I want to talk to you about inspiration, about those people that have touched your life and have shown you that there is strength and power by living through or overcoming a personal tragedy. I know you have heard me before that I find inspiration in a lot of things that happen around me. But there is so much more to my story that I think you might find interesting. I would like to take you back 22 years with me into my personal history. There is a story there that needs to be retold. I am sure it will enlighten a great many of you, and explain some of my more hard to understand habits. To give you a little background filler before I dive into the actual story, I graduated high school in 1986 in June, by September 1986 I was starting my adventure in the Navy.
Just so that you understand this totally, I knew already by that time that I was gay. I embraced my nature and used my time in the Navy to explore my sexuality. You may have heard me say a time or two that I have no regrets and feel no remorse for any of my actions. However, after reading my friends post the other day, and then writing the blog entry "It's never too late to learn something new about ourselves" and then "True Friendship" I began to realize that I do have one regret. One unforgivable action/reaction on my part, that was to have the biggest wide ranging affect on my life. This one deed would change me, it was a defining moment in my history, that changed my outlook on everything, it was the single most terrifying experience of my life, and the horrible and damnable action that ensured that I would never treat anyone cavalierly again.
It was December 1, 1989 my 21st birthday, I had met someone in 1987 when I was first transferred from Great Lakes to Norfolk, VA. He was a marine and at the time I thought he was stationed at Portsmouth Naval Hospital. We really liked each other, but here I was very young and naive and what he was about to tell me that night so long ago changed my life forever. Some of you who are close to me may already know this, so at this point I must ask you to bear with me let me retell the story, because I am sure that there are parts here that you are unaware of. To celebrate my birthday we had gotten a hotel room for the weekend in Norfolk and we had a fun filled fabulous weekend all planned. Both of us were off duty for the weekend and we were going to celebrate my birthday in style. Oh, how I wished that was what happened, but that night as we were getting ready to celebrate my coming of age, I was soaking in the bathtub, we had planned to go out to dinner first and then go to the Oar House, a gay bar in Norfolk, because I could legally drink and enjoy myself. But as I said none of that ever happened.
I am not sure what prompted him to reveal to me that very night what he did, and I guess I will never know the reason why. But as I was sitting there soaking, he came into the bathroom, he had a ring in a little box, as he bent down to give it too me he stopped and kissed me and said, I have to tell you something. I was so excited I immediately begged for him to tell me, and what unfolded pretty much ruined our plans, and certainly my actions doomed the entire relationship in that one instant. He said to me "Bryan, I have to be honest with you, because I love you and want to spend my life with you, but there is something you need to know. I am not stationed at Portsmouth like I let you believe, I am a patient there:" He held my hand and looked me in the eye and I saw tears forming and I got very scared, I begged for him to tell me. This is what he said "I am HIV Positive and I am here for treatment, do you know what HIV is? You do realize that it is going to kill me, I don't know how long I have or how this is all going to pan out, but I want to spend what time I have with you." My heart sank at that moment and we both sat there crying. I tried to be brave, but guess what I didn't understand, I didn't know enough about the disease and I was scared. We stayed in that night, but the next morning I made the single most fatal mistake I could ever make. I made an excuse, took his car and left, I avoided him for the next two days, leaving him a message that I had parked his car at his barracks and had given the keys to the master at arms. He called and called and I wouldn't take his calls, finally I gave in on the third day. We had lunch at the commissary, and he tried to talk to me, reassure me, but again, I was young and very very dumb. I pretended I was listening, I shook my head and made the proper acknowledgements, and then I left. It would be almost 2 months before we would see each other again.
In that two months, I learned everything I could about the disease, I called my mother who was a nurse, I talked to the doctors at the Naval hospital to find out how they were treating him, and when I felt comfortable enough and armed enough with enough knowledge I went back to see him, to apologize for my behavior and my reaction, but fate would have it another way. The drugs they were throwing at patients back then, were nothing like they are now. Doctors had no real idea of what they were doing, and the combination of AZT and other medicines blasted the body, in attempts to kill the virus, but it also destroyed the remaining immune system. Now, realize that 2 months had passed since I was told, and he had found out he was sick 6 months earlier, and by the next month he would be gone forever. Worse than anything, he never ever got to hear my apology, and will never know that the last 2 months of his life I was there with him every day and night around my duty schedule. See, by the time I had finally come to my senses and realized that he needed me and that there was nothing to be afraid of, AIDS related dementia had set in. There were a couple of days when he was lucid and seemed to remember things, but in the end the very last day, his family was there and I walked into the room and he look up and said "Who the fuck are you? and What are you doing here?" I had lost him, he died that afternoon, and never knew how sorry I was, how I regretted my actions, how I robbed him of the only happiness that he wanted. How I cheated him and betrayed his love and trust.
It is because of what happened that day in March 1990 that I changed my life, the way I approached things, I became the person I am today. I dedicated my life to loving and helping others, to care for those sick and to fight for their rights, I marched on Washington with the other people that were affected by HIV/AIDS, I have participated in the PRIDE marches, became an advocate and activist working to find a cure. He was the first person I lost to the disease but unfortunately not the last. In 2002 I lost my one of my best friends he just celebrated his 31st birthday, and there have been so many others. People always want to know why I go out of my way to help others, why I give away everything I have trying to make other peoples lives better, why I reach my hand out to teach them how to take care of themselves and why I struggled to keep people off the street. Here is the reason why! I never got to say good-bye, I never could apologize or take back my actions for deserting my first lover to the cruel clutches of a disease I barely understood. But, I damn well could make up for it and atone for what I did for the rest of my life. It has been 23 years now, and I still feel the same way. But now I am not just affected by the disease I am infected. In December of 2006, I was diagnosed with HIV, I immediately went on the retro-virals and antivirals because of my medical history. I have been undetectable ever since.
