MODERATOR: If this thread in not in the right place, feel free to move it, or tell me to do so.
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Because I prefer to wear out rather than just rust out, when I retired from the pastoral ministry in 1994—the same year my wife, close in age to me, retired from teaching—I chose to think of myself as a self-directed and now a re-directed—not just a retired—servant of evidence-based truth and of the public good.

My career started when I was ordained a minister of the United Church of Canada, in 1953. My wife, Jean, and I became the first minister/teacher team at what was then a squatter’s town, with the nick name “Happy Valley”—115 families squatted, on Crown land, near the Goose Bay airbase—where many of them got employment—in Labrador, NL. The only school and Nursing Station there—staffed by two great nurses—were church-provided, and not just for church members. My wife had 52 children, grades one and two, in her class.
   
Readers, as I understand it, each of us is FREE to establish and live by what we truly value. We happen to love PHILOSOPHY—the mother of science and art. So far this has led us to build on a holistic foundation and to approach life seeking the good and positive integration of body, mind and spirit—what I like to call the soma, psyche and pneuma. None of this is laid on as dogma.
=========================
With a nod of respect to Rene Descartes, who coined the phrase:
“I think, therefore, I am.” may I put it this way:
======================
I AM, THEREFORE, I THINK, WILL, LEARN AND DO—in short, I LIVE
======================================================
I AM, therefore I think, will, learn and do. Creative, playful and constructive thinking, under the guidance of agape-love, will probably lead us to knowledge, understanding and the supreme value of wisdom—the good use of knowledge (science); the kind that gives us the power to choose to be, or not to be.

It leads me, with the help of others, to take action and do the things we need to do, within the space/time and to be at one with all that is.

Willpower, Wisdom and Action can lead to our being truly free beings. But the risk and danger is that I am free to choose good or evil.

G~0~D/G~O~D—not to be confused with a “god” or “God”
==============================================
By choice, I choose to call this power G~0~D, where ~0~ symbolises the microcosm within us. If anyone prefers to call it Life, Awareness, Consciousness or any another term, go ahead.

At this point, I think of us and the natural, measurable cosmos, or the universe as that which is within G~O~D, where ~O~ symbolises the macrocosm. Again I say: You are free to use any term, or no term—whatever pleases you.

CHAT WITH AN ASTROPHYSICIST
Years ago, I did a wedding for an astrophysicist, who worked with NASA, and his bride to-be, from Toronto. When, in the pre-nuptial counselling I chatted with him about my interest in philosophy and pneumatology—the mother of psychology—and what is going on in our “inner space”. Then I asked him what physicists called outer space and the space between and within atoms. He answered: “The vacuum”.

To anyone who knows physics, I inquire: Is that term still a valid one?

Interestingly, he made no objection when I said and asked: Do mind if I call it “pneuma” (the Greek for Spirit—related to air, wind, breath of life)?  Then I also said: Because I feel that the pneuma/psyche is the source of what we call “willpower”, I assume that exploring it will help us be more effective in our exploration of inner and outer space. Again, he had no objection. Encouraged by this, I continued my study of the integration pneuma/psyche/soma.

THE INNER AND OUTER SPACES OF SINGLE AND MARRIED LIFE
Of course, then we went on to have a very interesting, and helpful, back-and-forth dialogue about marriage and LOVE—more on this and the three kinds of love—eros (erotic), philia (friendship) and pneuma (good-will, agape-kind)—later.

We talked about the differences between living as singles (individual egos), as couples and as families, including communities. We also talked especially about how, living with the inner and outer spaces of life, singles can WILLingly take on the very risky business of becoming ONE in the relationship we call marriage—”... for better or for worse, ‘till death do us part.”

Over the years, I must have done nearly a 1000 weddings. I often wonder: How many actually actually went on to live “happily ever after”.  I especially wonder about the ones that were .... well, different. To do one of the weddings I actually had to break into the church, and the office, of another minister, who had absent-mindedly forgot to show up. Amazingly, I actually found the license on his desk. Quite a story, which I will not detail, here. However, There was a happy ending, and all present, I trust, learned, from the brief message I gave, the art of agape-love. I was even successful in getting smiles and a laugh or two. Thus they all forgave the absent-minded minister. And, to my knowledge, the couple went on to have a happy marriage. 

