Guest Post: There's Devilry Afoot!

Guest writer Jonas E. Hill offers his insightful take on the latest shenanigans of religious conservatives, particularly their on going beef with President Obama's alleged "Muslim" sympathies. 

Join me, dear readers, in welcoming to the blog the literary talents of Mr. Jonas E. Hill, an acquaintance of this writer who will occasionally be contributing his own unique perspective on any and all things, starting with today's guest post. Enjoy!

There’s Devilry Afoot! – Religious Paranoia in ‘Murica

Jonas E. Hill

It’s a rather odd feeling to be an American these days. On the one hand, our country is one of the most advanced (if not the THE MOST advanced) nation in the Western world, especially the English speaking world. Our history is replete with the names of famous Inventors and Scientists who either called America their home sweet home from childhood (such as Thomas Alva Edison), or pulled up their roots and immigrated here to pursue and win their fortune (such as the Serbian-born, later naturalized American citizen and celebrated scientist Nikola Tesla). These men (and women, I haven’t forgotten you ladies) have made life more happy, comfortable and worth living for their nation, not to mention the entire human race, through their creativity and their dedication to their calling which it must be said they truly loved.

And yet despite the fact that Americans can now walk down the street with a hand-held super computer/telephone in their pocket, despite the fact that we now have medicines that can cure diseases that only a century ago were a certain death sentence, despite the fact that the American nation placed a human being on another planet, the nation still remains the laughing stock of the modern 21^st century Industrial world. For indeed, despite the undeniable progress of science  and the hard work of scientists nationwide, and world-wide, a shocking percentage of the American population (nearly 30% to be precise) believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible. 

Furthermore, they are prepared to uphold by all means necessary (including their fists and their firearms) a Bronze-Age Creation mythology, to the point that they have come to view any point of view (however similar in insanity to their own) as a grave threat to be destroyed by fire and sword. And they will be damned before they let any other religion or philosophy share equal rights under the law as their own faith has.

Now, before we proceed, a disclaimer. I am not in any way arguing for the destruction of religion. I am not arguing for or against atheism/agnosticism, nor attempting to disrespect anyone’s spirituality or lack thereof.What I say is this: If indeed you must believe, then believe sanely. Believe with an open mind (it is difficult, it may require you to stop taken everything so literally, but it is possible, if you try). And yes, there were a number of eminent scientists throughout human history, up to the present day, who maintained their faith in some sort of higher power, but nevertheless recognized that the Holy Books of the world are not the final authority on anything in life.

To illustrate my point, let us explore the ravings of a long-time member of America’s vaunted religious conservative movement, Mr. Don Feder, journalist and Communications Director of the World Congress of Families (a notoriously anti-gay organization which praises, among other things, former atheist and Communist Party member now turned Eastern Orthodox zealot, Russian President Vladimir Putin). 

Mr. Feder has decided to try the usual dirty trick that is the desperate last resort of the American Religious Right: blame the “Other”, criticize and demonize those who are different or disagree. In this case, the nefarious “Other” is Islam. While indeed the Islamic religion is no stranger to fanatical zeal and fundamentalist belief, (illustrated by the hideous blood bath raging in the Middle East) the point that needs to be made is how very similar these religions really are, especially when it comes to fundamentalism, violence and cruelty, and the ongoing attempt to maintain a literalist interpretation of their respective holy scriptures in a scientific, evidence based 21^st century in which nearly all their claims as to the nature of the universe have been proven false.

Again, let me reiterate: I have nothing against Christianity, Judaism, or Islam or any other religion. As I said before, I will now say again for those who would try to scream bigotry to silence critics; IF YOU MUST BELIEVE, THEN BELIEVE SANELY. BELIEVE WITH RESPECT TO YOUR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS, AND THEIR RIGHTS TO DISAGREE.

Mr. Don Feder opens his latest tantrum with a reference to the current American President being a secret Muslim. (A popular tactic for American religious conservatives), saying:

“Our president has been called Islam's principal Western apologist. But that's like calling the Chief Rabbi of Israel kind of Jewish, or Lindsay Lohan sort of messed up. In fact, from his 2009 Cairo speech to last Friday's Sermon on the Mosque, it's been nothing less than slavish devotion: the Muslim Brotherhood is "secular," the Ft. Hood massacre was "workplace violence," the Taliban is "an armed insurgency" (but not terrorist), initially, Benghazi was caused by an anti-Mohammed video, "the future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam," the muezzin's call to prayer is "one of the sweetest sounds on earth," and on and on ad nauseam.