In the past I have heard people describe me as being fake and phony, even two-faced, and why? Because everyone thought I was too good to be true, they couldn't believe that I was so nice, they kept trying to see where the other foot was coming down from. Because they believed that no one could be nice and loving and kind like I have been. Over the years many people have taken advantage of my kindness they took it for a weakness and tried to exploit it. Sadly some succeeded, but most came to realize over time, that I was just what I appeared to be, someone who genuinely loved other people, regardless of their health, race, sexual orientation, creed, culture, whatever. Those who took the time to get to know me realized that I was the same year after year and time after time.
Now, I am going to take a minute and pat myself on the back and sing my own praises. I am sure John, Sa'corey, Patrick, Judy, Nathan, Kerrion and others can attest and will tell you I am not lying about this. In my lifetime I have helped hundreds of people, taken them in off the street, giving them food, shelter and whatever else I could to help them, taught them how to look after themselves, some I helped get into school, get a job, or whatever they needed at the time. To the world at large I never let anyone outside of my intimate circle ever know how hard I struggled, how much it cost me, I never had an unkind word to say about anyone, and I gave till it physically hurt me, almost crippled me, but never stopped. I had a job where I was making $150,000.00 a year and literally I gave everything away over and over again. Yes I did drive an Infiniti G-35 and I did make sure I had decent clothes and shoes, but I dedicated my life to helping other people. I didn't realize until recently that other people saw this and drew inspiration from it. That I helped them realize the goodness inside themselves and helped them reach a point in their lives where they wanted to become a better person, they took my life as an example. I am honored and blessed by this, and I think it is a glowing tribute to the person I have become, and shining memorial to the one I lost. But there's more to the story.
In January of 2005, almost 14 years after I was first diagnosed with cancer, which came in 1992 when I was 24 years old and 2 years my beautiful marine had died. I had to have the first of many surgeries which would change my life in another direction forever. This is when I had to have a colostomy put in, for those of you who don't know what a colostomy is, it is a bag that is attached to my stomach where my crap comes out. I know longer have the use of my rectum. But I digress, in January 2005 was the first time that I came face to face with my mortality and it was when God and I had our first talk. Whether you believe me or not, it really doesn't matter, because I believe what happened and that is what governs my life. I died on the operating table and I saw God or an Angel, and I had a long conversation with Him. I was told that my work on Earth was not done that there was a message that I needed to take back with me, and that I needed to keep doing what I was doing but show the world by deed and action as well as through my dedication to helping others, the message was and still is very simple. I was told to tell everyone that they were wrong, had missed the point of what Jesus said and why He died and for the last 8 years I have been doing just that.
For whatever reason the church seems hung up on the Old Testament. They seem to have forgotten that when Jesus hung on the cross that something amazing and wonderful happened. The covenant between Abraham and God was broken, that the gulf created by original sin was now bridged and that a new covenant was created between Jesus and man, that we were no longer under the law, but saved by Grace. That our sins were washed away by the innocent blood of Christ. Now, under this new covenant Jesus had given His disciples 4 commandments. If we live by these and abide by them, then we are ensured a place in Heaven. Now, I tell you that the 10 commandments of the Old Testament are good to live by and they ensure you to be a good person, but they will not get you into Heaven, that boat sailed and has passed. Under the new covenant, is based on LOVE, the message of Christ is of LOVE, UNITY AND ACCEPTANCE. The commandments that are given are: Do unto others as you would have done unto you, love thy neighbor as thy self. All one commandment...second commandment is Children obey your parents so that your days will be many, third is I am the way the truth and the light and no one comes to the father except through me. I am the alpha and the omega the beginning and the end. Fourth is to go out and be fishers of men, meaning witness, testify, live your life as an example and be like Jesus.
It is important to understand these, because the message that the church is still sending out today is one of intolerance, bigotry and hatred. They condemn anyone who thinks or acts differently then they do. Jesus live a live of love, tolerance and acceptance, bringing unity to everywhere he went. He didn't hang out with the religious leaders, he ministered, preached and helped the common man, poor man, the outcast, the thief, prostitutes, etc. He treated everyone equally with love and respect and he expects nothing less of us today.
Even though I have been told time and again that I am not going to make it, that I am going to die and that having 6 terminal illnesses should be devastating for me. I keep replying and telling them, it isn't my time yet, I have work yet to do, and though you may think that I am going to die, the truth is that we are all dying at different rates each day. That I was planning on out living them all. See I know that since I have dedicated my life to helping others and giving of myself that God is going to continue to keep me and reward me, that is all that matters. So won't you join me on this journey, won't you turn over your life to helping others, give of yourself and spread the word of Love, Unity and Acceptance?
Think about it would you? If you honestly believe in God and trust that Jesus died for our sins, you will come to realize that the message is clear and plain for anyone to see. All you have to do is follow. He has been waiting right here for 2000 years few have found the message and the path. He said it was the road less traveled and that few would find the path and the gate.
As always my hopes and dreams are with you,
Uncle B
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Monday, August 6, 2012
Do you know what the difference is between knowledge and wisdom?
You know I wrote about how Plato theorized that knowledge and learning had to be appended by the student, the instructor was to point them in the right direction and that is how knowledge was transferred. To Plato knowledge was universal, could be gleaned and appended (learned) by experience, thinking and rationalization. To him philosophical thought would allow a student to tap into thought-forms or the idea of things.
Other philosophers believe in a universal repository of knowledge called the "Akashic Record". Basically it is a huge database of all knowledge and understanding that can be tapped into via a trance like state, astral projection, or deep guided meditation. In either case I believe both schools of thought are extremely close to the truth. If you don't believe me let me fill you in on a few thoughts on this of my own.
