A Eulogy

My friends, today we gather, in a mental fashion, to mourn the passing of the renaissance man.  Surely, he will be considered as some of the most renown and accomplished of the human archetypes.

What was the renaissance man to whom I dedicate this massive series of binary code?  They were amazing in their own way.  The renaissance man knew several languages.  He was not restricted by the bounds of academic disciplines nor the attitudes that seemed to police their borders.  He knew literature better than his colleagues but also was adept in science.  Clearly his prowess expanded beyond to music and poetry often written while dabbling in political theory, logic, and elocution.  Such notable and impressive men include Abu Bakr, Leone Battista Alberti, and Leonardo da Vinci.  In our hemisphere and of direct relevance to our lives today we find Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson.  This minuscule list is a mere spattering of the huge amounts of men who devoted their lives untiringly to understanding their world and inspiring us to greater heights as they improved our lives today.  They were masters of everything with a knowledge almost impossible to replicate.

Undoubtedly the way of the renaissance man has died.  The world today is focused on specialization often leaving us bereft of such great men that once graced us in history with their charm, insight, and brilliance.  Indeed, specialization has produced a breed of specialists that have obtained levels that seem to border at times savant autism.  They are capable of great feats in their chosen fields but clearly run a deficit outside their realm.  My reference to autism bears actual relevance to the social devolution and perpetual awkwardness in which many of these specialists live.

Now, I would not attack the specialist.  The reason, perhaps, for the death of the renaissance man is the fact that there is so much more knowledge available than ever before.  Its impossible to be a master of all fields regardless of the amount of time spent learning.  These specialist are responsible for the many incredible aspects of daily life that we take for granted of which our ancestors would have lived in perpetual awe.  Technology, science, and medicine alone have performed incredible feats and more are still to come. 

No, let us not downplay the specialist, but we should mourn the passing of men who were certainly of a caliber that is rarely reached in our day.  I do, however, sound a warning to those who would choose to become a specialist: broaden your horizons or else you will be blinded by narrow mindedness.  Specialize, but recognize the role of other fields in your specialty.  Much like marriage, no field is anything without another to accompany it.  In short, to be useful we must specialize but temper it with knowledge of varied fields and areas.  Perhaps the renaissance man is dead but his progeny from his marriage to specialization can live on in us with characteristics of both parents.

Winter Snows

I love winter.  It is my favorite holiday barring, naturally, Fall.  So, to be technical, its a close second to Fall, which is only partially true because it might be first depending on the day you ask me.  However, my indecision regarding the seasons and which one takes precedence in my predilections should not deter you from understanding the deep love which I have developed for this time of year.  A lot of people love the Holidays.  I, to be quite honest, do not.  But I do love this time of year.

I love the quiet reflection and meditation as I walk nearly deserted streets with the snow crunching beneath my feet.  The only illumination is the yellowish light proceeding from street lamps mixing with and reflecting off the fallen and falling snow.  I love feeling the snow fall on me; hearing the muffled night noises filter through the frozen tears of nature falling from above.  I personally have gotten too busy.  I have school and life tearing at me constantly.  I don't take the time to think and reflect as I once did.  Whats happening to me?  Why did I forsake one of the joys of my life that I once thought I could never do without?  Luckily the holiday afforded me an opportunity to realize what I had lost.  I spent some time by myself in the dark listening to music as I often could be found at an earlier epoch of my life.

And that is my complaint of the holiday season.  Why is it so busy?  Why do we rush around complying with empty social expectations?  In the least I personally need to slow down.  Nor do I wish to attack Holiday traditions.  Indeed, I feel strongly that they are the very essence of fulfilling holiday activities, especially those centered around the family.

I will however say this without shame or remorse.  I dislike almost everything that people consider Christmas music.  However, I absolutely adore good Christmas music.  Notice the qualifier: Good.  I have several Christmas albums which I listen to often at Christmas time.  Most of the stuff that is played on the radio is junk.  I know that there are many people who would disagree, and some of those violently.  I just say this in response: I spend the entire year listening to music that I enjoy because it has musical qualities that I actually admire and appreciate and I see no reason why Christmas should be an exception.  If you want me to admire your Christmas Music make sure it is of admirable musical quality.