DETAILS ABOUT WILLPOWER—agape-power
Then last Christmas, 2011, from my grandchildren I received the wonderful gift of a book. I hinted that I had heard it reviewed, on our CBC, a few weeks before: WILLPOWER: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength By social psychologist, Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney—science writer with the New York Times…The book is about the ego control, ego depletion, and other things. It surveys the ways how people fail at self control, and the tricks to have better self control so as to have the power to choose that which is Good, Opportune and Desirable for us. For details, check out the following link:

http://www.ideafit.com/library/how-to-strengthen-willpower-part-1
 
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BTW, I recently finished writing a rhyme about WP:
         
         

WILLPOWER
           
          Lindsay G. King

I am, therefore, this very hour,
I love the gift that we can call WILLPOWER.

It is the mighty power to CHOOSE,
To always win/win, not just win/LOSE.

The power to WILL, to think, know and act,
A wonderful and love-filled fact.

Instead of choosing sadness and madness,
I’d rather opt for my share of gladness. 

What e’er I choose to think and be,
I choose to live creatively.

Instead of full of guilt and shame,
All life can be a win/win game. 

Now let’s all choose to learn the how
Of always living in the NOW.

RevLGKing - 24 July 2012 09:01 PM

By choice, I choose to call this power G~0~D, where ~0~ symbolises the microcosm within us.

Okay, I’ll make it rhyme as well:

If in Canada we had our own Oprah,
She could have discovered you’re our Deepak Chopra.

RevLGKing, you use a lot of metaphor in your descriptions, to the extent that I’m not quite sure what you’re talking about. But I think that I have a gist.

To me, willpower is what people refer to when we have conflicting desires, and the desire for something that is more healthy wins out over something that is less. I disagree that we can freely choose what emotions to feel - to some extent this is true, but not universally. I don’t choose to feel fear when I see a car barreling directly toward me, but I can choose to dwell in fuming anger or forgiveness afterwards.

RLGK, putting this in the Introduction forum should have been an extremely obvious error to you.  Please try to stay within the guidelines of the forum.

Occam

Occam. - 25 July 2012 12:04 PM

RLGK, putting this in the Introduction forum should have been an extremely obvious error to you.  Please try to stay within the guidelines of the forum.

Occam

Is it up to you to do the moving? Or me? Which forum do you suggest?

TromboneAndrew - 25 July 2012 08:28 AM

RevLGKing, you use a lot of metaphor in your descriptions, to the extent that I’m not quite sure what you’re talking about. But I think that I have a gist.

Tom: What do you think my gist is? And what are your questions?

To me, willpower is what people refer to when we have conflicting desires, and the desire for something that is more healthy wins out over something that is less.

Tom, go on.

I disagree that we can freely choose what emotions to feel - to some extent this is true, but not universally.

If you mean to say that you feel that the fields of psychology and pneumatology—and there are several psychological and pneumatological schools—are not exact and hard sciences, I agree with you. But I choose (i.e., I will) not to ignore them. Then you add:

I don’t choose to feel fear when I see a car barreling directly toward me, but I can choose to dwell in fuming anger or forgiveness afterwards.

In choosing (willing) to do the latter, IMO, you are expressing yourself, pneumatologically—an approach to understanding and effectively dealing with the pain and suffering associated with our being human beings, which I feel is unfortunately overlooked.

My definition of a pneumatological pain: It is any serious pain that we knowingly, consciously and regularly choose to inflict on ourselves and often wonder why. Do not addicts—physical, mental and spiritual ones—do it all the time?
==========================================
By the way, unless I am mistaken, I think this thread of mine has been moved to Pseudo-Science. We’ll let the moderator let us know, OK?

If you have referred to pneumatology as the science of tires (say, discussing if winter tires are worth the extra money), it could have gone to Science forum instead. When you make stuff up, it’s pseudoscience.

RevLGKing - 25 July 2012 12:30 PM

Occam. - 25 July 2012 12:04 PM

RLGK, putting this in the Introduction forum should have been an extremely obvious error to you.  Please try to stay within the guidelines of the forum.

Occam

Is it up to you to do the moving? Or me? Which forum do you suggest?

I moved it from the Intro section where it DID NOT belong to the Pseudoscience section (here).  Then you reposted it in the General Discussion section.  That’s a duplication which is NOT allowed.  I’m going to move the posts in that thread to this thread and delete your duplicate.  Please try to stay within the framework of the forum rather than playing games.

Occam

Moving posts: Quoting George

I think the “Pseudoscience” forum is more appropriate.

Quoting Rev:

So, give us the evidence for that “fact”. Or is it just your opinion?