Science has long held debate over Nature vs. Nurture, the debate stems from innate or born instinctual level traits passed along during birth. Some scientist contend that there is some knowledge passed from mother to child during the gestation period, or pregnancy. Other scientist's believe that we are taught everything after birth, that the mind of a new born is a clean slate. This second group believes that an infant, mammal or otherwise, learn through patterns and repetition. But what about survival instincts, the born knowledge that we must eat to live and other traits.
Coming at this from a Christian viewpoint, or Creationist view if you prefer the term, you need to take into consideration the story of the "Garden of Eden". It is said that the reason for the expulsion of Adam and Eve was because of disobedience to the only rule God had given them, which was not to eat of the fruit of the "Tree of Knowledge". This is pivotal in my discussion on this topic with you. Because you see here is where original sin comes from. Man's disobedience to the command of God. It also opened man's eyes to all knowledge of good and evil. Hence the hiding from God because of fear, because until that time they had no knowledge of fear.
In that one fateful incident all knowledge was instantly opened up to the mind of man. The knowledge was absorbed by the human mind, and I believe that it has remained with us today inside of each of us. It has been passed down through time, just like the burden of original sin.
Science has theorized for years that the average person only uses a tenth of their brain during their lifetime. I am sure you are aware that these are exceptions to this. Notably Albert Einstein, Beethoven, Newton, Bobby Fischer, Thomas Edison and countless others. We call them miracle children or prodigies and every generation produces one or two of them. If my memory serves me right the Dali Lama is born with the knowledge of his past incarnations, has access to all the understanding and memories of all his previous lives.
It is my belief that each of us has inside of us the knowledge of all things, as was gifted by that one bite of the forbidden fruit. With this thought in mind, I contend that the philosophers journey is the unlocking of that knowledge within ourselves to reach a higher level of consciousness. This means that the path of enlightenment, is the journey toward total knowledge and understanding. That the more we are exposed to this knowledge the further along the path we find ourselves toward enlightenment. But I also believe that with knowledge must come or be tempered with wisdom. See knowledge for the sake of knowledge is one thing but I think if you don't understand how to apply this knowledge to life you can never truly reach full enlightenment.
It is important to understand and comprehend as well as process the knowledge and apply it to your philosophical journey. You can have a person who is truly book smart. Knows everything but lacks street smarts, or the ability to survive in the real world or on the streets, it is the knowledge on how to survive the bumps in the road of life. The inverse is also true you can have someone who is street smart, a hustler so to speak, who can survive anywhere and knows how to handle themselves in any situation life throws at them. But cannot read or write, can't hold a job, etc.
Here is the key to understanding all of this. It is all inside of us. We were born with everything we need to know. We just have to look deep within ourselves and follow our thoughts to their inevitable conclusion. We all have the capacity to learn. We can internalize and reach logical conclusions about everything in this world. I also contend those of you who have been told you have a learning disorder or some other such nonsense, that the reason you find yourself struggling to comprehend something is because your natural affinity lies in a different direction.
Example of this, both my friend John and I have problems with higher math such as calculus. A couple of years ago John was classified as having a learning disorder that prevented him from excelling at math. I on the other hand struggled through it, eventually grasped it and can still do the math functions today. Now, I have to admit here I probably couldn't do it from memory now without a refresher and a formula sheet. But, the point I want to make is pretty simple really. Basically it comes down to Left Brain versus Right Brain. Psychologist have realized that the artistic and the logical are managed by the active side of your brain or the dominant side. If memory serves left brained or left-handed people are more artistically inclined where the right brained or right-handed are more logic and technically oriented.
But, this is our predisposition, the way that we are born, our so called innate tendency, our natural affinity, or in a broader sense our talents. Now, I am not saying that a right handed person is less talented than a left handed person, what I am saying is that art, music and other artistic endeavors come more easily and naturally to a left brain person. Whereas, a right brained person can learn and become artistic, they are more inclined to comprehend and understand complex logic and functions. A right brained person must struggle and put effort into their artistic work, which usually shows in their work and makes it so appealing. Conversely, the same is true to a left brained person, art comes easily for them, they struggle through math and sciences. Yet, that is what makes their discoveries so ground breaking.
The point I am trying to make is this, that which we struggle through and give life too is an actual process on the philosophers journey. Wisdom is gained by the practical application of the knowledge we have and perceive. Trust me when I tell you after you struggle through something, learn the concepts behind them and finally master it, you will never forget it. It is the journey, the work, the pressure you put into it that makes it memorable.
So what is knowledge? It is the comprehension and the understanding of a complex thought or information. According to Websters it is "to perceive directly as fact or truth, to believe to be true; to be certain of; to be familiar with or have experience of." So knowledge boiled down is facts, figures, laws, information pas on as fact. Whereas, wisdom is the applied usage of knowledge in the appropriate place or time. Webster's defines wisdom as "the ability to understand what is right, true or enduring; good judgement, knowledge."
Can you see the point I am trying to make? Can you understand and comprehend what I am laying out? That wisdom and knowledge are milestones and landmarks of the philosophers journey. They are not mutually exclusive of each other yet they aren't mutually inclusive of each other either. I believe King Solomon, the wisest man in the world was given the ability by God to have access to all knowledge of the ages and the wisdom to comprehend it all and to apply it to life. Further, if you are like me and believe that God created us. That He truly breathed the spark of life into us, then you should also believe that the Divine resides or dwells within us. It is what gives some people premonitions, ESP, do miraculous things. It also gives us the ability to access the knowledge that was granted in that one act of disobedience the "Knowledge of Good and Evil". That everything and anything is possible and that it is all within us. It is a gift as much as a curse, it can be used to benefit all of mankind or can be used to subjugate and destroy like Hitler tried to do.
I encourage you to take the spiritual and philosophical journey with me. To pray and meditate on all things. Because the knowledge and wisdom is within us, reachable and usable. Wrap the knowledge you have with wisdom, explore all thins, remember what Mr. Webster said, "Wisdom is the ability to understand what is right, true or enduring." Learn all you can and use good judgement.
