The strange phenomena of people walking their bicycles

As reported by top10hell.com, there are about 100,000,000 bicycles in America, for a per capita amount of 32.2%, which is actually a fairly high percentage.  However, on average, "In the USA only 0.9% of all trips are made by bike," which is a rather low percentage, and basically means that in most cities and towns, bicycles really aren't used that much at all, which may explain, the rather puzzling phenomena of people that instead of riding their bicycle are actually walking their bicycle, instead.

It would be one thing, if the people, walking their bicycles, were up against a steep hill, and simply didn't have the knowhow or strength to climb such, or if the bicycle was in need of a repair that precluded the rider of such from actually riding it, but in reality, most of the people walking their bikes, seem to be doing so, out of volition, as compared to out of necessity.  While there are all sorts of rules and regulations in regards to bike riding in regards to dealing with wearing a helmet, or whether or not one is permitted on a certain road, or permitted to ride on a sidewalk, and so on and so forth, it seems rather strange, that those that are walking their bikes, if they are so cognizant of the rules and regulations, have not adjusted their route to take into account, such.

Rather, it would appear that those that walk their bikes seem to be, more or less, people that aren't natural bike riders, and simply don't have the confidence to ride their bike on public roads and hence because of their fear of getting run over, have decided to dismount from their bike and to therefore walk it.  To a lesser extent, some of those people, are not in good shape so that rather than exercise via bike riding, they prefer to walk, though, truth be told, it is actually easier to slowly ride a bike, then to walk with a bike.

All of the above, would signify that those that sell bikes, have perhaps an obligation to see that the bike so being sold is the right fit and function for the person so buying it, along with perhaps offering bicycle training tips for those that have purchased a bike, as it would appear that a meaningful amount of people, seem somehow to be intimidated about actually getting onto a bike and riding it, and while there are dangers involved in riding a bicycle on any road that includes motorcycles, cars, and trucks, that type of danger can often be mitigated by strategizing the best way to take a given route, rather than simply shrinking away from doing much of anything.

The whole purpose of having a bicycle is to actually ride it, and the best way to learn how to ride a bike, is to get on a bike and take it for a ride, of which the more time spent on a bike the more confident the rider will be in knowing how a bike operates and how to handle it.  Those that are content to walk their bikes are the very same people that, if they had the capital to purchase a premium high-performance car, would ultimately be too afraid to actually really drive it.

There will never be another drug like aspirin, again

Before there was big pharmaceutical companies, in order to get relief from pain or other ailments, people would utilize natural elements as provided by nature, and as administered and prescribed by those that were experienced and knowledgeable enough to deal with those elements, for better or for worse.  No doubt, throughout time, the world has always had its share of charlatans, pushing concoctions that had no value, but there were also those sincere seekers that found true ingredients that worked to mitigate pain, and, for example, discovered that salicylate-rich plants such as willow, had consistently demonstrated in principle that it had fever reducing properties, pain reducing properties, and inflammation reducing properties as part of the benefits of the correct utilization of its willow bark.

Eventually, as medicine modernized, and as chemists learned more about the properties of nature, the invention and the synthesis of what is commonly known as aspirin was invented, of which the important value of aspirin, was almost immediately recognized for its aforementioned pain and inflammation reducing properties, as well as being of benefit for those susceptible to heart attacks, or high blood pressure, or arthritis, amongst many other conditions, of which aspirin is an invaluable asset.  The fact that aspirin is both available over the counter and is available in packages of 100 or more in 325 mg dosages, of which the price is less than one penny per dosage, is remarkable.

While there are specific medicines and pharmaceutical drugs for specific diseases and ailments, there is no drug that is in whole, as comprehensive, reliable, universal, and valued as aspirin, of which, the cost of aspirin is so cheap for the consumer, that aspirin is the go-to drug of choice, for those that are needing to mitigate pain as well as those that require a reliable blood thinner, for our blood needs to flow freely so as to keep the body properly oxygenated as well as to provide nutrients throughout the body in order to maintain good health.

The size of today's pharmaceutical companies is simply gargantuan, in which, as reported by statista.com, in 2016, the pharmaceutical companies based in the United States, had annual sales of $446 billion, and these companies make in a typical year, billions upon billions of dollars in profit; which is especially unpalatable since the profits that pharmaceuticals make is, when distilled down to its essence, derived from making obscene amounts of money from people that are ill and need medicine in order to maintain their health.  It is a disgrace that pharmaceutical companies are for-profit rather than being structured as non-profit corporations and therefore providing a true social good for society.

So then, aspirin, if instead of being invented over 100 years ago in Germany, had instead been invented within the last generation or so, of which the sheer power, breadth and effectiveness of aspirin, which provides real benefits for so many different ailments and illnesses, would have undoubtedly made it the blockbuster of blockbuster drugs, and hence, would have been the most profitable drug ever in the history of the pharmaceutical industry.  This would have meant that billions upon billions of dollars would have been siphoned away from hard working individuals into the hands of the pharmaceutical industry, of which that industry would state, that all of this was necessary in order to properly keep funding their research and development, as well as the tribute that those that are ill owe to those that aid them, in perpetuity.

Science and God belief are not at odds

There are many people that have bought into the narrative that somehow scientific research and scientists in general, are not now, and can never be, God believers.  That is to say, that scientists, are discovers of facts, and do not deal with myths.  Yet, science itself, comes fundamentally from the belief that the world is knowable, and that therefore the world is not random, but it is instead a world of order, of discoverable patterns, with specific laws, and because the world is order, mankind has a duty to understand it as it ultimately is.