 In the coming Caliphate, maybe he'll be the Sheik of Chicago or the Imam O.

 At the Prayer Breakfast, after his faux Buddhist greeting to the Dali Lama, the alleged leader of the Free World pledged to "push back against those who would distort our religion for their nihilist ends." Which religion?”

I think this calls for an appropriate response. Ladies and gentlemen, I do not vote, I do not belong to a political party, and view the whole process as rather silly. I view education and the search for truth through the scientific method and through philosophical debate to be a more constructive action. So in the name of truth, remember this:

President Barack Obama is a Christian. He has said so in his own words, and here is but one example in which he has discussed his religion and how it has shaped his views of the world. Are we clear? Christians, if you hate the American President, remember that he belongs to your own religion. What does that say about Christian brotherhood? Better yet, if you think the President is terrible at his job, and he draws inspiration in his life and work from Christianity… what does that say about the faith? 

Consider these things carefully before you open your mouths to criticize.

While we are on the subject of Christianity let me say a word about the beloved “National Prayer Breakfast”.  The event is a yearly gathering started in 1953, in which Christian leadership from around America and the world at large gather for a day of meals and speeches. The event has drawn such notable conservative activists as Dr. Ben Carson, the famous American surgeon who doesn’t seem to actually believe in science, Christian fundamentalist writer Eric Metaxas, Christian screenwriter Randall Wallace (who wrote the screenplay for Braveheart) and a slew of other prominent religious American citizens.

Another issue of note is that in addition to a host of US Senators and Congressman, every American President since Dwight Eisenhower has attended the National Prayer Breakfast and many, if not all, have made speeches. This leads me to ask the question: In a nation which has clearly laid out in its legal code that no religion is to be shown any preference over another religion (the pseudo – scholarly assertions of so called Christian legal “experts” like David Barton to the contrary notwithstanding), or that religion should not be shown preference over non-religion, why are American politicians, especially the Head of State, the President, attending these events?

 Don Feder claimed in the above quoted excerpt from his article that Obama may become the leader of an American caliphate. A caliphate is an Islamic nation governed directly by Sharia law. Mr. Feder and his conservative friends are terrified of an Islamic government taking root in America… and yet they live in a nation where the overwhelming majority (76% in fact) of people identify as Christians, and political leaders are attending religious prayer conferences, openly endorsing the Christian faith over other faiths and beliefs in the American nation.

Their argument, like so many others, is patently absurd.

Moving on to further points, this past year the leader of the Buddhist world, The Dalai Lama attended the National Prayer Breakfast, and the American President greeted him warmly… once again, Mr. Feder and company are outraged that this took place; yet I would suspect they are outraged that the Dalai Lama was invited to this event at all. The answer is simple – the President should not be attending any prayer meetings as a political leader; however if he does so, than he must show respect to ALL RELIGIONS in attendance. Not just the religion which Mr. Feder and his Christian friends prefer.

And, finally, we will end with one final quote from Mr. Feder’s lengthy article;

Two strains converge to shape Obama's attitude toward Islam. There's nostalgia – for his Moslem boyhood in Indonesia (so innocent, so carefree, so harmonious) and his absentee dad – combined with the left's worldview.

As I said before – the President is a Christian, and has said so with own lips. So religious conservatives, please stop lying (it is a sin, after all). As for the President having an absent father – this is an absolutely irrelevant point in the discussion, so I will not dignify it with a response. And finally, Mr. Feder rages that the President is a political leftist. Well, my only answer to that is that if you are a fundamentalist Christian (or in the case of Mr. Feder, a Christian apologist), and you take your scripture literally, without question, than Jesus made it quite clear that he himself was a man of left wing politics. For the sake of argument, let us entertain the literal view of the Bible. Even from this point of view, it is clear:  Jesus opposed the rich, opposed the established religious authorities of his time, and his followers were the impoverished peasants of Israel, prostitutes, and the sick and disabled. This is reflected in Jesus’s own words when he said:

"Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:24)"

And furthermore:

"…and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward." (Matthew 10:42)

Which leads me to my conclusion: Don Feder, World Congress of Families, all you religious conservatives, whoever you may be, whatever church you belong to – stop complaining, and start HELPING people…. The sick, the dying, the hungry, the poor. Stop worrying about people’s sex lives, stop worrying about trying to put the Ten Commandments in public buildings, and stop worrying about what church/and or any other holy place of worship the President attends. Jesus has commanded you to do it – are you going to disobey him?

As for the very concept of a “National Prayer Breakfast”, keep in mind your Lord’s words:

And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.  But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:5-6)

Thank you for reading, Christians and Non-Christians alike.

Peace be upon you all. 

If you enjoyed the content of this post, check out my best-selling e-book, Dragon Heart, available in the Kindle Store on Amazon.com. As always, comments and feedback are encouraged.

Quick Take: No Butts About It!

In the latest round of dispatches from Arkham Asylum the 'Murican heartland, dear readers, there is one particular noxious nugget of note:

In a recent session of the Montana legislature, a bill was drafted by one Representative David Moore, who in one feel swoop identified the real issue that is plaguing the once fruited plain... yoga pants.

More specifically, the proposed bill would outlaw "any device, costume, or covering that gives the appearance of or simulates the genitals, pubic hair, anus region, or pubic hair region."

And that is only the tip of the spear in Moore's thrust (gotta work with your material, folks) to eradicate widespread lewdness. As the Billings Gazette reported:

"The Republican from Missoula said tight-fitting beige clothing could be considered indecent exposure under his proposal.

"Yoga pants should be illegal in public anyway," Moore said after the hearing.

Moore said he wouldn’t have a problem with people being arrested for wearing provocative clothing but that he'd trust law enforcement officials to use their discretion. He couldn’t be sure whether police would act on that provision or if Montana residents would challenge it.

"I don't have a crystal ball," Moore said."

"Trust law enforcement to use their discretion"? Certainly nothing could go awry there! But I digress...

While the mere fact that such a juvenile response - one roughly on par with the same "icky" reaction grade school children have to contracting "cooties" - is even being articulated serves as another blow to the last vestiges of American dignity, thankfully Mr. Moore's tantrum was contained in timeout.

"Amid giggles" from his more sensible fellow legislators, the bill was tabled by a unanimous voice vote in a session of the House Judiciary committee. 

I could waste precious time and energy expounding upon the utter ridiculousness of such an archaic, antiquated, and down right stupid notion, that banning "suggestive" (which isn't a subjective term at all) clothing will somehow restore public decency and well being; but the fact that Moore's colleagues in the Montana legislature - a state where 35% of the Christian population believes in a word for word reading of the Bible - literally laughed his bill out of consideration says it all.

To paraphrase the late, great George Carlin, if people wonder why America can't seem to produce decent cars or electronics, can't educate the young or provide healthcare to the elderly and the poor, look no further than David Moore and his legion of stuff shirt, frumpy ilk, to whom the very existence of human genitalia is an affront to their shallow existences.

Good Gods, Y'all!

Contrary to what many religious conservatives might believe, the majority of neo -pagan adherents - including the Icelandic Astaru organization - do not carry out ritual violence or adhere to a literal view of their guiding mythologies.

"We come from the land of the ice and snow,
From the midnight sun where the hot springs flow.
The hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new lands,
To fight the horde, singing and crying: Valhalla, I am coming!"

Who better than the mighty Zeppelin to herald the epic news! Earlier this week, it was announced that construction of Iceland's first major Norse temple since 1,000 A.D. (when the island nation officially adopted Christianity as the state religion) would begin this month, to serve as the main gathering place for the Astaru Association, Iceland's chief Norse neo - pagan group.

Let the torrent of frenzied comments begin: "Wait a second, MacCormack, I thought you said this was a FREE THINKER'S BLOG!!!!!!!!!! What are you addressing this inanity for? Everyone knows the only people who dabble in this nonsense are Dungeons and Dragons Nerds and Metal Head Hooligan misfits!"

