Doctor Yeshua

"She was a dark and stormy woman – she was a killer – she was my mother. He put the book down as suddenly as he had picked it up from the well-used, small side table beside the comfortable, old fashioned, over-stuffed chair. Without thinking, he put his glasses on top of the book and started to rub his right eye, his reflexive-conscious mind believing it would prevent the tick from starting. Why does Marge continue to think I want to read stuff like this? Anton wondered to himself…Just because it’s on the ‘best sellers list’. Somewhere near the top she had said. How can such drivel be a best seller?…the wonder continued. Under the glasses the rubric stared up at him. Ms. Miller is destined to become one of the country’s top mystery writers. Her thrilling narrative style will keep you glued. A thriller of a tale well told deserves a permanent place on your bookshelf. With books of this quality Miller is on her way to becoming an honored member of this country’s top writing professionals. This is a classic thriller that will keep you in suspense for hours. You won’t put it down until the end!…Miller is positively a writer to watch, with the marvelous knack of getting under the skin."

I don’t want to watch her write, Anton mused; not when it takes her hours to imperfectly perfect just one sentence--she admits to that. Now if she is beautiful-- maybe I’ll watch her watch her watch perhaps Anton snickered. Peer back slapping must not hurt in book advertising. Anton continued to muse, Something that wouldn’t hurt me that is for sure. A familiar conflict of emotions welled up. Books are my nemesis. Anton fell into his habitual melancholic meditative state. The right upper eyelid started its weak tick. He rubbed it away without thinking, but it returned. Read this book. Write a book. Be booked! He shot up from the chair and stared out the window determined to force his thinking positively. A fresh overnight fall of snow greeted his gaze. It sparkled in the early morning sun, clinging to the branches of the nearby trees. Oh how pretty went the ditty; Oh how hollow mocked the swallow. Another neuropathic aberration of mine Anton thought. Why these associations….why don’t they die away with time. His disparate thinking was interrupted by a call from below: breakfast.

But it, the interruption, didn’t last. Without thinking, he plopped back into the chair; hearing but not hearing; his mind now focusing on wife Marge---I should throw this book in her dumb-fat- face, Anton raged, although Mr. Meek didn’t have the courage to tell her of his resentment. He stewed. Why did I marry her ‘Highness’ anyway…? Anton’s mind cleverly eschewed the wife to avoid being booked again and again. In moods worse than this he hated everything about her. I, Anton Winfred Frenkel, solemnly swear to marry this scrawny bitch next to me…what’s her name anyway--…Marge Donna Peterson. So I was just an associate prof.,….so I lied to her…so I wasn’t a full professor yet…so what, she wouldn’t have cared…neither of us cared…get married…all our friends were…some friends…they arranged our meeting….Marge Peterson meet Professor Anton Frenkel (His Royal Majesty). I didn’t tell her about that and I sure as hell didn’t tell her about the party or the booking…and I didn’t pry into her either….. Anton suspected in later years that she was holding something back too… But let’s not rock the waves. Throwing rocks is not smart when life is good. She was a ‘Social Studies’ major. Oh yes, don’t forget the minor in literature (hell what did she call it…being a playwright or writing script for a play. I teased her about play-right and script-ture and she didn’t tease back. She could have--my being a scripture buff, even teaching a course on religion. I thought she didn’t know but she did. Now it’s a different story…she is braver…barbed teasing. No, that’s what I do!…No, that’s not what I do! I responded defensively. Esteemed professor of philosophy that’s me…with a no longer scrawny wife….maybe I could just run away from this ‘good life’; start over with an attractive broad…one wanting to sleep with me… Anton slunk deeper into the chair. He hadn’t seen it coming. It sounded good at first…a private away from it all den. A soon to be popular ‘cave’, she said. First came the overstuffed chair, then used book cases were added, and then a used futon for naps.