The road of life is filled with many mysteries, we have the ability to solve them, understand them, comprehend them and use them to better ourselves and society as a whole.
As always y hopes and dreams are with you,
Uncle B
Thank you for helping me realize my dream. I published entries 100 and 101 today. It is all because of your encouragement and support. God bless you and keep you safe. I hope you will continue to read.
Thanks a million!
Bryan :-)
Other philosophers believe in a universal repository of knowledge called the "Akashic Record". Basically it is a huge database of all knowledge and understanding that can be tapped into via a trance like state, astral projection, or deep guided meditation. In either case I believe both schools of thought are extremely close to the truth. If you don't believe me let me fill you in on a few thoughts on this of my own.
Science has long held debate over Nature vs. Nurture, the debate stems from innate or born instinctual level traits passed along during birth. Some scientist contend that there is some knowledge passed from mother to child during the gestation period, or pregnancy. Other scientist's believe that we are taught everything after birth, that the mind of a new born is a clean slate. This second group believes that an infant, mammal or otherwise, learn through patterns and repetition. But what about survival instincts, the born knowledge that we must eat to live and other traits.
Coming at this from a Christian viewpoint, or Creationist view if you prefer the term, you need to take into consideration the story of the "Garden of Eden". It is said that the reason for the expulsion of Adam and Eve was because of disobedience to the only rule God had given them, which was not to eat of the fruit of the "Tree of Knowledge". This is pivotal in my discussion on this topic with you. Because you see here is where original sin comes from. Man's disobedience to the command of God. It also opened man's eyes to all knowledge of good and evil. Hence the hiding from God because of fear, because until that time they had no knowledge of fear.
In that one fateful incident all knowledge was instantly opened up to the mind of man. The knowledge was absorbed by the human mind, and I believe that it has remained with us today inside of each of us. It has been passed down through time, just like the burden of original sin.
Science has theorized for years that the average person only uses a tenth of their brain during their lifetime. I am sure you are aware that these are exceptions to this. Notably Albert Einstein, Beethoven, Newton, Bobby Fischer, Thomas Edison and countless others. We call them miracle children or prodigies and every generation produces one or two of them. If my memory serves me right the Dali Lama is born with the knowledge of his past incarnations, has access to all the understanding and memories of all his previous lives.
It is my belief that each of us has inside of us the knowledge of all things, as was gifted by that one bite of the forbidden fruit. With this thought in mind, I contend that the philosophers journey is the unlocking of that knowledge within ourselves to reach a higher level of consciousness. This means that the path of enlightenment, is the journey toward total knowledge and understanding. That the more we are exposed to this knowledge the further along the path we find ourselves toward enlightenment. But I also believe that with knowledge must come or be tempered with wisdom. See knowledge for the sake of knowledge is one thing but I think if you don't understand how to apply this knowledge to life you can never truly reach full enlightenment.
It is important to understand and comprehend as well as process the knowledge and apply it to your philosophical journey. You can have a person who is truly book smart. Knows everything but lacks street smarts, or the ability to survive in the real world or on the streets, it is the knowledge on how to survive the bumps in the road of life. The inverse is also true you can have someone who is street smart, a hustler so to speak, who can survive anywhere and knows how to handle themselves in any situation life throws at them. But cannot read or write, can't hold a job, etc.
Here is the key to understanding all of this. It is all inside of us. We were born with everything we need to know. We just have to look deep within ourselves and follow our thoughts to their inevitable conclusion. We all have the capacity to learn. We can internalize and reach logical conclusions about everything in this world. I also contend those of you who have been told you have a learning disorder or some other such nonsense, that the reason you find yourself struggling to comprehend something is because your natural affinity lies in a different direction.
Example of this, both my friend John and I have problems with higher math such as calculus. A couple of years ago John was classified as having a learning disorder that prevented him from excelling at math. I on the other hand struggled through it, eventually grasped it and can still do the math functions today. Now, I have to admit here I probably couldn't do it from memory now without a refresher and a formula sheet. But, the point I want to make is pretty simple really. Basically it comes down to Left Brain versus Right Brain. Psychologist have realized that the artistic and the logical are managed by the active side of your brain or the dominant side. If memory serves left brained or left-handed people are more artistically inclined where the right brained or right-handed are more logic and technically oriented.
But, this is our predisposition, the way that we are born, our so called innate tendency, our natural affinity, or in a broader sense our talents. Now, I am not saying that a right handed person is less talented than a left handed person, what I am saying is that art, music and other artistic endeavors come more easily and naturally to a left brain person. Whereas, a right brained person can learn and become artistic, they are more inclined to comprehend and understand complex logic and functions. A right brained person must struggle and put effort into their artistic work, which usually shows in their work and makes it so appealing. Conversely, the same is true to a left brained person, art comes easily for them, they struggle through math and sciences. Yet, that is what makes their discoveries so ground breaking.
The point I am trying to make is this, that which we struggle through and give life too is an actual process on the philosophers journey. Wisdom is gained by the practical application of the knowledge we have and perceive. Trust me when I tell you after you struggle through something, learn the concepts behind them and finally master it, you will never forget it. It is the journey, the work, the pressure you put into it that makes it memorable.
So what is knowledge? It is the comprehension and the understanding of a complex thought or information. According to Websters it is "to perceive directly as fact or truth, to believe to be true; to be certain of; to be familiar with or have experience of." So knowledge boiled down is facts, figures, laws, information pas on as fact. Whereas, wisdom is the applied usage of knowledge in the appropriate place or time. Webster's defines wisdom as "the ability to understand what is right, true or enduring; good judgement, knowledge."