You would be right, good people: And as a free thinking space - and my personal blog to boot - I am free  (like what I did there?) to post and discuss whatever tickles my inquisitive fancy at any given moment. And, if all you angry bears can just settle down, I believe you'll appreciate where I'm going with this bad boy.

While steeped in the rich and vivid tales of old portraying the deeds of Odin, Thor, Balder, Loki, and the rest of the mythic Norse pantheon (as famously preserved by the Icelandic historian and poet Snorri Sturluson in the Prose Edda), the Astaru Association does not subscribe to a literal interpretation of those accounts. As Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson, the high priest of the Astaru Association, described it:

"I don’t believe anyone believes in a one-eyed man who is riding about on a horse with eight feet (referring to Odin and his steed Sleipnir). We see the stories as poetic metaphors and a manifestation of the forces of nature and human psychology" (emphasis added).

Certainly a far cry from the unflattering portrait painted of basement dwelling Cosplayers huddling over a game board, or the more insidious mass panic imagery of brain washed youths in revolt dabbling in satanic black masses, as the specter of Aleister Crowley looks from the shadowy nether, cackling in devious delight.

The sentiment expressed by Hilmarsson is in keeping with the ground breaking work of mythologist Joseph Campbell, author of the classic Hero with a Thousand Faces (which famously inspired George Lucas in crafting the Star Wars saga). Campbell, who was heavily influenced by Jungian psychology, and its Archetypal theory in particular, believed the characters, events, and places named throughout all the world's mythological traditions to be personifications and symbols of the states of the human psyche and the powers of the wider universe, not meant to be taken as literal, historical personages, places, or things. In this school of thought, the only demons and dragons to be conquered reside within the dark caverns of our subconscious depths, In Campbell's own words:

"It's only when a man tames his own demons that he becomes the king of himself if not of the world."

The picture entertained in the frenzied public consciousness of violent demon possessed pagans, lurking in the darkened peripheries of enlightened Godly civilization, looking for souls to corrupt and blood to spill, is in large part fueled by the Evangelical Christian principle of Scriptural inerrancy - also present in Orthodox Judaism and the Salafi and Zahiri strains of Sunni Islam -  in which, as opposed to the allegorical/metaphorical interpretation, the contents of the above named faiths' holy books are accepted at face value, without question. 

It is through the lens of this narrow world view that, upon watching films like the 1973 cult classic The Wicker Man (in which a devout Christian police detective uncovers acts of neo Celtic pagan sacrifice on a remote Scottish island), listening to the occult themed lyrics of heavy metal artists like Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne, or hearing David Berkowitz's unsubstantiated claims of Satanic cult involved in the Son of Sam murders, devout adherents of the "literalist" perspective come to believe in the physical existence of devils, wizards, and all manner of heathen seeking to pollute and undermine God's revealed truth.

Sadly as history has proven time and again, it is from this perverted spirit of "righteousness" that zealots - in a twist of tragic irony - visit cruel barbarity upon the "heathen",  both real and imagined; the degraded practices laid at the feet of the heathen are given new life as justified methods of "cleansing" in the pure hands of the people of God. This blinding dogmatism - most prevalent in but not exclusive to religion - is the driving force behind Inquisitions, Crusades, Witch hunts, moral panics, jihads, tortures, book burnings, genocides, oppression and all manner of truly "devilish" activity down the ages.

And, allow me to spare you good folks the trouble of busting out your ace in the hole - the Hitler card - and informing me that the Nazi Party was peopled to the gills with Wagnerian Norse - Teutonic Pagan antisemites. It is a matter of historical fact that Nazism was met with wide spread acceptance by German Christians of all denominations. Hitler went to great lengths to connect his National Socialist philosophy with Christian tenants, helping to spearhead the Positive Christianity movement, as well as using charged Christian rhetoric in his speeches and writings:

"Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord." (Mein Kampf, p. 65)

"And the founder of Christianity made no secret indeed of his estimation of the Jewish people. When He found it necessary, He drove those enemies of the human race out of the Temple of God." (Mein Kampf, p. 165)

"The National Government will regard it as its first and foremost duty to revive in the nation the spirit of unity and cooperation. It will preserve and defend those basic principles on which our nation has been built. It regards Christianity as the foundation of our national morality, and the family as the basis of national life." (Speech delivered in Berlin upon becoming Chancellor of Germany, Feb. 1st 1933)

Yet I digress...

