The Pageless Book

Above Photo by Tom Coates. Photo Below by Chris Corwin.

The posts I’ve culled from the blogosphere this week all have a strong philosophical bent. Is there some astrological event that is causing this new outlook on religion, spirituality, and God? Nah! It just so happens that my choice in blogs tends to vibe with one another, and often hit upon similar themes… hence the title of my link love column, Friday Vibes.

Jerome, from Under A Violet Sun, wrote concerning naming God, and whether or not the process of putting a name to something limits that thing (in this case, the Divine). His theory was that we labeled people and things in order to control that thing. While I think that there are some individuals who use labels in conjunction with their control issues, I also think that humans like to label things to make communicating about those thing easier. However, his post on the subject definitely had me thinking and comparing my own ideas on the subject with his.

Joy Collins, from Wellspring, describes how her experience with her ailing father helped her come to understand God as a Verb. Her story of how she came to realize God is touching, and I highly recommend giving this article a look. There is also something very appealing to me about seeing God as being a process rather than a “thing.” I’ll have to meditate on that for a while and see where it leads me.

Tobeme, from The Naked Soul, also had a deep article this week about the intuitive nature of truth. It is less about a priori knowledge and posteriori knowledge of the philosophical sense, and more about spiritual truths that go beyond physical proof. The underlying message is that personal truths do matter, are empowering, and should not be discarded simply because it is not physical. I would also like to add something along the lines of “stick that in your pipe and smoke it!” to get a chuckle from my non-theist readers. The article says nothing about God one way or another, so I understand that it makes me look foolish - but, hell, I like being foolish!

Speaking of Foolishness, Rev. Dan from yet another really long blog name blog posted a rather interesting take on politics. He took the perennial Dungeons & Dragons question of real world alignments and asks us to pick alignments for the presidential candidates. My take on it? George W. Bush - Stupid Evil. Hillary Clinton - Chaotic Conceited (with Neutral Vice Presidential tendencies). John McCain - True Neutered. Barak Obama - Lawful Optimistic (with Presidential Good tendencies).

That’s all I have for today! Have a great weekend.

It rarely pays to be presumptuous, but today I’m feeling a bit cocky, so I’m going to let down my guard. For the shear pleasure of my ego, I’m going to point out articles posted on the blogs I have read recently that I believe have been influenced by yours truly. Shortly after, I’m sure I will be swiftly and mercilessly corrected, but for a brief moment my self esteem will have thrown a small party for itself. Let’s commence with the foolishness, shall we?

Rev. Dan Harper, from Yet Another Unitarian Universalist has written an absolutely silly article concerning the true nature of happiness. Was he influenced by the mightiness of my humor article? Why, of course, Rev. Harper is my minion now! He’s quoting a British comedy series in one of his future sermons. A college educated man couldn’t possibly be brilliant enough to think of that on is own!

uuMomma pointed out an article regarding a new UU minister who has - get this - tattoos! Now, I can’t claim to have direct influence over someone I don’t even know, and I will have to admit that this article was printed before I had written my Tattooed Minister article, but you’ve got to love the synchronicity. I’d like to think it is a result of my pervasive cosmic psychic abilities, working beyond the limits of space-time - however unlikely that may be. In all seriousness, Rev. Eliza Galaher is an inspiration and I highly recommend reading her story.

Jeff, from Transient and Permanent, covered a subject that I’ve traversed in the past and wrote a piece on ReligiousTolerance.org. If you don’t remember, the precursor to my Site In Focus feature was Religious Tolerance Website Death Match, which had a long name but a short life of only two posts. My article on ReligiousTolerance.org is not as good as Jeff’s, but I am still proud that I provided him with the idea. I did… didn’t I?

Finally, Steve Caldwell from Liberal Faith Development was probably taking he cue from me when he wrote an article about Unitarian Universalism being noticed outside of the UU blogosphere. Yes, I know my recent attempts at drawing more traffic into the UU blog community has Steve in admiration of me. That’s okay - I’m a humble man who is not above being looked up to.

Thank you all for your sincerest form of flattery. I feel like a proud father… one that is senile and confused, but a proud father none-the-less. Now let’s please commence with deflation of my ego.
Photo above by Guiri R. Reyes.

