beyond the discontinuity- from an age of ignorance to an age of newness
Post on 10-Apr-2018
217 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
1/64
BEYOND
THE
DISCONTINUITY
FROM AN AGE OF IGNORANCE
TO AN AGE OFNEWNESS
WHEN HUMANS
TRANSCEND FEAR
ALAN STEINLE
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
2/64
ii
Beyond the Discontinuity: From an Age of Ignorance to an
Age of Newness. Copyright 2009 by Alan Steinle. All
rights reserved.
To contact the author:
beyond.the.discontinuity@gmail.com
All Bible verses labeled NASB are from the New Ameri-
can Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968,
1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foun-
dation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
All Bible verses labeled ESV are from The Holy Bible,English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway
Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used
by permission. All rights reserved.
All quotations from theBhagavad Gita are fromBhagavad-gita As It Is, by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,
Copyright 1968, 1972, 1983 Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.All Rights Reserved.
The Eternally Practical Way: An Interpretation of the Ideas
of the Dao De Jing. Copyright 2009 by Alan Steinle. All
rights reserved.
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
3/64
iii
CONTENTSIntroduction 1
PART ONE:BASIC IDEAS 3
1 The Universe Does not Repeat Itself 5
2 The Trouble with Verbal Communication 7
3 Knowledge and Humility 9
4 Joy Is the Ultimate Good 11
5 To Judge Another Is to Judge Oneself 14
6 Some Search for Security in Repetition 15
7 Science and Surprise 168 The Fear of Death 19
PART TWO:VIEWS 21
9 The Age of Ignorance, the Discontinuity,
and the Age of Newness 23
10 The Parasites, the Hosts, and the Indifferent 25
11 The Day of Recompense 28
12 The Two Removals 32
13 The Earth Is Laid Waste 35
14 The Awakening and Purification of Those
Who Have Faith in God 3715 The New Covenant 40
16 A Glimpse into the Age of Newness 42
17 A Purpose for Technology 46
PART THREE:QUESTIONS 47
18 Why Are People Lonely? 49
19 Why Do People Disappoint Each Other? 50
20 Do I Have a Basic Nature? 53
21 Can Joy Exist Without Sorrow? 55
22 What Is an Oath? 5623 How Should We Treat Each Other? 57
24 What Should I Pray For? 59
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
4/64
iv
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
5/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 1
INTRODUCTION
The thoughts expressed in this book should not be
taken as dogmatic conclusions, but should be seen as
reference points for further thought and discussion. As
implied within the book, I dont think that a fixed verbal
statement can correctly describe an ever-changing world
for very long.
The first part of this book, Basic Ideas, deals with
some fundamental philosophical ideas that I felt the
need to express. I begin with the idea that the universe
does not repeat itself and put forward some of the con-
sequences of this idea. In the next chapter, I discuss the
subject of verbal communication, and how it can often
lead to misunderstandings. Next, I discuss the need to
allow ones knowledge of the world to shift as the world
changes. Then, I assert that everyone is seeking to obtain
feelings of well-being, but that everyone is imperfect in
achieving these feelings. Next, I discuss the issues of
moral judgment and the search for security. Then, I deal
with science as it relates to an ever-changing world. Fi-nally, I talk about the fear of death and its cause
ignorance.
In the second part of this book, Views, I outline the
principal terms, people, and events surrounding the age
of ignorance, the discontinuity, and the age of new-
ness. First, I give a brief outline of the two ages and the
time between themthe discontinuity. Next, I give a
description of the three groups of people on the earth at
the end of the age of ignorance. Then, I give a descrip-
tion of three things that will occur during the discontinu-ity: the day of judgment, the two removals of popula-
tions from the earth, and the desolation of the earth.
Next, I discuss the awakening and purification of those
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
6/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY2
who have faith in God. Then I briefly discuss the new
covenant as described in the book of Jeremiah. Finally, I
give an overview of what the age of newness will look
like, and I discuss a possible purpose for technology in
the present age.
In the third part of this book, Questions, I write
down some of my own questions about life issues. This
part deals with loneliness, disappointment, human nature,
joy, oaths, behavior, and prayer.
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
7/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 3
PART ONE:BASIC IDEAS
One who ceases to change ceases to live . . .
The Eternally Practical Way, Chapter 24
(part)
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
8/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY4
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
9/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 5
CHAPTER1
THE UNIVERSE DOES NOT REPEAT ITSELF
The universe does not repeat itself. In other words,
God is not redundant. In yet other words, each experi-
ence is unique (if the universe can be divided into multi-
ple, discrete experiences). By universe I mean every-
thing that is, including but not limited to everything that
a human can perceive. The universe has not had and will
not have two identical states. This idea assumes that theuniverse is continually changing and irreversibly evolv-
ing and that no part of the universe is separate from the
rest of the universe.
If at least part of the universe is changing at any given
time, and if the entire universe is fundamentally con-
nected, then what happens in one place affects every-
thing else in every other place in the universe. If one
part of the universe changes, then every other part of the
universe has to adjust to this change. If one thing in the
universe is changing, then everything in the universe is
changing. Experiencers in and of the universe are con-
tinually changing. The experiences of the experiencers
are not lost but are retained in the experiencers and in
the universe. Therefore, since the experiencer evolves
irreversibly, no experiencer has had or will have identi-
cal experiences. However, certain experiences may be
very close to identical if the experiencer and his envi-
ronment have changed little.
Those who cannot remember the past are con-
demned to repeat it.George Santayana
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
10/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY6
Far from being condemned to repeat the past, if the
idea of non-redundancy is true, one cannot repeat the
past. One can try to relive the past in ones mind, but
ones mind is continually changing and the mental ex-
perience of the past must be integrated with the new
knowledge in ones mind.
That men do not learn very much from the lessons ofhistory is the most important of all the lessons of his-
tory.
Aldous Huxley
People learn from their own vivid experiences, but they
find it nearly impossible to learn from the experiences of
others.
One learns by interacting with others and coming toones own conclusions, not by being told what to think.
The Eternally Practical Way, Chapter 27 (part)
If this idea of non-redundancy is true, then there are
no reproducible experiments. Each experiment is aunique process that may be grouped with other similar
processes, but it is not exactly the same as any other se-
quence of events that has been or will be observed.
