Experienced Truth Versus Absolute Truth

Once I delved a little into philosophy I came across several realizations that were difficult to both grasp and accept. Among these was the uncertainty that beleaguers all human knowledge.

Initially I wanted to accept absolute truth based on scientific observation. But I came to see that even when we repeatedly observe a phenomenon and our observations exhibit consistent results we still remain uncertain. This uncertainty stems from both the possibility that our observations will change in the future (who knows, gravity might not work tomorrow) and there is also the pesky possibility that our observations are not actually 'real'. For example, the apple that allegedly fell on Newton's head may have not been an apple and whatever it was may have not been falling. It's entirely possible that Newton was a brain floating in a gravity-less universe that was being fed an array of impulses which led him to believe he was actually standing on a planet with things called 'apples' falling around him. In other words, it can be argued that all our perceptions are in fact an illusion with no actual link to 'reality'. It is for this reason that philosophy at it's core has only one certainty, stated by Descartes, "I think, therefore I am". The only certainty anyone has is one's own existence.

However, as a practical matter, all of us go beyond that assertion to accept other 'truth'. We could go through life talking about apples and gravity as being potential illusions but it would certainly add excessive dialogue to our conversation. Such added talk might impede the progression in finding practical solutions to avoiding falling objects, apples or otherwise, as well as combating with the forces of gravity in flight and space travel. Just imagine you are warning your friend of a falling tree only to have your friend remind you, shortly before being crushed, that no one can be certain anything actually 'falls'. Real or not, accepting the theory of gravity as real adds real value to a person's life because even if gravity is not an absolute reality it is an experienced reality.

I have come to realize that most of the things people accept as true boil down to such practical value. Regardless of whether their conclusions reflect some 'absolute truth' accepting it as truth is beneficial because it reflects an 'experienced truth'. This extends to any theory whether gravity, electricity or the existence of Lady Gaga (I sincerely hope she exists because personally I'm a big fan;). The point is, anything beyond our own existence is not necessarily absolute truth since all perception of everything outside ourselves necessarily goes through our potentially flawed sensory tools. All knowledge is only experienced truth, or something we accept as true as a practical matter based on our experience.

I also have come to see how religious truth falls under this same 'experienced truth' category. I don't say this to degrade religious faith since as I mentioned scientific knowledge falls under experienced truth as well. Religion, like science, is a part of many people's lives in a way that is accepted as truth as a matter of practical value. Most people adopt religion for many of the same reasons people adopt science-because it works. People who adopt religious faith often find, regardless of whether religion represents an absolute cosmic truth about the universe, that it often fulfills it's stated promise of personal joy and peace and a community of security and friendship. However, it remains true that regardless of this functionality our perceptions of religious truth go through our senses, spiritual or otherwise, which may not reflect 'reality' and it is always possible the observations that seemed consistent may change or not be the same for one individual as they are for another. (It could also be argued that religious observations are in fact not 'consistent' at all but I won't get into that heated discussion right now).

However, one difference, and an important one, is that science generally couches it's language to reflect the actual uncertainty present in all it's knowledge while religion does not. Science, for example, relies on theory-which is stated as accepted knowledge that is open for revision pending future potential contradictions-even for the most accepted knowledge such as the theory of gravity. Religion, on the other hand, unequivocally makes claims of 'absolute truth'. This is troubling to me for many reasons but mostly because it discourages individuals for whom religion doesn't 'work' to feel free to explore other alternatives. While I am happy that many individuals find the fulfillment and peace they seek through religion I also hope for a world where individuals feel free, without the fear of eternal punishment made in connection to claims of absolute truth, to find fulfillment and peace elsewhere.

The Importance of Play

One evening I came home to an strange looking green paste in a bowl on our kitchen counter. Steph explained that we were now almost out of parmesan cheese because Emma and Aspen had decided to take the entire container of parmesan cheese and to mix it with a can of enchilada sauce.

On another occasion while I was busy watching Grant Emma decided to make herself a buttered graham cracker. For those who are unfamiliar with this tasty dessert, it consists of 1 part cracker and about 3 parts butter-thus leaving you unsure if there is actually a graham cracker at all in the mountain of butter. Also to prepare this dish properly you should scoop out the butter with your hands. To top it off you should throw the butter-buried graham cracker in a large cup of water.

Next to sibling quarrels the messy or sometimes even dangerous consequences of children playing is one of the greatest challenges of a parent. And yet, play is so important. I recently read The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt. In the book Haidt discusses the role of play in our evolution and how, like most things in evolution, play is one of those great trade-offs between risk and reward. Play, he explained, is a necessary part of understanding the world we live in. Among our ancient ancestors it's true children who were too reckless or excessive in their play were endangered and potentially didn't survive but those who didn't play didn't learn about their world and consequently didn't survive either. Play is a child's path of discovery, a delicate balance between the dangers of exploration with the need to comprehend their world.