Leaving that soapbox behind I want to finish with this final thought.  I've been enjoying holidays less and less of late.  I find that special days pass by with little to differentiate them from any other day.  I've lost the spirit of rejoicing and festivities.  Oh to be a child again when the world was fresh, young, and beautiful.  I think that I'm only getting what I'm putting into these holidays.  I need to slow down and truly enjoy these winter snows and the happiness that derives from taking the time to reflect and meditate.  Ultimately, these sessions lead me to ponder my relationship with God.  Is it of any wonder that I've felt stressed and frustrated of late?  How can I expect to find happiness in a place where I've forgotten who brought me here?  Find the fresh view of the world that you had as a child.  You'll find it in seeing the good around you; the potential in others.  You'll find it in quiet meditation on the things that matter most.  You'll find it in seeing things through the eyes of God.

Provocation Continued

I have been provoked.  After the talk that President Packer gave in General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints my sister was on Facebook.  Someone claimed, as many have done since then, that President Packer spread "a message of hate."  My initial thought was the exact same line spoken in the move V for Vendetta where it was used in an equally absurd manner.  Regardless, my sister spoke out against it saying that she felt it wasn't hateful and that she agreed with the statement Elder Packer gave.  What ensued was disturbing to me.  The girl whose wall she posted on along with two other self identified lesbians proceeded to attack my sister claiming she was judgmental, hateful, and generally a horrible and unhappy person.  I hesitated to read it a second time because of the anger that was directed at my sister who really meant no harm.

I feel that it is vital that everyone should be able to express their opinions.  It is that principle which creates good government in the United States.  A friend of mine, specifically a tall handsome one with a nose, once taught me that having such a wide  variety of opinions was indeed necessary for the stability of our nation.  I also feel that everyone should have their basic human rights.  I oppose anyone who opposes those things.  I honestly feel that people with the direct opposite ideas as mine should be free to say them.  That doesn't mean that I have to accept them, nor that they accept mine.  When such ideas create a Hegelian dichotomy it allows us to progress in society as a whole.

The vehemence of the statements that I saw were in fact the statements of people who feel strongly about what they believe.  I recognize that.  What I fail to recognize is why anyone can believe that they have the right to demonize, slander, and attack personally anyone who disagrees with their opinions.  That is wrong.  End of statement.  There is no reason that it would ever be acceptable.  It violates the necessary ideological dialectic that allows social progression.  They attacked her merely for stating her opinions.  She clearly allowed them such liberties as the ability to have their own opinion but chillingly wasn't granted such courtesy in return.

As I mentioned previously I have been provoked.  I have started my research.  I will not spread a message of hate, though I'm sure thats what many would say if they read this and what I plan to post in the future.  I will state facts and show properly cited scientific studies.  I will state well documented history.  I will add in my own commentary and analysis, naturally.  I will be as objective as possible because in the end I don't want to leave any room for complaints.  I will show why I feel the way I do and while anyone is welcome to disagree they cannot say I'm being unfair or unreasonable about it.  I will not stand for people saying that my opinion is not legitimate because it doesn't agree with theirs.  I have no intention of violating the dialectic of this nation.  I willingly acknowledge their opinions as exactly what they are:opinions, which allows for differing opinions as well.  I don't know how long it will take me, but its coming

Provocation

Provocation seems to be the only way I can actually create a powerful idea or series of ideas.  I was bothered by the fact that lately I haven't really had any profound thoughts or the like.  I've mainly been worried about school, the future, and any number of very common things.  Then I realized why: I have not been provoked by someone in a while.  No one has bothered to disagree with me or to express a viewpoint that I care strongly enough to sit down and think about why they're wrong or I'm right.  Ultimately, I need someone to mentally prod me.

