Here it is with some s (Score 2)

Sorry, the preview button didn't work so I forgot it was all getting munged together.

IMHO one of the most provocative films in recent memory. And, IMHO, he is dead on.

What follows is my (take on) religion for today. Triangulated somewhere between between sober dissertation and bong-load revalation, psychic meditation and mental masturbation:

I encourage all to read Dr. Boyd's "spiritual warfare" article on the eternalwarriors page. (preferably before reading the rest of this. Although we come from vastly different theological viewpoints, it's a pretty damn well written paper. Just tell the boss you're researching a new market.) In the beginning he reveals the seemingly paradoxical nature of spiritual free agency in the bible - there is only "One God" with a capital 'G,' yet there are many references, in both testaments, to a large number of spiritual free agents - angels, demons, etc. Interpreted literally, THESE AGENTS HAVE FREE WILL and are therefore prone to the same error and moral ambiguity as the rest of us (he describes one biblical passage as God "reaming out" less-than-competent subordinates.) Dr. Boyd goes on to cast Christianity in a decidedly non-platonic light - that is, while God has a Plan, free agents are perfectly able to screw up his Plan (and there isn't necessarily some perfect world where his Plan went right, either.)

I found the description rather refreshing, because it is one of the few "Christian" theological viewpoints I've heard that addresses the polytheistic aspect of Christianity. It's really not that far from some traditions (e.g. parts of Eastern, Pagan, and Native American spirituality) which posit a whole sort of spiritual ecosystem. I guess it's actually closer to Catholic mysticism, since the context seems very bi-polar - you're either on "the side of" God or the Devil. Still, the picture painted by Dr. Boyd is of a big, dynamic, exciting spiritual world, in which, even if there is an absolute right and wrong, the participating free agents don't have all the data, and therefore can't always make the 'right' decision.

I think Dr. Boyd's paper offers a glimmer of hope, an intellectual avenue between Christians and non-Christians. After all, WHY did God create this diverse array of creatures with Free Will, if not to enjoy the DIVERSITY of their forms? This diversity can best be enjoyed if these entities help each other to reach their full potential, rather than using their energies to destroy (negate) each other. "Evil" in this sense can be defined as this destructive impulse, this Thanatos Drive.

In our multicultural society, we are exposed to countless ideas of what it is to be "good," "right," "just," "human," etc. Often these ideas contradict each other, so they "fight" for memonic supremacy. Our minds are a constant battleground of memes... and since memes can be transmitted from mind to mind, and can sometimes drastically alter our behavior (lead to epiphanies, crises, etc.) is it not perhaps fit to speak of them as "spiritual?" And it is obvious that some memes are destructive to the rest of the human personality (e.g. abuse, addiction, fascism - note that I don't necessarily include the more "primal" memes such as anger) Is it not fit to speak of them as "evil agents?" What practical difference does it make, whether the "daemon" that is prompting you to take a destructive action is external or internal (literally, memory-resident.) You still need to kill, or at least banish (re-nice?) it to take a more positive action.

I believe that our spirituality is, first and foremost, how we make the material world seem "real" to us, how we make ordinary events seem "meaniful" by referring to them from the point of view of something greater and more permanent. Modern knowledge of the universe points to many things that are greater and more permanent than ourselves (although it can not yet ascribe any of them consciousness, it certainly gives plenty of room for more powerful beings, with a universe billions of light-years across, more than 4 dimensions in this universe, and any number of ways in which "our" universe isn't necessarily the only one. Any number of cosmologies which permit true infinity are now at least viable.

Obviously, the notion of Spiritual Warfare can be interpreted in very destructive ways by narrowminded people. But isn't narrowmindedness one of the very memes / demons we must struggle against? "By their fruits you shall judge them," and I believe that it is blazoned across some part of our humanity, our soul, that narrowmindedness leads to destruction, death, evil, bad karma, whatever you wanna call it. Evil is the misery, the despair, the stifled dreams of THIS world. Good is our attempts to "slip the surly bonds of earth, and touch the face of God."

