The Danger Of Dealing In Absolutes in the Physical World

Long time ago my mom told me there were two kinds of people in this world. The ones who had morals and a code of ethics and those who don't. She said those who do are those you associate with and those who don't are celestial garbage to be left behind at the dump. It struck me as an absolute saying. And kids aren't that much into absolutes.

Now, as I grew older, I found this to be somewhat true, except that there are degrees of good and evil, dark and light, ignorant and wise,... kinda like fall and spring lead into winter and summer.

Someone does not become evil just like poof the tooth fairy from hell hit them with their tooth brush and someone became evil. No, it happens by degrees. A wrong decision here. A "small" compromise of their morals or ethics there. Then the next time it's a little easier to move on to bigger compromises. And soon it's open season for Darth Vader in the flesh.

The Wiki dictionary defines Absolutes as {{The Absolute is the concept of an unconditional reality which transcends limited, conditional, everyday existence. It is often used as an alternate term for a "God" or "the Divine", especially, but by no means exclusively, by those who feel that the term "God" lends itself too easily to anthropomorphic presumptions. The concept of The Absolute may or may not (depending on one's specific doctrine) possess discrete will, intelligence, awareness or even a personal nature. It is sometimes conceived of as the source through which all being emanates. It contrasts with finite things, considered individually, and known collectively as the relative. As such, the word "Absolute" signifies a negative concept: non-relative, non-comparative, or without relation to anything else. This is reflected in its Latin origin absolūtus which means "loosened from" or "unattached."}}

So, to some Absolute is their god. And to others it's a view that has no room for any other opinion or the process of learning. If I use the Christian Bible for example, some people who are not Christian might ask why the Bible is so contradictory in the way that people view the Christian God in going from the Old to the New Testament. But if we look in the world in just the microcosm of just how Christianity views the Absolute> God, you will see, even now, so many versions as to be beyond counting. Confusing? Maybe. But if we study the process of personal and spiritual growth, we see that as a person grows their understanding changes of what is an Absolute. Don't get me wrong. There are somethings that are absolutely wrong to do> murder, beating your wife or kid, lying, cheating, stealing, hating, racism, the list goes on.

What I am talking about here is not things that there is a universal consensus about. I am talking about us, humans, having absolute views without having a god-like knowledge or absolute all encompassing knowledge. I am talking about a finite being thinking that they have infinite knowledge.
I am talking about a way of thinking that leaves no room for you to hear another's opinion on a subject that might have another point of view. And the view point that if you don't agree with me on each and every issue out there you're not one of "US." So we have to get you or do away with you.

In our house, as a kid, my mother was an old time Republican and my dad was an old time Democrat. By old time, I mean it wasn't so partisan and hateful as it is now days.
When mom and dad's friends came over they were mixed Democrats and Republicans. And the discussions got heated sometimes. But they were civil. And people voted for who they thought was the best man, not just because they wanted to stay with one political party.

Also, if they did disagree, they didn't feel like they had to "get" the other person, nor did they see that person as the enemy.

Now days, you can get shot, stabbed, beaten half to death... you name it, for having an opposing view, or different race, creed, national origin, etc..

Actually, the "good old days" never were that good as I portrayed them because in certain areas the very same thing could have happened in the "good old days."
It just so happened that in our household, my Master Gunnery Sgt. Marine dad didn't let that kind of stuff fly at "his" house.

I'll tell you what though, I never had a preacher tell me that he thought we should shoot all illegal immigrants back then. And one told me that recently.

Can you imagine if Native Americans had had that same attitude. Columbus would not have made it ashore.
But I have noticed that many people Indigenous to this continent that are any where near traditional tend not to think in absolutes or make open pronouncements before having all the knowledge they can get on the issue. Some have though. Yet they seem to embarrass their communities.

I should probably write a whole book on this topic because it is so complicated. But this will have to do for now. And I write this now because I have seen these Tea Party people on the right, and several people on the left who have no room for anything other than what they believe to be the truth, even when faced with solid facts that point out the flaws in their logic.

For instance, what if I had said to the "shoot the illegals" preacher, your Bible says "the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God" ? Do you think that he would have listened to me? Not a chance. His mind is made up. And there are hundreds of examples of this. In a recent scientific study done on all groups of people, they found that once a person has made up their mind, they can't let facts or truth get in the way of their way of viewing the world. No matter how far out there their reality is, once their mind's made up, that's it, nothing can change it.