This week in our corner of the blogosphere, politics seems to be on everyone’s mind. The big question is whether you support Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama; the Republican candidates just are not getting much press.

So, Hillary cried. Rev. PeaceBang asked on her blog whether it was even that big of a deal. 83% of her readers responded that either that they didn’t care, or that they were voting for Barack regardless of how much she cried. Ouch… UU Momma also weighted in on the tearful moment and even posted a link to the video. I have to agree with UU Momma - Hillary Clinton seemed genuinely choked up. The injection of emotion into the campaign is inspiring in my opinion; I have a much better understanding of her as a person than what I did last week.

My buddy, Shelby, from Looking for Faith, is feeling positive about Clinton’s win in New Hampshire, while Rev. Sean points out a number of hopes raised by the recent turn of events. I have to admit in sharing this encouraging feeling that this time will be different. Perhaps that’s because I’m an eternal optimist, which is true even when things seem back sliding in this country.

Cathy Crovis, from Ripples of Improvement, wrote an article this week about her anger with the present state of the United States. It’s important for me to point this out, because we need to be reminded of why we are building up this hope for our candidate. There are a lot of problems in the U.S., and if we are to have the strength to solve these problems, we cannot lose sight of what is at stake.

How do you weigh in? Which candidate are you looking forward to supporting? What issues matter the most to you? I could continue to observe my fellow bloggers and write about their opinions or even tell you my opinion, but neither are as important as your own.

Photo of Flag by Existentist. Photos of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama by Seiu International.

Photo by j / f

What is, in your opinion, the most pressing issue facing this world today? Is it the possibility of nuclear warfare? Starvation of tens of thousands of people in third-world countries? Perhaps you believe that global climate change to be the biggest threat. Whatever it is you believe to be the biggest problem humanity faces, firmly envision this problem. I want you to try, if you can, to imagine all global issues solved with exception of your particular global issue. Hard to imagine, isn’t it?

Why is it so much harder to imagine an issue reaching critical mass when it is the only global problem? Seems counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? If I may suggest, perhaps it is because so many of our global issues are interrelated. It doesn’t make sense for humanity to be able to solve the issue of famine and starvation without disarming and finally putting an end to war. We cannot honestly picture bringing global climate change under control without making corporations responsible for the health and well-being of all their employees. Each one of these problems are so interrelated, that it’s hard imagining any one of these existing on their own. These global scale problems must be symptoms of an even greater issue.

According to Global MindShift, the issue is humanity’s perception of its identity and understanding of the world. The paradigm under which we live as a global community is inherently flawed. In order to effectively resolve this issue, humanity must be willing to take a good long look at itself. Such an awakening on a global level doesn’t happen easily, yet that is what Global MindShift seeks to initiate.

The enormous task of changing the world on such a fundamental level is a bit like swimming upstream through gelatin inhabited by a colony of man o’ wars. That it is to say, this venture is difficult. What is it that they are doing to accomplish this task? Their strategy is probably summed up best in four words: People, Conversation, and Memes. Through their website, Global MindShift.org they gather like minded people and encourage them to talk about the issue. From their conversations, ideas are concentrated into memes - a units of cultural information used to inform and reform the paradigm of our global culture. These memes then feed back into the site, drawing in more people with whom the memes resonate, leading to more conversation and new memes.

How is this site different from other “Save The World” type causes? It’s the first organization to attempt treating the root of humanity’s problems rather than to just ease the symptoms. That isn’t to say other organizations aren’t important, but rather the internal motivation for why we need to make support these organizations are as important as the organizations themselves. Global MindShift even has a collection of recommended charities and causes.

Are these memes effective? I can’t make that judgement for you. Take a look at the videos below (each under six minutes) and make up your own mind. Is this an organization and movement you would be proud to be apart of? Do you want to see yourself as apart of the solution?

Photo by William

Holy Moses on a pogo stick - I’ve been hit by the website traffic fairy! The visitors to my site have literally doubled in one day due to Rev. PeaceBang and her brief mention of my site. What a great way to start off the year, eh? I’ll have to return the favor in someway, of course; maybe I’ll have her as the first Minister Interview for my site, so I can grovel and sing her praise proper-like. Er, that is if it’s okay with her…

That isn’t the only thing that happened this week - there was of course New Years Eve. I had four shots of B52, four cape-cods, and a shot of moonshine. Not too bad for someone whose limit is two drinks. However, the masochistic abuse of my liver is not the central purpose of Friday Vibes; there were some great posts this week that didn’t mention me, and I’m more than happy to point them out to you.

