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(>) ARE AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDINGS DARK GREEN LETTERING ARE LINKS IF ONLY THE "BANE" OF OUR EXISTENCE WAS TO GET MAD, THE BOON OF OUR EXISTENCE WOULD BE HAPPINESS. THERE IS HOPE FOR ALL OF US, IF JUST SOME OF US, TAKE HEED TO SPIRITUAL NEEDS. IT'S EASY TO SEE IN THIS DAY AND TIME THAT PEOPLE ARE LOSING IT. THE CONVERGENCE OF A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, THE RESURGENCE OF RACISM AND AN OVERALL INCREASE IN HOSTILITY HAS GIVEN RISE TO ANXIETY, ANGERS FIRST COUSIN. THE BIBLE ENCOURAGES US TO AVOID ANGER, AND WHEN WE DO EXPERIENCE ANGER NOT TO ALLOW IT TO CAUSE US TO SIN. LET'S KEEP IT REAL; MOST OF US AT SOME TIME OR ANOTHER IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER GET MAD. THE "SPIRIT OF ANGER" WORKS AS A FESTERING SPIRIT THAT EATS AWAY AT THE SOUL. EMOTIONS MOVE OR "GET IN MOTION" WHEN TRIGGERED BY ACTIONS OR THOUGHTS FROM REAL OR IMAGINED EVENTS. THEY MOVE FROM THE INSIDE TO THE OUTSIDE WHERE WE CAN CONSCIOUSLY FEEL THEM. OUR SOULS, THE SEAT OF OUR CONSCIOUSNESS, CAN ONLY BEAR SO MUCH WITHOUT HAVING SOME TYPE OF TANGIBLE EXPRESSION IN WORD OR IN DEED. TODAY'S ANXIETIES EXPRESSED AS ANGER ARE EXPLODING! THREATS ARE NO LONGER THREATS THEY HAVE MORPHED INTO INTENTIONAL PROMISES. THESE ERUPTIONS ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE COMMON BECAUSE THE "SPIRIT OF RESTRAINT" IS NO LONGER BEING EXERCISED BY OUR LEADERS, LAW ENFORCEMENT OR THE PROLETARIAT. LEADERSHIP SETS THE TONE AND PROVIDES THE CONSCIOUSNESS OR CLIMATE DEMONSTRATED AS ACCEPTABLE FROM THE TOP DOWN.F.E.A.R. IS OUR ACRONYM THAT STANDS FOR FRIGHT EXPRESSED AS-A REALITY. TODAY, OUR POPULACE AS A WHOLE IS COMING FACE TO FACE WITH THE TYPE OF P.T.S.D. THAT IS USUALLY A BY-PRODUCT OF OPPRESSION OR WAR. AS WE WARNED IN PREVIOUS POSTS; WHEN WE REOPENED THE PANDORA'S BOX OF RACISM, WHICH WAS ALREADY LEAKING AND HAD NEVER BEEN SEALED, IT WOULD ALLOW THAT SPIRIT TO RUN AMOK AGAIN! WE'VE MOVED FROM A "NATURAL" VIRAL PANDEMIC TO A "SPIRITUAL" EPIDEMIC OF ANIMOSITY. MOST PEOPLE FAIL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THOUGHTS AS THINGS OR WORDS AS SPIRIT. AS A RESULT OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS BEHIND ALL THAT'S GOING ON IS TAINTED. THE SPIRIT OF A THOUGHT IS MOST COMMONLY EXPRESSED IN WORDS AND ARTICULATED IN VARIOUS WAYS THAT RELEASES ENERGY. SOMETIMES THESE SPIRITS GET CAUGHT UP, STUCK AND CONTAINED IN WAYS THAT CONTAMINATE OUR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS. WHEN WE ARE IN A "NORMAL" STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS IT ALLOWS US TO PONDER OUR ACTIONS BEFORE COMMITTING TO THEM. HOWEVER, OUR SUBCONSCIOUS IS MORE DELICATE AND MANIPULATIVE THAN WE THINK. SPIRITS INTERACT WITH US AT THAT LEVEL OF THINKING, WHETHER WE KNOW IT OR NOT! THOUGHTS THAT GET TRAPPED IN OUR MINDS CAN BECOME DANGEROUS EXPRESSIONS IF WE CANNOT RESOLVE THEM THERE. THOUGHTS ARE THINGS AND OFTEN MANIFEST IN OUR WORDS AND DEEDS. WE ARE SEEING MORE AND MORE OF THESE EXPRESSIONS THROUGH ACTIONS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DEALT WITH, DISCUSSED AND RESOLVED AT AN INTELLECTUAL LEVEL. THE SAFEST WAY TO RELEASE ENERGY IS THROUGH VERBAL DIALOGUE. EVERY URGE HAS AN ORIGIN. EVERY TYPE OF ENERGY COMES WITH ITS OWN LEVEL OF URGENCY. OUR INDIVIDUAL URGES SHOULD NEVER OVERRIDE OUR COLLECTIVE RESPECT AND RESTRAINT TOWARDS OTHERS. AN URGE HAS NO LOGIC OR MIND OF ITS OWN. MOST URGES HAVE BOTH AN EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL COMPONENT TO THEM. ALL URGES MUST BE CHANNELED AND CONTROLLED! IT IS OUR MINDS THAT GIVE OUR URGES THE UNCTION TO FUNCTION. WHAT WE FEEL IS NOT ALWAYS RATIONAL AND "IN FACT" MAY NOT BE REAL. "FEELINGS" ALWAYS "FEEL" REAL AND OUR PERSONAL SPIRIT STAYS IN CONTACT WITH THEM AS IT DOES WITH THE ENTIRE SPIRIT REALM. THE SPIRIT REALM IS FILLED WITH FEELINGS! WHY DO WE CONTINUE TO FOOLISHLY IGNORE THE OVERWHELMING MOUNTING EVIDENCE OF IT'S PSYCHOLOGICAL INFLUENCE AND PRESENCE? WHEN WILL THE WORLD WAKE UP? THE "SCIENCE OF SPIRIT" IS NOT A DIFFICULT FIELD OF STUDY! IT IS MORE OF AN IGNORED SCIENCE. THIS IS THE FIELD OF SCIENCE WE STRIVE TO APPLY HERE!ENDURANCE FADES AND TOLERANCE HAS LIMITSSuck it up, be a man, put your big