Francis Berger

Consciousness Will Not Stagnate, But Regress

5/6/2021

In one of his more recent posts Bruce Charlton suggested that a major missed opportunity in the further development of consciousness likely occurred at the turn of the millennium:

The trick is that c2000 we were supposed-to recognize that the world was Not objective and external - and that instead we, each and personally, participated in the creating the reality of the world.

We were supposed to recognize that this participation in creating the 'objective, external world' needed to become active.

And that this active participation needed consciously to be chosen.

And for our creative contribution to be Good, entailed that we also chose to be aligned with God's creative destiny.

The problem was and is that failure to choose this active embrace of God and creation led to an evil default - which we see all around us today. Instead of actively/consciously-choosing Good -- Mankind has passively and unconsciously (and in-denial) chosen evil.

Dr. Charlton goes on to describe the failure to choose the active embrace of God and Creation as the failure to grow from spiritual adolescence to spiritual adulthood. Put another way, the free choice to align with God and participate in creation would have been to choose spiritual maturity.

As Dr. Charlton notes later in his post, this failure to choose has consequences.

The most significant of these is the regression of consciousness. The unwillingness to choose spiritual adulthood does not entail that people are allowed to remain in perpetual spiritual adolescence.

On the contrary, the unwillingness to choose spiritual adulthood precipitates a massive regression away from spiritual adolescence to a state I have sometimes referred to as 'slavery consciousness.'

The failure to become active participants in transfiguring the objective, external world opens the door for the objective, external world to actively overwhelm us and degrade us.

Spiritual adolescence is a state of alienation from God and Creation, but it is also filled with the potential for freedom and right choice. Spiritual slavery is an extreme state of alienation with no real potential for freedom or right choice because slavery consciousness severs all meaningful ties to Divine Reality.

People in this mode of consciousness no longer recognize the reality of God or the reality of their own spiritual natures. As a result, they surrender all of their spiritual resources and are rendered powerless against the forces of determination and objectification.

Since slavery consciousness is entirely preoccupied with external forces, it can no longer gauge, let alone use internal, spiritual resources properly. Consequently, people in this mode of consciousness are largely ruled by the forces of 'the given world' because they cannot perceive anything else.

As of now, the masses are either already firmly entrenched or are on their way to becoming firmly entrenched in this form of consciousness.

But what afflicts the masses does not have to afflict the individual person.

Choices can still be made.

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Yeah, Something Like That

5/5/2021

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I think this simple painting by Slovakian artist Ladislav Zaborsky visually captures the inner transformation that occurs when a person freely chooses to follow Christ and align with God and Creation.

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"Bulletproof Vests": I Wonder How This Will Age

5/4/2021

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"In the past, we defended ourselves by closing, thereby slowing the spread of the virus. But now we are on the attack. The vaccine is like a bulletproof vest. The virus bounces off of it."

- Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary

If official statistics are to be believed, over four million of my countrymen and women have voluntarily lined up to receive one of the many pecks available in this country. Judging by the number of pecked people I personally know, I am inclined to think the official figures are probably authentic.

To put the pecked number into the proper perspective it is useful to remember that Hungary's population is slightly less than ten million. Four million is nearly half the country, yet our pugilistic prime minister appears intent to keep his "attack" going until every single Magyar citizen submits to the needle. Whether or not that submission remains voluntary is uncertain.

The government here is currently engaged in a full out offensive in order to reach its declared aim of achieving herd immunity in the population. Thus far, the dreaded lockout has been the most effective tactic. Once the government declared that only pecked people would be allowed to go to the movies and visit the zoo, it was off to the races.

Five million is the next big milestone and the government has intensified its efforts. To help reach its objective, it recently announced the peck would be now be freely available to everyone in the 16-18 year-old age group. I imagine the pecking of 12-16 year-olds is just around the corner.

The prime minister takes pride in his "patriotic, Christian" leadership. Five million people is half the country. He had better hope and pray his much-vaunted bulletproof vests don't end up being vests of another kind.

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One Mirror; Two Reflections; One Revelation

5/3/2021

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The divine self within you is a mirror.

One day, you will look into it and see God in the reflection. That same day, God will also look into it and see you in the reflection.

That day will mark the beginning of the divine-human revelation.

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Is There Anything Negative About Redemption and Salvation?

5/2/2021

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The most basic, obvious, and true answer is, no.

Full disclosure – this is one of my “exploratory” posts where I think through a theme in a relatively simplistic manner and arrive at a tentative conclusion.

Jesus’s offer of redemption and salvation is entirely positive. Not only is it entirely positive, but it is fundamental – the basis of Christianity – the foundation upon which everything else stands.

Christ’s offer of redemption saves us from death and sin, while His offer of salvation grants us the new possibility of heaven.

Therefore, redemption and salvation are entirely positive and are the basis of Christianity, and it only follows that accepting Jesus’s offer of redemption and salvation should be the chief aim of all Christians during their mortal lives.

Once again, no argument there. Embracing the gifts of redemption and salvation is the overarching spiritual imperative of Christianity.

Having said that, the manner in which these gifts are accepted matters – and it is from this that any potential “negatives” of accepting Jesus’s gifts arise.

To illustrate, I will utilize a rather weak and somewhat unsuitable “purely material” analogy to draw attention to this matter of “manner” in relation to the acceptance of Jesus’s offer of redemption and salvation.