Can you see the point I am trying to make? Can you understand and comprehend what I am laying out? That wisdom and knowledge are milestones and landmarks of the philosophers journey. They are not mutually exclusive of each other yet they aren't mutually inclusive of each other either. I believe King Solomon, the wisest man in the world was given the ability by God to have access to all knowledge of the ages and the wisdom to comprehend it all and to apply it to life. Further, if you are like me and believe that God created us. That He truly breathed the spark of life into us, then you should also believe that the Divine resides or dwells within us. It is what gives some people premonitions, ESP, do miraculous things. It also gives us the ability to access the knowledge that was granted in that one act of disobedience the "Knowledge of Good and Evil". That everything and anything is possible and that it is all within us. It is a gift as much as a curse, it can be used to benefit all of mankind or can be used to subjugate and destroy like Hitler tried to do.
I encourage you to take the spiritual and philosophical journey with me. To pray and meditate on all things. Because the knowledge and wisdom is within us, reachable and usable. Wrap the knowledge you have with wisdom, explore all thins, remember what Mr. Webster said, "Wisdom is the ability to understand what is right, true or enduring." Learn all you can and use good judgement.
The road of life is filled with many mysteries, we have the ability to solve them, understand them, comprehend them and use them to better ourselves and society as a whole.
As always y hopes and dreams are with you,
Uncle B
Thank you for helping me realize my dream. I published entries 100 and 101 today. It is all because of your encouragement and support. God bless you and keep you safe. I hope you will continue to read.
Thanks a million!
Bryan :-)
Friday, May 11, 2012
If we are such an enlightened society, why is there so much hatred and intolerance today?
This topic is an easy one! You see I have seen first hand and have experienced the hatred, bigotry and intolerance that society and religion have towards individuals that are different. People who don't fit into the accepted social norm constantly find themselves the subject of ridicule, persecution, and hated. It starts early and is promoted and fostered in the United States through the public school systems. Some of us try to hide through-out our school years, we long to get to college where things will be different, we yearn to go up and be an adult so we don't have to feel ashamed, lonely, ridiculed and other ridiculous notions. Some of us persevere through this and somehow pull through, others conform and fall into sync with the pressure of their peers. Then again if you are me you make the best out of the situation and you reach out of your personal shell and start making friends and changing perceptions.
I was fortunate when I moved to Florida, my parents moved to a small town near Orlando, called Winter Park which is a small town about 5 miles outside of downtown Orlando, it is a place that is well known for old money, big houses, huge golf courses and country clubs. Just, to give you a little more background and some insight to who I am and where I came from I will give you a brief history of myself and then go into how I made it through and where these nasty society norms came from and how they are perpetuated in today's society. I was born in a small town outside of Philadelphia, my father came from a nominal background where his mother raised him and 8 other siblings on a widows pension. My mother on the other hand came from a more privileged background whose parents saved, invested and had money. Mom came from a smaller family where her and her sister were 15 years older than their little brother who is actually only 7 years older than myself. Okay now that you know these simple facts, my father got a job in the electronics field selling different types of computerized equipment and when I was 7 years old we left this small town and moved to Beaumont Texas. Now back then Beaumont wasn't the town that it is today, it was a very small town 45 minutes away from Houston and seemed so far removed from society it was just like living in Pennsylvania, however today it is a huge developed community that is now considered part of Houston. We were only there for 2 years when my father was transferred to Baton Rouge Louisiana, being the capital of Louisiana this was the first major city I lived in. Again we were only there for 2 years before we were moved once again by my fathers work to Orlando Florida where we settled. But, one of the reasons I was able to adapt and fit in with my changing environments was that I was used to moving around and I was an avid reader and music listener. In other words I had built myself a shell and was firmly entrenched inside it so when we moved no matter where I was I had my music and my books. When we bought the house in Winter Park I had met 2 of the kids in the neighborhood that lived really close to me, one lived on the other side of my next door neighbor and the other lived 2 doors down from him. So by the time school started 3 weeks later, I at least knew 2 people.
Again, as I stated before I was fortunate, and for another reason other than having experience from moving around. The first day of school the bus driver assigned us seats, she thought this would keep down trouble and instill order on the bus. In theory, I guess it worked a bit like that, however, it put me sharing a seat with a person who would become my best friend and the most influential person in my life. His name was John Hope, and he broke me out of my shell turned me from an introvert to an extrovert, I went from being invisible to being one of the most visible and memorable people in both middle school and high school. John went on to be a stand up comedian and shared his warmth and laughter with the world. I went on to join the Navy and then on to become a scholar and teacher and specialist in technology and many other things. My mother once told me that I was the highest educated most unemployable person she knew. At the time I found this funny, now I realize that maybe she was right in some ways. But let me just tell you this and then we will move further into what I have to say. I came from a very large high school, I was considered one of the smart kids, I was labelled a teachers pet, but I also overcame all of this to be one of the most memorable members of the graduating class. I had big chunky glasses and hair that had a mind of its own and strange. Yet, I knew everyone and everyone knew me. I had friends that were popular both and accepted but I also had friends in every other circle and click in the school. I had become a social butterfly and that would remain part of my nature my entire life. I was part of every group, accepted by the jocks, the cheerleaders, the nerds, the socially unacceptable and the punkers, the bad boys and every other group. Believe it or not I was liked and remembered by each and everyone and believe it or not you will find almost everyone in my graduating class in my friends list on Facebook.
