Personal Reflection XIII - A Dialogue on Faith

V: Do you believe in G-d?
G: Yes I do but it is a belief that I have had to work on for most of my life. It’s a struggle. A frustrating one at times but certainly a necessary initiative.

V: In what way?
G: I am by nature a scientific rationalist and consequently seek proof for my beliefs and avoid as much as possible any leaps of faith. However I am also aware that science is bound to the material world and consequently has a limited realm through which it can access knowledge. I have dedicated much of my life to science but I am consciously aware of its constraints.Having said this though, I will exhaust all scientific explanations before deferring to an extra-material analysis in grasping the phenomenology of events. I owe this to myself. In a sense I am a skeptic, not a logical positivist, but a realist armed with Occam’s Razor but cognizant at the same time of the extra-material universe.My belief is similar to that of the scholar Martin Gardiner. I could be described as a soft theist but even this label falls short of what I believe I am. In short I ‘feel’ G-d’s presence – as a magnificent spark - but I am loathe to let it override my rationalism unless I have an excellent reason to do so.

V: What is your opinion on Judaism?

G: I consider myself Jewish in the cultural and historical sense and celebrate many of its traditions. I see Judaism, as Mordechai Kaplan did, in being indicative of a civilization. Religion is one facet of the civilization, but does not comprise its entirety. 

I cannot take seriously the revealed nature argument for the religion (including of course the revelation at Sinai) as it does not stand up to rational scrutiny. However the richness of the biblical tradition, the emphasis on ethics and justice, as epitomized in the Tanakh and the Talmud, provide valuable insight into the human condition. 

V: Have you always held this position?
G: No. I haven’t. Indeed I have fluctuated at times from strong theism to agnostic theism/deism. I have rejected non-interventionist deism as it does not seem rational that a creator would completely divorce himself from its creation. I am not an atheist as I have yet to see a convincing argument as to why something exists as opposed to nothing (despite the trials and tribulations of Victor Stenger). This something-nothing standoff is the kink in natural philosophy which of course underpins the argument of rational atheism. 

V: What do you think G-d is? 
G: This is a tough one which no human is truly qualified to answer. However we are all able to speculate. The definition of G-d that makes sense to me is that of the Kabbalistic Ein Sof which I have written at length on this board. In a way it is similar to the Uppanishad definition of the Infinite Soul - Brahman. I am actually very much taken by the Hindu understanding of our individual soul, - the Athman - being in its essence a derivative of the Brahman. I believe we can approach the Ein Sof/Brahman by performing meaningful acts of goodness which I take as the Spark of G-d referred to earlier.

V: You are critical of organized religion. Why is this?
G: Organized religion is generally driven by supernatural revelation which by its very nature counteracts science in emphasizing the concept of ‘miracles’. I don’t believe G-d acts this way. I believe that we all have within ourselves an ability to understand G-d and nobody is privileged in this regard. Strict revelation argues for the privileged position. Furthermore I believe that belief in G-d is a private initiative and should not be dominated by ritual which is very much a feature of organized religion.

V: Yet you still believe G-d can if he wants to perform miracles.
G: Yes I do but he doesn’t have to. There is enough reason to believe in G-d without him having to resort to this device. Also its very clear that he has structured the physicality to make miracles unnecessary.

V: How does one leverage the spark?
G: Meaningful acts are tantamount to acts of kindness – an extension of one’s sense of self to include the other. Marin Buber wrote about this in the I and Thou. These bring one closer to G-d and allow us to appreciate his magnificence. Life also has to be lived with purpose. In doing so we discover the G-d Spark.

V: Is prayer important?
G: Yes it is. However it must come from the heart. I prefer to produce my own prayer words that are of a personal nature. I realize others prefer pre-written templates or established prayer. It is their choice as long as the lines of communication are maintained with G-d.

V: Do you believe in Angels?

G: No I don’t these are manifestations of the ancient mythology (largely Babylonian). 
G-d is all powerful and does not need a messenger system.

V: What other aspects are important with your belief?
G: Questioning G-d. Reflecting on the G-d presence and always using critical thought and reason where possible to evaluate a situation. 