The process is simple enough.  It starts with someone saying or believing something stupid.  Fine.  They're entitled to their beliefs but just don't expect me to believe it.  However, if someone insists upon arguing the topic with me or continues to bring it up or something along those lines, it gets ingrained in my head.  Ultimately what ends up happening is that long after they're gone I'll argue with them in my head.  I turn the points inside out, argue them, then counter-argue them then rewrite my original argument to include counters to the initial counter-argument.  Its an exhausting subconscious process.  It happens without my wanting it to, I just can't help it.  The end result usually involves a certain amount of research and then compilation of various ideas examined from various view points.  My first post was the result of such musings.

Whats really annoying is that this process haunts me.  I'll be working, walking, anything that occupies my body and not my mind, and the subject will be there.  I'll be running analysis of arguments looking for holes and loopholes.  Often, I won't be able to sleep at night, depending on how strongly I feel about the subject.  The end result, however, is usually fairly impressive and daunting.  I feel a certain amount of accomplishment after having created a very impressive argument, though obviously its not complete.  People can always come up with things that surprise me.

People have, in the past, convinced me of things that I did not originally believe.  However, this doesn't happen often because rarely has someone thought it through enough to a level where it could even come close to persuading me.  Usually what happens is that they say something I don't believe and then I destroy it with counter-examples and the like.  Sadly, it seems that all my best work comes from someone provoking into showing them how little they've thought about something.  It doesn't even necessarily mean they're wrong, they just haven't thought it through.  So, please, if you have heard some stupid belief, tell me.  It might produce a response that will be thoroughly fulfilling to me.

Seeking Truth

It just so happens that I am a very religious person. I came across a person who once believed as I did, but his learning of philosophy had led him to believe that God did not exist. I discovered myself arguing with him in my head for several days, possibly weeks, afterward. Finally, I decided to sum up my conclusions and typed the following. Seeing as how I'm new at blogging, I thought I'd start with something simple that I've already written just to see how everything works. So, here is my metaphysical treatise Seeking Truth:

Can we all agree that looking at things from one point of view, a single perspective, is foolish and often dangerous? To illustrate my point, I would like to put forward a rhetorical situation, a parable, if you will. Two men with no prior musical experience are taken to a symphony. One is blindfolded so that he cannot see. The other is given earplugs so that he cannot hear. The blindfolded man hears the beauty of the music. He hears a unified sound. It is not unlikely that he will assume that many of the instruments are one. In lieu of many violins, in his mind he hears only the unified sound of them. The man with the earplugs can see that there are many different instruments working in unison but he fails to hear and understand the beautiful music; the unified sound of instruments working together.

Who then, of the two men, has the truth? Neither and both. They each have parts of the truth, though neither have all. With this example in mind, I would now turn to our perception of the world. A person who closes his mind to function in a single avenue of thought, a single mode, has by doing so restricted himself in his understanding of the world. A man who has rejected religion may still study its affect on those who believe or disbelieve, but he fails to note the beautiful harmony and feelings that it creates. A man who only believes in science and numbers cannot comprehend the beauty of love and emotion. A man who lives only with emotion cannot understand the logic and mechanics of an engineer. However, all these methods show us a portion of the truth.

Truth remains the same, regardless of our thoughts of it. Scripture states that “All truth is independent in that sphere in which God has placed, to act for itself, as all intelligence also; otherwise there is no existence.[1]” Regardless of our actions, feelings, and emotions, the truth remains the same separate from our opinions.  People may not like that fact, but it does not change the truth. The truth cannot be voted upon. The truth cannot be changed at will by popular opinion or by scholarly work. The truth can be understood in different degrees of correctness, but truth itself will never change.

That is the danger of relying upon emotion, science, reason, and philosophy exclusively. These merely offer ways of understanding truth without actually coming to know the truth. Science, due its very nature, the scientific process, cannot prove anything, it merely disproves. Emotion, reason, and philosophy is based upon a man’s intellect, which is incomplete. Who can understand all variables? Who can see all possible avenues? Who is capable of understanding infinity when their capacity of understanding is finite? No one. Therefore, their reason, as much as it may progress, merely leads to an incomplete understanding of the eternal concepts of truth. Relying solely upon one, merely leads to limitation.

