Tag: Faith

Understanding Miracles and Their Implications

So how did it come to me blogging about this – well with a considerable amount of thoughtful scepticism. I started thinking about who decides what is a miracle in today’s world and what does that say about all miracles and whether they have happened or not and whether that matters anyway!

Simply put mainly according to AI’s interpretation on this issue (who would have believed a few years ago that AI would be attempting to teach a human on the divinity of a miracle, but here we are) a miracle is an extraordinary and welcome event that is not explicable (meaning capable of being explained) or understood by natural or scientific laws and is therefore attributed to a divine agency.

A miracle is generally understood as an extraordinary event that is attributed to supernatural forces or divine intervention, often defying natural or scientific laws. 

It’s also used more broadly to describe any amazing or wonderful event, regardless of whether it has supernatural connotations. 

Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

1. Supernatural/Divine Interpretation:

Many religions associate miracles with the actions of a deity or other supernatural being. 

These events are often seen as signs of God’s power or intervention in human affairs. 

Examples include healing the sick, raising the dead, or performing other feats beyond natural capabilities. 

2. Broader Usage:

In everyday language, “miracle” can refer to any highly improbable but positive event, like surviving a disaster or experiencing a stroke of good luck. 

This usage emphasizes the unexpected and beneficial nature of the event. 

For example, “a miracle of modern engineering” might describe a complex structure that was incredibly difficult to build. 

3. Key Characteristics:

Unexplained or inexplicable: Miracles are often events that cannot be readily explained by natural or scientific laws.

Extraordinary or wonderful: They are events that stand out as exceptional and remarkable.

Potentially supernatural: In many cases, miracles are associated with supernatural agency, but this is not always the case in broader usage. 

So for now where my ponderings have led me to consider whether divine miracles occur on daily basis and are real events or a thing of fiction. It’s fascinating that god requires no proof and yet a miracle is the greatest proof or all of god exists.

To me the greatest miracle of all is the miracle of life and followed by the existence of all and the wonder and beauty of all living things especial humans and other conscious beings. This is truly wondrous miracle of existence and also clear proof of a divine being at work for me – what it does not tell me though in any way, shape or form whatsoever is whether that divine being is a Buddhist, Muslim, Jew or Christian.

Religious labels and the divine have for most of my life been lost on me and therefore if one religion tells me something is not a sin and another tells me it is then how do I or anyone know else know which is the most appropriate interpretation to take? Or for that matter if one religions says that something is a miracle and another religion says no it never happened then who is the divine messenger of god and who is not? I expect it boils back down to individual belief and perceptions of those rules and regulations for certain beliefs, faiths and/or religions to be perceived and believed to be right or wrong, true or false.

What does the future hold for Mother Earth?

Sometimes to understand the present we must learn from the past. When we learn from the past we stand a better chance of not repeating past mistakes and those mistakes that are not learned from then look more likely to be repeated again and again.

The most successful cultures, nations and empires have not been kind to those that they have conquered. As an invader would say “This land is now my land even if you were on it before I arrived”, that kind of thing, “Your old gods are not my gods, but I have some far more successful gods to introduce you to whom you must now believe in too, if you wish to continue to live and should you refuse you will die or be my slaves”, as the wheels of the world continue to turn and the world continues to carry on with or without you as the new occupier build there temples on what was once your land.

Of course this was all in the olden days before we were born, we live in a modern cultured, educated world now where people no longer go to war for land, culture wars, or for gods or power don’t we? We now fight just wars for freedom not unjust wars for money and power don’t we?

Well we are on the brink of a potential of circumstances to be able to escalate into world war three so we are sure to find out what will happen next. Sadly justice does not always win out in wars, but is written into the script and end credits by the victors.

 I have often wondered at what the world would look like if the druids were still preaching today? I love pagan and druidic mythology or interpretations of what they stood for in history. Sadly we do not have any direct written knowledge or guidance from those pagan times because those that wrote down their interpretations of them were their enemy, who wanted no less than to defeat their gods and make them worship their gods and adopt their own culture and gods as their own instead in order to survive and as people continue to thrive.  

A love the concept of an earth mother or mother earth and gaia – a planet of life.

But from what little we have learned or can be interpreted to be known today, the druids believed in equality between woman and men. Women could be gods, queens and governesses of people, owners of property in their own right and had the right to marry and divorce. These are something we think of as rights earned overtime and thought for through the 20th Century and rights still being hard thought for in many countries today.  To me this concept is not only about a transfer of power to women but an equality of rights amongst all. It is heart warming to know this is not a new concept but in fact an ancient one from cultures of a distant past.

How and when we treat others with compassion and fairness, whether we know them or not is not a sign of weakness but an insight into knowledge and understanding of others and we should always see ourselves from the eyes of others whenever we can find it possible to do so. We should aspire to be equals wherever we can and not enemies.

When we branch out from the tree of humanity, we are all at one time or another connected, what sustains the life of one can sustian the life of all. From the first seed to the most recently sown. Where one thrives, all can thrive but when we destroy others we risk destroying all including ourselves.

