The Unconditional Human Spirit

See the good post from Bob Brinsmead, below, on the contradiction in both the Old and New Testaments between the priests (pro-sacrifice) and the prophets (anti-sacrifice). Also new below- links to MMA star Chael Sonnen’s interview re his promotion of “bad guy narratives” in the UFC. Also, a personal update note on my experience with aggressive, metastatic prostate cancer over the past 9 months. And more on the inevitable human speculation on metaphysical realities, something done by both religious/spiritual types and materialist/atheist types. We all share that primal impulse to meaning.

Also below, a reposting of Ira Glasser’s comments on the critical need to protect free speech, even offensive/repugnant speech, as fundamental to all freedom. He points to the key issue in the free speech debate- “Who gets to decide what is ‘hate speech’?” So also, this must be put to the “disinformation” crusaders of today- “Who gets to decide what is ‘disinformation/misinformation’?” In the highly tribalized atmosphere of today these categories are being used to validate censorship of the speech of disagreeing, differing others. The disinformation crusade is becoming just another eruption of the totalitarianism impulse, once again. And the stunner- it is mostly coming from the “liberal” side of society, from those we not long ago considered to be the main defenders of inclusion, diversity, freedom and equality for all. What happened?

And, more revised reposting of comment on the Woke social contagion that has tsunamied across Western societies- i.e. minorities claiming that their hurt/offended feelings must be the determining standard for the permissible views, speech, and actions of all others in our societies. And comment on the abandonment of common love in this extremist Woke Progressive crusade.

Read this for your life, for your future…

https://public.substack.com/p/world-on-cusp-of-woke-totalitarianism

From Michael Shellenberger and Alex Gutentag, “World On Cusp Of Woke Totalitarianism As Governments Act To End Freedom Of Speech: Media blackout as politicians in EU, US, UK, Brazil, Ireland, Canada, and Australia seek to jail citizens for wrongthink under cover of a Big Lie about ‘hate speech’”, May 3, 2023

Quotes from link above:

“The Twitter Files gave us a window into how government agencies, civil society, and tech companies work together to censor social media users. Now, key nations are attempting to enshrine this coordination into law explicitly.

“Around the world, politicians have either just passed or are on the cusp of passing sweeping new laws, which would allow governments to censor ordinary citizens on social media and other Internet platforms.

“Under the guise of preventing “harm” and holding large tech companies accountable, several countries are establishing a vast and interlinked censorship apparatus, a new investigation by Public finds.

“Politicians, NGOs, and their enablers in the news media claim that their goal is merely to protect the public from “disinformation.” But vague definitions and loopholes in new laws will create avenues for broad application, overreach, and abuse…. Read the rest of the opening comment here

Section topics:

Summary facts to counter climate alarmism narratives;

The real enemy of humanity, the real hero’s quest to slay a monster- the monstrous mythology of apocalyptic declinism;

Core themes of lost paradise/apocalyptic/redemption mythology (the ideas and impulses);

Patterns in apocalyptic alarmism movements;

Did you really leave your religion? (The endless regurgitation of mythical themes in newer “secular/ideological” versions);

The true state of life on earth- data on main indicators;

And more… Read the rest of the opening comment here

Section topics:

(1) Comment on “lost paradise/redemption” mythologies;

(2) The transition from animal to human (inherited impulses and validating ideas, what has hindered the full transition to human, what hinders the full liberation from our animal past);

(3) Unconditional as the potent weapon to slay the inherited animal monster;

(4) Climate alarmism is not a scientific narrative;

(5) What lies beneath- the primitive mythology of “apocalyptic millennialism” behind climate alarmism;

(6) Applying the unconditional ideal- its not dogmatic pacifism, it never avoids taking personal responsibility for the consequences of behavior;

(7) Democrats locked in a reality-distorting bubble, the new authoritarianism of Woke racism- US liberalism has become “highly illiberal” by embracing collectivism approaches that deny/ignore individual differences (i.e. viewing people in terms of groups, and condemning entire groups by skin color, and ignoring individual uniqueness and differences);

And more climate news, along with other comment…

Offering better alternatives to shape meta-narratives

This site does not ‘tear down’ without also offering something to build up- i.e. better alternatives to replace the worst stuff that we have inherited from our ancestors. In sections below, I have listed better alternative ideas to the worst pathologies/myths that we have inherited.

