Agape - Spiritual Experience

I just read Venus Plus X by Theodore Sturgeon.  Here is an except that I found AMAZING!

Christianity was, at the outset, a love movement. What was not generally know until just before the end – so fiercely was all knowledge of primitive Christianity suppressed – was that it was a charitic religion – that I, a religion in which the congregation participated, in the hope of having a genuine religious experience, an experience later called theolepsy, or seized of God. Man of the early Christians did achieve this state, and often; many more achieved it but seldom, and yet kept going back and back seeking it. But once having experienced it, they were profoundly changed, inwardly gratified; it was this intense experience, and its permanent effects, which made it possible for them to endure the most frightful hardships and tortures, to die gladly, to fear nothing.

Few dispassionate descriptions of their services – gatherings is a better term – survive, but the best accounts agree on a picture of people slipping away from fields, shops, even palaces, to be together in some hidden place – a mountain glade, a catacomb, anywhere where they might be uninterrupted. It I significant that rich and poor alike mingled at these gatherings: male and female. After Agape, eating together – genuinely, a love feast – and invoking the spirit, perhaps by song, and very likely by the dance, one or another might be seized by what they called the Spirit. Perhaps he or she would issue forth in what was called "speaking in tongues," but these exhibitions, when genuine, were apparently not excessive nor frenetic; there was often time for many to take their turn. And with a kiss of peace, they would separate and slip back to their places in the world until the next meeting.

The primitive Christians did not invent charitic religion, not did it cease with them. It appears throughout the ages in many forms. They have in common one element – the subjective, participant, ecstatic experience – and almost invariable the equality of women, and they are love religions. Without exception they were savagely persecuted. Why?

There are two direct channels into the unconscious mind. Sex is one, religion is the other; and in pre-Christian times, it was usual to express them together. The Judeo-Christian system put a stop to it, for this reason: A charitic religion interposes nothing between the worshipper and his Divinity. A suppliant, suffused with worship, speaking in tongues, his whole body in the throes of ecstatic dance, is not splitting doctrinal hairs nor begging intercession from temporal or literary authorities. As to his conduct between times, his guide there is simple. he will seek to do that which will make it possible to repeat the experience. If he does what for him is right in this endeavor, he will repeat it; if he is not able to repeat it, that alone is his total and complete punishment. He is guiltless.

How could such a thing so change? … see page 129-130

Homo sap. claimed to be searching for a formula to end its woes. Here is the formula: a charitic religion and a culture to go with it. The Apostles of Jesus found it. Before them the Greeks found it; before them, the Minoans. Since then the Cathars found it, the Quakers, the Angel Dancers. Throughout the Orient and in Africa it has been found repeatedly … and each time it has failed to move any but those it touched directly. Men – or at least, the men who moved men – always found that the charitic is intolerant of doctrine, neither wanting it nor needing it. But without doctrine – presbyter, interpreter, officiator – the men who move men are powerless – that is to say, not superior. There is nothing to gain in charitism.

Except, of course, the knowledge of the soul; and everlasting life.

Excerpted from Theodore Sturgeon's book, Venus Plus X (page 127-133)

The Beginning of My Years.2

Here's another story you will enjoy.  When I was 4 yrs old I had to have my tonsils out.  The memory of a nurse pressing a mask with ether to my face is still clear.  I was very frightened.  But all went well and I awoke with the usual sore throat and was given ice to suck on and then chocolate ice cream -- well that was it!  I was not ever going to allow anything else into my mouth .... that sore throat was going to last years.  About 5 days later I was very surprised to find myself restrained in my chair at the dining table by Gramma while my mom tipped my head back and poured Chicken Noodle soup down my throat through a Tom Terrific hat!  And I have loved that soup ever since.  

Another strange experience I had was caused by Bald-faced Hornets.  When I was 5 yrs old I was running through the back yard past the raspberry bushes and knocked into a hornet's nest.   They totally took their rage out on me and I was covered with stings.  Mom and Dad came running and took me up to the house to call the Doctor.  He said that because of the number of stings and the distance to the Hospital, the best thing for me was to be buried in mud until he could get there.  So here I am, completely hysterical, being taken out to the back yard and watching Dad with a shovel, Mom with the hose, and then me put in the trench and told to hold still.   It was such a strange feeling - that cool mud, all of us crying.  I survived just fine and am not even allergic to bees.  However, I do have a serious PHOBIA of bees, and I love mud.