When we see all that are different or indifferent to us as potential enemies that must be battled against then one day we will all be beaten and lose. We must aim and aspire to be equals not enemies. The most powerful enemy who wins upon a battlefield is not necessarily going to be the most righteous or for want of a better word moral or stand for what is right verses what is wrong. Might is not always right.

Eva Cassidy – Fields of Gold

A world in flux

The world is forever changing, for some this presents opportunities and for some it presents threats. It is not just about what is happening but it is about how you perceive it to be happening or how you are informed or misinformed on what is going on.

With increased technological developments taking place as well as a communications network like none ever developed on our planet prior to the last 20 years with the internet, TV and telecommunications.  We can now see, hear and be informed within seconds or minutes of developments on earth that we might never have been informed about or might have possibly only learned about after the event years later in history books or documentaries.

So our means of communicating changes has changed as well. Our climate is also changing, as again to our ability to be informed of those changes. We were not always aware of big earthquakes, volcanoes, storms and hurricanes affecting places around the globe. But now with 24 hour news it’s very much a news filler item to watch the suffering of others around the globe in these horrific condition and not only that but due to global climate chaos they are actually happening more frequently too.

Industrialisation of work force and artificial intelligence developments making AI better than humans at doing jobs we once thought we could do for life? So not only do we have to worry about will we earn enough to be attractive and provide for another partner or family, we now could end up finding that our career passion the job we love doing is ultimately not able to be done by us any more and has been outsourced to a PC or machine of some other type.

So these issues are happening and one main inevitability is that change is constant and continuous, you cannot stop change from happening but you can engage to what is changing and reflect on it, accommodate it, do your best to manage it in your life or try to understand it and how it effects you.

One way I get my head around understanding changes going on in the political world is by supporting and advocating for changes I want to see by joining a political party such as the Green Party, or becoming a member of a charity such as Moor Trees. Though my contributions may be small in the scheme of things, they still matter and contributing to a bigger picture for potential positive change in a way I would like the world around me to be shaped. Change is not always negative and great and beautiful things do come into this world when changes are able to be made and realised.

Another way to perhaps be aware of change and understand how it affects you is to read, listen and watch news articles and stories. Though not always a pleasant thing to do and best not to put your interpretations all into one basket of news sources but to take from a variety of sources. The newspaper review on BBC news or UK Sky (Not Murdock owned or dictated to news) can be informative when they discuss the next days headlines with some interpretations of what those headlines are. I tend to find the more you just listen to one persons perspective though the more chance you have of being misinformed, manipulated or indoctrinated into another’s view when its far more important to try and think for yourself.

One final little point is regarding if the world is changing for better or worse are we at the end of time? Or the end of days or is an apocalypse around our corner. Well I hope not but again that’s just a matter of opinion. People have feared, expected or written about living in the end of days, a war that will end all war or Armageddon being around the corner for thousands of years in religious circles and I can only assume if you believe in a certain deity then you have also had to be prepared that it’s only a matter of time before they call last orders at the global bar and closing time on all earth, man and existence as we know it. If you don’t believe in said god then you will alternatively think that’s an impossibility of a God that does not exist to call time on something that they have no power over because they are not here to do it! Finally on this point about whether we could be entering a time of growth, goodness, fear or darkness.

Well I don’t believe in a god that could destroy its own creation as a promise it made to its people. I don’t believe in a god that puts some people on the side of being good people due to where or who they were born from or came from and others on the side of evil due to where they were born or who they were born from or came from. I really just don’t accept that the god I pray to, believe in or work for and live by could be so narrow minded! The god I believe in is not fighting for Armageddon against an inherent enemy but fighting for justice for all of life and creation.

White Shadow by Coldplay

This is how I feel

Congress woman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated in a debate in congress once that ‘Religion and faith are not about exclusion’. This is also my faith and my comprehension of God that I understand and believe in, hope for and have faith in, that can answer prayers or force us collectivly to work to answer our own prayers within this life for this world and for those who come into this life in the future. A force for goodness and justice that will enable us to answer our own prayers and give what we can and should to others so that they may be clothed, sheltered, fed and loved.

I just thought I would go onto Twitter and have a look at what other people views and expressions were at this moment in time and came across a lovely clip of democrat congresswoman from New York Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez relating to faith, humanity, god and taxes!

AOC Flips the Religious Freedom Argument on Its Head

I found the clip above emotionally and spiritually empowering and refreshing to know there are people that believe so passionately in views that I can respect and agree with concerning faith and conviction of what others are entitled to or should be protected from. I don’t buy into a Church that sells it’s belief in the good are Godley and are deserving of their wealth, good health and power status. I feel if Jesus were alive, preaching and teaching today there are many aspects of my society, its systems and institutions and mechanics of wealth and poverty creation and sustaining of that wealth and poverty which would deeply concern and anger him on how humanity treats its fellow humans. Christ would discuss matters of economics, politics, scoail justice and equlity were he around today.