Note that I had the same opinion.  That’s why I moved it here First from the Introduction forum then from the General Discussion forum.

quoting George

Actually, I think I know what you are trying to do. But this is not your church and your “art of [strikeout]bamboozling[/strikeout] speaking” won’t work here. What I said about your pearl of wisdom being better placed in the “Pseudoscience” forum was my opinion, and I believe I made that quite clear. If we had a forum for “Insanity and Ignorance” I would suggest to move it there instead.

Quoting Doug:

George, it might be more useful if you could point out errors, confusions and problems with the posts rather than just responding with snark. That way maybe someone might learn something, or a dialogue might be initiated.

I understand Doug’s concern with trying to maintain a cordial atmosphere on the forum, but I share George’s annoyance at the orginal poster’s handling of his posting of this topic.

Quoting George:

I was hoping you were still vacationing. 

  Our Administrator is omniscient.

Quoting Domokato:

I can never read Rev’s posts because he rambles so much!

The title of thread has little to do with the content, in this case.

Your mind seems to make connections between disparate ideas - have you considered doing art? You may be good at it (no sarcasm).

Quoting George:

Have you read his poem?

Occam

RevLGKing - 24 July 2012 09:01 PM

WILLPOWER
           
          Lindsay G. King

I am, therefore, this very hour,
I love the gift that we can call WILLPOWER.

It is the mighty power to CHOOSE,
To always win/win, not just win/LOSE.

The power to WILL, to think, know and act,
A wonderful and love-filled fact.

Instead of choosing sadness and madness,
I’d rather opt for my share of gladness. 

What e’er I choose to think and be,
I choose to live creatively.

Instead of full of guilt and shame,
All life can be a win/win game. 

Now let’s all choose to learn the how
Of always living in the NOW.

Did you really write that or did you copy it from a book of Vogon poetry?

As for the rest of your screed, it is so meandering I could not follow what you are trying to say. See Occam’s sig line and try again.

George - 25 July 2012 04:00 PM

If you have referred to pneumatology as the science of tires (say, discussing if winter tires are worth the extra money), it could have gone to Science forum instead. When you make stuff up, it’s pseudoscience.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumatology  I “make stuff up?” Well, the article in Wikipedia points out that

In Christian theology pneumatology refers to the study of the Holy Spirit. The English word comes from two Greek words: πνευμα (pneuma, spirit) and λογος (logos, teaching about).

...

Philipp Melanchthon (February 16, 1497 – April 19, 1560), born Philipp Schwartzerdt, was a German reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lutheran Reformation, and an influential designer of educational systems. He stands next to Luther and Calvin as a reformer, theologian, and molder of Protestantism. As much as Luther, he is the primary founder of Lutheranism. The scholarly work of Professor Philipp Melanchthon of the University of Wittenberg played a crucial role in the Protestant Reformation. He was a theologian, a student of the classics, a German reformer and collaborator of Martin Luther. As an expert in Hebrew and Greek, he helped Luther translate the Bible into German. Based on theology, he laid the foundation of pneumatology—the mother of psychology.[1]

World Book Dictionary makes the point that pneumatology it not just about gases. It connects it with theology, metaphysics, spirituality, and is an obsolete word for psychology. I found it used similarly in the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. Surely, it must also be in the 20 volume version. Also, it is used both ways—that is, it refers to spirituality and to pneumatics, gases. And in Webster’s NEW American Dictionary (1939), which I have.

DarronS - 25 July 2012 08:37 PM

... Did you really write that or did you copy it from a book of Vogon poetry?

I called it a rhyme, not a poem.

As for the rest of your screed, it is so meandering I could not follow what you are trying to say. See Occam’s sig line and try again.

Darron, did you check out the link, which I sent you about the work of Professor Roy F Baumeister (Florida State University and author of 450 scientific papers) and John Tierney, a science writer at the New York Times? Or do you dismiss their work as just screed, a long speech?  Do you dismiss what they are saying in this link. The link is http://www.ideafit.com/library/how-to-strengthen-willpower-part-1

RevLGKing - 25 July 2012 09:26 PM

George - 25 July 2012 04:00 PM

If you have referred to pneumatology as the science of tires (say, discussing if winter tires are worth the extra money), it could have gone to Science forum instead. When you make stuff up, it’s pseudoscience.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumatology  I “make stuff up?” Well, the article in Wikipedia points out that

In Christian theology pneumatology refers to the study of the Holy Spirit. The English word comes from two Greek words: πνευμα (pneuma, spirit) and λογος (logos, teaching about).

...