But, what has all of this to do with hatred and intolerance in today's society? Well, I wanted to give you my background and show you that anyone can get past these things and survive peer pressure. That anyone can make it through the name calling, ridicule and prejudices of peers and society and can use those same things that once made them an outsider and make them an insider accepted and remembered by those they interacted with growing up and through the rest of their lives. Along my journey I have had the opportunity to study first hand many of the world's religions and experience first hand societies views on these views and sort through them, change perspectives and undo some of the damage they have done to people around me. You see the problem with our society comes from what I term as Organized Religion. This is any denomination that boasts and claims to practice Christianity. Now, do not get me wrong I was raised in the Church and I understand and believe the tenants that were instilled in me from childhood, but I have seen firsthand the flaws, and by having the experience while I was in the Navy to learn and view other religions of the world I was able to sort out and piece together my own eclectic view of Spirituality and embark on my own path toward enlightenment.
See, it is my firm believe that religion is man's attempt to reach God and to explain those things that they do not understand and cannot quantify by science. They label it divine or attribute aspect of it toward a religious significance. However, true Christianity or Spiritualism is God's attempt to reach man. However, Christianity and organized religion somehow got off the path as preached and specified by Jesus himself. Jesus preached acceptance and love, to honor and obey and to be fishers of men. However, the church itself maintains and tries to enforce the 10 commandments, they cling to the old testament and miss the entire message of what Jesus was trying to tell the world. Now, there is a reason why the churches and those of what I call organize religion cling and stick with the past and the old testament and it is plain to anyone who dares to remove their blinders and look with an open mind at the hierarchy and structure of the church today. The old testament tells us about the casting out from the garden of eden, the subsequent enslavement of the people of Isreal and Moses dramatic leading of his people out of bondage from Egypt and delivering them to the gates of the promised land. It also tells us where the 10 commandments came from and where they were delivered to Moses. But for those of us who opened our eyes and see what had come about we begin to see why the commandments were necessary and how they molded and continue to influence and shape society at large today. You see Moses had 12 tribes that were following him as they fled the pharoah and his armies, they were fractious groups and tended toward squabbling and when Moses's back was turned easily reverted to idol worship and turning away from God. Therefore, the 10 Commandments were given to Moses to govern and rule the people, the early chapters of the Bible such as Exodus and Leviticus and Lamentations talks about the penalties and consequences of breaking these commandments and other religious views as dictated by the Levi's or the High Priests of the time.
So by telling you all of this what am I trying to tell you, every war that has been fought has been fought over the desire for an object, place, thing or difference, and cloaked under the guise of religion. But the truth of the matter, is that religion was developed and perfected as a means to control the masses, to accumulate wealth and essentially to force society into a habit for living under the commandments and the fear of what happened to society if these commandment were broken. This is known as salvation through the Law. But, in the New Testament it was foretold that the covenant of the law or the covenant of Moses would be broken and salvation would be granted to us by Grace through the belief in Jesus. Jesus like I said had a much more basic and humanistic message that spoke of love and acceptance. Preaching to the common man and reaching out to the lost and disheartened. So why has the church not clung to that teaching, why do they cling to the old testament and the rigid structure of the past? Why are there denominations, why do Preachers and evangelist today speak out against those that don't believe as they do? Why do they preach and teach that if you think and believe different from their views and that of their doctrine that you are going to perish and not make it to Heaven? It is because if they let go of the old testament and embrace the tenants and teachings of Jesus, then they loose control of the masses, their coffers and collection plates would be less and they couldn't force and influence the tides of change and societal whims. So what is all of this saying? It is pointing out that today organized religion has become as corrupt and damaged as it once was in Jesus time, remember that Jesus spoke out against the Church leaders of the times the Sadducees and the Pharisees. He cast out the money lenders in the temple and markets. He dared to change the tenants of the day and speak out against the establishment. He called each of us to do the same. He demanded and we go out and show love, acceptance, tolerance, obedience and compassion to one another and our fellow man.
Yet, here we are 2000 years later, and wars are still being fought, hatred, bigotry and intolerance are still prevalent in a society that is supposed to embrace and accept difference. Our nation was founded on the belief that each individual should have the right to choose and the freedom of choice to believe and follow the religion of their choice. Our forefathers, had the foresight and vision to actually inscribe these things in our founding document the Constitution but look at where we are at. Have we come any further in the 2000 years since Christ to where we are today? Not really! Honestly, if you view organized religion with an open mind you will see what I am saying and can understand that change needs to take place or we are doomed to continue in the same vein as we have for centuries, there will still be greed, war, hatred intolerance and bigotry, there will always be outcasts and societal norms that are influenced and dictated by the church upon the populace, Unfortunately, our forefathers saw that this trend was happening and had the vision to see that inherent danger and tried to ensure that the church wouldn't dictate politics and influence the government. Unfortunately, the separation of church and state which is supposed to be guaranteed and society protected by its inscription in the Constitution has successfully been circumvented and subsequently rendered effective by the advent of lobbying in our government. Ultra-conservatives and right-wing political group and fundamentalist church spend millions of dollars to influence and dictate legislature in our government today. These laws, that are passed, the teachings that the church espouses all play into what becomes know as societal norms and dictates what is acceptable and what is not.
Why I have written all of this and what I want you to walk away from reading this with is the concept and the seed that individualism is good, acceptance is key, leadership is needed and it okay to march to the beat of your own drum. I want you to live your life as you feel inclined too. I want you to live outside of what society decides is the norm. If you can achieve this you will be free from the guilt and remorse that is inflicted by society, church and our own inner beliefs. You will no longer be concerned with how others see you and what they think about you. You will become a leader, you will be a positive influence on others around you and will continue to touch and bless those lives that you come in contact with. Even, if you don't believe in the Bible or the teaching of Christ, if you believe in another religion or creed. If you embrace love, kindness, acceptance, tolerance, understanding, you will find that compassion for your fellow man, and society and the world will become a much better place.