If you’re not born in the right country with the right type of passport and amount of money at the right time you risk a whole lot of pain and suffering due to global inequalities and dependent upon the degrees of latitude and longitude that you were born on the globe.

These inequalities look to become far greater this century than they have been for many a year and those that look to escape the poverty, starvation and move to a place where they may have a chance of a better life will have walls built to stop them, boats sailing to catch them and be imprisoned in migrant camps, once they arrive on a foreign shore and be blamed for wanting a better life.

We don’t look to a future of greater food resources or medical resources for the people on this planet but instead one in which there are depleting resources for people and planet on a more hostile environment.

Though knowing there are advocates in positions of authority and power such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez does spring forward hope and optimism for the future.

Placebo – Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) (Cover) Official Music Video

Religions ongoing search for sin has a new patriarch       

I love God but am a post Christian none affiliated person of faith. My god is one of love and healing for all, that through his existence breaths life and loves all and although we might one day be judged by god for the lives we have or have not lived, no man is a spiritual judge of gods laws, it is only laws of what man does to man that that men have true jurisdiction on.

The head of Russia’s Orthodox Church has seemingly blamed the invasion of Ukraine that has killed hundreds and displaced millions on LGBT+ Pride parades. The Russian Orthodox bishop, 75, who leads the most popular and influential religion in the country, and with his interpretations of the teachings of Christ says that Ukraine’s pro-LGBT+ laws and parades have presented a “loyalty test” to Russia for aligning with progressive values.

 The Patriarch claimed that “the West essentially organises genocide campaigns against countries that refuse to stage gay parades” before saying that the breakaway Ukrainian regions at the heart of the conflict, collectively known as Donbas, have “rejected” such values.

This is dangerous hate speech. Just as terrorists in the middle east had a religious perspective in order to justify hatred of USA it now appears that Russia has its spitrual saviour and patriarch or sinner champion in the Russian orthodox religion.

Never let truth get in the way of a good religious lie or perspective. How many people would Jesus of Muhammad kill and who would they bomb and why? We sometimes work on this planet towards global norms of behaviour and acceptance and an attempt to legislate equal rights and an expression of love towards fellow human being within context of codes of law and defences in the realm of international crimes against humanity. These values are being buried in Russia on top of the bodies of those they commit to a war.

In life I like to see spirtual understanding and complexity or wisdom grow forth as if from the seed of an acorn into a mighty oak tree. At first the seeds of our perception of God are simple black and white, light over dark issues, that need to be fed watered and nurtured, then as we grow older there is a greater understanding and awareness of those around us and who we are any why we are interdependant on others. Fianlly our beliefs might like might oaks reach and stand tall amongst others and with are roots firmly in the soil, we are able to branch out and offer support and love to others from a standpoint of strengh and resilience. Hoping our love and knowleadge bares further seeds that could also one day grow and flurish too.

Though we have a view, perception and awareness of god we are not gods. My father is homosexual and is one of the greatest human beings I know, whome I love very much, if his sexuality send him to a hell then I’d rather spend an eternity in hell with him, than an eternity with the leader of the church of Russia in heaven.

Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah

My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?

The bible teaches us that during the Crucifixion of Jesus on the ninth hour he cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? This is, translated as, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Such a sad statement to have in the bible and a true reflection of the grief and sadness of the situation unfolding on the cross in real-time for Jesus still echoing down the years of history to all.

Many Christians believe that what happens is all part of God’s plan and choice, and that all our souls are heading towards Gods destination of choice for us, the good the bad and the ugly.  

I hope and pray this is true but I am not sure I have the conviction of faith to believe it to be so all the time. When you witness or experience bad things happening to yourself or good people that you love and know, it scares or bruises your soul and sometimes the closer to home that it happens then the deeper the scar cuts. My believe in the presence and existence of God does not deminish but having faith in how his will is conducted is a challenge at times.

I believe God is all powerful and has unconditional love, “the highest form of love, charity” and “the love of God for man”. I try my best to work in service of god throughout my life living as a good person, but know I am just one man and in all honesty though my actions attempt to do right by God, and sometimes I fail but not all times.

But my ability to have faith in his plan is in all honesty my greatest weakness. I get paranoid and fear that evil could theoretically overcome humans on this planet and for that I try to speak out against evil and wrong doing even more so because of this.

I am no great fighter my greatest weapons are in words and deeds that matter to others and myself. I am not trained in the use of a gun or my fists. Though if I am alive and well enough and a global war was declared which my country was involved within I would seek to take my place however I could best serve.

As far as the future is concerned, God will be alright whatever happens and he will be happy and content with his plan no matter how it unfolds for me or those that I love on this earth. I just hope he does not forsake us and the places we love as bad things continue to happen to good people across the globe.  

I try to speak truth to power which is a gift and curse that I have and at difficult times like that we are living through now it is one of the things that I aspire to continue to do.

Seal – Don’t Cry