Tuesday, January 04, 2005
Science, Spirit, and Sustainability
Today I start a blog. The purpose is to post commentary, news, and information from an Omnist perspective on building a sustainable world. That means transforming the world we are in, because it is not, in its present form, sustainable. That transformation requires reflection and action on the world in order to understand and attain sustainability. Simply put, that's easier said than done.
Sustainability arises from an human perspective. This does not mean that Nature or Spirit is subordinate to "Man." To the contrary, Humanity arises in Nature imbued with Spirit. I say this without requiring faith, nor asserting any preeminence of science. Rather, I seek to respect the fundamental diversity in the complex reality of nature and culture.
This is not a blog for those who believe there is some Master Plan for Cosmos, The Universe, The World, Man, or Woman -- regardless of the source they assert, be it God or Science or some other Ultimate. At the same time, this is not a blog that rejects a faith motivation. Rather, I recognize that faith can be placed in many sources, but that Truth will be unaffected by the source in which one places one's faith. Therefore, the challenge is to recognize and act upon Truth regardless of one's faith, or the ways that Truth may be expressed. Indeed, history teaches us that faith can be shattered by Truth, but Truth is neither created nor destroyed by faith.
That said, there are those who believe that nothing they do will alter the world, and those who believe that everything they do alters the world. There is a fundamentally different implication of these beliefs. Either may be true or false, and we do not know in advance what the truth is. But, if we assume that nothing makes a difference, then do nothing, we are at risk of that belief being false. If we assume that our choices do make a difference, our risk involves making good choices, not failing to do what we can. There is no risk to being wrong if we assume the latter. There is great risk to being wrong if we assume the former.
This is a blog for people who think it is important to try to make a difference without asserting that some Absolute compels an Absolute Faith -- whether blind, revealed, discovered, or created. The core value of the Omnist perspective is that creative and aware consciousness is an important human capacity that must be utilized in the pursuit of both happiness and sustainability.
So, some simple rules: tolerance, humility, courage, and intelligence are encouraged. Arrogance, bigotry, and hate are unacceptable. Wasting one another's time and attention is discouraged, but patience in discerning whether time is being wasted is valued. The purpose of this blog is not to debate or discourse endlessly, but to seek knowledge and action that will make a difference in a world in which differences can be made. The goal is sustainability, inspired by spirit, using science. So, words can have an effect, beliefs can have an impact, and the purpose of this blog is to help promote and achieve sustainability through positive change.
Let the Tsunami that has occurred be a starting lesson. In times of emergency, one acts on what knowledge has been acquired in the past. In the future, one acts on the knowledge one acquires by reflecting on present action. In this way, we learn and we transform ourselves and the world. If we acquire wisdom, progress is made. Wisdom is not inaction, though it may be attained in contemplation. Wisdom is right action. Enough said for now. If you have found your way here, feel free to explore further, contribute some "fruit," and return if you find value.
Sustainability arises from an human perspective. This does not mean that Nature or Spirit is subordinate to "Man." To the contrary, Humanity arises in Nature imbued with Spirit. I say this without requiring faith, nor asserting any preeminence of science. Rather, I seek to respect the fundamental diversity in the complex reality of nature and culture.
This is not a blog for those who believe there is some Master Plan for Cosmos, The Universe, The World, Man, or Woman -- regardless of the source they assert, be it God or Science or some other Ultimate. At the same time, this is not a blog that rejects a faith motivation. Rather, I recognize that faith can be placed in many sources, but that Truth will be unaffected by the source in which one places one's faith. Therefore, the challenge is to recognize and act upon Truth regardless of one's faith, or the ways that Truth may be expressed. Indeed, history teaches us that faith can be shattered by Truth, but Truth is neither created nor destroyed by faith.
That said, there are those who believe that nothing they do will alter the world, and those who believe that everything they do alters the world. There is a fundamentally different implication of these beliefs. Either may be true or false, and we do not know in advance what the truth is. But, if we assume that nothing makes a difference, then do nothing, we are at risk of that belief being false. If we assume that our choices do make a difference, our risk involves making good choices, not failing to do what we can. There is no risk to being wrong if we assume the latter. There is great risk to being wrong if we assume the former.
This is a blog for people who think it is important to try to make a difference without asserting that some Absolute compels an Absolute Faith -- whether blind, revealed, discovered, or created. The core value of the Omnist perspective is that creative and aware consciousness is an important human capacity that must be utilized in the pursuit of both happiness and sustainability.
So, some simple rules: tolerance, humility, courage, and intelligence are encouraged. Arrogance, bigotry, and hate are unacceptable. Wasting one another's time and attention is discouraged, but patience in discerning whether time is being wasted is valued. The purpose of this blog is not to debate or discourse endlessly, but to seek knowledge and action that will make a difference in a world in which differences can be made. The goal is sustainability, inspired by spirit, using science. So, words can have an effect, beliefs can have an impact, and the purpose of this blog is to help promote and achieve sustainability through positive change.
Let the Tsunami that has occurred be a starting lesson. In times of emergency, one acts on what knowledge has been acquired in the past. In the future, one acts on the knowledge one acquires by reflecting on present action. In this way, we learn and we transform ourselves and the world. If we acquire wisdom, progress is made. Wisdom is not inaction, though it may be attained in contemplation. Wisdom is right action. Enough said for now. If you have found your way here, feel free to explore further, contribute some "fruit," and return if you find value.