He glanced around the room. Design change, not right Wright did write…a ditty Anton had made up shortly after they had purchased the suburban Prairie House because of its distinctive F.L. Wright design that the builder had mercifully made more livable. Not in good shape when they bought it on the cheap, he still had to borrow money from Father and brother; her family chipped in more than his. Marge took care of the paperwork thank God. It was their first, non-rented, house and they both loved it dearly; but it was Brother Frank, Frank F. Frenkel Jr., who saved them, driving some 70 miles on weekends to do restoration which was his hobby. Anton and Marge did what they could under his supervision; all the grunt work every evening besides the weekends. Seventeen years ago we started, Anton reminisced. It was a small upper story room with a low ceiling and clearstory windows high up against it; wood framed rectangular windows, maybe 14 inches in height around three sides. Well not all the way around three, Marg routinely corrected, dam her anyway…. then Marge had….when was it anyway. Anton shook his head, how the years had flashed by". He wasn’t good at remembering the past, after the booking incident.

Marge had complained for some time about the snoring which caused her lack of sleep and the frequent headache. Maybe I could find a real soul mate!, Anton continued the musing. Soul mate-hood was a concept Anton had discovered in the not too distant past. Subconscious resentment and hatred that still brewed mildly away was interrupted by: Anton dear, your breakfast is cold…are you sleeping again? The tone of voice was anything but pleasant and the Anton dear stabbed a bit of coldness into his heart. Anton was in for it he knew, but that didn’t prevent the slightly angry undertones from invading the response: Coming was shouted down the steep stairway.

Marge was equally upset---she stirred the pot. Sit down…I don’t want any cheek pecking thank you. Why should I bother fixing this nice breakfast when you’re too lazy to get your fat ass down here? One more time and you can fix your own breakfast from now on…I’ll find someone else to fix a breakfast for…someone who will appreciate it. Marge was a little shocked at her degree of vitriol---it had boiled out of nowhere. To avoid further degeneration of the relationship, which was happening more often lately, Marge picked up the morning paper and left Anton to the stew-pot of his negativity. The last his critical eye saw was the poorly concealed birth defect.

Anton looked over the plate of delicately scrambled eggs dejur’ where the hot delicious vapors were no longer rising from tiny volcanoes like spiral nebulae. Anton was not hungry in the least. He stared past the dormant volcanoes and islands of small toast wedges pre-jellied with home-made preserves, past all sumptuous settings, to the polished wood of the chair back; relieved it was no longer fronted by the look of an angry woman. His childhood home life hadn’t been like this. Anton’s father had been a highly respected man of the cloth-- a second generation cloth.

Marge’s family was less noble, but moneyed. Her father Anton had never met, he having died prematurely; her Mother never remarried being content with financial management. Although a small but sprightly woman, she had never under-revealed her dominance. In contrast, Marge infrequently revealed her hatred for her father and that, only early on. Reasons for it were shrouded in reticence….? Anton, self absorbed with profession, hadn’t probed and now had forgotten about it to the point where caring to know didn’t exist. She had no trouble with education financing, but social awkwardness in those years was another matter entirely. While illiterate tribes have no compulsions about educating their young in the ways of life—in pleasing techniques---, in hers and in Anton’s family especially, sex education came by way of divine osmosis. Marge was discretely demure and Anton found her well trained in the passive state; not that he knew better, just suspicious.

Their adopted son, Tom, had disappeared shortly after high school, not all that long ago but not fast enough for him--- in search of something, not adoption for sure; Tom knew all about that too well. There had been little contact since and then only with the pseudo Mother. Anton no longer brought the son subject up either…there was already too much dissention over it….Anton was trapped …You get your act together or I’m out of here!…. I hate this trapped feeling; I want out too! No wonder the son imitated. It was the embarrassment….they all imaged it in their remembered imagination. How can a distinguished professor of philosophy…one preaching the enlightenment of the human mind be such a family failure? Bob (Anton’s boss’s boss) had said that hadn’t he? Can’t you…. we need a chair we can be proud of". Anton stared at the polished wood absently, unaware of the irony.

