Freedom Inc.

The Road to Vision

2006-04-11T17:01:00.000-07:00

It has come to my attention that my non-Christian readers interpreted my message in "Path to The Sun" differently than my Christian readers. Do not be mislead;this was intentional. At the time I felt it appropriate to write something that would have a clear meaning to those who knew me and would have another for those who did not. However, I now feel it is in order to specify what exactly I meant by some of the statements I made.

"In our present day, for I will not presume to have insight into the personal thoughts, feelings and beliefs of our predecessors, it is a rarity to find someone who, as an organism and body, has a sense of obligation to his soul." This is one of the clearer points made and is quite simply an observation. Amongst my peers I find few who regard anything more important than the worldly things such as I talked about in the first paragraph of "Path to The Sun". This leads to a disregard for the spiritual and ultimately a degradation of their fellows to nothing more than other organisms seeking to get the same fix or bang the same bitch.
This is readily observant in everyday life. Consider the conversations that people around you have. About a week and a half ago I was riding on the bus on a school field trip. I was enoying an enthralling conversation about Tolkien, the author of "The Lord of the Rings", and his Christian views. I was having this conversation with two friends, one of them being a Christian, the other a non-religious intellectual who believes firmly that there is nothing more to man than molecules. The latter admittedly does not follow any religion but still finds the topic intriguing. Across the isle a boy and a girl are having a conversation about sex. They go in depth and discuss everything from endurance to their favorite positions and new tricks. What I want to point out is not the horrifying reality of rampant sexual immorality but instead where it has come from. The fellow was adamantly complaining to this girl about someone he had dated or was dating. Simply put, he was displeased because the girl he was in a relationship with wasn't sexually satisfying. I was appalled to realize that both my non-religious friend and this chap were unaware of the truth of the situation. (I refer to my belief in Christianity as the truth, something which will be brought up later on.) The appalling realization was not that they were both unaware of the truth, for I knew that already, but that even though my non-religious friend appeared to be much closer to reality he was still in the same boat of ignorance as my classmate. My friend had developed a vague understanding, without much of his own basis, that there was more to life; that there was purpose, meaning, and value. My classmate on the other hand was quite bound to the meat of his being and obligated to sexual impulses and selfish needs. This brings me to what I was saying next.
Obviously my opinion is that the truth of the situation, the reality, is that there is meaning, purpose, and value to life. What I sought to say was that there is quite clearly a varying degree to which my peers express this same belief. Some of them very little and some of them very largely. This is where we find the sense of the soul. If the truth is that there are souls, that there is a spiritual, and that there is more to life, then I think it is fairly obvious that, "Some of us are still in the womb with our eyelids fused shut, while others of us are struggling to read the highway signs". I go on to say that this vision recognizes a light and crawls humbly towards it, and furthermore that this action brings others closer to the truth. By this I mean plainly that one such as myself, by acting on this truth of value, purpose, and meaning may bring others, such as my non-religious friend, closer to the truth of value, purpose, and meaning.
Here we conclude with confusion. I state that there is no need for the term religion and that I am simply crawling towards the sun of my soul's universe. This statement is perfectly accurate but much more so for those that know me. For those that do not it may be interpreted differently. It is here that I wish most to clarify. The reason that I feel there is no need for the term religion is not that I think that religion is wrong but that as a Christian I do not need the word. I do not see myself as a follower of a religion but a follower of God, Christ, and the Bible as God's word. Thus when I go on to say that I am simply crawling towards the sun of my soul's universe I am not speaking of enlightenment or of spiritual maturity which leads to more humane humans; I am speaking of growing in relationship and knowledge of God. This is where the Christian and the non-Christian readers differ in their interpretations of what I have said. I do not criticize; I merely wish to point out the true intention of my words. Words are like wet, slippery, easily twisted noodles. I do not blame for misinterpreting them because it is my own fault. Here I hope to present clarity.
The main purpose in this then is not only to elaborate on already presented ideas but to clarify my stance on Christianity. I agree wholeheartedly with those who have said that life is more than following some brand name religion or being a part of some brainwashing organization. However, I do not think that Christianity is such a religion or that the church is such an organization. Christians, like all other people, are with faults and therefore the churches that are made up of them are not going to be without their faults. Perhaps the idea that Christianity isn't worth looking into or living out stems from this lack of consistency within the body of believers and perhaps the view that the church is a brainwashing organization comes from religious zealots who are perhaps faithful but ignorant. However, this is not Christianity. The Bible itself states that such followers should not exist. "It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way"(Proverbs 19:2). However poor a job some may do of representing the truth, the truth is not subject to change. The sun is the largest source of light on our planet. Does that change if you are blind? No, indeed light still shines on the eyes of a blind man. I present this in hopes of clarity in my previous statements and also to elaborate on them and present alongside them new statements. My gut tells me I will be writing again shortly.