God is not a being that is tangible to the naked eye, but then again, there are many forces that are not visible to us, such as gravity, as well as subatomic particles, as in electrons or protons.   Additionally, the more in which scientists are able to learn about the world, and in particular to learn about  the human species, the more that scientists are able to recognize what an incredibly marvelous, unfathomably sophisticated and a wonderful work of art that human beings are.  For instance, as reported by quora.com, for the average human being there are "… almost 7*1027 atoms (that's a 7 followed by 27 zeros!)."

That is to say, the more in which scientists delve into discovering how things work and how intricate and amazing are their structure, the more that those scientists are appreciative of the complexity and brilliance of such creation.  So then, it follows that when rational beings accept as their premise for the research that they conduct that they live within a construct that is measurable, ordered, and intelligible (for without these very attributes, than science and scientific thought would have no solid foundation to stand upon, so that, lacking such, there would be little of worth to discover or to build upon), signifies, that this world must be and is rational and not random and without purpose.

It stands to reason that in a rational world, which allows itself to be discovered through the viewing and contemplating upon such, can only come from a rational universe, of which, such a universe must have been created by a rational First Source, better known as God, for it cannot have simply been created out of nothing, for nothing creates nothing.  This would signify that though many scientists may have little or no belief in organized religion as presented by society, because so many of those organized religions are seen as being dogmatic and narrow minded, while also lacking in rigor of thought; these scientists are, on the other hand, quite cognizant, that what they are discovering and learning about is both magnificent and marvelous, for the more that scientists learn, the more amazed that they are in their comprehension and astonishment of what they are uncovering.

There are those that believe that the only god worthy of contemplation is the god of reason, but to believe such, is actually to believe in God, for the reasoning that comes forth to the human mind, as well as the reasoning that allows mankind to understand itself and the world better, can only come about from a world in which there are immutable laws, and behind the curtain of that world of reason, is God.  Today's scientist has faith that what they are revealing has merit and value, and those that have faith are in so many words, God believers.

Misunderstanding karma

Karma, in general, is the belief, that wrong actions created in the here and now, have consequences, not only later in this life, but in our future lives to come, so that, those that believe that they can "get over" on others, find that in the infinite justice and fairness of God, that God cannot be mocked, nor can God ever be fooled, though mankind fools itself and others, seemingly all of the time, but our karma is the great equalizer.

They say that a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing, and indeed it can be, for those that have a general comprehension of karma, can take such, and manipulate it in a way, in which they then believe that those that are suffering now, are suffering solely because that is their place to suffer, for them having done wrong in previous lives, that therefore, there isn't any brotherly duty to help others in their suffering.  While, conceivably this could even be true in a particular case, it does not absolve somebody else that in seeing something that is wrong or destructive, and knowing that they could be of assistance, deciding that they will not do a thing to ameliorate or help such, since they wrongly believe that fate tells us all that there is to tell.  Further, those that look upon karma in the wrong way, are the very same people that seemingly are unable to get beyond an "eye for an eye" philosophy, of which, this misreads karma completely, for karma is not about making things even, but rather it is about overcoming previous errors, by making different decisions, and thereupon doing right.

The whole point of karma is the understanding that in life, for every action, there is an appropriate reaction, and when those actions as well as reactions are wrong, then the only appropriate way to overcome that negativity, is to respond with positivity along with actions and reactions that are beneficial and constructive, rather than those being selfish and destructive.  After all, the only way to test the sincerity and character of any given person, is to actually test that person in real world situations, of which, some of those tests indeed are going to be incredibly challenging, but it is in the overcoming of these tests, that bad karma is discharged, so that, while few may welcome some of those difficult challenges that they must face, it is in the overcoming of such, that real progress is made.

The fact that we are here, incarnated on this planet, bespeaks for virtually everyone that we have vital tasks to attend to, of which, those that listen to that still, small voice, are slow to anger, fair in their treatment of others, and are diligent about doing the right thing, as best and as consistent as they can, are the very people, that are creating good karma, and good so created, is good for everyone.  This world and the people in it, good or bad, are a true reflection of the state of mind, of mankind.  Those that in the moments of pure clarity see who and what they really are, and thereupon are determined to do and to be better, will have taken the most important step of liberating themselves from the bad karma that entwines them, into being that which they were created to be, but have lost sight of, which is in the knowing that they are truly the rightful heirs of God.

The value of kindness

The positive change that we would like to see in the world as well as in our relationships is not the type of change that can instantly occurred, for wrong behaviors, and wrong actions, especially those of long standing, cannot be simply overturned in the blink of an eye.  So too, all those that feel overwhelmed that the little that they do, or the little that they accomplish, couldn't possible change a thing, devalue themselves too much, and should know, that every act of kindness and that every act done with love, are the very basis for real positive change to inexorably occur.

The fact of the matter is that our actions and our behaviors, no matter how small apparently is the scale, has an impact upon our neighbors, as well as upon our friends and family, and for the society that we integrate with.  This means that every time that we are simply kind to another, and when we use words of goodwill and demonstrate brotherly concern to another, than we truly are doing our part to make the world better for us being here. 

Successful lives and successful relationships are fundamentally structured upon little acts of kindness and rightness, in which, these acts, step-by-step, make for more harmony and for better living, for the right words and the right actions given on behalf of another, can have incredible positive rippling affects for the betterment of society.  That is to say, what we do and how we interact with others, makes a real difference, for every action performed, has a reaction, so that, those that are patient, caring, and forgiving, more times than not, are helping to make relationships and society better.

To be unkind or dismissive to another, is a very easy thing to do, for destruction and negativity, seldom requires any forethought, whereas to hold one's  tongue, as well as to speak and to do the right thing especially in critical and stressful situations, has real consequences, and thereby requires a skill-set of maturity, wisdom, humility, and empathy.  