V: But is not Belief or Faith inconsistent with reason?
G: All systems of reason and logic are built on the a priori. Everyone takes a leap of faith at some point otherwise logic systems would not get off the ground. Godel showed this with his incompleteness theorem in Mathematics for example. I have yet to see a convincing proof that shows how our logical framework breaks down as a result of the G-d assumption that I have outlined.

V: But if it did break down. Would you be forced to reconsider the G-d assumption?
G: Definitely. It would be intellectually dishonest not to. However I very much doubt that it would.

ON SETI

I am a huge proponent of SETI and a great fan of Science Fiction. About ten years ago I wrote a book the HISTORY OF THE FUTURE (reprints on this blog) detailing a world where contact with alien species is made and our species is forced by necessity to enter into a new geopolitical reality. Odds are that if we are to be immersed in a world where we are less sophisticated than the extra terrestrials than it will not work out well for us. However there is an unpredictability with all encounters that may prove refreshing. 

Lately though I have become somewhat disillusioned, not so much in the way contact will play out, but whether contact will occur at all. Based on scientific assessment the odds of another humanoid type species evolving ( or even some type of facsimile) to make contact with us appear to be close to zero. A subtle interventionist deity could rig the odds but that seems to be wishful thinking. One can take solace in the Drake Equation but there are so many unknown variables in that equation that it seems to be practically meaningless. My heart wishes that this weren't so but looking just at the probability game and the levels of fine tuning that are necessary it may just be the case that we are simply alone.

An Alternative History of the Future - Entry IV

2031

Grand European Market opens; Prizes of Slovenia awarded

The Republic of Slovenia completed construction of the Grand European Market outside the capital, Ljubljana, in 2031. At a cost of $50 billion (USD), the Market showcased the latest advancements in science and technology, providing a forum for international high-tech business. To commemorate the inception of the Market, the EU instituted the Prizes of Slovenia, rewarding innovators in the applied sciences. Over the course of the twenty-first and twenty-second centuries, the Prizes of Slovenia gained the prestige accorded Nobel Prizes.

Outbreak of Hashish Wars in the Middle East; MEANA established

Hashish wars between rival smuggling gangs began in Syrian-controlled Beirut in 2031. When two hundred and sixty-four people were killed in one night, the Syrian military authority declared martial law in the city. An emergency meeting of Middle Eastern nations in Istanbul, gave birth to the Middle Eastern Anti-Narcotics Army (MEANA). Twenty-two nations joined MEANA, providing a rare example of regional cooperation.

First Hydrocolony built; Hydrocolonization; Ocean mining

Hydrocolonies were the brainchild of Ramas Amritaj, an Indian engineer who viewed floating settlements as the solution to densely overcrowded living conditions in his native Calcutta. Amritaj’s prototypes employed twentieth-century oil rig and deep-sea mining technology, as well as techniques discussed in the novels of Henry Fleshtoldf, a little known twentieth-century science fiction writer.

Mahatma, the first hydrocolony Amritaj designed, was completed in 2031. Its steel girders and gaseous float cushions, provided a home to forty thousand people. Mahatma’s success was followed by three similar hydrocolonies: Vishnu in Calcutta, and Gandhi and Nehru outside Mumbai. The latter two hydrocolonies each housed eighty thousand people and included business districts employing the majority of the hydrocolonies’ adult inhabitants.

Amritaj’s design was adopted in other parts of Asia. Manila, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Djakarta and Tokyo improved on Amritaj’s model, in part by anchoring the hydrocolonies to the ocean floor with corrosion resistant super-strength steel. Carrying capacity increased, as did resistance to disturbances like cyclones and typhoons. In 2053, the Zhing Zemin colony outside Shanghai housed three hundred thousand people in a self-sustaining environment.

In 2060, Californian architect Rebecca Rubins perfected the Aqua Complex. Using the hydroelectric power of the ocean to generate electricity, this new design exploited magnetic force fields to keep itself afloat. By 2090, twenty-seven Aqua Complexes had been built, while an additional fifteen hydrocolonies adhered to the steel girder structure of the older Amritaj model. A modified Aqua Complex was used for hydrocolonies established in the Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean and off the west coast of the Americas in the early twenty-second century. Over thirty-six million people were living in four hundred and fifteen hydrocolonies by 2153.