As the idea of non-redundancy relates to mans law,
there really is no precedent, at least no precedent that
can tell a judge or jury (or anyone else) what to do in the
present unique circumstances. One needs inspiration if
one is to know what to do in a new set of circumstances.
General propositions do not decide concrete cases.Oliver Wendell Holmes
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
11/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 7
CHAPTER2
THE TROUBLE WITH VERBAL
COMMUNICATION
According to the idea of non-redundancy, each ex-
perience is unique. Therefore, no one has repeated the
same experience, and no one has had the same experi-
ence as another person. Within the life of one person, if
that person has had two different experiences of love,
with each experience having different qualities, can theword love be used to describe each one? To use the
same word to describe both experiences would be to
minimize the importance of each experience and to gloss
over the differences. If we divide a lifetime into a large
number of discrete experiences, then how can our very
limited number of words accurately describe and differ-
entiate each experience? If, on the other hand, a person
had a unique word (or paragraph) for each experience,
his vocabulary would grow to an unmanageable size and
each experience might seem unrelated to all the others.
When people try to use words to communicate with
each other, what are they really doing? If they agree
with each other by assenting to a statement, arent they
agreeing through misunderstanding? Each person has a
unique idea of what each word or words means because
each person has a unique experience to associate with
that word or words. If people agree to a statement, for
example, life is good, arent they agreeing to their
own unique perceptions of the statement? If people dis-
agree about a statement, arent they disagreeing about
their own subjective understanding of the statement?They might actually agree about fundamental realities
while they fight over a slogan.
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
12/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY8
If a person attempts to teach another person with
words, the first person must assume that the second per-
son has the same word-experience associations as he
does. However, the attempt to teach another person with
words what one knows from experience leads to failure
because the two people do not have identical experi-
ences with which to associate the words. Therefore, we
cannot teach each other with words; we can only pro-
voke each otherprovoke each other to agree or dis-
agree with statements that mean different things to dif-
ferent people.
Those who understand life cannot teach others whatthey know; those who think they can teach others what
they know do not understand.
The Eternally Practical Way, Chapter 56 (part)
What if we defined each word before we used it?
The cause of the different opinions of men. That this
difference is the effect of the uncertain signification of
words, such as Good, Interests, and Virtue. That ifwords were precisely defined, and their definitions
ranged in a dictionary, all the propositions of morality,
politics, and metaphysics would become as susceptibleof demonstration as the truths of geometry.
Claud-Adrian Helvetius
But the words in the definitions would have to be de-
fined, and so on, ad infinitum. One has to eventually
stop defining words in terms of other words and relate in
ones mind these undefined words to how they havebeen used in ones own unique experience.
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
13/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 9
CHAPTER3
KNOWLEDGE AND HUMILITY
If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary
that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possi-ble, all things.
Rene Descartes
If I dont know everything, then shouldnt I sacrifice
all of my opinions and assumptions when the truth pre-
sents itself? Shouldnt I let go of my need to appear right?Can I let go of everything that I have thought, said, and
written if new perception reveals these ideas to be wrong,
outdated, or irrelevant? Grasping onto pet theories keeps
me from seeing the living truth that continuously grows
and evolves.
To live is to continually adapt or adjust to a changing
universe. Life is not static or stationary. In this world
one should learn to live life at the speed of biology.
. . . beings that are aware of the way [Gods will] are insync with heaven and earth.
The Eternally Practical Way, Chapter 5 (part)
If one is not up to speed or in sync or able to ad-
just to the world around one in real time, then one be-
gins to feel ill-at-ease. However, if one can adjust ones
body and mind to ones environment, then one can gain
a feeling of peace and well-being.
It feels good to think that one is right about every-
thing that one believes. However, one usually has a nag-
ging feeling that one might be wrong about something.
But if one is wrong about something in ones worldview,
changing ones belief about that particular thing will af-
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
14/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY10
fect everything else in ones worldview, since every-
thing is connected.
It is useful to admit from time to time that one knows
nothing. This allows ones ideas to shift according to
ones new view of the world. The faster the world
changes, the more often it is necessary to readjust ones
view of it.
To improve is to change. To be perfect is to change of-
ten.
Winston Churchill
When one is not afraid of changing and does not hold
onto a static view of life, one begins to live life fluidly
and perhaps even joyfully.
And such should be the outward biography of man in
time, a putting off of dead circumstances day by day,
as he renews his raiment day by day. But to us, in ourlapsed estate, resting, not advancing, resisting, not co-
operating with the divine expansion, this growth comes
by shocks.Ralph Waldo Emerson
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
15/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 11
CHAPTER4
JOY IS THE ULTIMATE GOOD
Socrates equates the good with the pleasant. I would
similarly equate the ultimate good with joy or purely
good feeling. Joy is synonymous with the fulfilling
knowledge of God (the only knowledge). Everyone
wants to feel good and is directing all of his actions to-
ward this end. Moreover, everyone wants lasting good
feeling. If one is afraid that the good feeling that one haswill not last, then ones joy is not complete, but is tar-
nished by this bad feeling of worry. Likewise, if one
feels bad, but also feels that one will eventually feel bet-
ter, then ones feelings are not entirely unpleasant.
No man voluntarily pursues evil, or that which he
thinks to be evil.Socrates
In those days there was no king in Israel; every man
did what was right in his own eyes.Judges 17:6, NASB
Inasmuch as one is seeking ones own good, or ones
own joy, one can be called good. But inasmuch as one
does not know how to effectively achieve this joy, one
can be called evil.
As one goes through various experiences, one learns
from these experiences what leads to good feeling and
what does not. What makes people different from each
other is what experiences they have had, and what
knowledge they have gained and integrated from these
experiences. Telling someone how to act, or forcing him
to act a certain way, will not make him a better person.
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
16/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY12
Only his own experiences (be they in time or out of time)
can teach him which methods are effective and which
are not. He will resent being forced to act in a way that
does not seem good to him. I can tell someone that will-
ing what is best for everyone leads to lasting joy, but if
he does not believe me, based upon his own experience
and knowledge and memory, my advice will fall on deaf
ears.
The more a person learns from experiencewhether
from his current life or from any otherthe more he re-
alizes that what is good for one person is good for the
Whole, and what is good for the Whole is good for each
individual. When one knows this truth from experience,and does not merely assent to its verbal articulation, one
will act on it.