So many people have been in a volatile situation in which the right words, fitly spoken, have defused such, so that, heightened emotions subsequently are able to calm down; whereas the wrong words and wrong actions, so done, have escalated things further, exacerbating such.  But even when a given situation does go off the rails, this does not signify that we should be unkind to one another, for kindness is seldom the wrong action to take, for each one of us, whether on the surface, or deep inside, carries some hurt, as well as disappointment and fear, of which, knowing that someone else really cares, provides that hopefulness, comfort, and strength to keep on carrying on.

Each day, each one of us, decides how we will conduct ourselves in our interactions with others, of which, few of us will always make the correct decisions, so then, in recognition that each of us, makes errors and mistakes, the least that we should do, is to practice kindness and consideration with others, for when we are wrong and mistaken, we so appreciate those that are considerate and kind to us, because by doing so, we feel better, for knowing that we are fairly valued by others.

Surrender in the heat of the battle

Whether it is during an act of war, or whether it is done through a prolong fight or through a high speed chase, when one person or one soldier or one perpetrator surrenders to another person, or soldier, or policeman, such surrender does not always result in the party so surrendering being safely escorted to a place of confinement, but rather can end instead with that person that has offered to surrendered, being killed, or essentially executed.

Not too surprisingly, firefights, chases, and conflict of all sorts, increases the stress levels within a given body, which for most people means the increase of adrenaline within that body, culminating with that corresponding adrenaline rush, and those that are pumped up with adrenaline coursing through their veins, are often at odds at being able to subsequently easily calm down, even when a given stressful situation has materially changed.  This means that when one party surrenders in defeat that the victorious party does not necessarily readily become magnanimous but rather can see such as an opportunity to finish the job that they were prepared to do when the fight so began.

So that, while a person in good control of their faculties, would normally not kill another person in cold blood, someone that feels aggrieved or has seen their fellow soldiers or friends die, or have been under fire or in mortal danger, often does not, upon the surrender of their enemy, simply return to being a reasonable and rational human being.  Additionally, if the enemy does not look like the other person, but rather appears instead to be something other than a full human to the other person, or essentially that person has been demonized, than the mercy that the surrendering person might reasonably expect, is going to be difficult to bring to fruition.

Those that surrender typically do so, when they know that continuing to fight or resisting within the fight, is futile, because they are outnumbered or because they are out armed, and rightly believe that their only good option is to surrender to the other party.  The problem with such surrender, especially when it is done in the heat of the battle, is that the other side, has not yet had the chance or opportunity to dial down their rage, or to neutralize their killing mindset, or simply do not care to do so at that time, and well might feel that they must kill in order to bring completion to the job at hand.

The fact of the matter is that with the exception of psychopaths and sociopaths, killing other human beings is not the natural order of things, so that, in order to accomplish such a deed, this requires a mindset that often looks upon the other person as something less than human, and therefore the surrender of something that is less than human, still allows the one with the power to have the superior position of apparently being able to justly kill that which has aggrieved them, because they are literally at that time and place, their judge, juror, and executioner.  So that, those that surrender in the heat of the battle, while deserving of mercy, do not necessarily receive that, because those that are human, have forgotten that they are, and have morphed into, instead, for a period of time, a killing machine.

The starting gate

Every single one of us was created equally by our Creator, and there are no exceptions to this rule, for all are exactly of the same spiritual substance.  However, in this material experience, quite obviously, there are those that are born into poverty with often handicaps of all sorts, as compared to those that are born into wealth with often privileges of all sorts.  This does mean that the starting gate for people in this world is going to vary considerably depending upon the circumstances of their birth, the society that they live in, as well as the environment that they are involved with.  Still, to be fatalistic about circumstances negates the importance, impact, and vitality that each person has to make a difference not only in their own life but in the lives of others.

In sporting events, those games are played in a manner in which one team will win and one team will lose, of which, too many people have a tendency to see life as being something akin to winners and losers, without taking into consideration, where people started from, the advantages and disadvantages of the circumstances involved, the luck factor, as well as the pluck factor that each person brings to the table of opportunity and decisions.  This means that the starting gate for individuals is going to vary widely depending upon the situations that people face in their lives, so to expect those that start at a considerable distance back from privileged others, along with having to deal with all sorts of impediments to overcome is not appropriately seeing the world for what it really is.

The most important thing in life for individuals is almost never about winning, but rather, the most important thing is doing the best that a given individual can do, as well as striving to help make this world a better place for having been born into it.  So often, those that do well and make a positive impact are not the ones that simply "go with the flow" but rather are the ones that swim vigorously against the strong currents of oppression, prejudice, evil, abuse, and persecution.  The things that make a given person great are not so much the awards and accolades that people receive from respected peers and institutions, though those have their place, but rather come from the obstacles that a driven individual has willingly faced, and thereby have over a considerable period of time and effort, successfully overcome.  This then, makes the person, for in order for a hero to actually be a hero, that person most overcome something of real substance, that challenges them to the core, which often involves risk, and requires concentrated effort, perseverance, and the dogged determination to overcome; for easy victories, are for those too timid to try for more; whereas hard fought victories are for those that will not settle for less then what they believe must be achieved.

People spend far too much time comparing themselves to the Joneses, whereas what they should actually be doing, is tackling forthrightly the obstacles standing right in front of them, for it is in the overcoming of those obstacles, that new trails are blazed, and thereby the true character of that person, genuinely exposed.

Modern day pacifiers

In modern society, and especially in all those established and stable nations, in which the population in whole is provided with enough food, energy, and shelter, in addition to not being compelled to labor from sunup until sundown, seven days a week, there are going to be a plentitude of leisure hours, of which, those people are free for the most part to do other things that they desire to do or to become involved in activities that appeal to them, or just about anything, worthy or not, and engaging or not.

On the one hand this seems great, and in fact, there are plenty of editorials about people in general, needing even more leisure time, though it does seem that never have so many had so much free time as what is seen in today's society; especially, in consideration that au contraire the history of mankind has often been a history of very hard work and drudgery for the masses, just in order to keep their heads above water, with nary an escape from such dreadful toiling.