The location of a population base on the ocean’s surface, greatly enhanced the efficiency of deep-sea mining. Coincident with the depletion of land-based mineral resources by the late twenty-first century, iron, zinc, coal, cadmium, chrome, gold, silver and porginine[9] were mined from the floors of the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic Oceans. Though these minerals proved difficult and costly to extract, laser digging and ultrasonic mining techniques, developed by the hydrocolonies themselves, greatly improved the viability of these ventures.

By the mid-twenty-second century, hydrocolonies in the Pacific Ocean became the chief centres of iron production and were thus able to maintain a high level of autonomy in the global political framework. Atlantic hydrocolonies off the European and North American coasts, gained similar leverage through the large-scale mining of aluminum and zinc. Ocean mining grew rapidly well into the twenty-third century, by which time it was producing ninety-eight percent of minerals mined on Earth.

Ocean mining and hydrocolonization ultimately formed a crucial foundation for stellar exploration and colonization. Bartholomew Ching, a prominent Chinese geo-historian, later described the development of hydrocolonies as an “unparalleled leap in the Techno-Industrial Revolution of Humankind.”

Unfortunately, sea mining also resulted in the alteration and in some cases, the wholesale destruction of certain segments of the Earth’s ecosystem. Marine areas once populated by a rich diversity of sea life, suffered a severe decrease in plant and animal populations. The ecological devastation reversed many of the positive gains made during the Clean Seas Programs of the 2010s and 2020s.

2032

Land-speed record shattered

The land-speed record was broken by a Dane, Ole Nielson, in his third run on Utah’s Bonneville Salt Plains. Travelling at six times the speed of sound, Nielson smashed the twelve-year-old record held by the Venezuelan daredevil, Santiago Hiero. Nielson used a super-charged hydrogen fuel to propel his vehicle, the same fuel later used by many aerospace vehicles.

Syntho-Blood a practical solution

None Rejecting Synthetic blood became readily available for the first time in 2032. Developed by the Onjami Clinic of Tokyo, Syntho-Blood’ was comprised of chemical analogues for erythrocytes, leukocytes and platelet blood cells. The Onjami invention saved countless lives during the Third World War.[10]

Voyager IV loses contact

Voyager IV finally lost contact with Earth in 2032. One of three probes released in the 2020s to explore the edges of the solar system, the probe gathered voluminous information about the planet Pluto, setting the stage for colonization in 2118.[11]

Western History 76: How did Weaponry develop in the Middle Ages?

Warfare in the Middle Ages changed drastically from that of antiquity along four major axes – cavalry, artillery/siege warfare machinery, ranged weapons and the use of armour. Other developments impacted naval strategy and the use of hand held weapons.

Cavalry – Cavalry replaced infantrymen as the principal agents of warfare in the middle ages. There is some debate as to whether the invention of the stirrup was the principal driver for such change but the switch to cavalry force was certainly evident in the Carolingian war machine (from Pepin the Short onward). This changeover facilitated the development of the lance, the long sword and the horseman’s pick. The cavalry archer was a stable feature of the Turkic and Muslim war machine. However it is important to note that there would be a later switchback to infantry fighting in the High Middle Ages as seen with the rise of the Swiss Pikemen and English Longbowmen (victors at the Battle of Agincourt)..

Artillery/siege warfare machinery – These devices included the trebuchet, the catapult, the battering ram, the ballista and the siege tower. Trebuchets made use of counterweights to throw large objects at enemy positions. Catapults converted stored elastic potential energy into energy of motion for the projectile. Ballista were a type of bolt thrower whose actual origin goes as far back as biblical times. Gunpowder canons were commonly used from the 14^th century onward with an early advantage being made of such technology at the Battle of Crecy (1346).