A human being is part of the whole, called by us Uni-
verse, a part limited in time and space. He experienceshimself, his thoughts and feelings as something sepa-
rated from the resta kind of optical illusion of his
consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us,restricting us to our personal desires and to affection
for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to freeourselves from this prison by widening our circle of
compassion to embrace all living creatures and the
whole [of] nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to
achieve this completely, but the striving for such
achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and afoundation for inner security. [Italics added.]
Albert Einstein
One should not think of oneself as absolutely more orless enlightened than another individual since each indi-
vidual has a unique and indispensable role to play. In
fact, it may be that one cannot truly appreciate joy
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
17/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 13
unless one has lived with its absence. Every time there is
a shift or increase in understanding of how the good is
achieved, one repents or changes ones mind about how
to live life. This shift brings about a renewal of ones
inner life.
Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are for-
givenfor she loved much. But he who is forgiven lit-tle, loves little.
Luke 7:47, ESV
This woman repented of her sins, and the joy and relief
that she felt caused her to love the one who forgave her.
If she had not sinned, or had not been conscious of her
sin, she would not have needed to be forgiven, and her
love would have been less.
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
18/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY14
CHAPTER5
TO JUDGE ANOTHERIS TO JUDGE ONESELF
Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judg-
ment you pronounce you will be judged, and with themeasure you use it will be measured to you.
Matthew 7:1-2, ESV
If I look at someone elses actions and judge them as
being evil, I am actually judging that I would be acting
wickedly if I were to combine my knowledge with hisactions. But, in fact, his actions are combined with his
knowledge and not with my knowledge. He could in fact
be acting in an optimum way, given his particular ex-
periences and knowledge.
No man can justly censure or condemn another, be-
cause indeed no man truly knows another.
Sir Thomas Browne
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
19/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 15
CHAPTER6
SOME SEARCH FORSECURITY IN REPETITION
Perpetual inspiration is as necessary to the life of
goodness, holiness and happiness as perpetual respira-tion is necessary to animal life.
William Law
. . . mechanization is incompatible with inspiration.
Aldous Huxley
Mechanization implies repetition, and while nothing
is exactly repeated in the universe, one can come very
close to repetition. In fact, someone who has a nearly
repetitious job does not exactly repeat any task because
the person is continually changing, bodily and mentally.
However, when ones (mental or physical) task becomes
nearly repetitive, one can become frustrated, restless,
and uncomfortable. One might think that one has gained
security by obtaining a stable job, but there is no real
security on the physical plane, only on the spiritual plane. Therefore, one may have stunted ones life and
ones expression of life to no real advantage and as a re-
sult of the fear of insecurity.
To fall into habit is to begin to cease to be.Miguel de Unamuno
Routine is an early stage of decay.Hans Kudszus
To rest upon a formula is a slumber that prolonged,means death.
Oliver Wendell Holmes
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
20/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY16
CHAPTER7
SCIENCE AND SURPRISE
The grand aim of all science is to cover the greatest
number of empirical facts by logical deduction fromthe smallest number of hypotheses or axioms.
Albert Einstein
How about these two hypotheses: God is and God
wills? Cant these two hypotheses explain the whole
universe? Or are they too simple?
It is God who is the ultimate reason of things, and theknowledge of God is no less the beginning of science
than his essence and will are the beginnings of beings.
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz
Or is science something else? Maybe science is the
desire to see order in a complex universe. Maybe sci-
ence is the tendency to believe in only what one can
wrap ones mind around or comprehend or control.
Maybe science is a psychological survival mechanism in
the face of perceived chaos.
Why do people call scientific statements about regu-
larities laws? Why dont they call them habits? If one
phenomenon always seems to follow another phenome-
non, do I have any right to formulate a law about how
these two phenomena seem to interact? Should I tell my
friend that because I have always seen him eat his salad
before his main course that he has to eat his salad before
his main course? If people are able to act freely, then
why shouldnt the rest of the universe be able to actfreely also? Would that lead to too much disorder, and
thus to human fear? Perhaps one of the reasons that the
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
21/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 17
universe behaves in an orderly manner is so that humans
will not be overwhelmed.
If it is true that the universe does not repeat itself,
then one has never seen the same phenomenon twice;
however, one can put two similar phenomena into the
same mental box and ignore the differences. If this is
science, then science has led to superficial generaliza-
tions and has prevented people from seeing changes and
newness in the universe. There seems to be a tension be-
tween those who cannot or will not see new or different
phenomena and those who try to see them.
According to Charles Peirce, the purpose of a hy-
pothesis is,
through subjection to the test of experiment, to lead tothe avoidance of all surprise and the establishment of a
habit of positive expectation that shall not be disap-
pointed.
If one gets only what one expects to get, then one is
living in a closed, sterile loop. However, if one is con-tinually fed new experiences, then life can go on. In fact,
one is continually fed new experiences, but if one does
not recognize them, or files them with other similar pre-
vious experiences, then one cannot benefit from this gift
of renewal.
Some say that one cannot look for what one knows,
because one already knows it; and one cannot look for
what one doesnt know, because one doesnt know what
to look for. The key is to simply lookto look and to
absorb as many new experiences as one can.
Mind, when not weighed down with the cares of matter, prefers adventure to security and loves the unknown
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
22/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY18
more than it likes the familiar. Wayward mind scornsthe given, the mechanical, the stereotyped. [Italics
added.]
Michael Grosso
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
23/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 19
CHAPTER8
THE FEAR OF DEATH
Let him then who wishes to be free not wish for any-thing or avoid anything that depends on others; or else
he is bound to be a slave.
Epictetus
What man who dreads not death can be a slave?
Euripides
The majority of people are slaves to the fear of death.
People are slaves to other people who have power over
their lives and health. People are slaves to jobs and pos-
sessions that they think help preserve their lives. How
does one overcome this slavish fear of death and gain
freedom? First, it would help to know why people fear
death. To some people, death is the ultimate failure. To
others, death is something that is out of their control. To
others, death is the Great Unknown.
The common thread of these views of death is igno-rance. If one knew that death was not a failure, but
merely a transition to another mode of existence; if one
knew that the universe was benevolent, even when one
cannot control it; if one knew more about the nature of
the afterlife; then one might not have so much fear of
death. One can meditate on the meaning of death, and
one may be able to gain some insights in this way. But
the only way to truly gain an understanding of death is
to face it in ones life. To have freedom from the fear of
death while in the body, one may need to face all ofones fears of death experientially. While one is close to
death, one can determine whether death is really some-
thing that needs to be feared.