Perhaps none of this should come as a horrible surprise. After all, according to a 2011 Gallup poll, 3 out of every 10 Americans believe the Bible, as the "actual word of God," is to be "taken literally, word for word." And, to be fair, if that 30% of the American Christian population wishes to hold these views as their own personal system faith, it is unquestionably their right to do so, as ridiculous as it may appear to myself and others. If they wish to remain in a state of willful ignorance and rail against science, women, minorities, and humanity in general they're more than welcome to.

 However, it is more often than not this segment of the population that is the most adamant in demanding that their world view be given preferential treatment via the law at the expense of, in their estimation, "lesser" or "blasphemous" philosophies. And, if any one speaks up and dares to cite the plain English of the 1st Amendment, the pastors of the bully pulpit claim "discrimination."

Just where am I going with all this? Let me answer that with a question of my own: If so many of the myriad pagan faiths, with origins dating back to farthest antiquity, can change their perspectives in light of our ever growing understanding and consciousness as a race, and still glean significant insight and meaning from their traditions, what is preventing Christianity, Judaism, and Islam en mass from doing likewise?

Let us ponder over that mystery in the spirit of profane questioning which the aforementioned Mr. Crowley was no stranger to:

.  

If you enjoyed the content of this post, check out my best-selling e-book, Dragon Heart, available in the Kindle Store on Amazon.com. As always, comments and feedback are encouraged.

Imagination: Architect of Reality

Through the annals of history, all great minds - of poets, writers, philosophers, artists, athletes, statesmen, and scientists like Einstein - have cited the use of creative imagination as essential in bringing forth their respective visions into the material realm.

"Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere." Albert Einstein

"Imagination creates reality." Richard Wagner

"Imagination governs the world." Napoleon Bonaparte

"I have fallen in love with the imagination. And if you fall in love with the imagination, you understand that it is a free spirit. It will go anywhere, and it can do anything." Alice Walker

To the above quoted luminaries - and the countless score of inspired souls down the ages, whether painter or plowman, soldier or suffragette - the utilization of the imaginative faculty was not merely to serve as an arena for the staging of lifeless day dreams, or the breeding ground for feverish delusions of grandeur. It was nothing less than the workshop of the mind, where grand thoughts and noble visions are forged by the fiery smith of conviction into tangible, physical reality. For some, it was something yet grander; In the words of William Blake, "Man is all Imagination. God is Man and exists in us and we Him... The Eternal Body of Man is the Imagination, that is, God, Himself ." 

Indeed, those intrepid visionaries such as Blake - who both the uninformed masses and the dogmatic gatekeepers of the stunted status quo condescendingly labeled "mystics" - have only articulated with forceful beauty the sentiment expressed by the inquisitive searchers of truth of all times:

"Mind is the Master power that moulds and makes,

And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes

The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills,

Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills: —

He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:

Environment is but his looking-glass." 

Befitting her inherent ability of myriad manifestation, she has donned many different masks throughout the ongoing run of Creation - God, Allah, Brahma, Yahweh, Tao, Fortune, to name but a few of her perceived forms - yet the Muse of Imagination has been ever present, working in tandem with earnest, expansive minds to bring "into existence the things that do not exist" (Romans 4:17). 

The voices of glorious antiquity sound their testimony to her ability - as directed by the current of individual, and in turn, collective human thought - to form "light and create darkness,

make weal and create woe" (Isaiah 45: 7):

"The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it." Marcus Aurelius

"If we are not stupid or insincere when we say that the good or ill of man lies within his own will, and that all beside is nothing to us, why are we still troubled?" Epictetus

"A happy life consists in tranquility of mind." Cicero

"To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders." Lao Tzu

Even the contents of the Christian Scriptures, when viewed thorough the illuminating lens of vivid psychology allegory and metaphor, stand in firm solidarity with the insight of the "heathen" experience:

"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23: 7

"You will also declare a thing,

And it will be established for you;

So light will shine on your ways." Job 22:28

"So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." Mark 11: 22 - 24

"That is all well good," I can imagine the doctrinaire materialist scoffing, "Yet nothing but abstract theory and fanciful metaphysical musing! Hard, empirical evidence if you please, dear sir!"