So in summary, why is there so much hatred and intolerance in our enlightened society? Is simply this Religion...man's attempt to reach God and the institution that it built up and created, Where is the solution in the true belief in the essential teachings of what I will call Spirituality or true Christianity...which is God's attempt to reach man and bridge the gap created by Original Sin as written in the old testament. Jesus's teaching of love, acceptance and so forth are the true answer to enduring peace, freedom, and world where differences are celebrated and embraced instead of ridiculed and discriminated against. If only we all could learn the simplest of these things you would see greater advancement in all things because the things which make us different are also the things that when brought together lead to development, creation, and invention. Please release your belief on the old and embrace the new and celebrate living through the joy of love and compassion. Add a sprinkle of laughter into the mix and you will see that pain, illness, will quickly dissolve and your consciousness and mind will be free from constraints and the world will become your oyster and the blessings of the Spirit will be bestowed upon you. Or better yet they will become more evident in your daily life and walk. Each of us are blessed continually and when we open our eyes and take the blinders of prejudice off we cannot see them or properly receive them.
As always I look for your comments and your thoughts on this and any other subject. I want to hear from you and hope that you will join my blog as a follower. It is easy to do, just click on the +1 button on the right hand side just under my profile to join and be a follower. You can also write to me at bryanzepp@gmail.com and visit me on Facebook www.facebook.com/bryan_zepp2
All my hopes and dreams,
Uncle B
I was fortunate when I moved to Florida, my parents moved to a small town near Orlando, called Winter Park which is a small town about 5 miles outside of downtown Orlando, it is a place that is well known for old money, big houses, huge golf courses and country clubs. Just, to give you a little more background and some insight to who I am and where I came from I will give you a brief history of myself and then go into how I made it through and where these nasty society norms came from and how they are perpetuated in today's society. I was born in a small town outside of Philadelphia, my father came from a nominal background where his mother raised him and 8 other siblings on a widows pension. My mother on the other hand came from a more privileged background whose parents saved, invested and had money. Mom came from a smaller family where her and her sister were 15 years older than their little brother who is actually only 7 years older than myself. Okay now that you know these simple facts, my father got a job in the electronics field selling different types of computerized equipment and when I was 7 years old we left this small town and moved to Beaumont Texas. Now back then Beaumont wasn't the town that it is today, it was a very small town 45 minutes away from Houston and seemed so far removed from society it was just like living in Pennsylvania, however today it is a huge developed community that is now considered part of Houston. We were only there for 2 years when my father was transferred to Baton Rouge Louisiana, being the capital of Louisiana this was the first major city I lived in. Again we were only there for 2 years before we were moved once again by my fathers work to Orlando Florida where we settled. But, one of the reasons I was able to adapt and fit in with my changing environments was that I was used to moving around and I was an avid reader and music listener. In other words I had built myself a shell and was firmly entrenched inside it so when we moved no matter where I was I had my music and my books. When we bought the house in Winter Park I had met 2 of the kids in the neighborhood that lived really close to me, one lived on the other side of my next door neighbor and the other lived 2 doors down from him. So by the time school started 3 weeks later, I at least knew 2 people.
Again, as I stated before I was fortunate, and for another reason other than having experience from moving around. The first day of school the bus driver assigned us seats, she thought this would keep down trouble and instill order on the bus. In theory, I guess it worked a bit like that, however, it put me sharing a seat with a person who would become my best friend and the most influential person in my life. His name was John Hope, and he broke me out of my shell turned me from an introvert to an extrovert, I went from being invisible to being one of the most visible and memorable people in both middle school and high school. John went on to be a stand up comedian and shared his warmth and laughter with the world. I went on to join the Navy and then on to become a scholar and teacher and specialist in technology and many other things. My mother once told me that I was the highest educated most unemployable person she knew. At the time I found this funny, now I realize that maybe she was right in some ways. But let me just tell you this and then we will move further into what I have to say. I came from a very large high school, I was considered one of the smart kids, I was labelled a teachers pet, but I also overcame all of this to be one of the most memorable members of the graduating class. I had big chunky glasses and hair that had a mind of its own and strange. Yet, I knew everyone and everyone knew me. I had friends that were popular both and accepted but I also had friends in every other circle and click in the school. I had become a social butterfly and that would remain part of my nature my entire life. I was part of every group, accepted by the jocks, the cheerleaders, the nerds, the socially unacceptable and the punkers, the bad boys and every other group. Believe it or not I was liked and remembered by each and everyone and believe it or not you will find almost everyone in my graduating class in my friends list on Facebook.
But, what has all of this to do with hatred and intolerance in today's society? Well, I wanted to give you my background and show you that anyone can get past these things and survive peer pressure. That anyone can make it through the name calling, ridicule and prejudices of peers and society and can use those same things that once made them an outsider and make them an insider accepted and remembered by those they interacted with growing up and through the rest of their lives. Along my journey I have had the opportunity to study first hand many of the world's religions and experience first hand societies views on these views and sort through them, change perspectives and undo some of the damage they have done to people around me. You see the problem with our society comes from what I term as Organized Religion. This is any denomination that boasts and claims to practice Christianity. Now, do not get me wrong I was raised in the Church and I understand and believe the tenants that were instilled in me from childhood, but I have seen firsthand the flaws, and by having the experience while I was in the Navy to learn and view other religions of the world I was able to sort out and piece together my own eclectic view of Spirituality and embark on my own path toward enlightenment.