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
24/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY20
Fear of death increases in exact proportion to increasein wealth.
Ernest Hemingway
The higher one climbs in life, and the more screens
one places between oneself and death, the more the fear
of death can increase. If one comes to believe that ones
job or possessions are what bring one security, then one
will begin to fear their loss. If, however, one goes
through the loss of all that one appears to possess
including things, people, ideas, memories, and ones physical lifethen one might learn to find security in
something immaterial and eternal, and experience true
freedom.
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
25/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 21
PART TWO:VIEWS
Yet everything happened with a purpose . . .The Secret Book of John 13:18
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
26/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY22
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
27/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 23
CHAPTER9
THE AGE OF IGNORANCE, THE DISCONTINUITY,
AND THE AGE OF NEWNESS
The discontinuity is what I call the time between
the present age of ignorance and the future age of
newness. These identifying terms are not necessary, but
I feel that they are useful and descriptive.
Around 700 B.C., the prophet Isaiah had a vision. In
the vision, Isaiah was given a view of certain world phe-nomena:
Then I [Isaiah] heard the voice of the Lord, saying,
Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?Then I said, Here I am. Send me!
He said, Go, and tell this people: Keep on listen-
ing, but do not perceive; keep on looking, but do notunderstand. Render the hearts of this people insensi-
tive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim, otherwise they
might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, under-
stand with their hearts, and return and be healed.Then I said, Lord, how long?
And He answered, Until cities are devastated and
without inhabitant, houses are without people and theland is utterly desolate, the Lord has removed men far
away, and the forsaken places are many in the midst of
the land. Yet there will be a tenth portion in it, and itwill again be subject to burning, like a terebinth or an
oak whose stump remains when it is felled. The holy
seed is the stump.Isaiah 6:8-13, NASB
The vision describes an age of ignorance, in which
people do not perceive or understand, they are insensi-
tive and dull. Of course these descriptive adjectives are
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
28/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY24
relativepeople know enough to survive for a while.
Through the prophet Jeremiah, God calls his people
stupid children, who only know how to do evil:
For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are
stupid children; they have no understanding. They are'wise'in doing evil! But how to do good they know
not.
Jeremiah 4:22, ESV
The discontinuity starts when a large number ofpeople are removed from the earth at once. The discon-
tinuity continues for a time of extreme distress. It ends
when all those who have been chosen for removal are
removed from the earth and the age of newness begins.
The discontinuity is commonly known as the great
tribulation. (Matthew 24:21) The two main features of
the discontinuity are the awakening of the remaining
population of the earth and the purification of the minds
and bodies of the population and of the earth itself.
Until recently, the age of newness has been a veryvague idea. However, there is information in the Bible
and elsewhere about the nature of this age. Exact dates
for when each age begins and ends are not given in the
Bible. In fact, Jesus said of the beginning of the discon-
tinuity, or tribulation, that only God knows the day and
the hour. (Matthew 24:36)
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
29/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 25
CHAPTER10
THE PARASITES, THE HOSTS, AND THE
INDIFFERENT
It will come about in all the land, declares the Lord,
that two parts in it will be cut off and perish; but the
third will be left in it. And I will bring the third partthrough the fire, refine then as silver is refined, and test
them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and
I will answer them; I will say, They are My people,
and they will say, The Lord is my God.Zechariah 13:8-9, NASB
Metaphorically, I call the two parts that will be cut off
the hosts and the parasites. The parasites are those who
believe that they must get rid of their enemies to make
the world safe for themselves. But they do not realize
that they are cutting off their own lives. What happens
when a parasite destroys its host and there are no more
hosts around?
As soon as you finish destroying, you will be de-
stroyed . . .
Isaiah 33:1 (part), NASB
You think you are killing me. I think you are commit-
ting suicide.Antonio Porchia
The parasites will kill their hosts and their guilt will re-
sult in their own destruction.
Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wisemen and scribes; some of them you will kill and cru-
cify, and some of them you will scourge in your syna-
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
30/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY26
gogues, and persecute from city to city, so that uponyou may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on
earth . . .
Matthew 23:34-35, NASB
The hosts find their purpose in life (whether they real-
ize it or not) in helping to preserve the world and its in-
habitants, while the parasites tend to destroy the world
and its inhabitants (whether they realize it or not). The
hosts help preserve the world by forgiving those who
have hurt them, thereby dampening the cycle of revengeand conflict. However, this forgiveness often leads the
parasites to think that they can get away with murder
forever.
When the parasites grow to be stronger than their
hosts, many of the hosts will die off suddenly, and the
earth will be thrown into a great imbalance. After the
hosts have been completely wiped out, the parasites will
die. The Bible uses another metaphor to describe this
process:
In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, the peg
driven in a firm place will give way; it will even breakoff and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off,for the Lord has spoken.
Isaiah 22:25, NASB
The third part that is left in the world are those who
do not support or lean on any human. They put their
faith in God. They are indifferent about their physical
livesthey do not care whether they live or die. This
indifference is not something that one can gain easily.Actually, the relinquishment of desire for and hatred of
life must be burned off as one approaches death. This is
one of the purposes of the tribulation. The third part
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
31/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 27
learn that they are eternally secureno matter what
happensand that they can rest in this security. Their
indifference about their lives is the narrow gate:
Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and
the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there aremany who enter through it. For the gate is small and
the way is narrow that leads to life and there are few
who find it.Matthew 7:13-14, NASB
The third part can be spoken of in this way:
Who will adhere to him that abandons himself!
Sir Philip Sidney
They do not try to save themselves or anyone else. They
put their lives in Gods hands.
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
32/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY28
CHAPTER11
THE DAY OF RECOMPENSE
The idea of the Day of the Lord, or the Day of
Judgment, is a recurring theme in the Bible:
For the Lord is a God of recompense, He will fully re-pay.
Jeremiah 51:56 (part), NASB
I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even togive to each man according to his ways, according to
the results of his deeds.
