On the Topic of Peace

(this post was originally posted at DC Peaches, and is also posted at Blanton's and Ashton's)

I was wondering what people thought about a series of questions (kind of another query ) that I have come up with. Are good critical thinkers more likely to be peaceful people? Do these two variables have a positive correlation (as one increases, the other increases. As one decreases the other decreases)? Or, can one be a good critical thinker and still be have violent tendencies?Should humanity be past the point where we inflict harm and coerce one another, or will that always be a central part of the story we call our history? Be aware: there are many components of critical thinking, including emotional, behavioral, and cognitive components; to be a good critical thinker you have to be well-developed in all areas. I actually haven't been able to find a satisfactory definition on the internet. My psychology text has a wonderful definition, but it's 4 1/2 pages long. I encourage you to look around at the many different approaches/definitions.

Also, you may want to check out this link about critical thinking applied to everyday life; it's fairly interesting.Anyone who wants to talk to me more about critical thinking, please feel free to contact me at my email: peachesr03 at lycos dot com. If you do email me, you may also want to leave a comment at this post. That way I am more likely to get back to you.

-Peaches

What is Life?

I have come to the conclusion that most religions have a superiority complex. All the major monotheistic religions have it. And, Confusionism and Taoism have it. (you, too, Christians!)

Though most religions preach or teach modesty, they still hold themselves in very high esteem; why else would people participate in religion if they didn't?

Now, the only two religious groups that I know of that manage to quell the ego successfully are Unitarians, Buddhists, and possibly the third is Lutherans. All the others are engaged in a continual egofest -they believe they know.

I believe that I speak with some authority, being an agnostic and practicing Quaker. I've also taken a high school course in comparative religion. So, I would consider myself somewhat of a theologian, as well (my theology is not nearly as developed as some others'). So, I have a religious, spiritual, and also a secular background.

For instance, I believe in some Native American practices, and beliefs. I believe in the mystical.

I also believe, as I have been taught in my psychology class recently, that consciousness is very limited. Yet, it is all we have.

I believe in the limits of our knowledge and our own experience. I believe that our brain through what we call our minds is constantly playing tricks on us.

I may believe in the paranormal, or the soul, but, I am not convinced that I can know for sure. I am not a conspiracy theorist, and I try not to be an idealogue. There are many theories on life, and many ways to live, and I do not claim to know which of them is best. All I know is what I have tried to do and what I have done -and then of course there is the present, where things seem to me to be the most possible.

All the religious and secular tales could be mistaken, but, I tend to doubt it. Maybe I just want to believe.

Religious groups have a tremendous ability to transform experiences and create them, just as political ones do. Or in other words they tell you what is what. What to believe. And they make some people so certain. Others so powerful. And yet others are subjugated or made powerless.

So, my challenge is to transcend and transform. Ask those around me what they think is good and bad, right and wrong, and what I can learn from them or teach them. To listen and act accordingly. To as Paul Wellstone was known to say, "live the words I speak."To have charity for those less fortunate.

This is in the hope that we can come together and bridge our differences, and maybe even leave a better world to those that follow. So this is the message I leave thee (in not so true Quaker fashion). May we each find what we need.

-Peaches