Jules from A UU Deist In Texas as written a three part series about his New Years Eve resolutions. While I normally don’t go for the yearly resolutions thing, I found these articles to be inspirational. The first part is regarding aging and health concerns, the second part is about spiritual practice, and the final part muses on his love for music. As someone who’s creeping towards 30, having difficulty finding the time for my own spiritual practice, and grew up around musicians, this series really struck a cord with me… pun not intended.

I’ve mentioned that Rev. Dan Harper is pushing for a conversation on emergent spirituality within Unitarian Universalism. This was his alternative to the traditional end of year review - look forward rather than look behind. Although I’m not sure what I can bring to the table, in regards to the conversation, I feel pretty positive about this idea… which is why I don’t mind mentioning it twice.

Finally, I’d like to point out that The Wild Hunt has done a two part article on the Top Ten Pagan Stories of 2007. It’s an interesting read, and I encourage anyone who has a moment to look it over. Because neo-paganism is looked down upon by the majority of mainstream religious communities, it is often subject to discrimination and ridicule. Seeing the year through the lens of this religion is a real eye-opener as to the status of religious tolerance.

I don’t know about you, but I have had enough of writing about the holidays. For the next few weeks, you can expect me to avoid any mention of them… er, at least until Valentines day.

Photo by “SordidProphecy”

GodStillLovesUs.org is not your typical website. With it’s cryptic message, foreboding images, and viral-like advertising, most visitors aren’t quite sure what to expect from this website. The motif of a bio-hazard symbol next to the words “God Still Loves Us,” makes for a confusing symbol sparking conversation, controversy, and serious thought as to the nature of humanity.

As it turns out, there is an ulterior motive behind this website. Some of my readers may already know the purpose behind its message. Yet, I know if I divulge this information up front, those who are not “in the know” would be less likely to give deep thought to the meaning of this website and its meme.

The Structure of The Site

The initial page of this site is roughly divided into four areas. At the very top is displayed the original bio-hazard logo with five links - Witness, Testify, Evangelize, Redeem, and Forums. Just below this are four random pictures that has been submitted to the website and a brief YouTube video. You can click on any of the four images to see the complete image; notice that each image has “God Still Loves Us” located somewhere in the image. Beneath the pictures and the video are two columns; the left devoted to tragic news articles found elsewhere on the web, while the right column displays an abbreviated console for the forums.

The first place you should direct yourself to is the “Witness” link. There are eight pages worth of photos, each photo containing the logo shown at the top of the site. If you play the video after viewing all of the images that have been submitted, you’ll notice that the video just a compilation of these image. The “Testify” link allows you to sign up for the forums, while the “Evangelize” link provides a number of the different “God Still Loves Us” logos, as well as access to a Cafepress.com shop.

If you click on the “Redeem” link, you are connected to a page that promises a prize for one person who submits a photo. The official contest rules states that this needs to be a photo of the “God Still Loves Us” logo on a physical object. When I first saw this, I started to question the objectives of this GodStillLovesUs.org. As you delve further into this website, its true intention slowly becomes apparent…

You Will Think

I want to talk about the meaning behind the “God Still Loves Us” logo. To me, the purpose behind this online campaign revolves around this symbol and the discourse it sparks; any other hidden motives are secondary in my opinion. You may disagree, but before I divulge this motive I keep talking about, let me explain why.

This logo is something like a Rorschach Test. The symbol is just ambagious enough that the meaning you ascribe to it is influenced by your personal beliefs, while the subject of the symbol remains intact. Placing the bio-hazard symbol next to the words “God Still Loves Us” can imply several different things - for example:

• Self-destructive nature of humanity.
• The nature of our relationship with the Divine.
• Absence of the Divine.
• Absurdity of existence.
• The nature of suffering.
• Hope despite all odds.

How you respond to this symbol speaks volumes about your outlook on life and religion. I’m inclined to believe that the symbol is speaking about the self-destructive nature of humanity, and the sadness that invokes. It’s a fair indicator of what type of person I am and shows my concern for humanity as a whole. Someone who is more pessimistic might say this symbol is pointing out the absurdity of existence, while an absolute optimist would believe it means hope despite all odds.