Path to The Sun

2006-04-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

It seems ironic to me that so many of us will readily say that "money isn't everything" or some such, replacing money with any other material possession, and yet we strive for nothing more than these very things. Money, a spouse, a family, a car, even a bigger house. The list goes on. Of all things that I find pressured upon me, that which is shoved upon me with the most insistence is my education. It is all well and good to have knowledge, do not get me wrong. But I find little reason to place my every last hope in anything of this world. Albert Einstein once said, "Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish." No man is too uneducated or too stupid to be spiritual; likewise no man should regard himself too knowledgeable or intelligent.
It is one of the great pains of our society that spirituality is often regarded as the obligation of those whose occupation lands them in the church. In our present day, for I will not presume to have insight into the personal thoughts, feelings and beliefs of our predecessors, it is a rarity to find someone who, as an organism and body, has a sense of obligation to his soul. Of those who feel this sense of obligation I am fairly confident that they will agree, to some extent, with my figuratively deeming it one of our senses; the sixth sense. Whether or not a sense for the soul exists I am not sure;however, if it does exist it is quite apparent that some have a sharper sense of it than others. Some of us are still in the womb with our eyelids fused shut, while others of us are struggling to read the highway signs. No mattter how well attuned this vision may be in a particular individual, at its minimum it recognizes that there is a light and crawls humbly towards it. It is in this action that those surrounding the individual are brought closer to truth. It is in this action that one finds religion and more specifically, Christianity. I have been asked if I am a religious person and for convenience sake I have often simply replied "yes". The truth is that I see no reason for the term religion at all. I am simply crawling humbly towards the sun of my soul's universe. If seeing is using our eyes then religion is using our souls. It is a great pity that we do not all see the same and that some have better vision than others.

Personality

2006-04-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

There are three primary factors which influence personality, these are: one's response to his environment, environment, and heredity. Response to environment however, is more of an influential factor than either of the other two factors, although all of the factors do have influence and effects.

Concerning environment it has been said that not only is it an influential factor of personality but the most influential, more so even than one's responses to environment. This however, undermines the power of free will and takes a very fatalistic outlook that your environment is the primary shaper of your personality, which is to say it is the primary shaper of the "you" in "your personality". And that is a dreary outlook. For is it not our choices that make us who we are and distinguish us as individuals? Let me explain via example. Throughout highschool I have had the priviledge to have several classes with a girl who for the sake of things we will name Allison. I have grown to admire Allison, although I have not conversed with her often I have an odd tendency to observe people. I have grown to admire her because of her choices which reflect her character and her personality.(It is interesting to note that my choice to admire her is indeed a choice and a reflection of my own personality.) Allison is a happy girl, not the kind of girl who can't stop giggling and always has a huge smile, but simply plain good mood happy. She tries hard in school, she is in honors classes and maintains acceptable grades of a student who puts forth effort. From what I have said she is seemingly an all together respectable person, and she is. She is also of Hispanic descent and had a child last year. I mention the latter to highlight the influence that our choices have on us, both good and bad. For she has surely made some choices which she regrets but I am confident she has also made many good choices. I mention the former not to discriminate against her because of her race but instead to point out the flaw in stereotyping. For if one actually believed the common stereotype then he would be falling into the belief that those who fall under the stereotype all behave in a certain manner because of their environment. This is exactly the idea which I hope to have disproved in my account of Allison. Allison is a good respectable name, a beautiful name.

Futhermore, another reason I believe that one's response to his environment is more influential to his personality than his environment itself is that Newton's third law, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, may be applied. At least, I feel it can in an unusual way. For every circumstance there is an equal and opposite response. Assuming that the environment is more influential than one's response to the environment is comparable to saying that the action is greater than the reaction it produces. I could move on having clarified that the circumstance can not be greater than the response it produces. This however, will seem contradictory when opposers of this view ask about some unreasonable buffoon, whom they have the bad luck of being friends with, who completely over reacts to everything. How is it that the response may be greater than the circumstance? This seemingly blatant flaw is easily corrected though when one realizes that the magnitude of the response varies accordingly with the magnitude of the circumstance which varies based on how the responder perceives it. And so it is that the response may not be greater than the circumstance, it may only be that the circumstance was overperceived. But, it should be noted that the response may be of greater value than the circumstance. Greater value is given to the response because the response is derived from the free will of the responder through choice which, as I hoped to prove through my account of Allison, is a tremendously valuable thing. The value of the response is what gives it value in our lives and leads us to the logical conclusion that one's response to the environment is more influential to one's personality than the environment itself.