Ask, and you shall receive, to borrow a line. The miracles of science as demonstrated by her storied prophets have only verified and reinforced the earlier observations of the ancients.

There is the old story of August Kekule, the renowned German chemist known for his contributions to the field of theoretical chemistry, who discovered the shape of the benzene molecule via a day dream of a snake seizing its own tail (the ancient Ouroboros symbolizing regeneration; Carl Jung believed it to be a significant archetypal image).  

The celebrated Nikola Tesla attested strongly to the role that concentrated and inventive thought played in his illustrious career:

"I am credited with being one of the hardest workers and perhaps I am, if thought is the equivalent of labour, for I have devoted to it almost all of my waking hours …

"The gift of mental power comes from God, Divine Being, and if we concentrate our minds on that truth, we become in tune with this great power."

The Wizard of Menlo Park, Thomas Edison, without whom we would quite likely still be reading by candlelight, remarked, "To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk."

And, of course, there is the monumental paradigm shifting work of Albert Einstein, whose theory of relativity revolutionized the scientific view of the Cosmos from a static Newtonian model to an expanding universe. Quoth the sage, "The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."

In light of Einstein's revelations, the field of physics has slowly begun to entertain and accept the idea, long held by the esoteric philosophical schools, of an ever evolving and expanding Universal Mind that animates and sustains all creation, of which humanity as a portion of can access through use of the mental faculty. Sir Arthur Eddington, prominent English physicist and one of the earliest supporters of Einstein's theory of relativity, posited in The Nature of the Physical World:

"The universe is of the nature of a thought or sensation in a universal Mind... To put the conclusion crudely — the stuff of the world is mind-stuff... The mind-stuff of the world is something more general than our individual conscious minds; but we may think of its nature as not altogether foreign to feelings in our consciousness... Having granted this, the mental activity of the part of world constituting ourselves occasions no great surprise; it is known to us by direct self-knowledge, and we do not explain it away as something other than we know it to be — or rather, it knows itself to be."

Eddington's contemporary, Sir James Jeans, believed likewise. From his The Mysterious Universe:

"Today there is a wide measure of agreement, which on the physical side of science approaches almost to unanimity, that the stream of knowledge is heading towards a non-mechanical reality; the universe begins to look more like a great thought than like a great machine. Mind no longer appears as an accidental intruder into the realm of matter; we are beginning to suspect that we ought rather to hail it as a creator and governor of the realm of matter..."

Weighty testimonials by any standard, from a plethora of epochs and fields, attesting to the immeasurable - no, infinite - capacity of the mind, once grasped by all of Mother Nature's children, to effectively achieve harmonious accord with those invisible yet palpable forces around us, with which we live, move and have our being. With the reality altering findings furnished by science, the words of the Psalmist cease to be the stuff of mere poetic fancy:

"I said, “You are gods,

And all of you are children of the Most High..."

Though humankind, so beautifully slow in its understanding, still pays fealty to the primacy of the "real" world of sense, and remains shackled, like Prometheus of old, to the rock of "Fate";

"But you shall die like men,
And fall like one of the princes.” 

But it is only so because we believe it so. The philosophes of both past and present have boldly tread the ground and lighted the path; it remains for each of us to cast the dye and venture forth across our own Rubicons. Whether we are crowned with the champion's laurel wreath or share in Caesar's ultimate fate depends upon our steering of the rudders of thought.

Only through experiment in the laboratory of shall we discover, as related in Khayyam's learned verse,

"I sent my Soul through the Invisible,

Some letter of that After-life to spell:

And by and by my Soul return'd to me,

And answer'd "I Myself am Heav'n and Hell:"

Heav'n but the Vision of fulfill'd Desire,

And Hell the Shadow from a Soul on fire."

If you enjoyed the content of this post, check out my best-selling e-book, Dragon Heart, available in the Kindle Store on Amazon.com. As always, comments and feedback are encouraged.