His brother was successful as a practicing psychologist with a large client base---that mollified Father some, he thought with a degree of jealousy. Anton had at least told Marge early on Father wasn’t pleased that neither son had joined the cloth; so both had, with scholarship aid, worked their way through. Wife of the cloth had nodded in agreement with husband—eyes downcast. There had been happier times.

It was her eyes that had caught his attention on that double date. Light blue with hints of irregular grays, greens, and browns. Without realizing he had become mildly addicted to the tiny diamond like sparklets of light; high intensity diamonds given off from energy within—without the benefit of reflected light. It only happened when she was upset. Anton also didn’t realize his unrecognized inner need for some sign of affection, which was alleviated by tears of hurt that formed around those beautiful flowery irises. Her shyness attracted Anton, her differentiation plied his ego. Her attractiveness mirrored his; they expressed it as love frequently enough, but little did they realize its superficiality. Marge, at five eight, was above average in many ways, but still less than say Anton, many inches taller and well above average relatively. And they were the same in some ways, different in others as are the sexes. Marge liked socializing once married and of course shopping—need it be said, not Anton. The joy of pregnancy, birth, and motherhood was denied her even though married. Tom had been a mild disaster. Both had little interest in or ability in sports; he golfed because it was an expected, perhaps a demanded activity, for professional advancement. Luckily for Marge it was not. So Marge escaped reality by being an avid reader which would have helped her scholarship had it happened earlier. Marge was no dummy even relative to her mate, just in different ways. Once engaged in it, she was much superior to Anton in verbal discourse, and was a latent leader. It was much later that Anton would come to understand their unshared secrets had, unbeknownst to them, undermined their marriage, and prevented the intimate exchange they had both come to desire. Physical was there, but not the mental. Trust was obvious by its absence, but the absence was not made verbally overt.

Anton got up from the sumptuous breakfast table, and left the meal uneaten, absorbed in thought. A distinguished professor of philosophy ought to be able to get himself out of a philosophical mess shouldn’t he? He climbed the steep stairs in thought, slowly, head down, shoulders slumped…he taught a religious course didn’t he….? He stopped at the seventh tread unconsciously; then, in retrospect, aware that he had. After a brief reflection, he resolutely hurried up the last steps to read and to think!

2. Interlace

Professor Anton Frenkel entered the lecture hall with a quick confident step that belied the uncertainty he felt….what reception would the lecture he had under-prepared receive? Certainly he himself was well received.

Good Morning.

Good Morning, most of the class responded.

As you might not know, this course is concerned with mankind’s relentless search for meaningful expression of the unknowable…a search for meaning, a yearning to understand mankind’s relationship to the ‘ultimate’ whatever that may be. Anton made no bones about marching right into his abstract subject material. There is a conundrum in this search between the material and the anti-material which we humans, at least many of us, label ‘spiritual’ or perhaps the ‘spiritual realm’. The oft repeated words of an unknown sage are applicable to materialistic searches, the more we know the more we find there is to know". But this philosophical statement does not pertain to maters we will consider in this course; especially that which is spiritual in nature where it seems near impossible to know anything…certainly for certain. So what motivates humans to continue this relentless, endless and seemingly fruitless searching in the material and especially in the anti-material and in face of such experiential realities? I think this is a good question, and probably an imponderable one. As imponderable as it may be, we will still ponder it some in this course.

We humans are faced with what may be an ultimate contradiction. As mentioned, in the material universe there appears to be an increasing, and perhaps unbounded arena of subject material to be understood. And in each aspect of the arena, the subject material has an ever increasing, perhaps unbounded requirement for more knowledge; knowledge requiring ever increasing sophistication, in requisite depth of understanding….and ingenious inventions. Devices invented solely for further exploration--- devices of ever increasing sophistication that can only be provided by the creativity of the human brain. Now observe the contrast. While the non-material universe also seems to provide a limitless arena for understanding, Mother Nature has provided only a de minimus means for achieving it, at least at this stage of brain evolution. Some world authorities advise a meditative ‘no think’ as the way to understanding non-reality; but as a recent author pointed out: spending hours in non-thinking isn’t productive in the real world. Perhaps, I might add by analogy, this could be true in trying to gain some understanding of the non-real ‘world’ as well. I think you will find this course to be an exciting intellectual ride, so let your brains hang on tight!