Finally, the argument is also made that heredity plays a similar role and limits our personality in a way which is more influential than our response to the environment. This also undermines the power of free will. As long as heredity does not eliminate the ability to see the choices, through mental disorders and the like, the choices are still there and still holding value and influence. In essence the argument for heredity is the same as that of the argument for the environment. As I have said those are dreary outlooks. I would like to think that the great people of this earth do not owe their great personalities to great environments and that the rags to riches stories are more than just myths.

Fantasy Chapter

2006-04-06T14:23:00.000-07:00

Few men would dare cross Dimitrius Seth, but this one had. He turned out of the darkness, straight backed and arrogant he struck an imposing figure. Sword in hand he took one menacing step forward, “All men must eventually fall, Seth”, said quietly with undisguised malice. “True enough old friend true enough, but I doubt that today will be my day.”
The challenger flinched at a reference to what was once a life of love and trust, “Why must you call me that Seth, any friendship we may have had has long since dissolved. I owe you nothing except my best effort to end your life.”
“I call you that out of respect for her, because respect is something you never showed her.” His voice had become heated at that but it did not show as he calmly drew his sword. In the next instant it was too late for words. They moved and swayed, feet stepping perfectly in an intricate dance of death. For it was a dance, a dance so beautiful that the dancers dared not misstep for if one faltered the consequence was more than a stubbed toe. The elegance began to wane as the men began to tire. Both tall and broad shouldered they did not wear down quickly and it seemed an eternity passed before first blood.
For all his confidence it was Seth’s blood that appeared first. Then it truly began, no longer an elegant dance, the fight turned into a brawl of strength and determination. It was impossible for a fight like that to last long, but somehow it did. Both men too proud to give over and die, the blood fest continued for what seemed like eternity. Seth gave a desperation thrust that proved to be his last. Deftly dodged by his opponent it was in that instant that Dimitrius first knew fear. He saw the killing blow out of the corner of his eye, could feel the blade bearing down into the flesh of the side of his neck.
Dimitrius Seth awoke cold and sweaty. It was always the same. He could still feel the blade in his hand; see the merciless look in his enemies eyes. He got the feeling that the fight had been at the end of a long battle. He knew the feeling; he had been in many battles. It felt so real. He rarely felt fear. Fear was once a part of his life when he was young and battle was new. And then again when he met her. A constant fear for her safety, a fear that he would die in battle and not be able to care for her. But then it happened. An enemy that he could not face, could not even truly see came for her. His mighty sword was no match for the plague that killed so many. Any fear left this world with her spirit. Someday he would die and that would be that. Someone may miss him or they may not. He had long ago resigned himself to live out his life as long as providence allowed.
Rousing himself from his reverie he rolled onto his side. He was holed up with a fallen log on one side and his campfire, long extinguished on the other. His gear formed a semi-barrier at his feet and he was protected at his head by the dense vegetation that was the namesake of the Tangled Wood. Years of living by the sword had taught him never to take anything for granted and to make the most of every situation. Had anyone attacked him in the night he was as prepared as the situation allowed to defend it. Not that he truly expected attack. Few people lived anywhere near him and fewer ventured far from civilization in this region. Anyone who was brave or foolish enough to venture in these woods alone would know the supreme abilities and confidence it would take to endure the harsh climes of the ruthless forest. Of course the foolish ones might not. In which case, they would be easy to dispatch.
He slowly hid the remainders of the campfire and ate a leisurely breakfast. He had a long way to go and a long time to get there so speed was hardly an issue. Taking care that no one was in the immediate vicinity and that he had not left anything behind he began anew the trek that had occupied the last four months of his life. Day in and day out he had marched toward a distant goal that was far out of sight. Only now it wasn’t. It was plainly visible just over the horizon. Today he would face the madman that his brother had become. Lost somewhere in the Dark Arts was the man he used to trust as his mentor, brother and friend. He didn’t know why Bargest had summoned him. For that matter he didn’t know how Bargest had summoned him. A few months ago he had seen a letter on his desk from him with a date for the very day he had read it. There had been no messenger, no bird, no means of deliverance of any kind. Bargest’s powers had grown considerably if he could travel that kind of distance instantaneously. It was a simple note and entirely in character with his loving older brother.