Jeremiah 17:10, NASB
Your evil will chastise you, and your apostasy will re-
prove you.Jeremiah 2:19 (part), ESV
For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations. Asyou have done, it shall be done to you; your deeds shall
return on your own head.Obadiah 1:15, ESV
For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His
Father with His angels, and will then repay every man
according to his deeds.Matthew 16:27, NASB
For we must all appear before the judgment seat ofChrist, so that each one may receive what is due for
what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
2 Corinthians 5:10, ESV
Those who have treated others as they want to be
treated will be treated well in return. The wicked will
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
33/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 29
have to face themselves and the imbalances that they
have created in the world.
There are three different ways that people can face
the results of their deeds. Firstly, in everyday life, ones
thoughts and actions can have immediate results. For
example, if one acts selfishly, one may feel guilt or
anxiety.
All infractions of love and equity in our social relations
are speedily punished. They are punished by fear.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Secondly, there is the judgment that people face when
they die. Some people who have had near-death experi-
ences report that they had to go through a life review
when they died. In this life review, a person is able to
look at his life, see and feel the results of his actions,
and thus learn from his life experiences. In this summing
up of his life, a person cannot avoid himself or hide his
actions, but must face what he has done.
Thirdly, there is the day of judgment that will occurwhen the whole earth goes through its own near-death
experience. The inhabitants of the earth who have faith
in God will become aware of how the actions of those
on the earth have created an imbalance in the earth.
They will learn that these imbalances are undesirable
and unnecessary. They will survive the imbalances be-
cause they have lived lives that are relatively unselfish.
Those who do not know God, the wicked, will con-
tinue to act in a fear-based and ignorant way:
Many will be purged, purified and refined, but the
wicked will act wickedly; and none of the wicked will
understand, but those who have insight will understand.Daniel 12:10, NASB
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
34/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY30
The pain and sorrow that comes when one has to face
ones imperfections can be mitigated if one has lived a
life based on reciprocity, or based on the knowledge
of everyones interdependence:
Tsze-kung asked, saying, is there one word whichmay serve as a rule of practice for all ones life? The
master said, Is not reciprocity such a word? What you
do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.ConfucianAnalects
To try to take advantage of others and produce some-
thing that is good for oneself, and not good for all, pro-
duces a temporary imbalance in the universe. This im-
balance recoils on those who try to cut goodness in half.
They receive justice.
Always pay; for first or last you must pay your entire
debt. Persons and events may stand for a time between
you and justice, but it is only a postponement. Youmust pay at last your own debt. If you are wise you will
dread a prosperity which only loads you with more.Ralph Waldo Emerson
To dread a prosperity is to realize that the good that
you are trying to accumulate only for yourself will turn
to rot if it is not shared with others.
The wicked live their lives with the illusion that
they are separate from the rest of the universe and that
they can hide from God.
Woe to those who deeply hide their plans from theLord, and whose deeds are done in a dark place, and
they say, Who sees us? or Who knows us? Youturn things around! Shall the potter be considered as
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
35/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 31
equal with the clay, that what is made would say to itsmaker, He did not make me; or what is formed say to
him who formed it, He has no understanding?
Isaiah 29:15-16, NASB
Those who do not practice love, which seeks to rec-
oncile different modes of being, are attempting to cause
separation from others and from God. Though no one is
separate from God, one can live for a while with the idea
that one is independent of God.
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
36/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY32
CHAPTER12
THE TWO REMOVALS
The first removal of people from the earth will be the
removal of many of the hosts all at once. This will
mark the beginning of the discontinuity, or tribulation:
Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken
and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill;
one will be taken and one left.
Matthew 24:40-41, ESV
Speak, "Thus declares the Lord: 'The dead bodies ofmen shall fall like dung upon the open field, like
sheaves after the reaper, and none shall gather them.'"
Jeremiah 9:22, ESV
In Isaiah, the hosts are known as the righteous,
and are seen as being taken away from evil:
The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart;
devout men are taken away, while no one understands.For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; he
enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in
their uprightness.Isaiah 57:1-2, ESV
In the following verses, a distinction is made between
the two remaining groups of people: the godless and
those who take refuge in God:
The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized thegodless: "Who among us can dwell with the consuming
fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burn-ings?" He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly,
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
37/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 33
who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes hishands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from
hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking
on evil, he will dwell on the heights; his place of de-fense will be the fortresses of rocks; his bread will be
given him; his water will be sure.
Isaiah 33:14-16, ESV
The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his camp
is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is pow-erful. For the day of the Lord is great and very awe-
some; who can endure it? "Yet even now," declares the
Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting,with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts
and not your garments." Return to the Lord, your God,
for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and
abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disas-ter.
Joel 2:11-13, ESV
When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver
you! The wind will carry them off, a breath will take
them away. But he who takes refuge in me shall pos-sess the land and shall inherit my holy mountain.
Isaiah 57:13, ESV
The second removal of people from the earth will be
the removal of the parasites, or the wicked. When
this removal is complete, the discontinuity will have
ended.
For the ruthless shall come to nothing and the scoffer
cease, and all who watch to do evil shall be cut off,Isaiah 29:20, ESV
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
38/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY34
Behold, the storm of the Lord! Wrath has gone forth, awhirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the
wicked. The anger of the Lord will not turn back until
he has executed and accomplished the intents of hisheart. In the latter days you will understand it clearly.
Jeremiah 23:19-20, ESV
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
39/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 35
CHAPTER13
THE EARTH IS LAID WASTE
After the first removal occurs, the earth will be
thrown into confusion and imbalance. Because the earth
has been mistreated, those living on the earth will reap
what they have sown.
The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered;
for the Lord has spoken this word. The earth mournsand withers; the world languishes and withers; the
highest people of the earth languish. The earth lies de-
filed under its inhabitants; for they have transgressedthe laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting
covenant. Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its
inhabitants suffer for their guilt; therefore the inhabi-tants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left.
Isaiah 24:3-6, ESV
Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness,
so that no one passes through? And the Lord says: "Be-
cause they have forsaken my law that I set before them,and have not obeyed my voice or walked in accord
with it,
Jeremiah 9:12-13 (part), ESV
The following verses suggest that the earth will ex-
perience a pole shift:
The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the
earth is violently shaken. The earth staggers like adrunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies
heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again.
Isaiah 24:19-20, ESV
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
40/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY36
Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and theearth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the
Lord of hosts in the day of his fierce anger.