Modern technology is giving us the means to do just that - as well as the means to make the earth a living hell. Each of us must fight for control of our own lives and minds. There are many obstacles in the way, and many entities that don't necessarily want us to succeed. Whether they inhabit the dark recesses of our minds, the dark side of the moon, or some other "plane" of existence, THEY ARE REAL. Whether they were created by some supreme being and "fell from grace," or merely arose from the frustration of fallible people dealing with a harsh physical world, THEY ARE REAL. If we sit back and do nothing, they will eventually destroy us.

But if we wake up and smell the napalm, we might see that we can do a lot, individually as well as collectively. You all know what to do: stop complaining about your own problems and start doing something about them. Forget your machines: upgrade yourself. Strive to increase your bandwidth, spiritually, intellectually, socially, politically, physically, sexually (note that "financially" isn't in the list - once you start seeing money as an end rather than a mean you've pretty much given up.) Help others, love others, teach others, learn from others. Do all the other corny, warm-fuzzy things you know are right. Create islands of sanity in the midst of all this chaos. Create theories which simplify our complex lives, without sacrificing coherence with observed reality. Get in touch with your body, your mind, your neighbors, your neighborhood, YOUR universe. The more you do this, the more you will be in touch with the reality of the conflicts which surround us, and the more you will be able to take actions which are effective in shaping the future.

That's what spiritual warfare means. Be a soldier, even if you're a pacifist. Be a man, even if you're a woman. Be a woman, even if you're a man. Be all you can be, which is a lot more than most of us think. Have the foresight to realize that YOUR best path is not necessarily the one which gets the most immediate rewards. Follow many paths, listen to the voices of history.

I realize how corny all this shit sounds. But that's the whole POINT: statements of POWER and TRUTH are as old as the mountains, hence not copyrightable. Thus they get lost in the ones and zeroes of daily life. Their signal must be amplified if we are to remain WHOLE, COMPLETE, AUTONOMOUS free agents rather than merely being interchangeable hyper-efficient binary decision makers. Spirituality has traditionally served the purpose of reminding us who we are and what we're here for. This is the last thing that science seeks to do (quite literally - maybe if we "figure out" everything else we'll see the meaning of meaning too... but I wouldn't hold my breath) Corporate capitalism won't help - after all, if we're whole, complete people we have less needs to be filled by product. Government long ago abandoned any pretensions of spiritual leadership, and the political wing of the Religious Right is appealing to the lowest common denominator - fear rather than spirituality. Some would argue that a majority of mainstream religions have also followed this road.

So we NEED spirituality, but can we TRUST religion? Perhaps - if that religion has returned to its original purpose of supporting our struggles against the evils of this world. As Dr. Boyd said in his paper, all too often religious leaders have served to keep us passive.

What we really need is a system of dialogue between those of various traditions, FOCUSED on the application of spirituality to the problems of THIS world. There are a large number of AFFIRMATIVE ideals (e.g. respect for human life, belief in human dignity, respect and stewardship of the earth) which almost all traditions, from Anglicans to Zorastarians, pretty much hold in common. If there was a coalition that really embraced those ideals, it could be a strong force, politically as well as spiritual, providing a real alternative to the PROHIVITIVE, restrictions policies of the CC. It could defend reasonable people whom the CC has defined as "godless" because of their lack of adherence to some specific dogma. It could field candidates of its own, taking the REAL moral high ground and thereby revitalizing REAL spiritual dialogue in this country. It could encourage more compassionate, understanding foreign policy, restoring America's moral legitimacy in the eyes of the rest of the world. It might even lead to a government that Americans would be willing to trust again, finally making possible solutions to social problems we have all but given up on.

Phew! That's a rather long tirade. Congratulations to anyone who made it through (moderators, you DID read the whole thing before giving it an offtopic rating, didn't you?) Just so you know I wasn't totally wasting my time, part of this will probably make it into a term paper someday soon. So let me know how you felt (email [e-mail]) I'm serious about all of this. There is a huge spiritual potential within us all that is ignored by most organized religions and totally negated by much of our capitalist media-orcracy. I only hope that that power is harnessed by responsible leaders, not cultish demagogues. Please e-mail any interesting links along these lines you might have... I might turn it into more than a term paper.

Oh, and as for the game: looks kinda low-budget, but I'd give it a shot if there's a demo. And yeah, that angel *does* kinda look like it's smokin' a big spliff...