This becomes even more interesting when you get a large number of people together to talk about the meaning they find within the logo. While they may ultimately disagree about the meaning behind the symbol, the site itself doesn’t offer anything to contradict or confirm a particular interpretation. The result is lively discussion regarding the state of the world, religion, and human existence. Discussion is what makes this website meaningful and the symbol serves as the subject. Even the photos are apart of the discussion.

I am Alpha and Omega.

GodStillLovesUs.org is a viral marketing site for I Am Legend, a screen adaptation of the book with the same name. When I realized this, my first reaction was disappointment; I was hoping that the truth would be more interesting. If you think about it, though, this site is a stroke of genius when it comes to marketing. The more I think about it, the less disappointed I become.

I Am Legend, starring Will Smith, is a remake of the movies The Last Man On Earth and The Omega Man - both of which were based upon the same book. The theme of the book has a number of different religious and philosophical overtones, which resonates strongly with the “God Still Loves Us” logo. As I am yet to see the movie, I think it would be better not to comment further on it. I will say that I am looking forward to watching it; the viral marketing campaign as done it’s job.

Photo by Lucas B.

During this week, I observed a large number of blog entries being made concerning minimizing the consumerism of the holiday season. While waxing philosophical concerning Christmas is certainly understandable, I don’t think I was quite prepared to see my peers in this community become so critical of this season. And critical my colleagues were - so much so that I was taking notes.

For example, Dan Kimball from Vintage Faith not only took aim at consumerism, but also confronted the supposed “culture wars” over Christmas in his article. Elsewhere, Reverend Tony turned a popular catch phrase on its head asking “What Would Jesus Buy?” Both of these articles will be in the back of my mind while I discuss with my wife what future winter holidays will look like in our household. Perhaps next year, we can agree to start a tradition of giving to the poor, rather than to the corporations bombarding us with advertising.

Photo of Benzir Bhutto by Art es Anna

However, the problems we face over ramped consumerism pales in comparison to the events in Pakistan yesterday. Benazir Bhutto, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, died after suffering gun shots to the neck and to the chest. If you aren’t sure why that should concern you, consider that Pakistan is a Hindu-Islamic country currently in transition from a dictatorship to a democracy. Benazir Bhutto was the voice of moderation in what is a very turbulent time for her country and her people. Should I also mention that they have nuclear capabilities?

Rev. Kit Ketcham has posted an excellent article regarding her reaction to the news of Prime Minister Bhutto’s death, rightly seeing it as an attack on female authority in male dominated societies. She not only represented democracy and moderation, but equality for women and the modernizing of Pakistan. Terry Mattingly of GetReligion.org also points out the very dangerous situation which this places the United States in his article about her assassination.

So just as we finish celebrating the birth of one martyr, we mourn the death of another. This world turns in strange ways, sometimes - it’s enough to make me dizzy when I am not paying attention. While I have no control over events that take place in other countries, I do have control over what I do in my own life. Paying attention, however, allows me to glimpse how the two are connected… I just pray that I can keep my eyes open without going blind.

Photo by Sharon Mollerus

Is this yet another regular feature on The Pageless Book? Oh, yes it is. “Friday Vibes” is commentary on three or four blog posts that I feel my readers may be interested in. For this first edition of “Friday Vibes,” I have decided to get into the holiday spirit. I do not know what it is, but I no longer feel as grinch-ish. I am sure it’s just a temporary condition and I’ll be back to my old self soon - heart size and all. Until then, I’d like to point out three excellent articles concerning Christmas that fellow bloggers published this week.

The Holiday Season… How to make it Authentic

If you are like me, and despise the materialistic or commercial elements of the holiday season, then perhaps you would like to look at the article “The Holiday Season…. How to Make it Authentic.” Jennifer, from Goodness Gracious, confronts the inherent problems with Old Saint Nick and gift giving. By suggesting alternative solutions and asking her readers to think about what is truly important to their Christmas, she provides us with tools with which we can rewrite our holiday traditions.