One might think that with all that free time on their hands, for those that truly have such, that most people would be very diligent about doing the sorts of activities that they find satisfaction in; perhaps in volunteering, or learning, or congregating with others of like-mindedness, or meaningful social activities, or spending time with family and friends, and so on.  Now, no doubt, some of those people aren't able to do as much as they would like to do because of financial limitations, or health issues, or other assorted problems, but there are plenty of activities such as hiking, community events, and many other socializing events, that really don't cost a dime and typically are readily available for most everyone.

The thing is that despite all of these good choices that are feasible, many people, are quite satisfied to spend instead, inordinate amounts of time in pacifying activities, that require no real energy, no real commitment, and not much thinking, such as watching mindless television shows, or movies, or endlessly posting on social media, or ceaselessly swiping left or right or up or down on their cell phone, or just engaging in everyday gossip of all sorts. 

The thing about these types of activities, is that when distilled down to their true essence, they are basically time wasters, of no real merit and of no real value, signifying that those that indulge with them to no end, aren't improving their minds, aren't improving their society, and aren't improving much of anything, and are instead behaving much like a little baby sucking relentlessly upon their pacifier, using these mindless activities as their pacifier to keep themselves calm and quiescent.

The real things of merit and value in this society require active participation as well as concerted energy and drive.  While one can be sympathetic to all those that have worked very hard and just need some time to wind down at the conclusion of their day; that is completely different from those that seemingly can't habitually figure out anything of substance to do, so they then devalue time by spending it mindlessly on passive activities that require no forethought, no afterthought, and really not much thought at all, never bothering to comprehend that all those that are content to do nothing, become nothing, though they could have become all so much more.

Blind obedience

There is a place for obedience, especially for those that are dependent upon others for their safety and protection, such as those that are mentally challenged, or the very young, or the very old.  So too, there is a need for obedience when it comes to certain jobs and functions within jobs, of which, without such obedience the edifice of what is being created or what is being accomplished is disrupted with ill effects for all those involved. 

However, it is important to see obedience as for what it really is, which is the sacrificing of one's free will to the command or the dictates of another.  One should not readily do so, unless that person is absolutely convinced that such obedience to another is unconditionally correct, under all circumstances.  For instance, soldiers are trained in many things, of which, one of those things, is obedience to commands of a superior, of which, this is demanded from soldiers, because the life and death of others as well as the missions involved, necessitates, obedience without question.  So too, those that work, may well be taught, that they must obey their superiors at work, for continued gainful employment, of which, such obedience has been bought through the salary that the worker makes, and/or the fear that the worker has of being terminated or punished.

The reasons above may well be good and valid reasons, though how good and valid they really are, depends upon how often that those that obey commands in the heat of the moment, reflect later upon exactly what they have done, subsequently.  For to obey, even as a soldier, or to obey, even on the acceptance of money, without questioning those actions thereupon taken, is to fall well within the trap, of believing that those that obey, are somehow never responsible for the actions and things that they personally do under such obedience, but this, however, is fallacious reasoning.  It is fallacious, because the person that pulls the trigger of the gun is responsible for having pulled that trigger; and the person that does something disreputable for their company is responsible for having done that disreputable act, and to thereby hide behind obedience as the excuse, does not dismiss culpability.

All those that obey blindly, having the capacity not to do so, have forsaken their free will to the god of obedience.  So too, another way of looking at it, is that too often the easy road is the road of obedience as well as submission to authority; whereas the difficult road is to disobey what does not appear to be right and thereby to question authority, as well as to not submit to authority, unless that authority is able to justify the validity of what it is, that must be obeyed.

There are many that think that if everyone just stopped obeying, there would be chaos all throughout society, and perhaps to a certain extent there may might be; but better chaos with integrity, then obedience to those that have evil designs in their heart of which they need obedient subjects to carry out those nefarious designs, for without that blind obedience, they could not do the evil that is done.

Limits and no limits

We read in Holy Scripture, "Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" (Matthew 6: 25).  For all those caught within a material construct, that cannot and will not see anything beyond materiality, than such a saying as this, makes no sense, because for them, nothing is more important than keeping the body well fed, nourished, and clothed.  So too, for nominal Christians or people of a generic spiritual inclination, these words of wisdom, may appear perplexing, because the body makes it clear to each one of us every day, that it needs food; in addition to the sound knowledge that in order to protect ourselves from the elements or to appear in civil society, we need appropriate clothing.

Yet, hidden behind these words is what Jesus the Christ, is trying to get across, which is all those that spend inordinate amounts of time concentrating on that which is limited by definition, material in effect, and absolutely finite in the scheme of things --signifies that the mind and spirit has lost its way and has been subsumed by the body and its needs, rather than concentrating upon the unlimited bounty that is available freely to all from God.

Too often, mankind spends an excessive amount of time fully believing that they live in a dog-eat-dog world, of a zero sum society, that necessitates that each of us gets ours, or else we will suffer from lack and scarcity.  To a certain degree this is true, for over one billion peoples live in abject poverty, and many more have barely enough to sustain themselves, so that it would appear that only a fool would not be primarily concerned about getting enough to eat, having good shelter, and being properly clothed and employed.

Be that as it may, even those that keep their nose to the grindstone, have made a fundamental error, for by concentrating solely upon earthly matters and therefore the limits that material life presents, they have lost track of the most important thing which is the recognition that with God, there are no limits and therefore nothing to preclude all of us from experiencing eternal happiness, love, and satisfaction, unending.   The very source of life, itself, is not material in nature, which would necessitate both a beginning and an end, but rather it is spiritual, which has no beginning and has no end. 