Note especially “Explaining reality and life: The worst and best ideas that we have come up with” (i.e. “Inherited bad myths and better alternatives”). This points to the greatest liberation movement ever- the liberation of human consciousness/subconscious at the deepest levels of thought, emotion, motivation, and response/behavior, at the level of embedded archetypes (archetypes as our fundamental impulses and the related ideas/myths that validate the impulses).

The “true state of life on Earth”…

When all is said and done- hope is re-affirmed by the best evidence on the true state of life. Life on Earth is not heading to hell in a handbasket. Contrary to the apocalyptic Declinism mythology that dominates most narratives and many minds today, life is not declining toward something worse. Fundamental human goodness and creativity has lifted humanity out of a dark place and set us on a trajectory of improvement and progress toward a much better future, notably over the past few centuries.

But the threats are everywhere and must be guarded against and responded to. Note one of the greatest threats to human progress today as outlined in this good report on the “disinformation” crusade that is undermining our freedom and liberal democracies- “A Guide to Understanding the Hoax of the Century: Thirteen ways of looking at disinformation” by Jacob Siegel…

https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/guide-understanding-hoax-century-thirteen-ways-looking-disinformation

Read the rest of the opening comment here

The very best climate science reports and news:

https://co2coalition.org/

https://wattsupwiththat.com/

https://www.netzerowatch.com/

http://co2science.org/

An affirmation of unconditional

An underlying assumption in my arguments for unconditional is that unconditional is “self-validating” as good, right, and therefore true. And if basic theodicy is right to assume that ultimate reality/deity is fundamentally good in some way (i.e. God is love) then there is no higher understanding or definition of good, right, truth, or love than unconditional. We all know this at an intuitive and daily-experience level- i.e. that unconditional is the best of being human, the best way to relate to failing others. We know this from our personal experience in relationships with spouses, children, family, friends, neighbors, others, etc. Unconditional is also how we would like to be treated in terms of our own imperfections and failures.

(Theodicy- The affirmation of deity as fundamentally good.)

The assumption of “self-validating” means that unconditional does not need outside validation from some other authority- whether from a religious tradition, holy book, philosophical argument, ethics “experts”, or other sources of authority. Its ultimate validation comes from the intuitive common sense of ordinary folks like ourselves.

Historical examples of the potential effectiveness of unconditional in human ethics: Note Nelson Mandela and his approach of forgiving, loving opponents and his arguments that the unconditional treatment of enemies “brings out the best in others” (not all, but most) and “turns enemies into friends” (not all, but most). And a balancing note re Mandela: Offenders were held responsible/accountable for their crimes by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Mandela did not embrace unconditional as some form of dogmatic pacifism in the face of evil (i.e. “turn the other cheek” and just ignore or dismiss offenses).

The evidence that an unconditional approach toward enemies also works at a societal level- Remember the strikingly different outcomes in the early 1990s between Mandela’s unconditional-like approach to enemies in South Africa (avoiding civil war and mass-death as noted by Richard Stengel in “Mandela’s Way”), compared to the retaliatory approaches toward “enemies” in Rwanda (1994) and Bosnia (1992-95) around the same time.

Unconditional works in very practical ways to break retaliatory cycles and thereby defuse potentially harmful situations. It is potently successful at personal and societal levels. It is simply the highest and best that we have discovered for taking humanity to the heights of humane thought, feeling, motivation/intention, and response/behavior. But it takes the unique courage of a Mandela (“towering in stature as maturely human”) to initiate an unconditional response in situations where the primal and instinctual felt urge when offended in some manner is to strike back in like manner (eye for eye, tit for tat, hurt for hurt, humiliation for humiliation, getting even, getting “justice”, etc.). Read the rest of the opening comment here

The very best climate science reports and news:

https://co2coalition.org/

https://wattsupwiththat.com/

https://www.netzerowatch.com/

http://co2science.org/

Mental pathology and wellness, and the influence of both on human personality, to both good and bad outcomes.

“I think and therefore I am”.

“There are no really bad people, just bad ideas that make people do bad things”, comment of a friend.

‘Cruel God’ images- “These ideas permeate Western culture and inevitably influence those who live in this culture… (The) consequences are fear, guilt, shame, and impoverished personalities.”, psychotherapist/theologian Zenon Lotufo.

“We become just like the God that we believe in”, Bob Brinsmead.