girl panties on and get over it; are some of the expressions we use to encourage one another to toughen up. Although we mean well, sometimes it is advisable and necessary to indulge pity. The spirit or attitude of our expressions are as important as the words themselves. There is a fine line between sharing sorrow, showing compassion and wallowing in grief. We experience grief as a natural human response to loss with stages and cycles that may be repeated. Perhaps the planet is grieving and stuck in the stage of anger. Why does it seem as if so many of us are always upset? What hope has been lost? What opportunity has been denied? What rights have been removed? What dreams have been deferred? We should keep in mind that every emotion has a purpose and that the ability to feel them is a part of our psychological construct. Feelings are as much of a protection and a warning mechanism as they are anything else. A hiss of a snake or roar of a lion should invoke some level of healthy fear. Fear is one thing we all have in common. As much as we are all similar we are also uniquely different. We can all endure some level of both physical and emotional pain, however our individual tolerances differ. One of the fundamental errors we make in accessing others is to compare them to ourselves! This applies to culture, gender, race, regions, religions and multiple other factors. Feelings have a broad range of applications and definitions. Our feelings interact with our senses and effect how we judge situations, ourselves and others. Without their presence at the physical tangible level we would potentially and unknowingly subject ourselves to irreparable harm. Without their presence at a psychological intangible level we would all become "raisins in the sun." WHAT HAPPENS TO A DREAM DEFERRED? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a soar and then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load? OR DOES IT EXPLODE? Langston Hughes WE NEED A BARTENDERS MINDSET: MIXING AND MUDDLING REQUIRES SKILL ![]() Although most of us use the terms feelings and emotions interchangeably there are many distinctions. We "have" feelings and "feel" emotions. Feelings are the meanings we give to emotions. It may be helpful to see their relationship as two sides of the same coin. Feelings are generated by our beliefs, memories and thoughts. We can be influenced to feel various ways (brainwashed) through our environment. Feelings operate at a conscious and physically recognized level. Emotions "move" or surface from a subconscious hidden place we may not even be aware of. Sometimes suppressed memories flood us with emotions and we may not be sure how to process them or know how to feel about them. We all have the power to selectively choose and feel emotions by recalling them from memory. These can be characterized as "memory initiated emotions." Emotions dwell closer to our imagination than our reasoning and dwell in the subconscious area of the mind. Emotions, when stirred, can surface and express themselves in multiple ways. A flood of emotions can be so overwhelming that no dam can hold them. They can manifest in our voice, facial expressions, gait and posture. These are just some of the signs to look for. Spirits take advantage of our mixed emotions. Mixing chemicals, drinks, drugs and ingredients in a recipe requires precision. Mixed emotions can be explosive! Our emotions like to surface as reactions. However, feelings are within our conscious control and can allow us to respond or be responsible. There are models for emotions. We'll consider just six basic emotions. Anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and surprise are within a spectrum of emotions we all can relate to. Our five senses (there are more than five) operate hand in hand with the emotions we feel. The fight, freeze or flight response is an example of this. Feelings have the ability to create emotions through our imaginations and can connect our spirit to thoughts that change the way we feel. This is not double talk. We must consider the effects that feelings and emotions have upon our spirit. Our soul and spirit are intricately interwoven into our body, mind and thinking. These things all coincide with one another and life's events. We can all "imagine" how something feels without going through the experience by tapping into our personal range of emotions. Suppressing emotions & ignoring feelings frustrates us, feels bad and stirs even more emotions! The "spirit of ANGER" takes advantage of our ignorance of how FEELINGS and EMOTIONS operate! One definition for PEACE is the absence of anxiety & frustration. LOVE IS A SPIRIT TOO!As real as "feeling emotions are," they are only as powerful as we make them. It's easy to confuse feelings of many different types due to their dual applications. Whether we are aware of it or not, we feel everything. There is either a physical or psychological (emotional) feeling associated with EVERYTHING we do! Sometimes we are so used to certain feelings that we simply take them for granted. Eating, sleeping, walking and just relieving ourselves each feels a certain way. Love feels a certain way also, but more importantly love behaves in specific ways. Although feelings appear to be reliable indications of whatever caused them, their origins may not be rooted in love. Feelings can easily deceive the best of us whether used as evidence boldly or with diffidence. Love is not difficult, but love is obligated to stubbornly enforces its code of conduct. Anyone who has been a recipient of love's discipline knows this. So many of us resists love's strong hand of chastisement and only embrace what comes easy. What good is a love that ignores and fails to correct what's wrong? Love champions discipline. We cannot be truly loved without being properly led. Which of us would expose our children to the hardships of life without first teaching them life's lessons. Here comes a hard saying (an analogy). Life births only two types of children. At birth they both appear to be alike. These are not male or female but rather babies and bastards. Life births us all while arbitrarily and impartially chastening us. None of us are actually born as bastards. It is by our choices we become that way. "Life's bastards," will not accept the reprimands that come along with the firm hand of love, life's partner sends to us all. Life's babies are guilty too. They complain, criticize, fight, rebel and resist life's reprimand; but eventually they will receive, heed and respond to chastening and/or reproof. Separating the babies from the bastards is not our job. Wheat and tares often grow together until the day of harvest. There will be times when we all behave as bastards. We cannot personally give ourselves an exemption or a ghetto pass. Challenging our own biases allows us to embrace a "spirit of truth." The "spirit of love" is accompanied by a strong cast of similar spirits like boldness, courage, forgiveness, sacrifice and truth. Love has the strongest bonds of any spirit and reaches beyond death or the grave. Sometimes we limit love's capability when lacking FAITH! Fortunately love has a sister named GRACE, the cousin of MERCY, all children of PROMISE. Our consolation is in knowing that love never fails. We only have to exercise it regardless of how we FEEL about what appears to oppose it. Listen up and speak up. Do not fear what we don't want to hear, love is stronger than death!
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(>) ARE AUDIO/VIDEO RECORDINGS DARK GREEN LETTERING ARE LINKS THE DYNAMICS OF CHANGE IS SOMETHING FEW WANT, MANY RESIST AND MOST ARE SIMPLY UNAWARE OF. HOWEVER CHANGE IN AND OF ITSELF IS INEVITABLE. EVERY BUSINESS, ECOSYSTEM, FAMILY, GOVERNMENT AND RELATIONSHIP IS SUBJECT TO THE PHENOMENA OF CHANGE. THE WISEST AND MOST FRUITFUL OF US EMBRACE IT. WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE, UNDERSTAND, ACCEPT AND USHER IN CONSTRUCTIVE CHANGES. SIGNS OF GROWING DISCONTENT, MOUNTING CRISIS'S, UNRESOLVED PROBLEMS AND UNANSWERED ETHICAL OR MORAL QUESTIONS ARE SPIRITUAL SIGNS OF THE NEED FOR CHANGE. THROUGH THESE POSTS WE STRIVE TO PROMOTE TRADITIONAL VALUES AND PRINCIPLES, MAINTAIN INTEGRITY, HIGHLIGHT INJUSTICES AND ENCOURAGE READERS TO ADDRESS THE SPIRITUAL ASPECTS OF THEIR LIVES. THIS IS WHAT THE MAGNETIC MODEL IS ALL ABOUT. MANY OF US CONTINUE TO GROW IN KNOWLEDGE BUT FORGET TO MATURE IN OUR PERSPECTIVES. WE LIVE IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING TIME. WE CAN EASILY MISREAD THE PARADIGM SHIFTS