Ranged Weapons – The bow was a consistent feature of the medieval army with specialization leading to the development of the crossbow (popular among the French) and the Longbow (English/Welsh origin). The throwing spear/axe, javelin and slingshot also supplemented the medieval army.

Armour – Body armour changed over time to include protection from leather/fabric to more exotic types of chainmail, Brigandine steel plates and regular Plate Armour (more popular in the 15^th to 16^th centuries).

Handheld weapons in common use included the club, mace, longsword, war hammer, pollaxe, pitchfork, halberd (two-handed pole weapon), the knightly sword and the dagger.

Nine Possible World War Three Scenarios

This is more of a brainstorming exercise than anything else but it is worth thinking about nevertheless.

1. China against the US - A war of ideology and Economic influences. Principal theaters of conflict would be the Pacific, South East Asia and Eastern Russia/Manchuria.

2. China allied with the Islamic World against the West - similar to scenario #1 but with more parties involved.

3. US against Russia - The original Third World as envisioned by Cold Warriors. Less likely to happen than in the time before the 1990s (collapse of Communism) but nevertheless it is still a possibility. Would be apocalyptic as both countries still possess the largest nuclear arsenals on the globe.

4. West and India against China and Russia - China and Russia fighting to avoid encirclement by their enemies. Could occur if Totalitarianism is resurrected in Russia.

5. US and China against India and Russia - Would be a possibility if Russia reasserted itself and realigned with India, Another Cold War Scenario come to life.

6. The Americas against Asia - A late 21st century war possibility that could occur as both continents strive for domination of the mining rights to the Planet's largest Ocean.

7. War of the Corporations - A war situation in a post-nation state world where corporations battle one another for control of the planet's resources. This war could quite likely move into the region of space near Earth.

8. The War of the Next ideology - A war in which the next counter-capitalism ideology raises its head, spreads out across the border and challenges the existing capitalist infrastructure. Counter-capitalism culture could take the form of rejuvenated Marxism or a totally new ideology (perhaps New Age) that has yet to be synthesized.

9. The Oil Wars - Decreasing energy resources may force the West to take matters into their own hands and force OPEC to hand over its assets.

An Alternative History of the Future - Entry III

2028

Unified Field Theory problem solved

Theoretical physicists Stephane Le Mare and Shlomo Ferstein, published their article “An Epilogue to the Universal Force Linkage Problem,” outlining a final resolution to the Unified Field Theory Problem.[5] Le Mare and Ferstein, both members of the prestigious Marseilles Research Foundation, succeeded in linking the strong nuclear force with gravity, to solve the Problem. Their work relied on that of earlier physicists who, between 1990 and 2028, had provided a non-string theory based linkage arrangement for both the electromagnetic force and the weak nuclear force. Completion of the Problem stimulated a more intricate understanding of cosmology and particle physics, presaging the discovery of the querzian particle[6] and greater than light speed travel.

The rise and fall of the Greens in France

France’s Green Party leader, Leon Michel, became the first environmentalist elected as a head of state in the western world. A mere sixteen months later, his decision to cut funding to France’s fast breeder nuclear reactor program, raised the ire of the barons of French industry, who brought down the Green government and obtained Michel’s resignation.

First Nations revolt in Quebec Republic

Quebec Republic forces savagely put down Cree revolts, evoking international cries of horror.

The implementation of the Space First Policy

Democratic candidate Philip Newley defeated Republican incumbent Lorraine Bowers, becoming President of the United States. Newley endorsed a more progressive private-sector dominated role for the USA in space exploration. Historians cited Newley’s Space First Policy as the initiative which led Humanity to explore and settle deeper regions of the solar system.

War in the Kashmir Republic

The infant Kashmir Republic, having obtained its independence from India in 2022, was attacked by Indian backed Hindu rebel forces agitating for a return to the motherland. When Hindu rebels massacred five thousand Muslim villagers, Pakistan intervened, ending its ten-year period of peace with India.

