Comment

Comment by Ginny Findlow on March 2, 2010 at 6:24pm

Perhaps I should have called it "The Earth Groaning" from the quote from St Paul in one of his letters - he talks about the earth groaning like a woman in labour, waiting to be delivered finally from its pain.
The point about the chart is that every place of interaction [for bad] can be a place of interaction for good. That is where his servants come in. In the gospels the disciples asked 'who has sinned, that this has happened' [e.g.blindness] and Jesus said "THATS NOT THE POINT, THIS SITUATION EXISTS sO THAT GOD CAN BE GLORIFIED THROUGH IT". When we see what the diagnosis IS [in the family, or in the world] God can turn round the BAD part and convert the BAD cycle into a GOOD cycle. That's how family therapy works - it's a ministry of the holy spirit [in disguise].

The chart is not a FIXED 'doomcast' of the future - it shows a dynamic situation which can be turned around at any of the interaction points - or even reverted from the bottom up - to bring about the opposite. In a way it represents the balance of the two forces working against each other All we have to do is weight it in the other direction. There are enough of us to do it [numerically speaking.] Lets get working. [This website is one agent doing just that!]
Ginny
pS - I suppose what is missing is the HOPE - in the therapeutic situation this comes from the person of the therapist. bY being 'on the outside' she is more able to be objective and neutral - and therefore not be pulled down by the situation She just KNOWS from experience that it is possible. So she does it! It's FAITH - the proper meaning of the word - you believe something will happen, and because of the attitude of belief, it CAN happen.

Comment by Maynard on March 2, 2010 at 7:29am

Thank you, Ginny. So it is a kind of doomcast, as the worst president ever took the bait and played into the hand, destroying the economy of destructive consumption and reducing the government of the world's most belligerent nation to a pack of blind puppies.

But it is not a sustainable situation; in part because it leads to, and is driven by, the atheism which you so eloquently depict. Being a God oriented soul, maybe that's why I missed it so strongly.

Please don't dwell on it too long, my friend.

Comment by Ginny Findlow on March 2, 2010 at 4:37am

Yes, exactly. It's saying that if the 3 New Atheists keep ranting and holding international conventions, and debates to trash the 'opposition', [and the creationists respond in like manner] between them they are contributing to a sort of civil war. They are continuing al-Qaeda's work started on 9/11 2001. Everything gets worse.

It's like when a child dies, and the parents divorce later because they cant understand the other partner grieving in a different way. 9/11 demanded a response - responsible people reacted in their own way [which is to be more firmly dependant on whatever it is that they rely on for their identity.] i'e' evolution, scientific knowledge, evangelism, reason, creationism, islamism - whatever 'ism' you think is important. Whatever you think is the answer, you want everybody to convert to it, and therefore solve the problems of the world. So you get aggressive.

Whereas the REAL solution is to let folk be how they are - dont try to change them - just love them and they find the answer themselves.[=the gospel.[ [=God's acceptance of us empowers us to lift our game.] Trouble is, the scientists and atheists think they are HELPING the world by being so belligerent. They are all coming to Melbourne this Friday for a corroboree. They dont think they themselves are also part of the problem [=the overall anxiety]

You're right! I've let it get to me. I cant stand the thought of those lovely red buses with atheist slogans on them. Sacrilege!

Comment by Maynard on March 1, 2010 at 9:39pm

What IS it saying?

I'm concerned that as a synopsis of society it weights heavily in favor of the boisterous minority and may not fairly represent the quiet majority of retiring boomers and cultural creatives and the late adolescent x-gen.

The arrows point downward to the wrong questions, the wrong debate, the same desperation and aggression which are the root of the bleak characterization of humanity at the top of the page.

I must be missing something essential about its overall message and context. Or maybe I have "rounded the bend". The tags fit. They're depressing.

Maybe it's just missing the entire top half. The universal move for solution, and trend toward the sacred identified by compassion and justice; an increase in trust and decrease in anxiety.

Who knows, pilgrim?

Comment by Ron Krumpos on March 1, 2010 at 7:39pm

Ginny,
Unfortunately, I think this is a too common trend today. It doesn't go as far as the Apocalypse (sorry GPDC), but it ain't pretty. You should qualify it by saying it isn't your own view. Obamabooma wouldn't "get it" but GWB would.

PS: Mysticism trumps terrorism because mystics realize there is really (capital R) nothing to be afraid of.

Comment by Ginny Findlow on March 1, 2010 at 6:40pm

How d'ya mean, possum?
It doesn't say anything we don't already know, does it? Just brings it all together. I didnt even MENTION the word 'terrorism' [just alluded to the adolescent need for identity being a strong one.]
It was really meant to show the [growing] rift in american society secondary to the 'new atheists'' bashing of creationists - when in reality we're all suffering from the same disease.
Christians [or any religious souls with a strong spiritual basis] will have their own sense of identity from their primary relationship with God, their belonging to the whole world [everyone is my brother/sister] and their purpose of serving mankind [=people-kind - I keep forgetting to be PC.]

What do you think, Ron, Mr Ghouse? Is it depressing? Should I delete it or is it helpful? Maybe send it to Mr Obama for his next 'state of the nation' address!
love to all, ginny

Comment by Maynard on March 1, 2010 at 10:49am

Ginny,
Now *that* is depressing.
oooo,
--Maynard