholars tell us that the development and institutionalisation of most of the world’s religions took place during the “Axial Period”. This extended from about 800BC to about 200AD. In the case of Judaism there is no precise date. Its origins could go back as far as 6000 years. The current year of the Jewish calendar is 5773. On the other extreme, Islam did not appear until approximately 600 AD. Overall however, 6000 years seems to bracket the development of the “ground rules” associated with the monotheistic Abrahamic faiths.  

            However, thinking this through presents a total enigma. The problem is in reconciling the Axial Period dates with those associated with the evolution of contemporary human beings. Even taking worst case scenarios, we have two dates where we are comparing the origin of religions 6000 years ago against at least 100000 years of human existence. In other words despite all manner of savagery, intertribal slaying, smiting, hacking and hewing taking place over the intervening millennia, religious followers seem happy to accept the fact that their deity of choice  looked on for at least 94000 years and did nothing! Why? Even then, in the case of the Abrahamic religions, an obscure  region at the eastern end of the Mediterranean inhabited by primitive and warring desert tribes was chosen as its seed area. One might have thought that in order to get the process off to a flying start, God might have looked further to the East where philosophy and civilization was somewhat more developed.

            Of course this fits nicely with the beliefs of the creationists who believe only in “instant” creation 6000 years ago -contrary to all of the geological, archeological and biological evidence gathered over the years. Even worse, they seem quite happy to reject all of the capabilities of their God-given powers of thought and reasoning.  

             

The Sweet Hereafter

      The notion of life after death is pivotal to the belief structures of most religions. To them, without it the purpose of life is difficult to comprehend. Millions lead their lives in the expectation that having shrugged off their respective mortal coils they will be magically transformed to a magical place called Heaven. For the majority, this ultimate venue is seen as a reward for having lived their lives in obedience to the tenets of their chosen faith (or more likely one that was chosen for them!) where they will once again meet up with their “pre-deceasers”. Then, happily once more rejoined with previously departed family and friends -and with what had been their terminal pre-death circumstances fully eliminated they will party on in a state of bliss for eternity. On the other extreme, the destination of those who didn’t make the celestial cut will be the fire and brimstone tortures of Hell. This little scenario over the ages has been utilized to control and subjugate the sinful, intransigent masses. Better education and scientific evidence has made the above an increasingly unlikely explanation and an increasingly poor refuge for those who are determined to stick with it.
      Those who take the trouble and have the fortitude to think the process through will find the concept difficult to embrace. Should there be an afterlife, what form does it take and where is it located? Certainly it is not within the astronomic range of current telescope technology. The Hubble instrument is able to probe millions of light years back in time towards the very origins of our universe and as far as locating any possible heavenly location has drawn a complete blank. It has been suggested that there is a parallel universe or alternatively another dimension outside the scope of our mortal purview which will explain everything -if we only understood what it means!
      Anyway, let’s follow an example through. Human relationships are physical as well as spiritual. A husband/wife relationship (the successful ones!) contains a strong spiritual component (or should do) but there is also a strong physical element too. Te wife sees in her husband a collection of characteristics which she has come to strongly associate with him, many of which are physical. Even knobbly knees, beer belly, balding head a distinctive walk; his good and bad habits all form an amalgam of characteristics which collectively constitute “him”. Similarly the husband will retain an image in his mind as to what originally attracted him in the first place, much of which would have been physical. All her physical and sexual components would have played a significant part in addition to her personality characteristics. As time goes by, less tangible characteristics will replace the physical component by a spiritual element of the relationship and will hopefully enhance it. What then would be the form of the loved one in the afterlife? Would it be as it was when they were in their physical prime? It surely could not be immediately prior to death. That could be most painful to say the least.
      However, the point of all the foregoing is that in our terrestrially-based thinking, such a spiritual manifestation cannot be without at least some of the physical form since that, throughout life it has been an integral part of what defined the individual. With this scenario it is extremely difficult to envisage how it could ever work. How would my mother appear to me? As she did when I was 5 or 45, the latter being my age at her demise? Would she appear as she was when they were married and physically in her prime (-five years before I was born); or in her depleted state before she died. How would she appear to my father? Would she be as when they were married or just before she died at 75? How would my father appear to her? When they were married or prior to his death as a frail old man of 91? Could she appear differently to us both?
      Since throughout mortal life physical phenomena played such an integral part, the fully mature post-life spiritual identity must include some acknowledgement of it. As an crude example, the notion of Whitney Houston as purely spiritual would lose all of what constituted her vocal achievements and physical attributes!
      For this reason I find great difficulty in grasping the fundamentals of how the afterlife would work. I cannot envisage how the complete separation of the spiritual from the physical could be satisfactory from any aspect. The notion that we all float around merely as ectoplasm or spiritual entities (whatever that means) seems preposterous. Whatever spirit form is taken, to be identifiable to others in the same predicament, it would need some form of a recognizable I.D. or be a facsimile of an erstwhile flesh and bones person as they were at some point in their life and certainly before the onset of terminal decay. In particular consider the harrowing last stages of an Alzheimer’s sufferer.
      Because of these considerations it is difficult if not impossible to accept the terrestrial concept of the hereafter with the simplistic wisdom of the dear departed “looking down” (-looking up in the southern hemisphere!). In the distressing case of the departed being a child who now has become “one of God’s angels” another terrestrial intrusion occurs. The mere concept of angels implies an atmosphere; otherwise their wings would be superfluous. Even hellfire assumes the presence of oxygen to support the conflagration. To perpetuate such notions can be of little consolation to anyone taking the time to think it through. Without some form of physical prompt, how is one to know who or what are we dealing with. If we are unable to “see” or “feel” what senses would we use for identification and communication,
      Maybe some of the ancients were right after all and that paradise is simply heaven on earth! This would perhaps be a fine thing if all its positive features remained and all the negatives were eradicated. However, with all humanity milling around since the dawn of time, space would become a consideration. More likely is to be something much more profound, possibly involving some form of “collective consciousness” containing the quintessential essence, not only of the departed individual, but all of those who have gone before. Could we develop some form of all-embracing “spiritual awareness” which would transcend our earthbound senses? Once again, we find comprehension of anything outside our earthly lot difficult to imagine. Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics and the general acceptance that the cosmos, far from being a vacuum, is a seething mass of electromagnetic waves or particles, variously referred to by such nomenclature as “The Field” or “The Matrix” leads us to believe that we are all connected. As I previously suggested, we could all be part of a shared consciousness.               