AND MISINTERPRET THE ZEITGEIST. ALTHOUGH THE PRINCIPLES GOVERNING OUR LIVES AND SPIRITS REMAIN THE SAME, SOMETIMES WE FAIL TO PROPERLY APPLY THEM. RECOGNIZING THE CYCLES, PATTERNS AND SIGNALS LIFE ALWAYS SENDS US IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF INTERPRETING CIRCUMSTANCES FOR ACCEPTING AND/OR IMPLEMENTING CHANGE. HISTORICALLY, WE CAN SEE THAT AS NEEDFUL AS MANY CHANGES HAVE BEEN, CHANGE GENERALLY MUST FIGHT THROUGH RESISTANCE.IS CHANGE THE NEW NORMAL OR DOES IT SET A NEW STANDARD?![]() Change can be both new and normal. It is much easier to embrace as a tradition. The way we define normal must allow us to embrace "change!" Normal is defined as the expected, typical and usual course of events or conditions. The only issue with that definition is that it does not include "change." Although many changes usher in slowly, happen gradually and usually bring some improvements; change generally meets resistance. Change is normal, but it is also normal to resist change. For those of us who have missed the memo; these are no longer changing times, times have changed! A "spirit of change" is upon us but few understand how these spirits operate. The "Great Resignation", also known as the "Big Quit" or the "Great Reshuffle" presented itself as a movement or trend that swept across the working economic landscape. This "spirit of revolt" or career dissatisfaction ushered in a change in attitude throughout the country. Some of us simply quit our jobs without regard for the security employment brings. This spirit emerged and spread throughout our society on the heels of a lethargic and slothful spirit that had already infected millions of workers who stayed at home and lived off of government stimulus and unemployment checks during the pandemic. The spiritual ramifications of natural and psychological changes are often described or written off as an aftermath or a byproduct by naturally minded people. Without a spiritual perspective, most people will generally see our current conditions as a side effect of the pandemic, which it is. This must be regarded as the aftermath of what we all experienced during a period of individual isolation and family sequester. The pandemic is as spiritually significant as the plagues upon Egypt were during the days of Moses. These events represent consequential changes in our natural and spiritual landscapes. Anyone who has followed these posts for any length of time knows that we repeatedly admonish our readers to be involved in, adjust to and embrace needed change. THE MOST NOTABLE ASPECT OF TODAY'S CHANGES COME IN THE FORM OF THE PACE OF CHANGE RATHER THEN WHAT IS CHANGING. As technology drives our society it accelerates change. We have recently become a data driven society and "that" has not changed. What has changed is our enhanced ability to collect, process and apply the overwhelming amount of data. The abundance of information impacting society is creating sensory overload. This additional source of stress has diminished happiness is being manifested through chaos, violence and rampages. The spiritual glue that holds the world together is coming loose. Humanity is missing the mark. Electronic networks now allow machines to do what humans have failed to do throughout history. Machines are programmed to work cooperatively and efficiently. Simply put, machines always get along with one another, humans don't. The advent and the age of machines are here and they are "capable" of doing a much better job. DON'T BLINK...IT'S MUCH QUICKER THAN WE THINK!![]() Moore's law, which applied to the density of electronic components that can be combined into a single package (chip) doubled every two years making computers, electronics and phones available worldwide. This all happened within a 50 year span. Moore's law is now quickly being replaced by Neven's law. Moore's law has taken us from large Stationary electronics to small personal portable devices. The advent of quantum computing, Metcalfes law, Artificial Intelligence and robotics are already in effect. We must realize that Change is actually more than the sum of its individual actions. All real changes have spiritual dimensions. Machines, no matter how sophisticated are not spiritual. The characteristics of color such as