Isaiah 13:13, ESV
Finally, we have the assurance that the earth will not
be completely destroyed:
For thus says the Lord, "The whole land shall be a
desolation; yet I will not make a full end.
Jeremiah 4:27, ESV
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
41/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 37
CHAPTER14
THE AWAKENING AND PURIFICATION OF
THOSE WHO HAVE FAITH IN GOD
How long to the point of know return?
Steve Walsh, Phil Ehart, Robby Steinhardt (Kansas)
The following verse refers to the awakening that will
occur during the discontinuity:
And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering
that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over
all nations.Isaiah 25:7, ESV
What will be the result of this awaking? Those who
have faith in God will be appalled when their sins are
revealed in the light of a new day, as described in the
following quote:
As the light grows, we see ourselves to be worse thanwe thought. We are amazed at our former blindness as
we see issuing from our heart a whole swarm ofshameful feelings, like filthy reptiles crawling from ahidden cave. But we must be neither amazed nor dis-
turbed. We are not worse than we were; on the contrary,
we are better.
Fenelon
They must deal with their newfound imperfections
and undergo a purification in order to release the nega-
tivity that they have built up in the world.
Speak kindly to Jerusalem; and call out to her, that her
warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed,
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
42/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY38
that she has received of the Lords hand double for allher sins.
Isaiah 40:2, NASB
Men are not punished for their sins but by them.
Frank McKinney Hubbard
There are no rewards or punishmentsonly conse-
quences.
William Ralph Inge
One can say that God punishes us for our sins, or that
we are punished by our sins, or that we reap the conse-
quences of what we sow. When the awakening occurs
during the discontinuity, those who know God will be
able to see how their own actions have resulted in less
than optimal results. By enduring these results, they will
come to embody the knowledge of cause and effect.
They will willingly endure their just punishment (or the
resulting effects) of their sins in order to cancel their
sins.
In theBhagavad Gita, a classic Indian book, devoteesare told to
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrenderunto Me [God]. I shall deliver you from all sinful reac-
tion. Do not fear.
Bhagavad Gita 18:66
The Bhagavad Gita also describes those who have
been released from attachments and purified by their
love for God:
Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, beingfully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many,
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
43/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 39
many persons in the past became purified by knowl-edge of Meand thus they all attained transcendental
love for Me.
Bhagavad Gita 4:10
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
44/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY40
CHAPTER15
THE NEW COVENANT
In the book of Jeremiah, the Lord tells us how his
new covenant, or his new plan, with his people will
work:
But this is the covenant which I will make with the
house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord, I
will put My law within them and on their heart I will
write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his
neighbor and each man his brother, saying, Know theLord, for they will all know Me, from the least of
them to the greatest of them, declares the Lord, for I
will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember
no more.Jeremiah 31:33-34, NASB
The house of Israel are those who have faith in God.
With the new covenant, men will not have to be told
what to do by other men, because each one will have a
direct relationship with God and will be able to align his
will with Gods will and know what God wants. Joy will
be the result of this intimate knowledge of God.
In the present age of ignorance, men try to control
other men with laws and punishments. However, these
manmade punishments are ineffective at changing the
inner nature of man.
When men are pure [outer, manmade] laws are useless;
when men are corrupt, laws are broken.Benjamin Disraeli
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
45/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 41
Probably all [outer, manmade] laws are useless; forgood men do not want laws at all, and bad men are
made no better by them.
Demonax
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
46/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY42
CHAPTER16
AGLIMPSE INTO THE AGE OF NEWNESS
The intention of Christianity was to change everything.
Soren Kierkegaard
Nothing will change until everything changes.
Erng Paasilinna
I cannot think of the present state of humanity as that in
which it is destined to remain. . . . Only in so far as Ican regard this state as the means toward a better, as
the transition-point into a higher and more perfect state,
has it any value in my eyes.
Johann Gottlieb Fichte
I devoutly believe in the reign of peace and in the
gradual advent of some sort of socialistic equilibrium.William James
Beliefs are transforming truths. What, then, are the be-
liefs we cherish most, the hopes, the visions we aretransforming into reality? . . . each of us, individually
and personally, has a hand in shaping the future of lifeon earth.
Michael Grosso
What will the future age of newness be like? In the
Bible, we are given a brief description:
For behold, I [the Lord] create new heavens and a
new earth; and the former things will not be remem-
bered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice foreverin what I create . . . It will also come to pass that before
they call, I will answer; and while they are still speak-
ing, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will graze to-
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
47/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 43
gether, and the lion will eat straw like the ox; and dustwill be the serpents food. They will do no evil or harm
in all My holy mountain, says the Lord. [Italics added.]
Isaiah 65:17-18, 24-25, NASB
The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra,
and the weaned child will put his hand on the vipersden. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy moun-
tain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of theLordas the waters cover the sea. [Italics added.]
Isaiah 11:8-9, NASB
These verses reveal a world in which no evil is done
because everyone knows God intimately. Knowledge of
God burns away ignorant, evil actions.
After the two removals have been completed, the re-
maining inhabitants of the earth have been purified, and
the heavens and the earth have been renewed, the earth
will begin an age of newness characterized by joy:
The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; they break forth
into shouts of joy.Isaiah 14:7, NASB
It will be said on that day, "Behold, this is our God; we
have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the
Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and re-joice in his salvation."
Isaiah 25:9, ESV
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to
Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their
heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrowand sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 35:10, ESV
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
48/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY44
When creation follows the way [Gods will], it be-comes united in oneness; in this oneness, heaven be-
comes translucent; earth becomes stable; and beings
become fully alive.The Eternally Practical Way, Chapter 38 (part)
In 1985 Howard Storm had a near-death experience
(NDE). Later he wrote an account of this experience in
his book called, My Descent into Death: A Second
Chance at Life. While in the spirit realm, he gained
many insights, and at one point he was told that
God wants to give us the power to control matter and
energy with our minds, the ability to communicate di-
rectly with our thoughts, to travel through time andspace by will, to have knowledge by contemplation.
The power of these gifts is beyond our wildest imagi-
nation, but they will not be ours until we mature spiri-tually and can use these powers wisely and lovingly.