Anton flicked on the power-point projector; the following quotation appeared on the screen.

"God defines itself by handiwork—the tapestry of

existence; pours the hope of eternity into our

genetics, outfits our brains to access other

dimensions, rewards our spiritual efforts by

uniting with all, an intelligence that pervades

every atom and every nanosecond, all time

all space, in the throes of our death

in the ecstasy of life"

- adapted from Fingerprints of God

by Barbra Hagerty

Anton pointed to the screen and continued: "Mankind’s searching and yearning for a relationship in the non-material universe, if there is such a thing, is mostly manifested in the countless teachings of a religious nature found throughout the world. While teachings such as this exist in both written and oral form, the latter exclusively occurs in the so called primitive cultures. Written teachings are found in the so called civilized cultures. It is only the written form of teachings that we will consider, and then only for the most dominant of these teachings, those which encompass the religions of the vast majority of the earth’s population. Written expressions, or teachings, of a religious nature are called scripture by many if not most people. Those who spend a great deal of time studying religious expression around the world universally come away with the impression of how basic a need it seems to be (which is not found in other primates). It ranks in importance with other basic needs other than those essential for survival, as for instance dancing (which not only primates enjoy, but other species as well, especially students) [laughter].

A part of yearning for expression is found in the concept of spiritualism which is difficult to relate in written form. It is usually associated with a striving for a relationship outside of our finite minds…. with an entity, or entities outside of physical reality….the terminology god, or gods, is common, and its equivalent in other languages and cultures. We will only be concerned with written expression translated into English where necessary.

Mankind, in its great wisdom, has in recent times separated the search for meaning and the yearning for an ultimate relationship into mutually disrespected fields of endeavor, namely Philosophy and Religion. Since this course is really about the analysis of scripture which contains both religious precepts, and philosophical precepts, an arbitrary division of Philosophy and Religion contained within scripture is ignored. On the other hand, a balanced study of philosophical concepts per se, will not be undertaken (especially modern controversial concepts). You should understand that religion and philosophy are not considered synonymous in this lecture series, but on the other hand each can be contained within the other.

We will see that Scripture is found to contain ambiguities, because it reflects both the subjective and imaginative interpretation of its writers. Since ambiguity is found in every arena of life, it is manifested in scripture by the writers. Any analysis of Scripture must reflect this ambiguity, and so underlying the various themes in our lectures is that very concept --- ambiguity--- found especially in the concepts of religion, spirituality, and myth. As an undercurrent, it will remain so, and ambiguity will not be treated up front so to speak as a major topic of interest, but it under girds all of what this course is about. Certainly the ambiguity of reality, as humans perceive it, makes it impossible to conclusively prove anything regarding the interface, or void between reality and non-reality, especially as it affects belief systems or world views. Atheists can absolutely convince themselves of the correctness of their belief even to the point of trying to convince others, as can the theist. Since absolute proof is impossible, only a degree of probability can be assigned to a limited range in the limitless range (as it would seem) of human thought.

This morning I’m going to kick off-a misanthropic analogy, appropriate to this fall semester’s beginning, with a talk on some overall philosophy, some of which is outside the scope of this course’s boundaries—this is Religion 353 in case some of you think you are in the wrong lecture hall. By the way, what this course is not about is the relationship between religious world views and society structure—for example: say a given group of more-or-less like minded people of a certain faith interacting with the government structure for that group. To paraphrase recent book titles, I can form a disclaimer---we will not be considering how religious world views become evil or lethal. However, we will be laying some philosophical groundwork that may in the future tackle something like that in another course. Let’s look again at Hagerty’s philosophy:"

"God defines itself by handiwork—the tapestry of

existence; pours the hope of eternity into our

genetics, outfits our brains to access other

dimensions, rewards our spiritual efforts by

uniting with all, an intelligence that pervades

every atom and every nanosecond, all time

all space, in the throes of our death

in the ecstasy of life"

