year in review, an excessive ramble

Well it's nearing the end of 2011 and why not review... all the news outlets are looking for stories in this void between Christmas and new years, hopefully no earthquakes, tsunami's or man made fulminant disasters should happen in the coming days, or weeks to stop the trend of non-news news... but, every time I see a Television, it’s compiled lists of best of's, worst of's, newsmakers of the year, top 1000, biggest sales, on and on and on.

Now I'm not totally against reflecting on where you came from but when it's spewed from every media type repeatedly, my question is where are we going... there are a few things that I want to address and even though I'm but one blogger in the arctic, but who knows maybe someone will read this and think. Yeah I feel the same way... so here’s my year end reflection...

1. The economy is shitty and the prospects on the horizon are pretty bleak, with "European instability" and the recession in full swing in the US, now China's growth is showing signs of slowing if you have a job count your blessings and don't go and overburden yourself with debt... Canadians are carrying more debt now then before the 2008 crash and I don't know how long this whole capitalism thing is going to work out for. I can only hope that a slowing Chinese economy means less low quality plastic single use items, maybe boxing day sales will cease to exist and maybe the economy will start to reflect the ecology of the planet, economy and ecology - there based on the same root word meaning home, as in earth a finite amount of resources a limited amount of food a limited amount of fresh water.  David Suzuki has many quotes and books about the intergenerational crime that the "economy" is because it doesn't reflect accurately the present day ecological responsibilities the business of today on the planet today;  hence the intergenerational crime is that corporations today are leaving messes for tomorrows generations to deal with.

which brings me to

#2.  Fuck the whole idea of ‘out there is bad and in here were good’ the 99% vs the 1%, this is what bothers me about people, its not taking responsibility for your own actions. I'd say it's not some entity out there that is responsible for the plastic in albatross bellies, it's me I produce plastic garbage I am a consumer (if this doesn’t make sense then read my last post), it's not the Bill Gates and Steve Jobs’ in the world that are at fault for marketing something so well that they become a billionaires, it's my fault that I bought the product.  It's not the conservatives fault for quitting Kyoto, it's every Canadians for not stepping up and saying that they demand there workplace reduce emissions, shrink it's carbon footprint, or make some change, it's really easy to point a finger at someone and blame them but like the saying goes when you point a finger in blame three are pointed back at yourself... and yes I know that in order for an economy that is based on ecology would result in catastrophic failings of the current world order, but perhaps that’s necessary,  I know its a ridiculous thing to wish for, but all civilizations eventually fail, perhaps our hubris is oil and technology and were fast approaching the end of an era, only time will tell I guess, I just hope that the next generation, (which as a concept is bogus, the population doesn't produce in waves, it's a constant, and a growing constant...) isn't totally doomed to a poisoned, painful life of carcinogens and flooded cities, my parents got me composting and recycling at a young age, and now I have peers with children, nieces and a nephew, and I feel like the global conscious is still just lusting for more things.

#3. My grammar and English have paid the price for being in such an isolated place with so much broken English around, also I swear a lot more. I'm constantly catching myself poorly articulate words and it worries me that I'll likely be around it for another 2-4 years.

#4. I've changed my hobby focus from cycling to photography... I'd like to reconcile the 2 in the New Year... sadly, I think until I leave the Arctic this will be a struggle that pesters me.

#5. I'm struggling with the reconciliation of being an environmentalist and living in the Arctic... Canadian winters in general are not so carbon footprint friendly, when it's winter 8 months of the year and most if not all your food travels at least 3000 km before it arrives at your house, it's constantly on my mind and it makes me a huge hypocrite particularly when looking at point #2.

#6. Somehow the 80's are cool again, which scares me that fashion is being recycled so fast... pretty soon we'll be just parodies of ourselves.... how did fashion make my list... it must be late..

#7. List of things annoy me, I'll refer you to points #5 and 7 to hi-light how much of a hypocrite I am.