Howard Storm was also shown what the earth would
look like in two hundred years. In this world of the fu-ture, no man-made devices were evident. People wore
simple clothes and exotic ornaments. There was no dif-
ference between work and play, and people spent most
of their time interacting with the childrensharing their
love and knowledge of the natural world. People quickly
raised fruits and vegetables by communing with them.
There was sickness, but nothing that was incurable. Ill-
nesses were cured by the focused attention and care of
those in the community. People did not accumulate pos-
sessions or food. The weather was controlled by the col-lective will of the people.
There were many different types of people and cul-
tures all over the earth. Although there were many dif-
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
49/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 45
ferent languages, telepathic communication was an op-
tion. Technological devices were not necessary because
people were able to manipulate matter and energy with
their minds. People did not need to travel through space
because they could communicate with intelligent beings
in other galaxies while on the earth. People were grate-
ful for their lives in this world because they saw them as
a special gift from God. When a person felt that he did
not need any more experiences on earth, he lay down,
died, and his spirit was taken to heaven. This event
was celebratedwith rejoicing by the community. People
lived to love God, love one another, and love them-
selves. . . . Everyone was happy. There was no conflict.
Howard Storm was told,
This is the future God wants for humanity, and it
will happen. This is the world God has created for us to
live in. This is the way God created human beings tolive.
How will it happen? I [Storm] asked.
They answered, God is changing the world now.God wants worldwide conversion. God is going to
awaken every person to be the person he or she was
created to be. Those who accept Gods will shall flour-
ish, and those who deny Gods love shall perish.
The age of newness will not exactly be a return to a
Garden of Eden, for humans will have a wealth of ex-
perience to integrate and reflect upon. Humans will have
learned from experience that nothing can separate us
from the love of God. (Romans 8:39, NASB) Humans
will exult in knowing that God has carried them throughtheir time of ignorance and has delivered them from the
power of sin.
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
50/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY46
CHAPTER17
APURPOSE FORTECHNOLOGY
If we are to live without technology in the future, then
why do we have so much of it now? Perhaps we can un-
derstand the role of technology by comparing technol-
ogy with training wheels. Training wheels are used by
someone who is starting to learn how to ride a bicycle.
They help the rider to maintain balance while he is rid-
ing. However, after a person has learned how to ride a bicycle, it would be ridiculous to retain the training
wheels. In fact, it would impede the speed and maneu-
verability of the bicycle.
In a similar way, technology may be preparing human
minds for greater abilities. Telephones and TVs may be
preparing humans for telepathic abilities. Other tools
and machines may be preparing people for the ability to
easily manipulate matter and energy with their minds.
Rapid transportation technologies may be preparing
people to interact with other cultures and types of people.
One can see that, with the receipt of these mental powers,
technology would become obsolete and unnecessary
baggage. Of course there are other purposes for technol-
ogy, but to prepare people for new mental powers may
be one of them.
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
51/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 47
PART THREE:QUESTIONS
If a man will begin with certainties, he shallend in doubts; but if he will be content to begin
with doubts, he shall end in certainties.Francis Bacon
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
52/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY48
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
53/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 49
CHAPTER18
WHY ARE PEOPLE LONELY?
The lonely form the biggest group.
Frans Hiddema
Loneliness got a mind of its own
The more people around, the more you feel aloneBob Dylan
What is the cause of loneliness? Why do people feellonely even when they are with other people? Is loneli-
ness a feeling of disconnection? Is it a feeling that no
one can understand you? Or that no one values you? Is
the feeling of loneliness a reaction to the disappointment
that comes when we realize that we are different from
others? Can one be at peace with ones differences from
others? Is loneliness the fear of not being validated for
all of ones views? If one is able to be away from other
people for a while, can ones relationship with God
compensate for the fact that other people cannot under-stand one? Can the acceptance of Gods love for oneself
and ones uniqueness dispel ones loneliness? If only
God knows one completely, then wont it always lead to
disappointment and loneliness if one looks for under-
standing from other people?
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
54/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY50
CHAPTER19
WHY DO PEOPLE DISAPPOINT EACH OTHER?
Last night I knew you, tonight I dont
Bob Dylan
Where is comfort? in division of the records of the
mind?Can I part her from herself, and love her as I knew her,
kind?
I remember one that perishd: sweetly did she speakand move:
Such a one do I remember, whom to look at was to
love.
Can I think of her as dead, and love her for the love shebore?
Noshe never loved me truly: love is love for ever-
more.Comfort? comfort scornd of devils! This is truth the
poet sings,
That a sorrows crown of sorrow is remembering hap-
pier things.Alfred, Lord Tennyson
Once I thought I knew
Everything I needed to know about you
Your sweet whisper, Your tender touchBut I really didnt know that much
Jokes on me, Its gonna be okay
If I can just get through this lonesome day
Bruce Springsteen
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
55/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 51
Do not trust in a neighbor; do not have confidence in afriend. From her who lies in your bosom guard your
lips. . . . A mans enemies are the men of his own
household.Micah 7:5-6, NASB
Couldnt one say, Last night I thought I knew you,
but tonight I realize that I have never really known you?
Is there anyone to blame for disappointed love? Is it
more shameful to be deceived or to stop loving the one
who has deceived you? Is it possible to keep lovingsomeone who has hurt you to the core? What kind of
love would it be? Is all of your love conditional, based
on the other persons making you feel good? Or do you
love the other person because God also loves them?
Do you expect others to stay the same forever while
you give yourself the license and freedom to change? Do
you expect others to change along with you, and to un-
derstand all of your new insights?
Is it possible to love someone whom you feel is
wicked or whom you feel hurts you on purpose?
When one is in love, one always begins by deceivingones self, and one always ends by deceiving others.
Oscar Wilde
He who has never been deceived by a lie does not
know the meaning of bliss.Albert Einstein
Why do we deceive ourselves? Are we looking for
something in other people that we have had before? Dowe believe other people when they indicate that they can
bring us joy? Isnt this kind of joy greatest in anticipa-
tion?
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
56/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY52
Do people want to believe that another person can
bring them lasting happiness? Does their desire to be
loved and be happy cause them to believe that another
human can satisfy all of their needs in just the way they
need them to be satisfied? Dont these expectations lead
to eventual disillusionment?
What can we expect from each other that will not be
disappointed? Are we just supposed to learn that no hu-
man can fulfill all of our needs and desires? To whom
do we go when we feel that we have been let down by
all of those we have trusted? Is God still faithful?