- adapted from Fingerprints of God

by Barbra Hagerty

After reading the slide out loud, Professor Anton continued: "If one accepts Hagerty’s philosophy, isn’t one merging the immaterial with the material? Is one not merging religion and science? I think you might agree with my assessment…that there are now seeds of such unification being cast by observant intellectuals in both the religion and science fields. If my assessment is true, in the future, perhaps even in your lifetimes, this course will be taught by a scientist [laughter]. Now then, the threads of mankind’s invisible imagination that intertwine religious, spiritual, and mythical thought are further interlaced, and link the reality we perceive experientially as humans with the non-physical outside of our being. Frankly, I find these imaginative threads have resulted in a confused mess that resists untangling. This is a direct result of the ambiguities, superstitions, myths, speculations, and uncertainties which confront us. In reality, it seems a deeper study of religiosity and spirituality defies rational explanation, and enters the realm of mythology. One can easily conclude this by reading the various books on world religions; some of which we will study in this course. Some kind of belief in an entity, a non-reality—a spiritual concept, a god, or gods is found in every region of the world…..past and present. Most often there are attempts to verbalize some concept of afterlife…that there exists something more than the reality we sensually perceive. This, of course, does not mean all people are religious or spiritually minded, one way or another, although some claim almost all thought processes along these lines are religious even by those claiming to be totally irreligious (e.g. atheists). An agnostic may say that the existence of gods cannot be known experientially, or with certainty, but still acknowledge some kind of supernatural belief or spirituality. And those that deny the existence of non-materiality or an ‘after-life’ seem more prone to fear their death.

In modern times the amount of written material on these subjects defies total assimilation. And yet, if agreement can be reached, it would be that the terms ‘spiritual’ and ‘religious’, especially spiritual, in themselves defy agreeable definitions. It would seem that they are matters of individual interpretation or inner feelings, and are for most people, inexpressible in materialistically related terminology. Since in-depth expression may be impossible, we will content ourselves with just a brief overview of these three arenas that are so interwoven; religion, spirituality, and myth, beginning with religion. Let’s look at another quotation."

"The panorama of the world’s religions is fascinating

and complex. From the earliest

times to the present day, religious beliefs have

flourished, producing countless rituals and

symbols…..[one] may be excused for feeling

bewildered at the infinite variety of religious life."

from WORLD RELIGIONS

by Parrinder

While some claim religion is beyond defining, dictionaries do try, but the definitions are generously vague: a devotion to some principle; strict fidelity or faithfulness [to it]; conscientiousness [to it]; pious affection or attachment [for it](1). With this sort of definition, most people have some form of religious thinking. A more limited definition of religion more in keeping with this course work might be: a gathering of individuals to hear or discuss philosophical/moral ideas based on certain scripture. As mentioned in the syllabus, this course is about such scripture, in particular the Bible, and about the person or persons who were in someway fundamentally responsible for the scripture, but as I alluded to earlier, I am taking the course beyond the syllabus.

Many interviewers have concluded that most religious minded folks don’t know much about the scriptures behind their religion (if that scripture does exist), or if they have studied it, don’t remember much, or are confused by the complexity and seeming contradictions their scriptures contain. But then they may not really care since all religious scripture seems to be this way. A book, one critical of the Mormon religion, espouses this thought explicitly—the thought that the official scripture behind that religion is of no consequence to the lay followers of that religion. We will study the Book of Mormon in this course to see if you agree that the claim may be true.