Sure, food, shelter, work, knowledge, and family all have their place in this world, because we are in and part of this world.  However, that does not mean that we should forget our origin as well as to turn our back upon whom and what we really are.  Those that are unable to understand that the physical body houses our spirit and soul, and that body has relevancy only in this world, and none other; forget the salient fact, that we are all children of the very same God, and that our souls are restless until we find our home back with God, of which in that realm, nothing is lacking, for lack only comes for those that are apart from God, never from those that are wholly with God.

There are no shortcuts -- misunderstanding God's grace

Mankind gets into more trouble by insisting that mankind need not go through the trials and tribulations that life thrusts upon each of us, believing rather that most everything that necessitates a duty and obligation can simply be avoided by availing oneself of just the right shortcut.  The fact of the matter is, that shortcuts don't ever work within the realm of right and wrong, for wrong actions must be answered for, and misunderstanding scripture or creating interpretations that are manufactured in a manner that gives those that call out the right incantations a perpetual "get out of jail" card, do not, in reality, exist.

Those that believe that God's grace cleanses them from all sin, are at best, half right, for God in his beneficence holds no grudge towards anyone, and is infinitely patient, kind, and loving.  This does mean that God's grace most definitely exists, and all are equally entitled to it, but the problem is only half resolved for to become One with God, requires the novitiate to honorably be free of sin and conflict, not merely to mouth the words, for the right words without the corresponding right actions is the epitome of hypocrisy, and hypocrites are not right with God.

What most people fail to actually understand about grace, is too often, such is played with as some sort of gamesmanship performed within this world, of which, such gamesmanship does not translate well into the next world, for though God openly receives all, those that have done wrong, are not able to successfully merge into that which is nothing but Right.  Therefore, to be forgiven, and to have thereby grace bestowed upon a given individual while certainly having its place, is, in itself, not going to permit full unity with God,  if such has not sincerely transformed that person's soul, for that person has not fundamentally been transformed or changed.

Those that in the light of day, know that the honor that has been bestowed upon them, if not justly earned, see themselves as not being worthy of such an honor.  This signifies that in order to be in protecting arms of God's grace, the former must have truly died to the latter, and if this has not occurred, than grace cannot and will not be the end result.  The tricks that mankind plays on their own self, are the tricks that keep mankind stuck in the endless cycle that keeps them from never getting any closer to the only Destination that matters.

So often, most of those that proselytize or believe that somehow God's grace is that shortcut to God's forgiveness as well as to God's heart, are delusional, for the pathway to God offers no shortcut, for that pathway is forever, perfectly straight.  Mankind wants to believe that it has been forgiven or can be forgiven, for mankind has done so much wrong, but those that have taken off the heavy armor of sin, are only cleansed from that sin when they enter into the baptism of the refreshing water which rebirths them, and upon that rebirth, the old wineskin, has been replaced with the new, for if not, the old wineskin will surely burst, and take God's good grace with it.

To find the most important answer, you need to ask the most important question

Mankind fails so often in actually taking the time and exerting their mind to think through the most important questions in life, but rather, typically exists day-do-day without examining in detail, or making the effort to find the source and raison d'être of mankind's existence.  If, mankind will not ask the question, then surely mankind will not know the answer and in not asking the most important questions, such as why we are here to begin with, and therefore what should our objective be in being here, mankind creates the construct in which mankind lives, which often times is an existence that is unjust, cruel, cold, uncaring and inharmonious.

Though mankind has made great technological progress over the last two centuries, and has considerably increased the human lifespan as well as good health, along with a corresponding great improvement in literacy rates, in addition to the creation of a vibrant middle class and hence a more egalitarian society;  it has typically not resolved the continuing gross inequalities throughout life, along with the mindless violence, wars, and the oppressiveness  utilized by so many governments and people, so that mankind rather than living lives of liberty and pursuing happiness are too often, constrained in their actions, and fundamentally unhappy and dissatisfied.

So many of these troubles can be laid at the feet of all those that do not question not only the natural order of things as they currently are, but do not question the purpose of life; but rather get involved in asking questions and seeking answers to things that are at best, a distraction, and at worse are inimical for a good life.  One possible reason as to why mankind, shrinks from wanting to know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, is that in that knowing, mankind will know for a certainty that they have failed in their behavior and in their deeds, and therefore their fault lies not in the stars, but in their own selves.

Unfortunately, ignorance is never going to be a legitimate excuse as why anyone is justified in their failing to accomplish the activities that they need to address in a given life, for each of us is gifted with a good mind, and a free will, of which, the greatest test that anyone can give another, is to allow that person to freely choose what they will or will not do, and those decisions, define the person as they really are.  So that, those that will not question the order of things, and will not bother to examine their own life, are essentially running their lives on autopilot in which if they are fortunate they still can accomplish even great things of good and worth, simply by being forthright and sincere in all that they do.  However, happenstance, good fortune, and being with the right people, can only take a given person so far, for ultimately, those that will not ask the most important questions and thereby learn and apply the most important answers, are forever stuck in an endless cycle that they will not have the exit velocity to escape from, for they know not and seek not, for that which answers all.

Dehumanization and wars

The art of war really is a dark art, for to kill other human beings is not the natural order of things, and can only be willingly done by those that are either a sociopath or psychopath in personality, because those personality disorders have effectively killed off their conscience; or by those that have been indoctrinated to kill the enemy, of which  that killing is justified as an act of self-defense or  of justified liberation, or as an act which is necessary because the enemy has been defined as something lesser than human, labeled consequently as a clear and present danger to the state, and therefore just as in killing of an animal, such is permitted and sanctified by the state.