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
57/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 53
CHAPTER20
DO IHAVE A BASIC NATURE?
On my saying, "What have I to do with the sacredness
of traditions, if I live wholly from within?" my friendsuggested, "But these impulses may be from below, not
from above." I replied, "They do not seem to me to be
such; but if I am the Devil's child, I will live then fromthe Devil." No law can be sacred to me but that of my
nature. Good and bad are but names very readily trans-
ferable to that or this; the only right is what is after myconstitution; the only wrong what is against it.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Dont lose any sleep tonightIm sure everything will end up alright
You may win or lose
But to be yourself is all that you can doChris Cornell
Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own
nature, for everyone follows his nature. What can re-pression accomplish?
Bhagavad Gita 3:33
Is it possible to change ones fundamental nature?
Does one have a fundamental nature? Is it possible for a
sheep to become a goat, or for a goat to become a sheep?
Can weeds be converted into wheat, or wheat into weeds?
If ones nature cannot be changed in ones physical life-
time, can it be changed in eternity? Is my self the same
at all times or is it evolving? Do all living things have
something in common, or is each one completely differ-
ent from all others?
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
58/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY54
Does it matter what I do? Are all of my actions and
thoughts determined by my nature and my environment?
Is my nature my fate? If I cannot be anything but myself,
then how can I improve? Can I improve my nature? If I
can improve or change my nature, then how can I base
my actions on an authentic and true nature that does not
change?
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
59/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 55
CHAPTER21
CAN JOY EXIST WITHOUT SORROW?
. . . for everything you gain, you lose something.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
As no man had ever a point of pride that was not inju-
rious to him, so no man had ever a defect that was notsomewhere made useful to him.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
The death of a dear friend, wife, brother, lover, which
seemed nothing but privation, somewhat later assumes
the aspect of a guide or genius; for it commonly oper-
ates revolutions in our way of life.Ralph Waldo Emerson
Is everything equal in the end? Are all my sorrows
made up for with joy? Are all of my joys tempered by
sorrow? Is it possible to have joy without sorrow? Does
a rising tide of joy lift all boats? Is it possible for one
person to be better off than another person, when theirlives are seen in their entirety? Are we not allowed to
have pure joy while others around us suffer? Is it possi-
ble for everyone to be joyful?
Half of the time things change for the better
Chris Barron, Aaron Comess
Is every change for the better compensated for by a
change for the worse? Is it possible for things to get bet-
ter all around? Or do we need contrasts in order to per-ceive anything? Does eternal joy completely annihilate
all temporary sorrows in its infinity?
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
60/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY56
CHAPTER22
WHAT IS AN OATH?
. . . I have sworn upon the altar of god eternal hostility
against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.Thomas Jefferson
". . . you have heard that it was said to those of old,'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the
Lord what you have sworn.' But I say to you, do not
take an oath at all . . .Matthew 5:33-34 (part), ESV
What is an oath? Isnt it a claim that one will always
do something or always think in a particular way? How
can one honestly take an oath if one doesnt know the
future and doesnt know if one will have the power to
carry out what one has sworn to do? Isnt taking an oath
a sort of tyranny over ones own mind, in the sense that
it does not allow one to change ones mind? What if Jef-
ferson later decides that eternal hostility is not the bestcourse of action to take? Should he break his oath and
change his mind, or should he try to maintain a perma-
nent state of mind and keep his oath? Isnt it usually
very difficult, if not impossible, to maintain ones past
state of mind, especially if one has new knowledge that
makes it ridiculous to keep thinking in the same way?
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
61/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 57
CHAPTER23
HOW SHOULD WE TREAT EACH OTHER?
I used her, she used me
But neither one caredWe were gettin' our share
Bob Seger
So act as to treat humanity, whether in your own per-
son or in that of any other, in every case as an end,
never as a means only.Immanuel Kant
How should we treat each other? Am I using you
merely as a means to achieve my own happiness? Can I
be happy if you are not happy? What should be the pur-
pose of our relationships? Should we try to make others
happy at our own expense? Can we really be responsible
for the happiness of others? Can we really know what
others are feeling, even when they appear happy? Is the
best thing that we can do for others what we would dofor ourselves? But doesnt everyone have his own likes
and dislikes? How can we know what is best for our-
selves, let alone another? Should we do what we think is
best and leave it at that?
What does it mean to treat someone as an end and not
as a means? Does it mean to believe that people have
infinite worth, worth that cannot be measured by how
happy they make me?
If I believe that I am placing someone elses interests
above my own, dont I merely want to feel good about
my supposed selflessness? Isnt it best to look after
ones own interests at the same time as everyone elses,
and not practice self-deceiving self-sacrifice? Isnt it
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
62/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY58
best to believe that ones own good is compatible with
everyone elses? Isnt this belief important when at-
tempting to produce win-win situations?
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
63/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY 59
CHAPTER24
WHAT SHOULD IPRAY FOR?
Prayer that craves a particular commodity, anything
less than all good, is vicious . . . prayer as a means toeffect a private end is meanness and theft. . . . As soon
as the man is at one with God, he will not beg.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Lord, I know not what to ask of you. You only know
what I need. You love me better than I know how tolove myself. Father, give to your child that which he
himself knows not how to ask. Smite or heal, depress
me or raise me up: I adore all your purposes without
knowing them. I am silent; I offer myself up in a sacri-fice; I yield myself to you; I would have no other desire
than to accomplish your will. Teach me to pray. Pray
Yourself in me.Fenelon
What should I pray for? Should I pray for my own
health and well-being? What if God has purposes thatwill only be accomplished if I go through a difficult ex-
perience? Does God care what I want? Or does God
know what I want better than I do? What is the best way
to pray? Should my prayer be a silent acceptance of the
way things are? Should I tell God what I think, some-
thing that he already knows? Should my prayer be an
attempt to cultivate a certain attitude or state of mind?
What should this attitude be? Should I be impatient with
the troubles that I see in the world, or should I patiently
let everything unfold in its own time? Can I improvemyself or the world with prayer, or is every apparent
good compensated for by a lessening of good some-
where else? How can I know what is best?
-
8/8/2019 Beyond the Discontinuity- From an Age of Ignorance to an Age of Newness
64/64
BEYOND THE DISCONTINUITY60
top related