Replies

Dennis,
It seems to me that people who think any bank is too big to fail have either very short memories, or they have not read much banking history. I am with you in Credit Unions.
Neil

Joel, thank you.
Your words touch my heart as a true prayer. One which not only affirms each one individually, but also collectively. It reminds us all that what we are doing is not only important, but essential. May your words guide us now and into the future which is becoming because of us.

Bill,
Would you be so kind as to send me the “vitals” of the Douglas-Klotz book? It reminds me that whenever someone says that they “read ‘The Bible'”, my first question is, “What translation?” Every translation is, by necessity, an interpretation.
If you are interested, I could share more of my journey in an email.

Ryan, I think you are on to one of the largest challenges of our modern society, at least in the US. So often people see any kind of reduction as an infringement on their “rights” either to have or to use or whatever. Then when someone honestly tries to “downsize” and do well with less, their friends and acquaintances tend to treat them as if they have gone crazy. The Ecological Civilizations which we strive to both imagine and create are definitely counter-cultural to today’s thinking.

I can’t figure out how to fix what I just wrote. In the second (2nd) paragraph I had intended to say, “what humans need, …

There are so many, interrelated topics in this discussion! Thank you for encouraging deep thought.

In general, I suspect that what humans, at least of the “modern western communities” would be a radical change of perspective. As has so often been mentioned in our discussions, humans need to view ourselves as inextricably intertwined with the whole of creation. There are many other peoples who have understood this interconnection. Thinking of movies, I am reminded of one of my favorite lines in “The Color Purple” where Cele said ‘I knew that if I cut a tree, my arm would bleed.'”

This brings me to the deep pain referred to by Dennis. I truly wish I knew Hebrew because I wonder if the translated version even comes close to what the Hebrew intended. It also speaks to how our “received” version of Christianity (what has called tradition) has been used in so many harmful ways. My meager knowledge of ancient Christianity tells me that much of today’s version is almost an aberration of the ancient practices.

Eric, thank you for another option for nuclear energy. My father was a high school Physics teacher. He frequently said that he thought fusion would have been a much better alternative to fission, and would not have the serious challenges of toxic waste.

Oh, and that change of perspective I mentioned? For me, it would be being able to see humans as a part OF creation and not apart from it.

Joel, thank you.
As I am trying to catch up on the discussions for class, I am sad to see that no one has heard your call.
I must begin with the double disclaimer that while I have never been affluent in the US sense of the term, I am incredibly rich when compaired to most of the world’s population! I also just finished reading “With What Are You Apologizing?” by Panashe Chigumadzi.
To me, the most criticle part is to encourage, cajole, entice, or whatever it takes to help people the world over to _stop_ objectifying parts of Creation deemed “inferior” to particular humans. If my memory is correct, part of Process Thought is to see _all_ of Creation as subjects and not objects. I think, in that frame of reference, the whole of Creation would be understood as having a role to play, or contribution to make to the benefit of all. The challenge would be to see each contribution as equally important to every other contribution.
One aspect necessitated by this would be that some of us would need to learn how to live with less so that others would would have enough. In my case, it would require myself to rethink the size of my personal library, among other things. I live in a 2 bedroom condo of less than 1,000 sq ft. – rather small one would think. But this would be a mansion for most of the people in the world.
It is a very difficult question to work out, because my life in Southern California cannot truly compare with folks who barely have enough to eat. Sure, many of my books may be “full of baloney”, but that is not the kind of fiber which nourishes the human body. While I play with the thought, the world needs me to live with less for a true EcoCiv to be possible! What do I give up, and how do I do it to achieve a truly renewable style of life?

Bless you Kathleen! Thank you. Neil

Rolla,
I have 2 thoughts.
First – OUCH!
Second – My time in the SB mountains was split between the Camp Fire camp outside Running Springs, Arrowbear Music Camp, and Barton Flats!

Too many of us learned that to be “academic” was to divorce ourselves from any notion of feeling. Written work was to be in 3rd person, passive form, and if we varied from that we were given lower marks. This is all to say that we need to learn first, to listen to our bodies and and all the “bodies” around us be they human or other. Our animal partners have a way of teaching us. So, I would say, does the rest of nature if we take the time to listen. Next we need to learn to be comfortable in talking about feelings. (How many of us were taught to keep our feelings to ourselves?) Once we have started to make progress in these areas, then we will be able to learn how to apply them to our cognitive processes.
Obviously, I have not had the opportunity to read the materials you mention. What I suggest is that their ideas may be one or two steps ahead of where most of us in the US academic culture area at this point. Please keep telling the rest of us how to educate ourselves in new ways. We finally recognize that there are a variety of forms of “intelligence”. Now we need to learn how to implement all of them. We might be surprised in finding new ways to disseminate the ideas/concerns/goals for which we dream.