In point of fact, look at any of the war propaganda produced in wars such as World War I and World War II and see the caricatures of the enemy, so prominently depicted as something demonic, evil, subhuman, racist, and primitive, so that the enemy is perceived as something that has to be eradicated, as in a virus, for the protection and virtue of that country which considers itself, alone, to be truly civilized.  To make matters even worse, those that do not facially look like the prevailing power structure and do not have the religious faith of that prevailing power structure, are far more easily able to be demonized, for the looks of that enemy as well at the beliefs of that enemy allows the state to more readily justify the killing of such, as sanctioned not only by the state, but often approved by God, especially if those people are seen as infidels and unbelievers with a corresponding look that does not match that prevailing power structure.

The more that any country dehumanizes another country, the more war that there will be, and the more that any country recognizes the innate dignity and humanity of another country, the less war there will be, because in the natural order of things, mankind does not kill its own, unless pushed to the brink or mesmerized into believing that what is human is actually not. 

Those that make it their business to dehumanize others, whether on an individual basis or on a state basis, are the provocateurs of hate.  Those that hate without good reason, or by hating lose their good reason, are a danger to other people as well as to the state.  Any country or society that encourages or abets the hate of others, especially when such is unjustifiable, unwarranted, and unnecessary, are clearly out of their minds, for hatred and dehumanization are the precursors of all sorts of violence and ill behavior.

Every human being, no matter where they are born, have innate human rights; those rights are unalienable as gifted to all of us by our Creator, and those that make it their point to take away those rights, without a full, complete and just accounting of why this is so, especially when having done so by the deliberate and premeditated dehumanization of those that are human, have committed a very grave offence, of which such shall and must be judged for what it is, so that in the end we will have: "… justice roll on like rivers…" (Amos 5:24).

Moral hazard and insurance

Most people believe that insurance is a very good thing, even necessary, and that overall, having insurance is beneficial because for a relatively small premium or co-payment, the insured is covered for catastrophic or unexpected losses.  Dictionary.com defines moral hazard as "the risk that an individual or organization will act irresponsibly or recklessly if protected or exempt from the consequences of an action."  That is to say, moral hazard, is exactly the problem with any organization or institution which is "too big to fail," and consequently gets bailed out by the government.  So too, moral hazard is a potential problem for all corporate officers that are able to avail themselves of excessively leveraged or ill-advised risks, knowing that they will not personally suffer the consequences of any corporate failings, which includes bankruptcy or receivership, if such risks fail.  Additionally, moral hazard is the issue for people that will behave differently and hence more irresponsibly if their belief is that whatever that they do, will be covered fully by their insurance

One of the most inane sayings of all time, which purports to be inspirational, is the question, "If you knew you couldn't fail what you do?"  Incredibly, the amount of credulous people that buy into this so-called profound nonsense, indicates that they are completely clueless when they actually bother to respond to this question by coming up with all sorts of ideas and things that they would actually do.  Clearly, the only correct answer, takes but a moment of reflection, which is, that a motivated person would do exactly nothing, because when it is not possible to fail, then the assignment so given is far too simple to perform, and therefore one needs instead to push on to something that actually requires effort, challenge, and the actual fear of failure.

Unfortunately, because of moral hazard, there are far too many institutions, corporations, and individuals that treat what should be seen as suspect, as something that is a certainty, and consequently go ahead and treat such as if they could not possibly fail, not because they actually believe it, though, some do, but mainly because of their own selfish self-interest.  Nor is this limited to just institutions, corporations, and individuals, for often governments behave in exactly the same way, especially when those governments take it upon themselves to act egregiously wrong internally or externally to the national interests, by ill-advised foreign escapades, or the taking on of too much national debt, and so on, of which, because there doesn't appear to be any one person that "the buck stops with," it is essentially moral hazard, run amok.

It is well known that counterfeit money drives out good money; so too, moral hazard, will, if not dealt with at its source, essentially take something as sound in concept as insurance, and effectively eviscerate it, so that, a government that will not service its debt, may well abandon that currency with dire consequences for its population; a government that continually abuses the sovereignty of other nations, will eventually suffer such abuse in return; a  behemoth corporation that over leverages itself in risky investments will lead to not only its collapse but even possible national economic collapse; and an individual that takes unnecessarily dangerous risks when they should not, may suffer unto death.

Fight or flight or…

There are all sorts of false dichotomies put out there that purport to be true and profound, of which, some of them most definitely are not.  When it comes to the fear factor, in regards to confrontation of all sorts, we are told that our two most basic choices, perhaps, our only choices are to either fight the threat or to take flight from it.  But the reality of it is life itself, and the experiences that most people have had, indicate that this isn't close to being the whole truth.  For instance, many people have stood around to watch a school fight of which, a significant amount of those "fights" often involve a lot of talking, boasting, posturing, feinting, but no actually fighting that ever takes place.  This, in a nutshell, proves the point that confrontations are not just limited to fighting or fleeing.  In fact, confrontations can call upon a multitude of responses, including negotiation with the other party, so as to prevent a fight, or to appease the other party and so on.

The real reason why there are so many other options besides fighting or fleeing is because, for instance, fighting involves real risk to all parties involved and hence isn't ideal because of that risk; whereas fleeing while perhaps remaining true to the proverb of "living to fight another day," doesn't actually resolve the problem, but merely postpones it until another day.  So too, people are prone to all sorts of posturing, in regards to their body language or their voice, not so much because they are trying to "psych" themselves up to actually fight, but rather it is often the very opposite of that, which is to take on the aura of someone that is willing to do battle, so as to get the other person to take notice that there may well be real and legitimate reasons that have provoked such a response, that need to be dealt with.

To really believe that life only has "either, or" consequences is to simplify way too much what human life is all about.  In actuality, human confrontations, often present a myriad of options, of which mankind would not have evolved as far as it has, it those choices merely came down to fighting or fleeing, for if that was the case, there would be a heck of a lot more fighting in this world, than there already is.  We should be grateful for all the posturing that is done instead of fighting or fleeing, which allows each party to thereby maintain their honor and dignity, while also allowing cooler heads to prevail over a period of time, for many things that generate fearful situations, dissipate if no fuel is added to that fire.