      Furthermore it might be that for their allotted life span, every person is provided with a particle of Matrix to which they impart their individual characteristics and behavior based upon a similar sounding word –conscience. At their demise, this portion (their soul?) is then returned to the Matrix for assessment, retention or recycling into a new physical body. As to how or by what criterion this grading would be made I have no idea. Finally, one wonders what activities the departed would engage in for eternity. Away from the earth and its operating envelope, there would be no circadian rhythms, no day or night or seasons. Just a continuous, eternal awareness, stretching into infinity. Assuming that such phenomena as tedium or boredom are not applicable in the celestial realms, what the heck would we do all this time?  

      Because of all the foregoing, whilst keeping an open mind, the existence of the popular concept of the sweet hereafter seems highly improbable. If it does exist, I am sure that it will be a far cry from the simplistic and wildly unlikely notions that we will all be at heavenly peace in the arms of Jesus -along with the 30+billion other existing residents. With the religious doctrines losing credibility, to persist in these fanciful notions, a better educated and informed populace will progressively be alienated from their particular belief fantasy. However, the residue of early mind indoctrination and superstition might still remain -despite the amount of evidence to the contrary, and result in a superstitious “what if” concern that they just can’t shake. 

      Although the actual process of dying is understandably something to dread; having completed the process many seem to be afraid of death and overly concerned about a possible hereafter? They were not alive in 1800 and didn’t miss it. Why worry that they won’t be alive in 2100? In the event that there is no afterlife, this is the worst scenario. The oblivion prior to their birth will simply resume. Come to think of it, most people were oblivious of 4am last night and glad of it!



.

The Status Quo; a sombre assessment.

           Now firmly established in the new millennium, it might be appropriate to conduct some form of global audit to reflect on where we are and how the past one hundred years or so has shaped our present predicament. This has been a period during which more has happened in all areas of activity than in all of recorded history. In the Western world in particular, progressive thinking and advances in political and social structure of many countries, has bestowed undreamed of improvement in personal freedom and quality of life. The efforts of many visionaries and revolutionaries in many countries have resulted in a much more equitable distribution of wealth and benefits. In the more democratic countries, income levels have increased enormously. Indeed, until quite recently the concept of disposable income was something known only to the privileged few, the vast majority having to be content with maintaining themselves solely at hand to mouth subsistence levels.