Admittedly this doesn't always console me when I'm cleaning up my daughters latest concoction or fishing in my son's mouth to remove whatever mysterious object he's found on the floor. But recognizing they are following the instincts that will help them learn and understand their world I do find added patience and a greater willingness to accept the occassional mess. I also find a bit of excitement in how I can channel that desire into more productive and safe paths so that they can cultivate a desire to learn throughout their lives.

First Church-The Salt Lake Unitarians

This Sunday I decided to do something I had never done before-attend the Sunday worship services of another Church. I chose to attend the Unitarian church and I had a wonderful time. As I walked into the chapel, which they have named First Church, I was impressed with how beautiful and pristine all the windows and perfectly white walls were. The service began with announcements and they were honoring teachers and in particular giving thanks to all those who had taught the classes for the preceding year. After that they had a very short lamp lighting ceremony that some of the younger kids led. It was admittedly a little cheesy but I really liked the message of the simple chant that, if I recall correctly, was "let this lamp represent the light of truth, the warmth of love and the energy to put it into action" complete with movements made by the kids as they gave the chant. Then the children left for their classes while the adults stayed to listen to the sermon of the Unitarian reverend. Since we were honoring teachers he decided to talk about learning from the teachers in nature.

Admittedly all the things taught in the sermon I didn't agree with. He obviously supports vegetarianism that while I can certainly see the philosophical argument for I don't think I'll ever fully embrace. (My philosophical justication I guess would be that without meat I'd probably commit suicide so it's either me or them and philosophically I always support saving the life of a human over an animal;). But the beautiful thing is that I knew it was an environment where I wasn't expected to accept everything. As a women who talked to me after the meeting explained, "We don't have any dogma here. We have Christians, Buddhists and even atheists and what you believe is up to you. We're just here to have dialogue and have a community."

However there were many things the sermon expressed that I sympathized with. He explained how observing the natural world, for example, should make us more accepting of same-sex unions. He explained how over 450 species of animals have been observed engaged in homosexuality. These animals are not excluded or shunned by others of their species. He also explained how sadly even animals, like humans, can be caged into acting or thinking dogmatically. He shared the example of a circus bear that spent much of his life restricted to a 9 foot square cage and once taken to a large zoo with a spacious area it spent it's life pacing the same area of 9 feet by 9 feet-never wandering beyond the barriers that it had accepted even when they were now no more than an illusion. All in all I found the talk refreshing and inciteful.

At the end of the service I was introduced to a few people, including the reverend of the congregation. I can honestly say the emotions I felt during the meeting, being introduced to the members there, and on reflection afterwards were the emotions I would have once called 'the Spirit'. It was a wonderful feeling, one that reinforced my belief that spirituality is ultimately the experience of when the music playing within us individually finds a melodic harmony with the music playing with those around us.

Steph's Amazing Cake Decorating

On Emma's birthday this year Steph decided to make a special birthday cake. Later she also took a cake decorating class. Today I thought I'd show off some of her impressive creations. Warning, hunger and craving for delicious sugar-packed cake will undoubtedly ensue. Also before you ask, yes, that first doll is actually wearing a cake.






Uh, yeah that last one didn't quite make it to picture time.

The Men Who Stare At Goats

When I saw the preview for 'The Men Who Stare At Goats' I had zero desire to see it. I thought the title was terrible and the goat plopping over with George Clooney staring at it was doing very little to reel me in. However I happened upon a podcast where the author of the book-which the movie is only 'loosely' based on- was being interviewed and I was intrigued by the subject matter. I decided to get the book at the library and once I started it I couldn't put it down-a rarity for me with any book.

The Men Who Stare At Goats is about the military's involvement in researching paranormal superpowers. That's right, our government, if you can believe it, wasting money on things that make absolutely no sense. The book details the governments investigation into psychic spies, subliminal mind control and killing animals by staring at them among other things.

Admittedly at times the author, Jon Ronson, I think tried to suggest a connection between these government activities and a host of other things that seemed a little far-fetched even though it made for interesting reading. For example, he writes about how a psychic spy trained by the military began training others and how one of these trainees eventually announced the arrival of a giant object accompanying the comet Hale-Bopp. He suggests this announcement inspired the Heaven's Gate cult mass suicide. He also discussed how Al Quaida is apparently looking into paranormal powers now as well. I hope this latter rumor is true. The more time terrorists spend investigating how to control our minds with silent messages and how to develop the power to harm people by staring at them the less they'll have to learn how to actually do something that might actually hurt someone.

All and all though it was a fun ride, leaving you fascinated at how individuals who have risen to the height of power can still be duped by psychics and paranormal gurus. Though eerily enough it's funny to see yourself asking-I wonder if that could really work? And if, by the way, the subliminal invisible message I wrote in white font between paragraphs is leaving you with an uncontrollable urge to send me loads of cash please let me know-preferably in a letter stuffed with loads of cash;).