#8. Ignorance isn't bliss, and more then ever this year I've become hardened in my atheist beliefs, it amazes me that people still try to argue with me that what they believe is right and yet any attempts at a discussion lead to accusations that I'm personally attacking them. In starting a conversation about what you believe, and questioning me on a religious level, is in its self an accusation at my beliefs. People don’t know how rude they are, and I have done my best to bite my tongue and not get into these philosophical debates. I’m not a scholar in Atheism I don’t suspect that you are in your beliefs either, but please don’t be so bloody rude… I have someone tell me they were sorry for me, sorry that I was an atheist… WTF, I mean really, apparently as an atheist people seem to believe that I believe in nothing... the most common atheist conversation that I had this year is "how can you live without a god, you would have no morals, you could rape, pillage, murder and it would be okay, because you don't believe in god." I'm just going to retype this argument out because I really really hope that I don't have to have it in 2012. My thought's on this view of atheism is wow, you really don't give yourself much credit, it's like saying if you didn't have a god you would rape and murder and pillage because no one would be watching... that you would be accountable to no-one... I think that in any world with or without a deity you are accountable to yourself. I think that people have an innately good character, that people have a conscious, and when able to (when the basic needs of humanity (food, water, shelter, safety) are met), people do more then indulge themselves but actually care for others, contribute to society, follow a universally human code of behaviour, make mistakes because they are human and most importantly are capable of enormous growth, compassion and beauty. I believe that morality is more then a book in a place of worship, it is ones actions, ones behaviour, it is learned from ones parents, community and a part of it is intrinsically linked to our ability to communicate and interact with other living things. More then anything I know I am tired of defending Atheism, I'm not a bad person, I may be a hypocrite in some aspects of my life but I don't think I'm living some greatly immoral life.  I've made mistakes, I'll make more in the future but life is short and I'm not going to live in the past... 

A psychiatrist once told me that life is like driving a car, you have to look forward through the windshield to see where you going, if you spend all your time looking in the rearview mirror then you will crash. 

So that’s my philosophy and my goal of reflecting, see where you came from, don't forget who it made you but have a plan, be responsible and enjoy the ride because this car doesn’t have a reverse.

Yes, I know I'm being very verbose and perhaps not really reflecting as I set out to do but I guess that’s the way todays blog is going to roll... pardon the pun

so to summarize

1. The economy is bad, ecology is what we should focus on, 2. do it with action and not just words. 3 if my words don't add up, or are too abrasive please tell me, 4. I miss cycling, but I'll work on it, 5-7 I'm a hypocrite when it comes to the environment, and lists... I’ll work on that too, apparently I'm a critic... however I once dismissed capri pants and 3/4 length anything... the world didn't listen then either I don't expect them to now... and 8 please for the love of [your] god (pun intended) unless your willing to ceed something or at least listen to a different perspective don't push your ideologies on me. and I guess 9  don't live in the past.

Thanks for reading as always


M

feel free to wander over to my photostream at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/matthewhamilton1/
or shoot me an e-mail @ m.hamilton.email@gmail.com

the existence of god

Let get this one out of the way right off the bat... the debate on the existence of god. 

About a year ago, Here in Inuvik there was a World Interfaith Symposium, I think they called it, and they hosted "Debate on the Existence of God",there was an Aboriginal man, actually I think he would call himself Gwich'in but regardless he was there to represent the "native world view", there words not mine...  there were also Buddhist, a Sikh, Christian, and Muslim Perspective presented...

It was a cordial event at the very least and the moderator, wasn't really necessary because everyone knew that before and after the event the world would be the exact same as it was before. And my thoughts were this;

1) this debate is moot, if they really wanted a debate they would have had some agnostic's and atheists there to present a godless world, instead they had a pacifist Buddhist who seemed to avoid confrontation as if it were the Plague. 

2) if your going to have someone representing "the native world view" best to do your research and not get a practicing christian... we'll say although he was a well spoken man, he was a little jaded... 