See, it is my firm believe that religion is man's attempt to reach God and to explain those things that they do not understand and cannot quantify by science. They label it divine or attribute aspect of it toward a religious significance. However, true Christianity or Spiritualism is God's attempt to reach man. However, Christianity and organized religion somehow got off the path as preached and specified by Jesus himself. Jesus preached acceptance and love, to honor and obey and to be fishers of men. However, the church itself maintains and tries to enforce the 10 commandments, they cling to the old testament and miss the entire message of what Jesus was trying to tell the world. Now, there is a reason why the churches and those of what I call organize religion cling and stick with the past and the old testament and it is plain to anyone who dares to remove their blinders and look with an open mind at the hierarchy and structure of the church today. The old testament tells us about the casting out from the garden of eden, the subsequent enslavement of the people of Isreal and Moses dramatic leading of his people out of bondage from Egypt and delivering them to the gates of the promised land. It also tells us where the 10 commandments came from and where they were delivered to Moses. But for those of us who opened our eyes and see what had come about we begin to see why the commandments were necessary and how they molded and continue to influence and shape society at large today. You see Moses had 12 tribes that were following him as they fled the pharoah and his armies, they were fractious groups and tended toward squabbling and when Moses's back was turned easily reverted to idol worship and turning away from God. Therefore, the 10 Commandments were given to Moses to govern and rule the people, the early chapters of the Bible such as Exodus and Leviticus and Lamentations talks about the penalties and consequences of breaking these commandments and other religious views as dictated by the Levi's or the High Priests of the time.
So by telling you all of this what am I trying to tell you, every war that has been fought has been fought over the desire for an object, place, thing or difference, and cloaked under the guise of religion. But the truth of the matter, is that religion was developed and perfected as a means to control the masses, to accumulate wealth and essentially to force society into a habit for living under the commandments and the fear of what happened to society if these commandment were broken. This is known as salvation through the Law. But, in the New Testament it was foretold that the covenant of the law or the covenant of Moses would be broken and salvation would be granted to us by Grace through the belief in Jesus. Jesus like I said had a much more basic and humanistic message that spoke of love and acceptance. Preaching to the common man and reaching out to the lost and disheartened. So why has the church not clung to that teaching, why do they cling to the old testament and the rigid structure of the past? Why are there denominations, why do Preachers and evangelist today speak out against those that don't believe as they do? Why do they preach and teach that if you think and believe different from their views and that of their doctrine that you are going to perish and not make it to Heaven? It is because if they let go of the old testament and embrace the tenants and teachings of Jesus, then they loose control of the masses, their coffers and collection plates would be less and they couldn't force and influence the tides of change and societal whims. So what is all of this saying? It is pointing out that today organized religion has become as corrupt and damaged as it once was in Jesus time, remember that Jesus spoke out against the Church leaders of the times the Sadducees and the Pharisees. He cast out the money lenders in the temple and markets. He dared to change the tenants of the day and speak out against the establishment. He called each of us to do the same. He demanded and we go out and show love, acceptance, tolerance, obedience and compassion to one another and our fellow man.
Yet, here we are 2000 years later, and wars are still being fought, hatred, bigotry and intolerance are still prevalent in a society that is supposed to embrace and accept difference. Our nation was founded on the belief that each individual should have the right to choose and the freedom of choice to believe and follow the religion of their choice. Our forefathers, had the foresight and vision to actually inscribe these things in our founding document the Constitution but look at where we are at. Have we come any further in the 2000 years since Christ to where we are today? Not really! Honestly, if you view organized religion with an open mind you will see what I am saying and can understand that change needs to take place or we are doomed to continue in the same vein as we have for centuries, there will still be greed, war, hatred intolerance and bigotry, there will always be outcasts and societal norms that are influenced and dictated by the church upon the populace, Unfortunately, our forefathers saw that this trend was happening and had the vision to see that inherent danger and tried to ensure that the church wouldn't dictate politics and influence the government. Unfortunately, the separation of church and state which is supposed to be guaranteed and society protected by its inscription in the Constitution has successfully been circumvented and subsequently rendered effective by the advent of lobbying in our government. Ultra-conservatives and right-wing political group and fundamentalist church spend millions of dollars to influence and dictate legislature in our government today. These laws, that are passed, the teachings that the church espouses all play into what becomes know as societal norms and dictates what is acceptable and what is not.
Why I have written all of this and what I want you to walk away from reading this with is the concept and the seed that individualism is good, acceptance is key, leadership is needed and it okay to march to the beat of your own drum. I want you to live your life as you feel inclined too. I want you to live outside of what society decides is the norm. If you can achieve this you will be free from the guilt and remorse that is inflicted by society, church and our own inner beliefs. You will no longer be concerned with how others see you and what they think about you. You will become a leader, you will be a positive influence on others around you and will continue to touch and bless those lives that you come in contact with. Even, if you don't believe in the Bible or the teaching of Christ, if you believe in another religion or creed. If you embrace love, kindness, acceptance, tolerance, understanding, you will find that compassion for your fellow man, and society and the world will become a much better place.
So in summary, why is there so much hatred and intolerance in our enlightened society? Is simply this Religion...man's attempt to reach God and the institution that it built up and created, Where is the solution in the true belief in the essential teachings of what I will call Spirituality or true Christianity...which is God's attempt to reach man and bridge the gap created by Original Sin as written in the old testament. Jesus's teaching of love, acceptance and so forth are the true answer to enduring peace, freedom, and world where differences are celebrated and embraced instead of ridiculed and discriminated against. If only we all could learn the simplest of these things you would see greater advancement in all things because the things which make us different are also the things that when brought together lead to development, creation, and invention. Please release your belief on the old and embrace the new and celebrate living through the joy of love and compassion. Add a sprinkle of laughter into the mix and you will see that pain, illness, will quickly dissolve and your consciousness and mind will be free from constraints and the world will become your oyster and the blessings of the Spirit will be bestowed upon you. Or better yet they will become more evident in your daily life and walk. Each of us are blessed continually and when we open our eyes and take the blinders of prejudice off we cannot see them or properly receive them.
As always I look for your comments and your thoughts on this and any other subject. I want to hear from you and hope that you will join my blog as a follower. It is easy to do, just click on the +1 button on the right hand side just under my profile to join and be a follower. You can also write to me at bryanzepp@gmail.com and visit me on Facebook www.facebook.com/bryan_zepp2
All my hopes and dreams,
Uncle B
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