Endure To The End

I haven't posted in awhile since thoughts on the afterlife is a tough springboard into other subjects. So today I thought I'd bring us back to life, so to speak, with the topic of enduring to the end.

After I got married this phrase hit me particularly hard. I had hit all the major landmarks on the road to salvation: get baptized, receive the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods, go to the temple, serve a mission, get married and graduate from BYU. (Okay, maybe that last one was a misconception). It seemed the only remaining item on my 'list' was 'endure to the end'. This seemed rather daunting. Before there had always been some checklist item hanging imminently in front of me with clear blessings accompanying each item. Now the only items left seemed to be 'endure' and die.

I think the word endure hit me particularly hard after my mission since I could see it's Latin roots. The word 'dura' in Italian means hard. The prefix en usually denotes 'within'. So endure in a way means within hardship. When I looked up endure using the definition Google function (you type in define: 'word you want to look up') the first definition that came up was "put up with something or somebody unpleasant".

I don't want my life to be something I simply endured, I want it to be lived. I don't mean to suggest we walk away from the difficult or the challenging but rather we come to see the way such instances enhance the beauty of our life. Work, for example, can be seen as an obstacle to fun and enjoyment or it can be infused with appreciation for the variety it adds and the way it enhances the enjoyment of relaxation. Marriage can be seen as an unending stream of obligations or an ongoing exchange of love and mutual support. Children can be seen as a burden or endowment filling our lives with love and meaning.

In short I don't like the phrase endure to the end because it suggests we are in a constant state of difficulty and deprivation, that life is something to 'put up with' until you get your reward. Rather I hope to find the reward in living a well-lived life. I recognize the need to live our life in a way that is socially responsible, that minimizes conflict and that enhances our relationships with other people. I think such denotes a good or well-lived life. Such a life is not to be endured but cherished. Such a life doesn't have to be endured to receive one's reward but rather there are innumerable rewards to be discovered in living such a life.

Thoughts on the After Life

I was first going to say that going through a transition of faith often brings one to think about death but I suppose the reality is that being mortal often brings one to think about death. So I assume that all of you have probably given the subject considerable thought-except of course for my friends who are under 25 who still think they are immortal. (Though having past that age myself that is an ever dwindling percentage of my friends.) I also suppose that being a hypochondriac like me can bring one to think about death a lot more than most people since a hypochondriac is very good at being reminded at just how mortal he really is.

When I was a teenager and had doubts about the Church one of the main factors that kept me active in the Church was the fear of death. The Church promised the ability to gain a 'sure knowledge' of key truths and the one thing I wanted reassurance of more than anything else was the afterlife. I remained active and increasingly devout over the following years. While there was moments of peace and fulfillment during this time whenever I faced any sort of health crisis-and being a hypochondriac ensured I had them quite often even in circumstances most people would never call a crisis-that peace was quickly shattered. This particularly came to a head my senior year at BYU where various pressures and stresses in my life brought me to experience more severe physical symptoms.

The stress ultimately subsided as doctors assured me that the physical ailments I suffered from were not caused by any serious underlying condition. I also began to do more secular research on my own mental health and found many helpful tools in understanding the difficulties I faced in this regard. However the experience, which came at a time when I was living the Church as diligently as at any time in my life, made me accept that the Church didn't offer me absolute reassurance of life after death. It only offered me hope.

I realized that hope the Church offered me was still accessible to me regardless of what I believed. I could certainly hope for an afterlife. Yet at the same time for me I realized that hope didn't have to be wrapped up or attached to things that didn't make sense to me. If there was evidence the afterlife was a certain way or conformed to certain rules then certainly I would embrace it but thus far no evidence I had been presented (or that I've been presented since) seemed logically compelling. I feel confident that I am just as likely to die and find out God is a Buddhist, Muslim or Unitarian as a Mormon. I came to accept a hope in the afterlife while rejecting any specific religious concept of the afterlife and to try to live the life I know I have as well as I can.

Now, do I fear death? Of course. I am terrified of death but I always was. I meet few who aren't-particularly in face of a true health problem. I just accept that I can't eliminate it and that I have to focus on living life. However, there are some things I don't fear anymore. I don't fear that I have to believe or think a certain way to assure myself a good afterlife. I focus on how actions will effect my relationships with others instead of fearing how I will be punished after I die for what I do or don't do. I focus on life and when I think of death I remind myself that one, I can't stop it and two that I am hoping for an afterlife. While I see no reason to accept the beliefs of any religion about such an afterlife I honestly believe that if there is a an afterlife ruled by a just, omnipotent and loving God that the eternal significance of what holy books we attributed to Him, the places we worshipped or the creeds we adopted will be of utter insignificance.I also believe we'll all eventually participate in the best possible source of ongoing joy and happiness realized from the very thing that brings it to us in this life-in nurturing positive relationships with our fellow man and increasing in the understanding of our spectacular world and universe.