Philipp Melanchthon (February 16, 1497 – April 19, 1560), born Philipp Schwartzerdt, was a German reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lutheran Reformation, and an influential designer of educational systems. He stands next to Luther and Calvin as a reformer, theologian, and molder of Protestantism. As much as Luther, he is the primary founder of Lutheranism. The scholarly work of Professor Philipp Melanchthon of the University of Wittenberg played a crucial role in the Protestant Reformation. He was a theologian, a student of the classics, a German reformer and collaborator of Martin Luther. As an expert in Hebrew and Greek, he helped Luther translate the Bible into German. Based on theology, he laid the foundation of pneumatology—the mother of psychology.[1]

World Book Dictionary makes the point that pneumatology it not just about gases. It connects it with theology, metaphysics, spirituality, and is an obsolete word for psychology. I found it used similarly in the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. Surely, it must also be in the 20 volume version. Also, it is used both ways—that is, it refers to spirituality and to pneumatics, gases. And in Webster’s NEW American Dictionary (1939), which I have.

It would be extremely difficult to study the Holy Spirit since it doesn’t exist. You and the rest of “sophisticated theologians” who are as deluded as you, are making stuff up. Same goes for theology: you can’t study something which doesn’t exist. I mean, you can if you want to—for all I care you can get a PhD in santaclausology—but to me it sounds more like a symptom of a mental problem than a serious study.

And the only reason why “theology” and “pneumatology” are official words is becuase mental dillusion and selling snake oil (through the art of speaking) are widely spread.

From a theology test:

“Jesus was the son of…”

a) God
b) Joseph
c) Holy Spirit
d) Himself
e) All of the above

If you answered “e,” you may have what it takes to dedicate the rest of your life to coming up with similar nonsense (e.g., “pneumatology”) with the possibility of never having to get a real job. (For the past two thousand years it also meant having an abundance of wine, meat and women.)

Here’s some info I found on the objective ministries site that may further clarify the Rev’s position George. I mean baby Jesus started the whole thing didn’t he? He transmogrified!

The Role Of The Baby Jesus In The Trinity

There seems to be some confusion on the Internet, which I will endeavor to now clear up, about the point of our Baby Jesus page and exactly what role the Baby Jesus plays in the Trinity.

Firstly, what is the nature of the Baby Jesus? Put simply: The Baby Jesus is a temporal prosopon of the Logos hypostatic branch of the Trinity and is the conduit through which the circuit of Agape is grounded in Humanity. Like all the hypostases, the Baby Jesus is a fully integrated, homoousian manifestation of the Trinity, having two natures, both Infantile and Divine—Baby and God.

Whereas the supra-adult Risen Christ provides us with Love and Care, it is through the Baby Jesus that we are able to return some small amount of the same, as His innocence elicits our purest emotions. Although Earthly Human love is relatively miniscule and thus cannot fully, or even substantially, repay His Love, God knows that without providing us this spiritual release valve, Humans experiencing even a small part of the Infinite Love contained within the Trinity would be so overwhelmed by guilt at being so infinitely unworthy as to be incapacitated, both physically and metaphysically.

The Baby Jesus transmogrifies the unfathomable vastness of Agape into something a Human can hold in his or her arms and care for. He is, if you will, a friendly user interface to the Holy Ghost. We see then that God had a Purpose for manifesting Himself on Earth natally instead of simply appearing in a fully adult form: The very existence of the Baby Jesus Himself is an act of Love and Caring, for by our being able to love and care for the Baby Jesus, we are able to safely share in God’s Love and Care, thus completing the circle.

It is for this reason that we implore visitors to our site to not forsake the Baby Jesus. For without His Cooing Grace to Humanize the Awesome Infinitude of God’s Love, those on the verge of accepting Jesus into their hearts may become confused and disoriented—experiencing a sort of Agapic vertigo—and fall prey to the many Internet predators working for Satan who seek to lead them astray. Many a potential Saved person has been lost for lack of proper focus on the Baby Jesus.

Please, don’t let this happen; help get the word out that the Baby Jesus just wants to be loved. Is that so much to ask for Salvation?

I’m convinced coo coo!

Cap’t Jack

George - 25 July 2012 06:01 AM

RevLGKing - 24 July 2012 09:01 PM

By choice, I choose to call this power G~0~D, where ~0~ symbolises the microcosm within us.

Okay, I’ll make it rhyme as well:

If in Canada we had our own Oprah,
She could have discovered you’re our Deepak Chopra.

By George, George, I now, take my valuable time,
To thank you, sincerely, for your funny rhyme