The recent death of Ram Dass, popular guru of Eastern forms of spirituality, friend of Timothy Leary and fellow explorer of consciousness aided by LSD and student of Hinduism after joining the hippie trail to India in the sixties, raises the interesting question of faith, often referred to as Faith, and well known as a requirement in Christianity, and a great escape clause when atheists or agnostics ask tricky questions following rational routes to truth, often referred to as Truth ...
The quote attributed to him triggering this question decries scepticism, insisting Faith is essential access the transcendent realities ... Buddha, on the other hand, insists on questioning everything ... echoed by HHDL who is very clear that ancient teachings contradicted by scientific evidence must be discarded ...
Since it is Christmas time, in case you hadn't noticed, dear readers, there is a deeply held belief by many Christians around the world that Jesus was born at this time 2019 years ago to Mary a virgin married to Joseph who was not the father. .. now this story is quite tricky to follow without Faith and there are Christian theologians happy to explain it's all metaphor and not meant to be taken literally ... still the carols carry on, including at the local Community Christmas event, a heartwarming experience not so much for the carols or the deceased turkey but because the day itself really focuses on happy family gatherings, which is lovely if you are getting together happily with family and maybe miserable if not ... anyway 26 folks sat down to lunch in the Church Hall, some, but not all, signed up to the story ... peace and goodwill much talked about around much of the world and sometimes practised too, before hostilities resume in the run up to 2020 ...
Just to keep the polarised political pot bubbling, The Eton Mess is reported flying off by private plane to Mustique, whilst Saint Jeremy feeds the homeless ... perhaps a little healthy scepticism required to process this story too ...
Happy Boxing Day ... the light slowly returning and a long walk planned to make up for yesterday's unusually sedentary, though satisfying, day ...
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