A Journal to impart knowledge and facts |
July 22, 2015 I'm going to start today to record on a daily basis whatever happens to strike my fancy. So, it is a very cool breezy day. I just posted 5 short book reviews to The Monthly Reading Challenge. I'm suppose to put away some winter wood today from the woodpile outside but I'm playing hookey from work to write so starting this blog will get done. I'm having a daily fight with a flock of English Sparrows that are trying to take over my barn. They are making a terrible mess so they have to go. I have destroyed several nests so far they don't leave but they get out of the barn when I am around. I'm just starting the fight so I guess I don't know how far I have to go to discourage them. I'm trying not to spread myself to thin on WDC because I find so many things that are interesting here and I am trying to work on a new story. I really enjoy sitting at my desk with a cup of tea and reading blogs on WDC. |
In your entry today, write about superstitions, legends, and curses. Are there any legends in your culture that you take to heart? Are you superstitious? Do you believe in Pele’s Curse? Quotes: 1. {“Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.” ― Bertrand Russell, Unpopular Essays 2. “The man who believes that the secrets of the world are forever hidden lives in mystery and fear. Superstition will drag him down. The rain will erode the deeds of his life. But that man who sets himself the task of singling out the thread of order from the tapestry will by the decision alone have taken charge of the world and it is only by such taking charge that he will effect a way to dictate the terms of his own fate.” ― Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West Both of these quotes came from https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/superstition Good and Evil I was very interested to find out when I was researching quotes for this blog, that if you research the word superstition, a lot of the quotes deal with the differences between the subjects of science and religion. Lately, I have noticed an odd idea about knowledge. Specifically, when people quote scripture they tell you about Genesis 2: 16,17. Many people quote God as having said you can't eat of the tree of knowledge. However, the command according to the The Logos International Study Bible is "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil , thou shalt not eat. Of course, the two human residents of the garden of evil did eat of the fruit and were kicked out of the garden to toil and trouble for all of their lives. Truthfully, I don't think if you study any part of history, you will notice that every individual who lives will be faced with both good and evil at some points in their lives and will come out with knowledge; which will teach you how to make choices revealing ways to pursue good or evil. So, experience or learning can be your teacher. Learning before experience hits gives you knowledge about how to make choices, that will avoid evil and keep you safer than just following experience down its bumpy path. Recently, I finished reading Origin by Dan Brown. A fiction story that expounds the fact that science will overtake religion and drown it out. So, humans will live technologically filled lives that are easier. Until only the technology is left, having taken over as the ruling class of the planet earth. No more humans. I also found this idea being spread in the research I did about superstition. Throwing salt over your shoulder may get rid of the spilled salt but won't stop a bill you needed to pay last week from charging you interest on the over due amount. Knocking on wood may give you bruised knuckles. But, won't stop your brakes from going out on your car if you don't have them serviced properly. Will God keep them going until you find the cash to fix them if you ask? Jesus said, faith is the answer. If you read the gospels you will come to the view that Jesus spent 3 years of his life preaching to the people about how to avoid superstitions. I took some biology courses combined with geography in conjunction with the school of journalism. I had some very interesting talks with biology teachers about the differences I was finding in local newspapers between facts taught in biology courses and facts printed in newspapers about biology. One of the teachers wanted me to become an editor so wrong facts would be eradicated in any place I had access too. My question was why are the printed facts wrong? Is the public being misled in small facts you read? Am I superstitious? I try not to be. Broken mirrors don't bother me since I would have had a certain amount of trouble in life with or without breaking a mirror. The Dancing Wu Li Masters a book about Quantum Mechanics says this science seems to follow theories given by Buddhists and other far eastern religions. It seems some science points to the fact that humans can and do influence their environments in scientific manners without knowing it. I doubt superstitions, because I see so much misinformation spewed out among the public. A psychiatrist told me this: Sociology, and Psychology are excellent parts of science and work if used properly within a culture but, if used as witch craft they become the basis of ignorance. So, I choose Knowledge over experience and both over odd superstitions. apondia#1781748 |