nFold

Thinking Religion

I am considering and reading about religion and will post when I have thoughts that seem to have value. I am mostly interested in the role of religion in western culture, specifically in North America. Why? because this is where it has been most corrupted. I have and have known many others who have been victims of churches. By this I mean, had experiences and interactions with members of churches in the US, that convinced them to stay far away, because of the exploitation, cruelty, hypocrisy, and the obliteration of what seemed true in the ancient doctrines. So bear with me as I go down this path....

Thought #1

Religion creates coherence from disparate parts. It groups individuals together and moves them on extended trajectories.

As a culture we are becoming more abstract through our use of language, and other symbolic forms of understanding through the sciences. As groups of individuals we become susceptible to fragmentation as the abstract forms only brings us together during the life of an idea, which may be brief. For example, we might share something with a group of people, such as a set of ideas on how to live, etc, but then we change our mind, or they change theirs, and the group dissipates.

But religion or belief in God, binds us together for longer periods, for a life, or for generations. We change associations with groups of people as we should, as this is a natural cycle of growth. But experiencing these cycles of transformation along a path with a longer trajectory is not only efficient but meaningful.  The symbols of our religion may also evolve or change.  If however our belief in God is sincere, it can transcend these transformations. Symbols and ideas grounded in language are weaker than what is unspoken; the fine but strong thread, that connects us through the phases of our life, onward.

A Butoh dance.

Maureen momo FreeHill is a Butoh dancer. Last year she decided to create one dance per day, and video record them. They are all available on YouTube. I have not watched each one yet, but today watched one she created on November 30th, with Delisa Myles. I have watched it several times now. I think it is one of the most beautiful pieces of her work I have seen. There is something arcane about this piece, perhaps because of their dresses which are never without the affection of the wind.Clicking on the image below will take you to the video.

The limits of language and understanding.

Today I came across a quote from Karen Armstrong that I feel exemplifies the substantial and enduring in any religion:

"... religious discourse should not attempt to impart clear information about the divine but should lead to an appreciation of the limits of language and understanding."

Armstrong, Karen. The Case for God. Knopf: 2009

For Christmas: Hallelujah, Original Studio Version

Map Memory Library

Recently, over several days, I have spent time in the past. I often think of the past or memories like a personal library. It is something that periodically, we need to visit. While there we need to wander the aisles, pick up a book, and read a few lines. At the end of our visit, we walk away refreshed. But most importantly, we walk away with a kind of map, showing us how points in the past are consistent with current directions. It always surprises me to realize how whole my experience in life has been; how things I experienced earlier, maybe years ago, were laying dormant, for me to pick up and complete, once I found the missing piece. Yesterday was such a day of finding.

In 1997 I met artist Jan Berdyszak. I have written about him and that experience several times. It was 2 brief encounters, first in Poland, and later in Pittsburgh. I was looking at his work yesterday, and I realized, that the first experience, the visual interface, is intriguing. But it is not loud, nor does it offer all that it contains easily. The works meaning is layered, and you have to delve further, into what is not said, to understand it fully. Jan is a philosopher, above all.

After viewing my work, and listening to me, he once told me I should look into the ancient language, Glagolitsa. He mentioned it in the context of computer programming. I looked into it a bit, and was mostly fascinated by the visual forms of the alphabet and that Jan had mentioned, that it was made of ones and zeroes. At the time when he told me about it, there was very little I could find out about it. But yesterday, I found out much more. And now I understand, more about the value in the direction given by Jan, so many years ago. He has been one of my best teachers, by his example, and by his insights, and I am grateful.