Dimitrius, I require your presence at my home in the jungle. Leave immediately. Come alone. We have matters to discuss that are both urgent and private.
Until Then,
Bargest
He did what any other brother would do under the circumstances. He grew enraged at his tone, packed his gear and began the four month journey to the heart of darkness, his brother’s adopted residence.
After a few hours he found the path to his brothers home. He had not walked a dozen paces down it before a giant wolf stepped up to meet him. He laid a hand on his sword. This was not the first nor the most frightening encounter he had had with wildlife on this journey but no simple animal would slow him down more than a heartbeat. But the wolf seemed to grovel at his feet. It stayed his hand. As soon as it realized that its immediate danger was passed the wolf trotted up the road a bit, obviously intending He follow it. He followed muttering under his breath as he did so. Some time later they were joined by a host of other creatures, most huge all carnivores. He stopped. “wonderful.”
“Aren’t they though” came a voice out of the shadows. Bargest stepped out of the trees and assumed his full stature. Though he was shorter and less broad than dimitrius, he carried himself well and it was obvious he demanded both respect and obedience. Indeed many had died for refusing one or the other. He was clad in a sleeveless black tunic with the emblem of the house of seth emblazoned on the front a rising sun. He wore midnight black trousers with equally black boots. About his shoulders was draped a black cape also bearing the symbol of his house. The symbols on his chest and cape were the only color anywhere on his clothing. Covering his face and arms, the only exposed flesh on his body, were tattooed runes of different significance. Some Dimitrius recognized but most he did not. The last time he had seen Bargest had been a long time ago while still very few runes marred his skin.
“I have a gift for you, Dimitrius” he said holding out his hand. Dimitrius stepped closer to him but did not take the bright red stone that was offered. “Take it.”
“I do not want it”
“If you don’t take it I will throw it out to be forever lost in this mysterious jungle.”
“You woudn’t, you can’t. You owe a duty to this world to protect it and aid it during its time of need. That time is coming soon. You must bear the powers of our house, and lead us in that war.”
“I owe this world nothing. What have they ever done for me? Nothing. I believed as you do once. That united our world could stand in peace. Hah! Now I know what a fool I was. There will never be peace except in solitude. Never be hope except in resignation. The stone was given to me in an age of glory and light. That age is over, darkness comes.”
“Is that why your powers have turned the way they have Bargest? Have you chosen to embrace our enemy?”
The jungle itself seemed to tremble as Bargest stared back at his younger brother, the ripples of supernatural power on the physical world. After what seemed like hours he spoke slowly, a quiet and still anger in his low melodious voice. “No brother, I have not sided with them, I am not that fickle yet at least. I know the powers of your enemy Dimitrius. I cannot aid you and your pitiful race of humans, nor would I, had I the power. Your’s is a fool’s war fought without cause. Take it or it will be lost forever.”
“You would abandon your fellow men to die a death like the one you know they will.”
“Yes, and without remorse” with that Bargest tossed the stone towards Dimitrius. In mid-flight the stone stopped and hovered slowly losing the red aura that had accompanied the power of its previous bearer. Taking a step toward the stone Dimitrius said with finality, “Then I will fight, and I will die for a cause that is greater than myself. And when I die as I surely shall I will die knowing I did my duty as best I could. When you die as you surely shall, will you be able to say the same?”
“No,” he responded quietly “I won’t be able to, but then I never cared nearly so much about duty as you. Whatever happens brother, know that I wish you the best.” He offered Dimitrius a deep bow in the old manner down to his toes, his arms criss-crossed laying his hands gracefully on both sword hilts. “Fight well and gloriously brother, perhaps the name of Seth will not be forgotten.” With that he vanished. Dimitrius did not know how but he was there one moment and not the next. The animals began to disperse none so much as giving him a second glance. “I will do my best brother” he whispered to the quiet jungle. With a deep sigh he bent to pick up the stone which had fallen to the ground at Bargest’s disappearance. Even at his touch the loss of shade and color continued until it appeared no more than a polished rock. Unnatural powers and long life lay in his grasp. Power and responsibility. Duty and death. He turned and strode towards his destiny.

Freedom Inc.

2006-04-03T19:23:00.000-07:00

This will be where I post my writings rather than at writing.com. I will still be using writing.com to get people to review my writing but I feel that this will provide a more reader friendly environment for friends to read what I write.