Project: Much like Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses to the Wittenberg castle church door in 1517, so I am nailing my theses to this door of the Internet. But unlike Luther just protesting the way that the indulgences were sold, but not protesting the very sale of indulgences, I am going more directly to core issues of fundamental belief. Much like my friend Bob Brinsmead’s direct presentation of the central anti-sacrifice message of Historical Jesus and exposing how Paul buried that liberating message in his contrary gospel of the Christ that presents Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice. When Bob posts his good research on his site, I will link to that. It is mind-blowing. That the stunning new theology of Jesus (an unconditional God who does not demand sacrifice for forgiveness)- that central Jesus message has been buried for two millennia under the entirely contrary message of Christianity- i.e. the claim that the supreme sacrifice of Christ was necessary for the forgiveness of sin.

Below are the some of the more prominent myths that have dominated human consciousness beginning with the earliest human belief systems, and down into our modern world. These myths still dominate religious traditions today and have even been embraced in “secular/ideological” versions. Note, for example, the “apocalyptic millennialism” or “lost paradise/redemption” themes regularly expressed by the climate alarmism cult. Even many in “science” embrace such myths. I recently noted again how Stephen Hawking fell for apocalyptic mythology in the final two years of his life, making his own prophesies of the “end-of-days”, even setting dates.

The ideas below have profoundly influenced human outlook, emotion, motivation, and response/behavior, often for the worse- i.e. inciting our worst animal impulses to tribalism, domination, and destruction (see psychotherapist Zenon Lotufo’s comments at bottom).

Fortunately, we have more humane alternative ideas now to inspire the “better angels of our nature”, to inspire our authentically human impulses. Embracing these new themes/ideas will involve the revolutionary transformation of human narratives, worldviews… overturning foundational core themes.

The list is fundamentally about the contrast between humane and inhumane, between good and evil, between right and wrong- and which ideas express these stark differences. These are some of the worst and best of ideas that we have used to shape our narratives, both public and personal. While reading the list, ask yourself- What ideas shape your personal worldview/narrative? Read the rest of the opening comment here

Section topics:

Our ancestor’s struggle with imperfection led to the creation of bad mythology that still dominates human consciousness today;

Paul MacRae’s excellent article on the lost paradise of the much warmer paleoclimate era (3-6 degrees C warmer than today and life flourished);

Earth has been breaking records for the coolest years over long-term history;

Pres. Biden religiously predicting the “end-of-days” (“Mother Nature is revealing her wrath… a whole generation is damned”);

Patterns: The destructive outcomes of alarmism crusades;

Core themes of lost paradise/redemption mythologies;

Impulses and Ideas that dominate human consciousness and life;

Climate facts and more…

How did we get to where we are today? Wendell Krossa

The early human inability to understand/accept imperfection: That misunderstanding worked itself out in bad mythology, mythology that still widely shapes human thought, emotion, motivation, and response/behavior today:

Ancient logic (primitively mythical, irrational) found expression in the following myths, rooted in some distorting baseline assumptions.

It began with the belief in a deity that was obsessed with perfection and hence intent on punishing imperfection. An entire complex of related myths emerged from this baseline theology of a God that was angered by early humans ruining the original perfect world that they claimed he had created. The ancients reasoned that the upset deity then introduced illness and death as punishment for the “sinful” people who had ruined his original paradise world. Examples of this thinking- Enki made ill in the Sumerian “City of Dilmun” myth, and Adam/Eve cursed with suffering and death in the Hebrew “Eden” myth. Read the rest of the opening comment here

A central project on this site- Exposing the persistent embrace of primitive mythological themes to shape contemporary “secular/ideological” systems of belief, such as the climate alarmism narrative. And offer better alternatives for a new narrative.

New articles further below: This site will continue to tackle history’s most distorting and destructive belief systems- the pathological themes of the “apocalyptic millennial” or “lost paradise/redemption” narratives… Apocalyptic millennial ideas distort entirely the true state of the world, the actual long-term trajectory of life.