To illustrate this point, I must make the following comparison. Truth, as defined scripturally, is the following: “And truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.[2]” Now, to understand more of the nature of truth, we must learn a bit more about God himself. James E. Talmage in his book Jesus the Christ states the following:

Jehovah is the Anglicized rendering of the Hebrew, Yahveh or Jahveh, signifying the Self-existent One, or The Eternal…The Hebrew, Ehyeh, signifying I Am, is related in meaning…The central fact connoted by this name, I Am, or Jehovah, the two having essentially the same meaning, is that of existence or duration that shall have no end, and which, judged by all human standards of reckoning, could have no beginning;[3]

Truth and God are interconnected. They both were, are, and will be. Both are eternal in nature. You cannot have one without the other. This point is merely reinforced by scripture. “The Spirit of truth is of God. I am the Spirit of truth, and John bore record of me, saying: He received a fullness of truth, yea, even of all truth;[4]” To learn of God is to receive truth. All methods of seeking truth, whether they realize it or not, are merely attempts to understand and come closer to Deity.

Additional limitations in human methods of truth seeking are seen in the instability of our understanding of truth. As stated earlier, truth, by nature, cannot change. If truth were to change, it would cease to be truth. As such, it must then follow that truth does not change but merely our perception of it. But, to admit that our perception of truth changes signifies that we did not understand that particular truth to begin with because if we understood truth perfectly, it would not change because truth does not change. One sociological idea is merely disproved and replaced by another. The same holds true of psychology, science, and all other scholarly fields. The rise and fall of theories merely denotes an incomplete understanding of truth itself. This incomplete knowledge only bolsters the concept that our human methods of seeking truth, and especially limiting it to one method in particular, will not lead us to truth nor to a true understanding of the world around us.

Limiting oneself to one method of truth seeking does not allow one to draw closer to God and therefore truth. Relying solely upon the influence of feelings does not lead to faith nor does relying solely upon reason. This is illustrated in the book of Moroni. Here the prophet teaches us how to understand truth. In reference to the Book of Mormon the prophet Moroni stated the following.

Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.[5]

These scriptures show that balance in truth seeking is needed. In order for the spirit to be able to teach us truth, we must first do other things. We must remember and ponder which acts denote a necessary cognitive function. It is necessary that we logically reason through the facts and events which we already know or that have occurred. From there it is necessary to ask God, relying upon an answer that will speak to our emotions and spirit, not our minds. He states that we come to know truth through the Holy Ghost. But in order to learn by the spirit we must utilize all the methods that God has given us, encompassing reason, emotion, and other epistemological processes.

That we learn truth through the spirit is undeniable. Again, I turn to the scriptures for further support. Paul, in his epistle to the Corinthians states the following: “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, except he have the Spirit of God.[6]” Remembering that truth can only be obtained by knowing God, we can only learn truth through the spirit. If we are actually seeking truth, it will be accompanied with an eternal consequence. As we learn through science of the world around us we are often struck with awe. Men who are not religious do not recognize the source of this awe as being the spirit testifying of God and his greatness as shown through his creations. The psychologist or sociologist may be amazed at the human being and his capacities both individually and socially. Again, they merely learn about the greatness of God as shown by his children.

Ultimately, as we learn about the world around us and ourselves, as we seek truth, we learn of God as well. It is merely our choice whether we choose to accept that knowledge of God or not. By accepting, we allow our minds to be filled with a greater understanding of truth. By closing our minds to God, we shut truth out of our minds as well because truth cannot exist without God. We may understand portions of the truth, but they are incomplete fragments of the world around us.

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[1] D&C 93:30

[2] D&C 93:24

[3] Talmage, Jesus the Christ, Intellectual Reserve Inc. 1973, Pp 36-37.

[4] D&C 93:26

[5] Moroni 10:3-5

[6] 1 Cor. 2:11 with JST inserted into the text.