3)why a World Symposium here in Inuvik... were only 3400 people, albeit a fairly diverse group ethnically I suppose but here... really seems like an excuse for people of these religions to see the Arctic on their congregations dime... 

4) none of this Debate represents my worldview, and while I enjoy learning about other religions, As I have grown older have become more and more set in my ways, which I imagine most people do. I guess that's why so many religions have kids programs, "sunday school" was what it was called when I was a kid... 

So now to my own world view, that there is not some Omnipotent being in the sky, or heaven. I view the entire concept of religion as a construct of the human mind. If you want an explanation of the Universe I don't have one that more elegant or believable then Darwin's Theory, String Theory or Quantum Theory. Yes some may argue that they are in fact called theory's but I would bring to light that in any explanation of something as complex as the Nature of our existance, the world arround us, the reason people have sentience, is exceptionally difficult to prove definitively. One must seek out the most likely explanation by building concepts that are coherent, supportive and logical.  

The other obvious issue that people may have with this worldview of mine when I reject the idea of monotheism, polytheism or any form mythology with gods, demi-gods, or super-beings. is that my world view is just as human constructed as theres. 

I believe that just because you are raised in a certain corner of the world that the faith that your parents ascribe to doesn't necessarily mean that that is the one you should. I encourage people to study theism as a reflective tool, a study of the human psyche. I think when you learn the biblical stories, the buddhist principles the greek mythologies, inner-workings of the catholic church, the ideology in the quran, an so on and so on, you begin to see that every belief set is really just the creation of people. Every religion is a reflection of the people of the time, each religion has its own ideologies, principles and hierarchies. Those who create religions believe that doing so will better the lives of those around them creating a moral code of behaviour, they use the human emotions of guilt, shame, sin, want, desire, compassion and  love to influence human behaviour. 

I look at these structures and look at my own world view, and I believe see that all people want to be good people, contributing to society, accepted and active participants in the lives of those around them; in a word;  social, I believe thats what human nature is. Now you could raise the point of serial killers and suicide bombers but I'd still say that all people are born good and that it's the promising a utopian life after death, or being raised in a neglectful, or abusive manner that has turned them into the people that they in fact are. I don't see why people need to pray to some deity above. Life is in fact an unimaginably beautiful thing; we really should be out there soaking up the wonders of the world when were alive, because once your dead the only thing that remains in the memory of you, and a carbon based shell of a body that will decompose at varying rates depending on where and what happens to your corps. 

A friend asked me to explain a truly religious experience without a god, and I think it's easy. Say the birth of your first child or the survival of a horrific car crash where the probability of survival is exceptionally low. I'd say that I don't have to understand the cell devision and duplication of the human Embryo to revel in the beauty of life. I understand how wondrous it is to love someone or something unconditionally. I acknowledge that as a living being I have the capacity and capability to make new life. But no god or gods is responsible for my actions or creations. Furthermore the human brain is a thing of mystery but it is not completely a puzzle either. The human brain is always searching for meaning and relevance and it naturally links things together even when they  perhaps have no connection. So if for your entire life you've been told that near death experiences, or when someone lives when statistically it isn't probable are miracles or acts of god, then you too will likely believe this as a proof of gods existence. However if you look at it from the perspective of a person attempting to explain the events to them self, or as the automakers safety features working or trained medical staff readily available then perhaps god has as much to do with it as the tooth fairy, or the easter bunny. 

Anyhow I think this rant is more then long enough, and I think that my world view is making itself clear, I don't want to come across as a militant Atheist, although I'm certainly not a pacifist either. I have religious friends and Atheist one's too, and I'm not about to blow anyone up or start a war because we don't share the same worldview. I don't think this blog will change the world but maybe just maybe I'll connect with another person and they'll think, "I like that" or "that makes sense to me". And thats why I'm writing, to connect with people, maybe you think I'm a kook or maybe you'll laugh to yourself. I just like getting my thoughts out of my head and on to "paper" I guess because there isn't a meeting every week to hammer home a theology of Atheism doesn't mean I don't think about it.