“True Woke: Tim Robbins had a real awakening (Russel Brand interview)“, see bottom of this opening section- (Woke recovery plan: Awakening to and affirming the fundamental principles of Classic Liberalism, or awakening to and affirming fundamental human love);

“The tribal impulse behind racism“;

“Affirming unconditional as the core of all reality“;

Good one on irresponsible panic-mongering- “With the ‘expert’ COVID view blown up, green terror must be next”, by New York Post Editorial Board;

Physicists Richard Lindzen, William Happer challenge Net Zero- “Challenging Net Zero with Science: Lindzen-Happer-CO2 Coalition Paper“;

Ira Glasser (former ACLU director) on Joe Rogan podcast: Defend free speech for all. The issue, says Glasser, is- “Who gets to decide what is ‘hate speech'”;

“I feel uncomfortable… threatened“- the new ‘authoritative’ standard to control the speech and behavior of all others;

“Hold a fundamental belief” (Something to center our spirits during the worst that life throws at us);

“The essential offensiveness of Historical Jesus:” Historical Jesus- A person entirely opposite to “Christian ‘Jesus Christ'”. Historical Jesus overturned traditional retaliatory, punitive justice that was affirmed by Paul’s Christ myth. But a qualifier, the breakthrough insight of Historical Jesus on theology- “a stunning new theology of a non-retaliatory God”- is not an advocacy for pacifism in an imperfect world. The importance of understanding the breakthrough central insight of Historical Jesus lies in the fact that this person who overturned entirely the very core of all conditional religion was then turned into the ultimate icon of highly conditional religion.

Further, Jesus’ anti-sacrifice protest at the Temple in Jerusalem, that was the immediate cause of his death, that protest against sacrifice was rejected by Paul who then turned him into the ultimate cosmic sacrifice (i.e. the sacrifice of the godman Christ for the sins of all humanity).

The comments above continue the project of this site to go to the root of alarmism narratives/crusades, whether religious or secular- to go after the deeply rooted themes/archetypes that fuel destructive alarmism crusades. Read the rest of the opening comment here

A site project: Probing why primitive apocalyptic, and “lost paradise/redemption” mythologies, continue to resonate with modern minds, despite the inevitably destructive outcomes, both personal and social. These ancient mythical themes are even embraced by “secular/ideological” movements today, such as climate alarmism.

This is a project to challenge pathology that deforms human consciousness, personality, and societies (Psychologist Harold Ellens and psychotherapist Zenon Lotufo in “Cruel God, Kind God: How Images of God Shape Belief, Attitude, and Outlook”). This is a project to correct this problem of bad ideas deforming life at the most foundational level of meta-narrative themes.

This from National Post: Common sense on the climate alarmism crusade, “Reality checks on the climate change agenda- Logic dictates a balanced approach using both hydrocarbons and renewables prudently and wisely” by Derek Burney, Feb.23, 2023

https://www.google.com/search?q=Derek+H.+Burney%3A+Reality+checks+on+the+climate+change+

Section topics: Contact wkrossa@shaw.ca

(1) Some of the most profound insights ever offered on how to live as authentically human;

(2) Alleviating/conquering our fear of dying;

(3) Site-splainin- The “burying” issue that Jefferson and Tolstoy pointed to regarding the “paradise lost/redemption” complex of ideas (i.e. the Christ myth of Paul that buries the central insight of Historical Jesus)

(4) The impulses and related ideas that still dominate human consciousness and life (the “Lost paradise/redemption” complex of myths);

(5) The baseline myth- “original paradise”, or better past (The reasoning behind this mythology: If the world was originally perfect- i.e. an “original paradise”- and now is obviously not perfect, then logically life has been declining toward something worse);

(6) Unconditional- humanity’s highest and most humane ideal- a centering theme for a new narrative;

(7) My protest against Paul’s Christ myth (It intentionally contradicts and buries the main themes in the message of Historical Jesus- i.e. Paul re-affirms retaliation in contradiction to Jesus’ non-retaliatory stance, Paul re-affirms divine conditions in contradiction to Jesus’ central unconditional theme, and Paul re-affirms divine violence in contradiction to Jesus’ non-violence message.);

(8) “The Two Degree Limit”, Andy May responding to alarmism over temperatures increasing by 2 degrees C. For most of the paleoclimate history of life (the 500 million years of the Phanerozoic era) average world temperatures were 3-6 degrees C warmer than today and all life flourished during that time;

(9) Sabine Hossenfelder on the physics of the greenhouse effect;

(10) “Why the Human Contribution to Climate Change is Minimal and Negligible”, by Rolf Reitz

(11) And well worth reading- “In Search Of A (Near) Perfect CO2 Global Warming Analogy” by Ron Barmby

This just below is very much related to my overall challenge to the “profoundly religious” climate alarmism crusade. Bad mythology is bad mythology wherever you find it, whether in religious belief systems or in so-called “secular/ideological” versions of the same.

Insert: I am old enough now to enjoy the privilege of repeating myself. Much like Pres. Reagan when he realized that he had Alzheimers- “Well then… you get to meet new people every day”. Some of you will get the point.