I like this article not only because it appeals to adult sensibilities, but also to my inner child as well. Jennifer shows that Christmas does not need to be all about the gifts, yet shows how we can keep the childlike spirit of Christmas alive. All you have to do is ask what it is about Christmas that is important and down play elements that are not as important. It just takes a little imagination.

Coming Home for Christmas (after de-conversion)

Richard, from De-Conversion, wrote an excellent essay about what Christmas means from an Atheist’s point of view. “Coming Home for Christmas (after de-conversion)” evokes images and impressions of childhood, drawing a sharp comparison between the understanding of the world as an adult with the beliefs we hold as a child. His musings on the subject of Christmas are bitter-sweet, deeply personal, and not exactly what some religious folks might expect from an Atheist.

I have to admit to identifying strongly with this article. Feeling regularly at odds with this holiday myself, I appreciate how hard it is to participate in Christmas without accepting it’s full meaning. Reading this article gave me some perspective and insight into my own feelings regarding Christmas.

A Yule Ritual

Finally, I want to offer something a little bit *different* concerning the holiday season. Posted over at The Sacred Paths is a Wiccan Yule Ritual, and I urge you to take a moment to read it. I really enjoy the Wiccan take on the holidays; something about the rituals and the symbols they associate with the Solstices and Equinoxes speaks to me in a way that the Christian celebrations never have. I might even have to suggest incorporating some Wiccan elements into my own holiday celebration. If you are looking into new traditions for your family, this is a great place to start.

“Some find God at church on Sundays, but where does God bubble up in our lives the Other 6 days of the week?” - Other 6, Welcoming.

Photo by Jeff Kubina

Spirituality is a social experience for many. There is something uniquely spiritual about sharing your feelings with another person and having those feelings accepted. Other 6 is a website designed to facilitate that social aspect of spirituality, creating a online community geared towards shared hopes and joys.

When you first enter this flash-based website, a burst of blue bubbles emerges from the center of the screen. Some of these bubbles are dark blue, while others are light blue; this is to determine what type of post the bubble represents. Darker bubbles are comments on where an individual poster had found God today - whether it was in a child’s smile, or in a friends laughter - while lighter bubbles are comments from individuals who feel a need for God to be in a particular aspect of their life. Move your cursor over one of the bubbles and a message box will appear, displaying the comment left by that bubble’s creator. Move to another bubble, a new comment will appear in place of the previous.

While it may be tempting to remain a voyeur, peaking in to see other people’s thoughts, the real purpose of the website is within the interaction. Double click on any one bubble, and a larger message box will appear on the right hand side of your screen and display a number of options. You can view comments left by other readers concerning that bubble or add your own comment.

When you get tired of reading the messages of the bubbles in front of you, there is an option just under the mass of bubbles that allows you to view a new set of messages. As you do this, you may notice that some bubbles are actually larger then others. This represents the number of comments left for that message. This tends to make the visitors gravitate towards the bubbles that have been commented on, so the website designers wisely chose to expose only messages that have not been commented on when you first enter the site.

If you want one of those message bubbles to be your own, you have a choice to make; do you want to talk about where you’ve found the Divine in your life, or do you need to express where you need the Divine in your life? By dividing the messages up into those two categories, the administrators of Other 6 can make sure that every visitor is exposed to a fair mix of both positive and negative. I think this is another good feature that deserves to be mentioned, because without it, you might be tempted to cycle through the bubbles until you only can see one type or another.

Other 6 also keeps your identity private; you only need to provide your city and state, as well as initials with which to identify yourself if you wish to post your own bubble. This allows for users to share deeper feeling and issues that you might not want to share publically. I find this to be a good feature as well; it’s hard to be truly spiritual when you have guard your words.

This website is the brain-child of Loyola Communications, a division of Loyola Press, which is the publishing arm of the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus (a.k.a the Jesuits). While this means that this site is Catholic owned and operated, Other 6 is not geared towards one particular religion or another. They claim to push no particular agenda and welcome all “who seek God with a sincere heart.” I’ve tested the limits of what that means myself and believe that their open invitation is honest. That being said, Other 6 is mainly Christian, and you will encounter a few messages and comments that reflect the site’s Christian leanings.

I find Other 6 to be a refreshingly simple web page that achieves what its purpose through thoughtful design. I hope you give it a try… and while you are there, see if you can find my bubbles.