hue, temperature, chroma, value, and brightness create feelings that only humans are capable of experiencing and expressing. Although fake manners are better than no manners at all, robots are not appreciative or thankful. We don't need to extend common courtesies to an App. Apps only "care" (that means show concern) by design. Microsoft's adoption and implementation of "ChatGPT" is an example of a significant advancement that even posses a threat to the giant Google search engine empire. Incorporating "ChatGPT" into the Microsoft's "Bing" search engine will diminish Googles competitive edge in that field. Open AI's "ChatGPT" is a controversial conversational talking robot or "chat-bot" capable of responding to any query (question) like a human would. "ChatGPT" has already passed medical exams, the bar exam and received a "B" on an MBA paper. Its adoption rate will eventually be labeled as disruptive! Here comes another way to gain an edge or another method to cheat! The technology is not perfect, it contains the human biases we see in every current existing design or invention. This is an executable program that does not have true compassion, empathy or feelings; but it can think and talk as if it does. Is it possible for A.I. to be sentient? Can they exchange feelings and affections like our pets? We can easily predict some of the effects of these technologies. How can teachers compete with robots? What effect will this have on us when it comes to jobs normally facilitated by people? "ChatGPT," a "Generative Pre-trained Transformer," has been the fastest app in history to reach 100 million users. Don't forget we have been gradually conditioned to communicate indirectly though automated devices since the advent of the answering machine back in "the sixty's." The voice prompts we've grown accustomed to will soon be full conversations. The virtual assistants of yesterday have quietly merged into the A.I. of today. The line between automation and Artificial Intelligence is being blurred more and more. In both cases data is gathered for further processing; but with A.I. data is gathered, processed, and used for learning how to devise and/or implement predetermined programmable strategies (get smarter). The strategies by design are entrusted to computer code and implemented through unsupervised independent machine learning. Machine Learning is already incorporated into every email we send, every site we click on and in every purchase we make. Machines are designed to communicate with one another in a team like fashion with a common goal. Programmable devices don't have to deal with pride, jealousy, envy or egos. They beat human beings hands down. They won't be lazy, late or lie. They can be biased (by design), incapable of empathy (despite what's expressed) and logical in an impractical manner. The trade offs favor the robots. Although humans share spirit we still can't get along. We can expect to see A.I.'s impact in transportation, security, finance, businesses, crime and war. but what effects can we expect it to have on human spirituality? Unfortunately the word "spirit" is devoid from the majority of peoples conversation although it is 100% a part of all peoples actions. It's time to be like a fish, don't blink! This is a real game changer we must be vigilant with our eyes wide open.
TRADITIONS CAN CHANGE BUT PRINCIPLES ARE IMMUTABLE![]() Traditions are beliefs and or customs formulated over time and passed down from generation to generation. Traditions can become unwritten laws that we establish, inherit, and expect to see in our thoughts and behaviors. Like habits, traditions become ingrained in our subconsciousness as truths that we tend to believe whether they are true or not. Traditions are not just beliefs; sometimes we embrace them as a way of thinking. Traditions are powerful expressions. Traditions can authorize beliefs that sanction actions. The reasons behind a tradition can sometimes be lost when they are passed on. The spirit of a tradition has to be more than recited, it must be lived. The twelve steps and twelve traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous provide guidelines and establishes purpose for the organization. Principles, statues (monuments/laws) and symbols (images) are perceived