“Religion and Spirituality are often confused with each other, yet in many respects religion has very little to do with spirituality and everything to do with the attainment of secular power and wealth for rather base and venal reasons.”
“Religion invariably presents an oversimplistic and narrow view of reality, is intolerant of contrary views and demeaning to the basic tenets underlying spirituality in that it attempts to present a finite and limited interpretation of the infinite.”
“Spirituality on the other hand is usually a far deeper personal experience associated with an individual’s personal quest to re-discover his or her essence and who he or she really are. (i.e. the essence of one’s identity so to speak) This quest invariably involves entering into some form of holotropic state (either planned or spontaneously) and experiencing a life-changing spiritual event associated with the person’s reconnection with the Creative Principle (or God, for want of a better name) This ‘reconnection’ has no real counterpart in everyday human experience, so very few people who experience it ever talk about it.”
How quickly history is forgotten, only to be repeated.
…
Nazi leader Hermann Goering, interviewed by Gustave Gilbert during the Easter recess of the Nuremberg trials, 1946 April 18, quoted in Gilbert’s book ‘Nuremberg Diary.‘
Goering: Why, of course, the people don’t want war. Why would some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best that he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece.
Naturally, the common people don’t want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship.
Gilbert: There is one difference. In a democracy the people have some say in the matter through their elected representatives, and in the United States only Congress can declare wars.
Goering: Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.”
Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable, a most sacred right – a right which we hope and believe is to liberate the world.
-Abraham Lincoln before invading the Southern States
One of my friends died today. She passed away June 24th but I just found out about it this morning. I sent her an email yesterday, just checking in, seeing how she was doing. Wishing her Happy Holidays.
I awoke today to a reply from her Father; she was killed in a drunk driving accident at Lake Texoma this summer.
I would be lying if I said we were the best of friends. We dated briefly, but it was quickly evident her soul belonged with someone else. Never the less we kept in touch thru emails and phone calls, and the occasional drink or spliff here and there.
She had a smile that would light up a room, and I will never see it again. She was engaged to be married, and if anyone ever deserved to live a long, happy life; it was her.
My thoughts and condolences go out to her parents, fiancée and friends, I will most definitely miss her.