  

Al Gore's new article in Rolling Stone magazine

I just finished reading the article Al Gore wrote. http://acp.repoweramerica.org/rollingstone
EVERYBODY WAKE UP!!!  How can you live each day knowing each wasteful action you take is directly contributing to killing the planet?  The guilt and shame should be overwhelming and enough to make us change -- but it isn't.  For myself the feeling of powerlessness is growing in proportion to the corruption of the world.  My choices are hard, it usually requires me to do the more difficult thing, or the more labor intensive thing.  You know, that's really not too much to ask, because after all what else do I have to spend my time on - this computer?  In the long run the choice is easy if you think it through.  Take a good look at reality.  Really take a hard look at the truth of your life.  And, please make every effort you can because this beautiful planet is worth it, even if our species is not.  

Our battles

Well today I'm thinking of the differences in perspective that come with age..... being that I spent some quality time yesterday with a nearing 40-yr old and I'm a nearing 60-yr old.  Some of these differences are welcome, such as my belief and faith in bringing goodness into my world.   And some of these are not so good -  I am feeling very complacent (fatalistic) about changing the materialistic structure of our world.   The general populace cares greatly about our world.  However  it seems that the small steps we each make are never enough.  I have been strictly practicing recycling and conservation of resources all my life but I do not see any results.   So now I am trying not to care so much because it causes me a lot of pain to see the oblivion all around.   

We are guided by the corporate world to use this and that, then toss it.  Things are being made to break down in a year or so, forcing us to toss them and purchase new.  People have been told for years now about buying water in plastic bottle, but each day you can count dozens of people holding those same bottles in their hands.  Our food industry has become more and more unhealthy for us and because of the bottom line (MONEY) none of us can stop it.  Does the general population really not know what's going on?  Are they purposely ignoring the facts?

Denial is not a river in Egypt!   

morning weather

Oh it's 40 above and I don't give a f--k, got a heater in my truck and I'm off to the Rodeo.....  that song was in my head this morning because our weather is crazy.  Why do humans have such thin skin and no fur?  I'm jealous of the animals who have a big range of comfortable temperatures.  Our horses are happy from 65f to 15f.  And they can handle even more than that easily.  Why not us?

The Beginning of My Years

Here there be Bats (and Dragons, Snakes, Spiders and Squid).  Let’s begin with stories of my early childhood years.  I lived out in the country on 5 acres just outside of the city limits of Wausau.  I spent my days playing with any animals who were available — cows, snakes, turtles, frogs, toads, birds, squirrels, and one horse.  He was the best!  He lived across the street and I would climb up onto the fence by him and he’d come over and I’d hop on his back.  Then he’d just do his usual, eating grass, walking around and I’d spend an hour or so.  Getting down was never much fun, ’cause it was a long way to the ground.  I loved him!
Next were the red belly snakes.  There were so many of them around and one summer I spent a lot of time catching them.   I was so proud of the 15 red bellies I had in a box on the porch.  I’d bring them fresh grass each day (clueless).   Mom found me crying on the lawn the day I let them all out to play and they ran away.  I loved them!  
We had a pasture right next door and cows would show up there each afternoon for a few hours.  I loved to go out there right after lunch and climb the tree and sit up there all afternoon with the cows down below.  I loved them!
There was a dark patch of woods at the bottom of our property and I loved to go in there and sit with a tree and “talk” to the birds and squirrels.   They always told me that everything was going to be fine and that I would be safe because the creator loved me too.   I loved them!
When I became old enough to ride a bike, I found some piles of beautiful gravel that I’d go visit and play around.  Later found out that it was 3M’s property.    The school I went to was a one-room schoolhouse.  The basement was very scary.  We had grades 1-6 in it, about 14 kids total.    I became rather “scrappy” but afraid at the same time.     I did not love any of them!

Our Species -- Renounce?

“We are sleepwalking towards an age of avoidable crisis,” Oxfam’s chief executive, Barbara Stocking, said. “One in seven people on the planet go hungry every day despite the fact that the world is capable of feeding everyone. The food system must be overhauled.”
Although I have a broken wrist I just had to write a bit here….   Why are so many people so selfish?   How can we go about our daily lives while ignoring the steps we could be taking to alleviate suffering?  I know we all do a little bit to help, but is it enough?  What makes us think we deserve to eat so well (refer to the above) when we could be spending that extra cash on helping someone who is STARVING?
This goes on and on and on….. why should there be professional sports teams?  Why should the players make extreme amounts of money?  Where does that money come from?   And “Corporate Sponsorship” — YIKES!!  Those monies would be much better spent on ecological solutions etc.   Wrist hurts, bye