A Few Thoughts On Death and Life Thereafter

There is an awful lot of self-serving drivel written in the name of the unverified being most folk call god. Most of it is a self-perpetuating cruel con that tends to get in the way of any genuine reverence for the universe we find ourselves in. How that helps anyone's personal spiritual development is truly baffling.

It follows that most of what gets written about the personal journey all we humans undergo is either obfuscatory or simply incomprehensible. Occasionally, nestled like a hidden pearl in a rancid oyster, a thing of true beauty can be found. To my perspective the following words penned by John Spivey as comment #44 to this interesting and thoughtful article posted by Blogcritic chantal stone, who, by the way, is as gifted a photographer as she is wordsmith.

However, this is about reverence and awe so let's move on to Mr Spivey's comment to chantal's Blogcritics.org: A Few Thoughts On Death and Life Thereafter:

"I have struggled to understand how faith makes us spiritual. It has seemed to me to be the lazy person's way out of coming to grips with life and meaning, an absolution of the difficulties of the path.

Faith has never saved me, never healed the pain of my life, never provided balm for watching the cruelties of the world. When I observe what life really is and throw off my judgments and blinders, I fall into a mystery and awe that takes me deeper into being here, deeper into being human. At that moment I understand things that I can't explain. Paradoxically I feel that I come closer to something called god by becoming more deeply human. When I again fear life I suddenly lose it all."

For me, there's as much insight in that short statement as a lifetime's worth of studying the Bible, Torah and Koran - plus which you get to have a life as well!

Self-Mutilation

Some people don't like blogs and don't take them seriously. I'm not one of them. Which may explain the fact that I have so many of them!

The biggest blog I'm involved in is undoubtedly Blogcritics; I don't actually get time to write for it as much as I'd like to - but with over 1,000 bloggers writing for it I guess they won't miss me too badly. Amongst other things I am the Blogcritics Comments Editor, which means monitoring over 500 comments a day (and rising) to prevent heated and passionate debate turning into pointless namecalling or worse!

Generally, the comments add a wonderful extra dimension to the original articles posted to the site, such as the following remarks from Self-Mutilation:

"I've read through this entire blog. Its amazing...just purely amazing. I can't find words to describe just how awesome it is that an internet site can CHANGE a person's life. Note to Nikki - you are such an inspiration to everybody who's read this thread. You've made so many improvements since back in 04 from what I can tell. We need more people like you in the world, we really do. I'm glad to hear that you are really doing better...you're an amazing person Nikki. I have a semi-weird question for anybody who keeps checking back on this website...What does it feel like, or what are you thinking when you are in a therapists room? I don't know it may seem wierd, but it iterests me. The opportunity to have the ability to learn about this sort of thing in a first handed format is very interesting. Can anybody describe it, like with details and everything? I'm also writing a short story that involves 'cutters' (I dont mean to label, but I don't know what to referance all of you by. I'm really sorry, I don't mean to sound stereotypical / offensive whatsoever) and after reading this site, it gave me such a better understanding just on everything. It changed my ways of thinking, but in a good way. It taught and is still teaching me how to be more...accepting I guess you could say. I've never once mutilated myslf, so I didn't understand what people felt when they cut, but now I know. I'm never going to judge anybody based on their...emotional status, and it kills me to think I know kids who make jokes about cutting and self harm. If they only knew how serious it was, maybe they could get some sense into their heads. (Its hard for me to explain without seeming offensive, but i'm trying my best here) It would be really awesome if somebody could answer my question about the therapist.

Question: What does it feel like, or what are you thinking when you are in a therapists room? What does the room look like, feel like, smell like. Are you nervous, quiet, annoyed? (I don't know... this may seem wierd, but it iterests me. I'm trying to help myself gain a better understanding of this subjuect matter since I'm currently in the process of writing a short story that involves people with these types of issues.) I do not want to hand in a paper that alludes to false information, and I was thinking one of you could help me out. I'd like to add real information into my story, and it is harder for me to describe my topic matter if Iv'e never experienced it before for myself. So please, try and paint me a picture with words regarding my question. Thank you so much, I appreciate ALL of your guy's time.

THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO HAS BEEN POSTING ON THIS SITE. ITS PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO CHANGE THE WORLD DAY BY DAY. <3"

Comment #299
posted to Blogcritics by
RealEyesRealizeRealLies
April 9, 2006
11:47 AM

Blogcritics: Supreme Court to Rule on How Safe You Are in Your Own Home

On this post to Blogcritics' Supreme Court to Rule on How Safe You Are in Your Own Home, Mark Schannon thoughtfully offers this comment:

"Joey, on one hand, you're taking this thread way off course. I had no idea The Dead bought the Lithuanians tie-dyed uniforms--how thoughtful of them. But that still doesn't resolve the issue of the color of their flag--unless, of course, they started using the uniforms as their flag--which you should have noted!!!

Your second post, alas, is, dare I say it, wrong. Not constitutionally, morally, or legally, but, from my somewhat limited experience, rationally. My brother was a cop for 13 years, 3 of which undercover.

He's told me on numerous occasions that the biggest source of people winding up dead during a robbery or break in is having a gun that, at the last minute, they can't shoot. Turns out the robber takes the gun from them and blows them away with their own piece.

I know--everyone thinks that wouldn't happen to them...but then again, the vast majority of Americans think they're above average in intelligence, beauty, and driving skill.

We can't know what we'd do in a situation this stressful. I haven't researched this further, but my brother, who saw tons of this, says the safest thing you can do is NOT have a gun in your house. Or, if you do, have it linked to an automatic trip alarm--cause most people aren't capable of killing...a nice thought when you think about it.

In Jameson Veritas"

Hmm, thoughtfulness about the gun issue in the USA is rare these days.