2029

Birth of Freelands Movement in the USA

The Freelands Movement was founded in Houston, Texas. Freelanders advocated the redistribution of lands in the American interior to the general populace, believing that problems associated with urban poverty could thereby be solved. The Freelands Movement gained strong inner city support and influenced the Democrat Party. Though the proposed initiatives were never implemented, the ensuing dissension in rural areas engendered the Farm Riots of 2033 and provided the foundation for mid-Western alienation from the federal system.[7]

First manned landing on Venus; Colonization of the Morning Star

Astronauts Chi Zihang and Elvis Nakajima, both of the AEU, explored the Venusian surface in protective suits impervious to the acidic atmosphere and high atmospheric pressure. Nevertheless, further Venusian exploration proved to be rigorous, despite the assistance of adaptive technology. The journals of the fifteen Eros and Cupid missions, from 2033 to 2068, recorded twenty-seven deaths.

The morning star’s first colony wasn’t established until 2071. Further colonies developed in the 2070s and 2080s, with regular commercial flights being introduced in 2096. By 2160, Venus’s two hundred and fourteen colonies boasted a combined population of eighty-eight million people.

Initially, Venus’s hostile atmosphere restricted settlement to environmentally controlled structures. The advent of atmospheric changing agents in the twenty-second century, such as oxygen-nitrogen generators and pressure droppers, enabled transformation of selected segments of Venus to an Earthlike environment. Eventually, large sections of Venus were adapted, allowing settlement to continue well into the twenty-third century. By 2232, Venusians numbered upward of three hundred million.

2030

Coup d’état in Japan

With military collaboration, the right-wing Bushido Party seized power in Japan. Declared President Ideiko Soto promised clean government, economic rebirth and a more aggressive foreign policy in Southeast Asia. Several members of the Liberal Democrat Party and the New Horizon Party pledged their support to Soto, however, Miro Futuyama, leader of the Social Democrats, demanded Soto’s resignation, prompting Soto to place Futuyama under house arrest. The international community condemned the coup d’état, placing a global boycott on the purchase of Japanese goods and products. These sanctions proved unsuccessful and Japan remained an autocracy well into the City State Era following the Third World War.[8]

India’s population surpasses China’s

Contrary to scientific predictions, world population continued to grow in punctuated spurts. The first Global Census, completed in 2030, revealed the world population had reached 10.4 billion. India’s population was recorded at 1.7 billion, replacing China (population 1.65 billion) as the world’s most populous country for the first time in recorded history.

Western History 75: What was the Investiture Controversy?

While the church claimed the right of the spiritual domain and the lay rulers the material world a broad overlap in areas of responsibility often precipitated a struggle of wills. In the 11^th and 12^th centuries several popes has challenged the authority of the state rulers. England’s Henry I was at loggerheads for a time with Pope Paschal II during the period 1103 to 1107, however the clash between Pope Gregory VII and the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry IV known as the Investiture Controversy was the most notorious of all of these standoffs.

The clash itself emerged from the reforms of an earlier pope Gregory I who sought to take power of clerical investiture away from the ruling secular powers (such as the Holy Roman Emperor). Pope Gregory VII went further by composing the Dictatus Papae which stated that the Church was under the control of God and that the Pope alone could depose of clergymen and move them throughout the Holy see. This action fell afoul of the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry IV who reacted with a harsh letter to the Pope and the subsequent appointment of his own chaplain as the Bishop of Milan.

What followed was a series of events that included the the twice excommunication of Henry IV, an internal revolt against the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry’s penance at Canossa, the election of an Antipope (Clement III), the invasion of Rome by Henry, the sacking of Rome by Gregory’s Norman allies and  finally Gregory’s flight from Rome that preceded his death.

The controversy would continue several decades later with Henry son’s Henry V clashing with the Papacy. The Holy Roman Emperor  was himself excommunicated, before the Signing of the Concordat of Worms eventually eased tension between  Rome and the Imperial Power. The Concordat was confirmed by the First Lateran Council in 1123.

Significantly the Investiture Controversy represented a high point in the struggle between the Papacy and the secular authorities. It reflected the strength of the Papacy as the dominant force in the Middle Ages but it also provided a view into the challenges that the Holy see would face in the centuries to follow with respect to its apparent monopoly of power.