as immutable accouterments. Principles can be applied in multiple ways without altering their concepts. Permanent fixtures like monuments serve as reminders. Images and symbols represent ideals without using words. When we place principles before personalities traditions can be embraced in their proper context. Principles and the traditions they spawn go hand in hand. The principle of loosening or warming up our muscles before using them goes hand in with the tradition of bending and stretching before we exert ourselves. Even cats and dogs stretch when they awaken. The truth is that any tradition we follow must meet two criteria. Traditions must be applicable and current. All traditions should be applicable to the situation and relative to the time. It is okay to follow tradition but not to be bound by it. Being bound by tradition rather than truth is a rabbit hole that many clergy and politicians tend to fall into. Traditions often encourage us to think what "they" want us to think or what we're supposed to think, rather than what the evidence suggests. In other words, independent thought can be suppressed by tradition "JUST BECAUSE!" Principles never change. However principles should be applied to change in ways that honor older traditions by transforming them into new ones. Long established customs, styles and ways of doing things have made traditions a part of societal practices. Abolishing traditions rather than reconstructing them may result in their continued practice even if done in secret. The best traditions have transitional values built into them. Transitory properties are not usually considered when traditions are created or passed along. "ALWAYS DID BEEN THAT WAY," is how many of us look at both family and cultural traditions. We live in a time of terrorism and contagions. Many of our traditional methods of assembly have changed. Let's face it, we are a violent and virulent society. It is evidenced in our television and movie programs. It is built into our video games and displayed in our entertainment. We can see it in wrestling and combat sports broadcasts from staged WWE events to real MMA bouts. The most abhorrent tradition that humanity continues to practice is war. War has traditions too! Unfortunately, conventional and traditional warfare has changed. The temperature and temperament of society is such that a "spirit of violence" is working to permeate every strata of our interactions. The notorious "slap" at the Oscars was just a microcosm of the "spirit of animosity" now prevalent throughout society. This is the type of "selective outrage" we are practicing in today's society. Our politicians are fighting with one another even while fending off outside attacks. Jeering at "any" president is an unacceptable practice that seems like it's becoming a tradition. As we've written in times past, even if we lack respect for the president (the man), we still must respect (honor) the presidency (the office). Our athletes and entertainers are assaulting and insulting one another in both public and private forums. Our musical artists behave more like vengeful martial artists through their lyrics. These spirits are offspring from the "spirits of violence and war." Is it that hard to see the commonality? AN ABUSIVE APATHETIC ENVIRONMENT EXISTS AMONG US. URGES NOW OVERRIDE RESPECT AND RESTRAINT. AN URGE HAS NO LOGIC OR MIND OF ITS OWN. MOST URGES HAVE BOTH AN EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL COMPONENT TO THEM. URGES MUST BE CHANNELED AND CONTROLLED! IT IS OUR MINDS THAT GIVE OUR URGES THE UNCTION TO FUNCTION. WE ARE THE ONLY SPECIES CAPABLE OF CHANGING THE NATURAL BALANCE OF INTERDEPENDENCEGlobalization was actually considered to be a barrier to global conflict. A "cooperative spirit" in commercial exchange could have produced a win-win scenario but something has gone wrong. Did the "spirit of avarice" subvert the "spirit of fair trade?" Up to the recent ongoing war in Ukraine, the nature of INTERDEPENDENT global trade helped to get us all on the same playing field, although privileges within that field was never provided equally. In a globalized world nothing happens in a vacuum. Unfortunately, the business world has continued with its scandalous practices from continent to continent. In