            With the widespread collapse of the Communist system, there was even reason to hope that the benefits currently enjoyed by the western countries would progressively be extended to a larger number of countries around the globe. The technological revolution has been even more explosive, and is completely transforming the way we live as well as our relationship with each other and the environments in which we live. Initiated by the harnessing of electricity and with it the enhancement of creature comforts, the vast increase in mobility brought about by developments in mass transportation and more recently the colossal impact of computer driven communication and information for all are astounding.

            With this array of material benefits available to so many, it might be supposed that mankind has finally come of age and that over time with these multifaceted improvements available on a global basis. we will have finally arrived in the fabled land of milk and honey.  Within this earthly nirvana, it might well be supposed that there is no longer any need to concern ourselves with other than material matters.  Already, many of the ancient religious beliefs have come under critical scrutiny. Many previously held “truths” have been shown to be misconceptions. Science has explained away much of what had been believed to be directly controlled by divine intervention. In particular, medical sciences have transformed and in many cases saved the lives many for whom a terminal prognosis had been the case. Allowing the blind to see, the deaf to hear and the lame to walk as well as many distressing physical and mental infirmities, are a few of their cornucopia  of successes. In some cases, some of the worst of afflictions such as polio and smallpox have been virtually eradicated.

            From a history of hardships at subsistence level, mankind now has the time to reflect on life in a new way and hopefully to adopt a more altruistic attitude to those still condemned to lives of penury and suffering. Were this to be true, the world would certainly be at least a more compassionate place where selflessness and concern for mankind at least for those for whom financial security -if not affluence, has become an accepted part of their lifestyle. However, whilst these worthy objectives are practiced amongst naturally caring individuals, sadly for the most part, closer examination reveals that a great number of us live their lives in contrast to the benevolence of the minority.

            Overall, what impact has this brave new world impacted on how we feel about ourselves, our interaction with each other and our relationship with the earth; the very core of our existence. Over humanity in general, a listing of the outcome reads less like an enhancement of the human experience and more like a litany of symptoms and sicknesses including  words which 100 years ago were unknown.

1. Personal:

Stress

Anxiety

Depression

Suicide

Addictions

Eating disorders

Cancer

Heart disease

 2. Societal:

Failed relationships

Divorce

Spousal abuse

Abuses against children

Cyber bullying

Violence

Cynicism

Apathy

Indifference

Pornography

 Greed

 Corruption

Corporate avarice

3. Environmental:

Global warming

Air pollution

Ozone depletion

Toxic waste

Acid rain

Clear cutting

Depletion of flora and fauna

Depletion of non-renewable resources

            What a devastating indictment of the modern world! Is this the cumulative result of thousands of years of “civilization”? More remarkable is the likelihood that none of the above will come as news to anyone. It seems that we have firmly embarked on a course which will lead us progressively down an alliterative descent of despair, despondency, depression and finally, death. What is worse, there is no sign of any turn round without which the prognosis for future generations gives cause for serious concern. Even if and when this is accepted and there is the will to halt the decline, with the best will in the world, the situation will take considerable time to reverse.

Much of the above dismal list has been aided by some of the  technical contributions to the modern age. Some notable innovations, things that should be of a positive nature such as communications technology -which includes popular entertainment and social media have in many cases been distorted. Responsible for the “dumbing down” of substance into style, distorters of facts into fiction, spinners of political agendas, and shapers of public taste (or lack thereof), the chief offenders are beholden to and faithful servants of the giant corporations without whom they would cease to exist.

Therefore it seems high time to stand back, take a deep breath, and with a clear mind, look at the big picture. It is vital to take objective stock of the status quo and to review, re-examine and question many of the long accepted fundamentals of “civilized” conduct and belief structure.

 For some this will be difficult. For example, it targets the mindless acceptance of primitive and arcane dogmatic superstition which for many has for too long been accepted without question. It demands the disposal of all unnecessary philosophical baggage to clear the mind and by sensible and logical reasoning get a more rational feel for what life is, free of any inherited predigested crutches, chemical dependency or cosmetic cop-outs.