It can be said that the more that people fight, the more fights that there will be, for might does not make right.  So too, the more fleeing that people do, the greater the delay in getting to the issues at hand, for running away from something that must be faced, only serves to delay that which must be faced.  On the other hand, those that posture and negotiate understand that it is these dances, so to speak, that help to make a better and more accommodating civilization.

The premeditated killing of a human is murder, except…

For every hard and fast rule there seems to be an exception, of which some of those exceptions, may have validity, whereas many of them, definitely do not; though the defenders of those exceptions will provide all sorts of reasons, as to why such and such should be an exception to that rule.   When it comes to targeting killing, there are countries, of which the most notable example is the United States, that somehow are able to make what they believe to be a legitimate argument as to why these targeted killings should not be branded as crimes against humanity, and therefore why the United States is not the haven thereof of war criminals.

The targeted killing of another is really just the rebranding of assassination, and therefore targeted killing is essentially as stated by Wikipedia.org the killing: "….of an individual by a state organization or institution outside a judicial procedure or a battlefield," which clearly is exactly what the United States has been doing in their undeclared wars against foreign nations such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria.  In addition, this is the same action taken against nebulous organizations such as Taliban and Al Qaeda.  The given reason why the United States engages in targeted killing is to basically kill the "bad guys," as conveniently defined by the United States.

It would be one thing if the United States, before it conducts its targeted killing, was to go forth before the United Nations, and actually make its case within a public forum, and therefore have a judgment rendered as to whether, first of all, the use of killing force is justified against that perceived enemy, and further whether the use of targeted killing, and the conditions of that targeted killing, are thereby conducted in a manner consistent with such a judgment, if the use of force was approved to begin with.

Instead, the United States, simply does whatever that it so desires to do in regards to targeted killings, and has dubious position papers written that supposedly supports their interpretation of the legitimacy of these targeted killings, that the United States so wants.  If the United States truly believes that international law and that the United Nation rulings does not apply to the United States, when the United States believes that such a ruling would be unfavorable or inconvenient to them, then why should any other country abide by that rule of law, if the sole superpower of the world, believes it is above such laws, when it suits its purposes to be so?

When any country takes it upon itself to simply kill what that country believes is in their best interests to kill, of which such actions include targeted killings and assassinations of which these premeditated killings are done deliberately in a non-transparent, deceptive, and extrajudicial manner, then the legitimacy of their cause must be called into question, for those that believe that the ends justify the means, are never beacons of liberty, justice, and freedom but instead actually represent oppression, injustice, and suppression by any means, necessary. 

Knowledge and omniscience

Children go to school from a very early age in order to learn, and some of these children learn so well, that later after much additional postsecondary education, they become experts in advance sciences such as astrophysics, thermodynamics, and so many other various subjects.  Some of these experts are geniuses in their field, and some are quite impressive in their application of that knowledge, of which from these people as well as so many others, mankind has advanced in its technological knowledge as well as being able to increasingly master this world for the betterment of mankind.

Yet, as knowledgeable as some people are, as brilliant as some people are, and as perceptive as some people are, there is not one person on earth that is able to absorb all that has been written, or all that has been spoken, or all that has been taught, so that they truly are the master of every field known to mankind at the present age, as well as knowledgeable of all that which is beyond mankind's perception at the present time.  That is to say, the knowledge that any particular person can comprehend and thereby utilize effectively is often quite limited.

While there is a lot to be said about book knowledge, or experience knowledge, as well as all those that see things as they currently are, and are thereby curious enough to want to understand how and why these things operate as they do; that though impressive, is still far short of mastering all knowledge. In short, though mankind has knowledge, too often that knowledge is either limited or incorrect in some way.  Yet, there is a being that knows everything that is to know and everything that could ever be known, which is God.

This would surely signify that the greatest knowledge that any mortal could obtain here on earth, is held not in the books of the realm, or the words of mere mortals, or in the experiences that each of us has, but rather that knowledge is contained within God and is of God, of which that knowledge is universally available to all, if only we would make it our point to search diligently for such. 

The surest path to knowledge is a straight line, and that line leads directly to God, for all other paths are mere tributaries at best, or rivers, or streams, but God is that One ocean of complete and unerring knowledge, unfathomable to most, but readily available to all who will not settle for poor substitutes or pale reflections of that one great and illuminating Light. 

Those that have a yearning to learn, learn best by learning from the Best.It is critical that such learning not be dogmatic or restrictive or corrupted by those that claim that their religion is the one true orthodox religion, for God stands apart from all sectarian strife, doctrinarian error, and false dogma.For all those that sincerely seek for that knowledge, need first to quiet their mind, as well as to free themselves of the illusion that they are just the material body, and instead begin to unravel the knotted strands of wisdom that are meant to unite us with God, and thereby through that newfound clarity listen for that still, small voice within, which knows everything, and errs not

Just before you go to bed…

Each night, each one of us, lay ourselves down to go to sleep. Some of us have nightly prayers, or a nightly wind down, or a nightly routine, as well as there being some people that just get into bed and are done with it.  Before each of us goes to bed each night, that should be best seen as a wonderful time as well as the opportunity to actually take a few minutes to review how that particular day went.  The reason that we should want to do this, is because each day, in ways large and small, we are not the exact, same person that we were at the beginning of the day, so that, this sort of review should reflect back to us, as to whether our trend line is something that we are satisfy with or whether it is something that needs to be adjusted.