As attested to by the books on world religions, writings on spiritual and religious matters go back as far as we have written records. Likewise, the evidence found for religious ceremonies go back further than that. Such ancient ceremonies lead some analysts to conclude that spirituality and religious expression are separate entities. This certainly seems to be the case between religious dogma, and what is called spirituality in the contemporary and popular expression… I am spiritual not religious. On the other hand, there are those who comment on what is written on the human heart—an anthropological - analogous - metaphor if there ever was one….isn’t language wonderful? And what is written on the human heart?—the most un-evolved parchment known to modern science. According to many it is the golden rule; found in all the dominate religions. Its origin is lost in antiquity—millennia before Jesus—; but it seems Jesus was the first, if not indeed, the only authority, to cast it positively. This next slide presents his saying in its somewhat abbreviated English form:"

DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD

HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU

Others find, especially in the Bible, that it is Love from God that one should pass on to others. If love for others is formulaic in religion, why then, many ask, does it seem that religions are involved in so many of the bitter conflicts that daunt history? Why is it that people claiming to be religious seem to live a life in contradiction of love? Worse still are those who rationalize religion as a justification for gaining power over, and doing damage to others. If good and evil abounds in the human heart…is evil also written on the human heart by the same designer?—presuming of course, such a designer-creator - higher intelligence god exists. Incidentally, surveys conclude, most humans do so believe. Some like to disassociate a intelligent designer from the God concept to be politically correct….a controversy we will stay clear of. However, it should be pointed out, what is good for some people may not be completely good for others; and, conversely, what is considered evil by some people is not completely evil to others…where, if any, is the common moral code? It would seem that the golden rule is written faintly, if at all, on the hearts of some men.

Some say all religions could and should unite everyone in the brotherhood of man under the banner of the golden rule. Why then does it seem impossible to achieve this? One author gives the following opinion; each religion has interests of its own This interest is reflected in their dogma—the scripture they treasure—which gives accounts of God(s) or higher power(s) and the way(s) to salvation or enlightenment that are deeply and irreconcilable different. Some say a way to achieve unity is to observe the principle from the Chuang-tzu (Zen Buddhists) the Sengyo… roughly translated as: ……..Words are to transmit meaning; keep the meaning and forget the words. That principle could possibly work if we could remember only the meanings of the golden rule and the brotherhood of man, but mankind doesn’t, and the non-remembering or not-observing is the underlying cause of man’s self inflicted woes. But enough pondering religion; let’s go on to consider spirituality."

Humans seek communion with the spiritual so to

bring self in harmony with it.

SPIRIT-from Latin spiriare, to blow, to breathe

adapted from "Webter’s New Universal

Unabridged Dictionary" second edition

and from Toyenbee

The words spirit, spiritual, spirituality, and the like are difficult, if not impossible to rigorously define with a materialistic connotation as any perusal of a dictionary will reveal. Books on religion can use these words profusely in hundreds of pages without saying anything about what these spirit based words mean. If I search my computer BibleSoft ™ program for the word spiritual in the included software commentaries etc., the number of entrees exceeds the program’s capacity…many thousands…but definitions are not offered. It’s not a class assignment, but I recommend you try this on your own computer. Dictionary definitions for the word spirit list different connotations ranging from apparitions to vapors(1). The word spiritual can be either noun or adjective. As a noun it can be either a religious song or a spiritual thing or concern, especially church matters (not exactly non-circular). As an adjective, a large dictionary can give six major connotations ranging from congruence with the word soul (also indefinable) to ecclesiastical (religion) or even to the supernatural (what-ever that is). Perhaps, spiritualism, in broad terminology, could be thought of as the mind’s thinking about itself in relation to a broad scope of non-materialism outside of itself. Perhaps, it is a longing for a relationship not found in society or with fellow minds. This spirituality manifested in religious activity by many is unique to the human mind and, so far, has not been observed in any other kinds of primates, animals, or insects, (the praying mantis aside of course [some class laughter]). While details of spiritual thinking appear to be as varied as individual humans are, broad patterns can be observed. A dichotomy is observable in whether or not there even exists a non-material aspect to give attention to, which then takes on a religious motif of its own. Giving attention to humanism exclusively seems to satisfy the soul expectations of certain people.

Speaking of soul—definitions of human attributes, besides spirituality, which are commonly acknowledged such as soul, heart, mind and so forth are also, so far, impossible to come by. This blockage adds to the impossibility of clearly expressing spirituality (and religiosity for that matter) in written form. This failure in communication is observable in the most notable of prestigious writers, whose attempts to quantify such concepts are not found to be beyond the criticism of their peers.

Some