Perhaps the best place to begin is with our relationship with the extraordinary and beautiful world around us. This is our home and the essence of everything we experience. Earth, air, fire and water is all there is, from which our bodies emerge and to which they will ultimately return. Sadly, our increasingly urban-based societies are moving progressively towards a man-made environment. Instead of embracing the world and its wonders, the trend is towards insulating ourselves from it.

I have an image in my mind of a stereotypical young urban person on the street, smart phone in hand or headphone in ear, their companions all similarly immersed in their own cyber world. Their mountains and landscapes are of steel, glass, and concrete, the rivers flowing between them made of tarmac. For them, stillness and tranquillity paradoxically seem to cause disquiet and anxiety and any silence has to be blotted out electronically either by texting, conversation or music of varying mediocrity. Indeed the presence of the latter is all-pervading and virtually impossible to escape. 

Many are given to question the purpose of their existence and find themselves in a spiritual vacuum from where they desperately attempt to submerge their neuroses in the pursuit of material possessions and corporeal stimulation. In my experience, those who have been brought up to experience the wilderness or at least unspoiled natural environments at an early age quickly develop a love of the outdoors. Moreover, looking back over the many years during which I have engaged with nature in a variety of pursuits including hiking, paddling, camping and cycle-touring, by far the  majority of those whom I have met and shared these experiences have been (-suitably in the circumstances) firmly grounded and almost without exception to be people of good will.          

2012 Tweed riding -Toronto Style!

          My daughter and I recently participated in the 2012 Toronto Tweed Ride. Clad in garments which reflected at least in part the material implicit in the title and riding 1970’s “Raleigh Sports” 3-speed bicycles, with some trepidation and in the company of 300 others,we launched ourselves into the maelstrom of Saturday afternoon urban Toronto. Here we negotiated high density motorized traffic, pedestrians and above all the street cars of Queen Steet, their deadly tracks ready to trap the unwary. Presumably aided by our strength in numbers there were no problems. Indeed my most enduring memory is of the extraordinary good nature of everyone -including motorists who were often held up at intersections, traffic lights etc. Many pedestrians expressed themselves in a very vocal and positive manner throughout. At the group photo on the steps of Old City Hall our arrival coincided with the exit of a newly married couple to find that they had 300 more well wishers than they expected!

          Later in the ride afternoon tea was served in one of the local parks which in addition to freshly brewed tea included an unusually fine selection of cakes and assorted baked goods. It was a most enjoyable event which raised a substantial sum for “Bikes without Borders”, a charity which specializes in providing life-transforming bicycles to rural Africa and other needy regions across the globe.

          In general the theme of these burgeoning worldwide Tweed Rides is (very) broadly to emulate the era of the twentieth century when the bicycle was ubiquitous among the British working class. I am old enough to remember the latter part of those days and indeed was part of it. Tweed rides display a curious disconnect between then and now. The heights of sartorial elegance on global display are a very far cry from the workingman's modest and often threadbare wardrobe. In my youth those able to afford such tweedy excesses would have been more likely to drive a Bentley or maybe “-ride to hounds” and most unlikely to be seen on any bicycle. “Heaven forefend old boy. What a frightful thought!” The class system was alive and well!

          The preeminent bicycling guru, the late-lamented Sheldon Brown, summed it up as follows:-

"For many years, in many parts of the world, the Raleigh "Sports" three-speed bicycle was considered the ultimate in human-powered transportation. These bicycles were not toys, and, despite the model name, they were not sporting equipment...they were serious vehicles. The men and women who built them, by and large, also rode them, as their primary means of transportation...  ...these were designed to provide solid, dependable transportation for the British public, at a time when only the upper classes had motorcars. These bikes were built to last 100 years, with reasonable care."

 Our two Raleigh "Sports"

   

     Despite the cultural anomaly, Tweed rides, in addition to providing healthy recreation to the participants, have become a new expression of charitable activity. They are environmentally benign and by virtue of their high visibility, extremely effective in raising public awareness. Finally, from our experience, the non-competitive social aspect of these gatherings would seem to generate an infectious atmosphere of camaraderie and good nature, which is not confined to the actual participants.   

     Here are a couple of videos of the event. Sadly, but perhaps appropriately in the light of my comments above they concentrate more on the fashions than the bicycles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRX7o1tJD30

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQWGL-6nkgU