spite of all of the rules and regulations imposed upon the banks, billionaires, countries, corporations, hedge funds and other financial institutions they are still finding ways to cheat. Today's examples include the "FTX" fiasco, the Adani group in India and even some of Ukraine's governors and officials. It appears that even in war the root of all evil, the love of money, reigns. Commerce is a concerted joint venture of connected disparate entities engaged in exchange. As we've often written before: EXCHANGE IS THE WAY OF LIFE! The traditional methods of competing to control wealth through markets that take advantage of its participants produces inequities. This form of abuse is one of the reasons Jesus whipped the money changers from the temple. The "spirit of greed," is not good! Such an attitude is sure to have a pernicious effect upon any collaborative construct. Although some of the weapons have changed the battle has not! Financial inequity is one of the biggest barriers to social equality. Our habits and tendencies to dominate and subdue is a tradition that cannot stand. Human beings are the only creature that feels it is necessary to conquer, dominate and/or defy both nature and one another. This is how bullying operates in our society and in our schools. We see this spirit (attitude) illustrated within our never ending exploration of nature's waters, wildernesses, and now even in space. This spirit is embedded in our culture and needs to be exposed and eradicated. Why is it that we cannot simply explore the "new" or the "unknown" without exploiting it? What makes us think that we must tame or conquer nature and one another? Don't we realize that we've already been granted dominion over the earth and as such are authorized to subdue it without changing or destroying it? As a planet, we had the opportunity to come together against a common enemy called "covid." After close to 7 million deaths worldwide, the most significant result was the profit made by pharmaceutical companies. Global warming is next. How are we doing? WE NEED TO BE THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE![]() This is a time of transition that should not be compared with times in the past. Today's unparalleled speed of change and influx of inventions is occurring faster then we are capable of dealing with. This is more then a warning. We are serving notice; not that it's coming, but that it's here! The Bible admonishes us to work while it is day. We have traditionally ascribed three unique attributes to God. They are omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience. Is not God all powerful, everywhere at the same time and all knowing? We must be aware that in the realm of human endeavors computer technologies are becoming so widespread and so rich in knowledge (information) that their ability to seeming be all knowing and all present is akin to mimicking God. In time, the overall effect of today's changes will be measured socially, psychologically and spiritually. It is not the technologies themselves that are in question. It is their use, rather the abuse, of new technologies that must be regulated. Both A.I. and genetic engineering pose an existential threat to our spiritual well being. HERE ARE SOME HARD SAYINGS! In today's world we have created a parallel pseudo-spiritual universe through television, the internet and gaming! As a result even religious institutions have to established a virtual online presence as a part of their ministry. Is it necessary to bring spiritual values into today's alternate virtual world? Aren't there ethical, legal, moral and spiritual ramifications associated with the implementation and use of today's technologies? Data is destiny! The more biased the data set and the data set authors, the more bias the results will be. In a systemically racist society the creators of the new systems will naturally install their implicit biases within these systems. Today some of our biggest threats are algorithms. Most of us are unsure of what they are or how they work. Algorithms are not friends or enemies, they are "impartially biased." These predatory programs can exploit our desires or deliver our dreams with no regard for our psychological fragility. Their original design was to help