The thing about not reviewing our day, as well as not bothering to spend some time in introspection is that those that do not do those things are often going to find that they have inexorably veered off of the path, that they actually desire to be on in this life.  An honest review of anybody's day, should be seen as the moment to see whether we are doing the things that we should and ought to be doing, and therefore such a review becomes a validation that we are on the right path; or rather if we have fallen away from the pathway that we need to be on, such a review then allows us the chance to reinvigorate ourselves and to thereby refocus ourselves onto accomplishing what we should and ought to be accomplishing, instead.

While many of us do lie to others, from time-to-time for various reasons, we should when we reflect about our own life, be honest, and from that honesty, make a determination as to whether we are who we really want to be, and further whether our actions day-by-day are consistent with what we are trying to actually be.  If they are not, then such a nightly review is the opportunity to make the change in our own lives that we need to make in order to manifest that change in our life.

The road from good to bad, or from bad to good, is a road that is almost never built overnight, but instead is a road that is built step by step and brick by brick, by our thoughts, by our actions, and by our deeds.  This means that those that take the time to reflect upon who and what they really are, or further, that receive feedback about those things from someone that is their mentor or well respected -- is in reality, building the foundation that will create the opportunity to be positive and constructive in their life.

Those that look into the mirror and want that mirror to lie to them, are leading a life of deception, of which, in the end, they are the ones that will suffer most for that deceit.  Instead, look into the mirror and accept what the mirror accurately reflects back to you, and from that reflection renew that determination to be the best person that you can be, of that, no more can be asked.

Individual accountability and anonymous behavior

There are plenty of people that love costume parties, such as one would wear at a Halloween party or any party allowing the participants to dress up in a manner that obscures who they are.  The reason that so many people enjoy putting on a disguise is that they are able to believe, rightly or wrongly, that because they are disguised, that they are no longer as directly accountable for their behavior.  That is to say, people that deliberately wear costumes for events, often spend an inordinate amount of time deciding what costume to wear, and believe that by becoming something that they are not, are therefore able to behave in a manner that most people would not identify them as, or hold them accountable to in real life.

The thing about anonymity in regards to the internet or other places of interest, and in the utilization of pseudonyms and so forth, is that those that do so believe that they have added a layer of protection from being identified, therefore meaning that they are no longer seen as an individual person but are instead, simply anonymous.  On the positive side, believing that one is anonymous, allows that person to express themselves more freely, which some people believe is necessary, especially when they are involved in their normal life with individuals and organizations that are narrow-minded and too restrictive, thereby precluding them from freely expressing themselves. The downside of that anonymity is that those that feel that they will not be exposed or ever personally identified, can buy into the attitude, that they therefore can be especially scathing and uncivil in what they say and how they behave, because they believe, that since they cannot be identified, that they are therefore personally safe from any retribution or consequences.

This signifies that some of those that are anonymous in their online persona or elsewhere view themselves as no longer having individual accountability as to what they are saying, and who they are saying this to.  This type of attitude, has a strong tendency to create situations in which anonymous people can be especially ugly and hurtful towards others, of which, the only sure way to mitigate such, is to thereby have exposed the true identity of that anonymous person, for once that anonymous person is exposed, they are therefore subject to their opponents having a fair chance to retaliate in what has been an unfair fight.

This means that in any group situation or online forum populated with anonymous people, the very best way to address a situation that has become toxic, is to identify that person or persons as to who they really are, which thereby creates a situation in which that formerly anonymous identity is now exposed, and therefore that person will in the natural course of events quickly find that they are subsequently taking on the personal cloak of responsibility for their actions and are no longer able to hide behind an identity that has now been successfully compromised.

While there is something positive to be said about costumes, anonymity, and pseudonyms; there is also something wholesome and refreshing to be said about the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

That damnable slaveholder aristocracy

When it comes to the civil war, different people are going to give different opinions, about why such a war was fought of which some of those opinions would consist of: the freeing and hence the liberation of all slaves, the re-unification of the union, the invalidity of those that lose at a legitimate democratic election taking up arms, and so on.  Each of these is absolutely valid but there is one additional very salient reason why those in the north were so set upon subjugating those in the south and that was for the elimination and annihilation of the southern aristocracy.

Before the civil war commenced, quite obviously all of the States of the union were in the continental United States, but there clearly was a division of economy as well as infrastructure between those located in the north and those located in the south.  The north was far more educated, was far more industrialized, had far more railroads as well as canals, had far more cities, along with far more recent European immigrants, and a far higher population than the south.  The south was a plantation society, and in particular, a plantation society owned, operated, and controlled by the largest plantation owners, of which, those that were enslaved as well as poor whites were all under the domain of that dominance.  The north was a far more egalitarian society and south was one that foundationally was built upon the exploitation of slaves, as well as an underclass of poor illiterate landless whites.

One might think that because the south was made up of one-third of those enslaved, as well as having a massive amount of non-land owning whites, that to even contemplate rebellion against the union, would be absolutely futile along with being quite delusional in the belief of any possible success.  However, those wily southern plantation owners in conjunction with their obedient political leaders were able to make the case to their landless white citizens, that the election of Lincoln, would lead to equality between all races, and therefore even the lowly illiterate whites would lose their caste status over blacks, and further that whites would lose their economic edge over blacks by now having to compete against blacks for free labor; in addition to the fear that blacks would run rampart over the honor of white people by raping and violating white women, with absolute impunity. 

So many of those that fought so nobly on behalf of the north, looked upon the fight against the south, as the need to tear apart and eradicate once and for all this southern aristocracy, and thereby the elimination of any semblance of that privileged plantation white class from making their living in the reaping of their benefits by the sweat of those so enslaved and those so exploited.  This meant that the war of north and south truly was a war to remove the yoke not only from the black man's neck but also from those seen as poor white trash.

In that fight, the north initially appeared successful in accomplishing just that, until the southern aristocracy was able to within a few short years after the civil war, rise again, and pretty much get back to business as usual, leaving blacks and landless whites, pretty much where they were, enslaved by another name, and exploited just the same.