#buyersclub

- manage resources

- support culture

- create solidarity

my peace

I am a nontheist Quaker of sorts. You may call me an atheist, but I don't find the label befitting, because I am not certain that there is no God. I do not mean to convert anyone to Q.uakerism, but I like their ways. I consider myself a Christian because I believe in the morality of the ways of Jesus.

I do not claim to know with absolute certainty what is moral and
and ammoral, but I have my convictions, and I hold them very deeply when I hold them. I do not believe in faith based on certainty.

I do, however, believe in the certainty that can be found in the present and in unleashing your creative potential in self or group expression.

While I do not disapprove of the Quaker ways, I do believe that, as in any religion, Quakers or "Friends" are prone to getting caught up in their own beliefs. While the meeting (otherwise known as a church) that I have been involved in for several months has been very beneficial to me perspectivally, I do not feel any force pulling me toward religion at this point in my life, though I do consider it interesting and very able to provide insight, even if it may be false insight.

But, if we endevour to live searching for the greatest wisdom that abounds, we can live very meaningful lives.

This means challenging ourselves when we can and playing new games. We needn't not struggle all the time, but, when we are morally challenged, we must push back, and hopefully in the "right" direction.

My faith is in humanity, and the diversity of experience that abounds. I, as many of my blogmates also have, find blogging to be a great way to commune and express myself, and even form my own little communities.

The strength of our communities are the measure of our true strength. May you and yours grow stronger.

Love and Peace,

Peter/Peaches

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

Peace Starts Here

I just received an invitation to a meeting of my local PDA (Progressive Democrats of America), and I thought up a speech that I would like to give at that meeting. So here it is:

Electoral Politics should be easy. They should be easy.

It is governing that should be hard, and easy too, if our elected officials go about it the right way.
As our world evolves we are constantly facing new problems, but with renewed purpose, focus, creativity, and participation from the community we can conquer these problems together.

As we include more people in the process it will be more successfull and fulfilling, and new ideas will emerge. I am talking about a new kind of politics (expound values).

It may be challenging, but it ought to be if we are giving it our best efforts.

I am reminded of the pin that I got for buying a book by two of the most popular Democratic bloggers; it said:

"Mom, Baseball, Apple Pie, and a Democratic Juggernaut!"

There's no limit to what we can do if we try to build a lasting peace.

And like any ideal Peace can be achieved, and it starts right here with you!!!


Please spread the word -Democrats stand for something.

I had to start somewhere

I'd thought about giving up blogging, because, frankly, I don't need to do it to feel satisfied; But then I got the idea for this blog, and I had to follow through. As the late Paul Wellstone would say:

Live the Life You Speak!

So, you see, I had to follow through with this. I didn't even know Paul Wellstone, yet his words speak volumes. His life has inspired me to live close to my values:

To try to be compassionate toward others,

To be honest and forthcoming in what I say, and how I live,

To be ready to move and to change as I age,

To be open to others and new experiences,

Charity--you may not love everyone that your with, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't treat them with a reasonable amount of respect.

Being open to the wonderment that inevitably sorrounds me,

The value of good hard work,

Appreciating the difference in perspective that one day can bring,

Trying to live in harmony with my neighbors,

Not to separate people between the bad and the good,

And: Good things Are for Sharing!!!

I don't consider myself a Quaker (at this particular point), but I do attend Quaker Meeting fairly frequently. It's one religion that doesn't try to convert you. You can be a Quaker and a Muslim. You can be a Buddhist and a Quaker, or a Quaker and a Jew. You can, in fact be an atheist Quaker and there's no conflict.

The reason that I don't consider myself completely converted to Quakerism is because I am not a pure Pacifist. I don't believe that war or violence are good, and I condone their use in the abstract, and in real-life situations. However, I believe that there are very rare instances where it becomes necessary to defend yourself with more than words; we have insticts that compell us not so much toward violence, but more more so simply toward reaction. Sometime one's environment or upbringing can be a factor. In some places like Somalia people learn to "kill or be killed--" this is not a good situation.

Violence leads to more violence unless we are taught to counteract it. And, violence should be resisted at all organizational levels that there are in human existence.

There have been successful peaceful movements, and unsuccessful peaceful actions. Peace can mean integrity or compromise. Some may consider peaceful anti-war demonstrations foolhardy, or naive, but I consider nonviolent demonstration to be one of the more noble forms of expression.

I feel it is our duty help bring the current military campaigns in the world to a safe and lasting end by and to prevent future wars, as well

If it is immoral to kill, then why do we raise armies and militias? Why have we sent countless men to kill men of other ethnicities and nationalities time after time throughout history? To show that killing people is wrong? Is there a better way?

... ...

Please feel free to leave your opinions or comments posted here--after all I'm not a "one-man movement," but please try hard to be respectful and considerate to my other guests.

All for now,

DC Peaches

ps -I am looking for like-minded people to join me in posting on this blog. Please feel free to email me at peachesr03 at lycos dot com