My ongoing protest against Paul’s Christ myth. “Honing” or refining the protest against the Christ myth (A summary of some of the most important points made on this site) Wendell Krossa Read the rest of the opening comment here

Section topics:

(1) Atmospheric physicist Richard Lindzen on “The absurdity of climate alarmism”;
(2) Summary of the benefits of CO2 by scientist and CO2 specialist Craig Idso of CO2science.org;
(3) Independent Glen Greenwald on “The greatest threat to freedom today” (Twitter files revelations)
(4) Cowardice and courage;
(5) The unconditional treatment of everyone, both good and bad (maintaining our humanity in the face of evil);
(6) Mantras based on false assumptions… and more.

Listen to scientists like atmospheric physicist Richard Lindzen on the physics of CO2. There is no need for a “Just Transition” away from fossil fuels to renewables (the irrational and dangerous obsession of Canada’s climate alarmism fanatic and decarbonization crusader- Justin Trudeau). His “Just Transition” will be very much a destruction of the energy sector in Canada with consequent electrical grid destabilization due to intermittent renewables. Keep an eye on Germany, Britain, and California rushing down the same Net Zero path. Add excessively rising energy costs to the mix of nasty outcomes from the decarbonization crusade.

Instead of demonizing CO2 as a threat to life, with CO2 expert Craig Idso we ought to celebrate rising CO2 in the atmosphere. CO2 is not “the main cause of climate change”. CO2 is not causing a “climate crisis or emergency”. To the contrary, more CO2- life’s basic food- has resulted in a 15% increase in green vegetation across the Earth since 1980. That is more food for animals and increased crop production for humanity. All from more plant food in a “CO2 starvation era” were CO2 levels have been at historic lows compared to paleoclimate history.

And the mild warming of the last 100 years- 1 degree C- has benefitted all life in a still too cold world where 10 times more people die from cold every year, than die from warmth. Wendell Krossa

There are no limits to human creative potential…

This is good from Humanprogress.org. It is why Julian Simon said that biologists get population and resources issues all wrong. They tend to view humans as just another species of insect or animal- dumb and subject to the mindless chaos, randomness, and uncaring patterns of nature. Read the rest of the opening comment here

Christianity got Jesus all wrong on sacrifice (on the most important topic/issue of his message and life) Wendell Krossa (comment on Bob Brinsmead’s summary of Historical Jesus research)

There is a growing awareness, recognition, and acceptance today, within even the Christian movement, that Christianity has gotten some fundamental things about Jesus wrong, entirely wrong in some cases. Like, for instance, his revolutionary new theology of a non-retaliatory God. Read the rest of the opening comment here

The Two Main Approaches to Organizing Human Societies across history- Collectivism versus the free individual Wendell Krossa

The comment below comes from a “fiercely Independent” viewpoint. Kinda like Goldilocks- not too far Left, not too far Right. Sort of Libertarianish, or better- Classic Liberalism. Floating like a butterfly, free to alight wherever, enjoy the nectar and then move on. A self that is free in an open process and not fixed too rigidly on any “object” (i.e. not finding cemented identity in some immutable ideology, religion, nationality, race/ethnicity, or other objects of human identity). Open and free like ‘The Mutable Self’ of Louis Zurcher.

“Independent” because while both sides have commendable features and concerns, neither side gets it all right (and this is not “bothsideism”). David Boaz, for example, said regarding the US situation that Republicans needed to embrace more freedom in the social realm and Democrats needed to embrace more freedom in the economic realm. Neither side held a monopoly on good. My ‘Free Floating’ stance also keeps me from the dogmatic tribalism that locks into loyalty to one side only and views the other side as an enemy to be conquered or cancelled. Read the rest of the opening comment here

This essay is about engaging Joseph Campbell’s points regarding “The Hero’s Journey” (i.e. some of the main features of all human stories).

Speculating with Campbell on the meaning of human life and experiences Wendell Krossa

Or: How to tower in stature as maturely human, how to become the hero of your story or quest.

Joseph Campbell said that we all live a “hero’s quest or adventure”. Our lives and life experiences can be understood in terms of “the hero’s journey”. We all live heroic stories of adventure, struggle, suffering, conquest of monsters/problems, disintegration/re-integration, transformation, discovery, and gaining insights that benefit ourselves and others. I have added to Campbell’s basic framework, revising, paraphrasing, and changing some things. Read the rest of the opening comment here