us solve problems and complete tasks. The algorithms of today use other algorithms and can easily finagle the information we feed it without ethics, morals or feelings. Can we redefine morality and eradicate the values of others like we tried to do with indigenous populations? The fact remains that there are and will continue to be unknown effects and implications similar to the effects of slavery, the industrial revolution and the advent of the internet. THESE ARE SOME HARD SAYINGS! Each of these examples of traditional practices and systemic issues came through institutions. It is up to us to form institutions that are righteous and fair. Slavery was already institutionalized by the time the first civilizations emerged and dates back as far as 3500 BC. Ancient slavery consisted mostly of debt-slavery, punishment for crime, prisoners of war, abandoned children, and those born into slavery. This institution was deemed to be acceptable under these conditions. However traditional slavery became chattel slavery! Chattel slavery practiced in the U.S. defined slaves as legal property bought, sold and owned forever. Slavery in any form is wrong, but it was the abuse of the institution that made it downright evil! The atrocities of Chattel slavery included abusive acts of beatings, breeding, castration, experimentation, exploitation, rape and multiple ongoing acts of dehumanization. The "spirit of apathy" was so compelling that people were able to turn a blind eye and deaf ear to it. It wasn't slavery itself that was so bad, it was the abuse of slavery that made it reprehensible. Likewise the industrial revolution changed society from an agrarian and handicraft economy to an industrial machine manufacturing one. At that time although there was nothing wrong with mechanized labor, the reality was that it cost many workers their jobs. In England, the textile industry endured a regional rebellion by the Luddites who feared that their skills would no longer be needed as machines replaced their role in the industry. The "spirit of animosity" was so bad that mill and factory owners shot protesters. Eventually the movement was suppressed with legal and military force, including execution and penal transportation of accused and convicted Luddites. The information/internet age is once again challenging us. MANY WILL REJECT THESE HARD SAYINGS! This period of time is characterized by a rapid shift from the traditional Industrial Revolution techniques to an economy centered around information technologies. A "spirit of inclusion" sanctioned by us is required to insure equal access. We realize that greater profits can be derived from maximizing efficiency. That fact alone has the capacity to eliminate the necessity of many traditional human controlled jobs. Fear and uncertainty are expected to appear as by-products of this new advent. Balancing human needs before profits must be the first criteria in programming. The human spirit must be nurtured in spirit and in truth; but there are no algorithms or machines capable of that! This is our opportunity to create the future and to "be" the change we want to see. As the "salt of the earth," we are obligated to keep the earth balanced and seasoned in spite of its tendency to self destruct. |
AuthorJoseph W. Brown has been a small business owner, in the technology industry, for over 35 years. Joseph works as a mentor, tutor, lecturer, researcher, instructor, and unconventional speaker & writer. He can be described today as a spiritual and technical aggregator, maven, journalist, apologist and spiritual scientist. Joseph insists that we "find" motivation from within by getting inspiration from without. He endeavors to provide that inspiration through applying various Bible based principles. As the author & founder of The Magnetic Model, Rapid Retail Systems & NitchTechnologies.com. Mr. Brown is available to speak to groups of all sizes. (small & large) He will only speak on a "Subject." He relies on the principle of "shedding light" to empower individuals to address their own particular "Situations." These are the tools to create "Solutions." To schedule a session contact him by comments, [email protected] or call/text 617-764-2193. Archives
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