The whole problem with this is that they always think that God is on their side and that everything they are doing is by HIS direction even if it doesn't match their own original teachings of their spiritual way.

For instance, all these folks who hate Muslims and are demonstrating against them, burning Korans, burning Mosques, stabbing them, beating them up, etc... And they call the Koran a lie from the devil or satan.

Then those very same people will have big rallies with Mormons, who they used to say the book of Mormon was a lie from the devil or satan. And they used to beat Mormons up, burn the Book of Mormon, stab them, shoot them, etc....

Now answer me this all you Christians. When did the trans morphing of Mormons take place that they suddenly became "Christians," because you used to call them a "cult." You know a "cult," like David Koresh and the Branch Davidians.

Doesn't the Christian Bible say "If any other Gospel is preached beside the one we (we means the Apostle Paul and the other Apostles that saw the living Jesus) preached, let them be "Anathema" (eternally condemned to hell,) Ah, gee, isn't the Book of Mormon another gospel. But why let logic get in the way of emotions?
After all, the Muslims want to kill us all with Jihad.

Do you know that Mormons used to kill "Indians" who wouldn't convert? Read "The Black Hawk Wars," if you don't believe me. It's online look it up.

Doesn't that sound kinda like Jihad? Convert or die.
Isn't that what the Spaniards did to the Indigenous People of the Americas. I take that back. they killed Indigenous People whether they converted or not.

And a bunch of Lakotas were shot by U.S Troops at Wounded Knee for practicing their religion by dancing.
Religious Freedom? What religious freedom?

But this is just the spiritual side of it. There's political, the divide between the rich and the poor, the feeling from many non handicapped people that handicapped people should just get a job or die. Poor people with out health care or food, it's all their fault. Right? Don't help or support them in any way, even if your Bible or your elders teachings are contrary to that heartless way of living.

But now days there seems to be an infinite amount of absolutes that come from people with finite thinking and knowledge. My question would be. What ever happened to the old ways of discussion among the people, then coming to a consensus using everyone's opinion.

Maybe with CNN and Fox News and MSNBC telling us what we should believe and not many people talking anymore with different opinions, listening then making up our minds, people have their minds absolutely set on one way of thinking that can't encompass other points of view that might hold truth in them. But then a full cup can not hold new water unless it over flows and makes a mess.

I can find a very good example of how far absolute thinking can go. The Nazi belt buckles for their troops said "Gott Mit Uns." (Want to see a picture?)> http://www.historicaviation.com/product_info.po?ID=15076&product=Accessories&category=ww&subcategory=WWII%20Collections

This means "God is with us." The same motto almost that many today are spouting. Does anybody with a true human spirit think that the Creator was with the Nazis?

But this is the craziness of pure absolute thinking without being questioned. We must never let this happen here as it appears to be right now.

You see these so called "movements" like the Tea Party are usually manipulated by people like the wealthy oil Koch Brother family. Just like the National Socialist German Workers' Party was a manipulated movement for the German people that led them down the road to insanity. It just takes a little push here and there each day in the wrong direction. And then evil will own you and your country. Ask any open minded German person or other Europeans. They will tell you the direction of some in the U.S. today is scary to the rest of the world. And let me tell you folks, it will get a lot scarier if the people who still have some vestige of reason left don't get heard above the roar of emotional insanity that controls much of America now. And that, I can tell you is not my absolute unchangeable position because I am always willing to learn, even at 62. How about the rest of world and America? Are we ready for a little open minded debate without hate? I'm not Creator/ God. So how would I know? I study or read to show myself approved by Creator/ God, listen, speak some, and have lived for 62 years (soon to be 63) and I still listen to my elders. I am one of those fools who still has "hope." But I still don't know absolutely everything. And I know that I don't know everything. I am still learning not to deal in absolutes. Hey anyone can mess up. Except Creator/ God. But I don't have His perspective. Do I? Do you? Are you sure?
Is that your absolute final answer?
--
"When crazy people call you crazy, you know you're sane.
When evil people call you evil, you know that you are a good person.
When lairs call you a liar, you know that you are truthful.
Know who you are and don't let others tell you who you are." - Dave Kitchen