Imagine a man living conditions in which he is desperately impoverished and essentially powerless. One day, an opportunity to inherit a vast fortune and considerable power presents itself.

The “manners” (or “hows”) through which the poor, powerless man could approach such an opportunity are many.

The first manner is straightforward – he could simply refuse the opportunity; however, from a purely worldly perspective, refusing the opportunity would ultimately be foolish because it would leave him wallowing in powerlessness and poverty.

Let’s assume the man accepts the opportunity, but spitefully abuses his power and carelessly squanders the fortune to such an extent that he not only quickly finds himself poor and powerless again, but in circumstances that are even worse than they had been before he agreed to accept the unexpected inheritance. Worse because he refuses to acknowledge that his wicked and base behavior had anything to do with his lost power and fortune. As a result, the man spends the rest of his life seething with resentment at the injustice of it all.

What if the man accepted the power and wealth, but then subsequently became obsessed by the possibility of losing it all. What would happen if he devoted the remainder of his mortal life solely to conserving, protecting, and defending his inheritance from the perceived risks and dangers of the external world?

The man might very well conserve and protect some, perhaps even the bulk of his wealth and power, but his suspicious, risk-averse, and wholly defensive approach would not only severely restrict and narrow the focus of his life, but also negate the many potentially positive, perhaps even profitable opportunities his newfound wealth and power granted him.

Another approach the man could employ if he accepted the power and wealth was to attempt to spread his power and wealth in such a way as to minimize suffering in the greater world. Daunted by the task, the man hires an army of managers, advisors, and experts to manifest his generous, altruistic ambitions. At some point in time – and that time could be quite long indeed – the man is devastated to learn that his army of “trusted” managers, advisors, and experts have done nothing to alleviate suffering in the greater world and have instead stolen the power and wealth to enrich themselves.

Finally, the man could accept the inheritance and begin to live his life from the understanding that he has essentially become a new man; that it is not only his external circumstances that have changed, but that he himself has been presented the opportunity to change internally. He understands that his new power and wealth have provided him with the opportunity to see himself and the world with new eyes.

From this new perspective, he arranges his life so that the core of his power and wealth can never be taken from him. He becomes free to dedicate his energy to something beyond the fear of “loss.” Rather than chase abstract, altruistic, Utopian fantasies of ending powerlessness and poverty for all, he searches for personal and creative ways to empower and enrich the people he knows and loves so that they too, in turn, can learn to spread power and wealth to those they love.

Now, let’s transfer the power and wealth of the simple, worldly analogy above to Christ’s gifts of redemption and salvation.

Those who refuse Christ’s offer of redemption and salvation make an active choice to remain spiritually powerless and impoverished.

Those who accept redemption and salvation but recklessly and un-repentantly squander it either do not understand nor wish to understand the gifts they have accepted.

Those who accept redemption and salvation, but then spend the remainder of their mortal lives doing nothing more than defending and conserving their salvation from the evils of the external world are either unaware of or willingly deny the freedom redemption and salvation grants them in mortal life. Fear, rather than love, motivates Christians in this category. More specifically, they fear hell more than they love Christ. Alternatively, their fear of losing salvation trumps their love of the freedom salvation offers.

Those who accept redemption and salvation but then outsource the “management” of their own personal redemption and salvation to managers, advisors, and experts at the expense of relying on their own personal intuition and discernment demonstrate an overriding trust in external authority and face the risk of losing redemption and salvation through willful neglect. Nearly all System Christians fall into this category.

Lastly, those who accept redemption and salvation from love rather than fear know they have invested in something that they can never lose. Christians in this category do not approach redemption and salvation with a siege mentality. On the contrary, they understand that redemption and salvation do not lock a person into a bastion under perpetual siege, but free a person to venture forth spiritually and creatively.

Encouraged and fortified by the salvation to which they have committed themselves, Christians in this category become aware of the immense freedom and power redemption and salvation offers, not just in everlasting life, but in mortal life as well. They begin to understand that redemption and salvation extend everlasting life into mortal life. Put another way, they do not wait for death to begin experiencing everlasting life; they begin to see that everlasting life can “begin” in mortal life to some degree.

The dissolution of the potentially negative distinction between our mortal lives and everlasting life not only lends true meaning and depth to spiritual learning in our mortal lives, but suggests the possibility that spiritual creativity is not limited to life everlasting, but can be utilized and accessed in mortal life as well.

Redemption and salvation are entirely positive, but they are only entirely positive if they are accepted through the entirely positive imperatives of faith and love and unimpaired by the potentially negative imperatives of doubt and fear.

Another way to look at it could be this: imagine you have accepted a dream job you have always wanted. The job comes with guaranteed immunity from the sack as long as you sincerely acknowledge potential mistakes, learn from them, and remain honestly committed to your work. The only way you could lose the job in this scenario is if you resigned.

Theoretically, having such an opportunity should inspire you to be bold and creative and to do all the things necessary to make the most of the job and to make the most of yourself. The guaranteed immunity should grant you the space needed to attempt groundbreaking work. Unhindered by the constant threat of losing your situation, you might feel emboldened to be creative and think outside the box.

Conversely, imagine accepting such a job, but refusing the potential freedom and resources the position offers out of fear of “screwing up”. Or, imagine being perpetually gripped by the fear of the sack despite your guaranteed immunity from such action.

As stated at the beginning of the post, redemption and salvation are unarguably entirely positive. Yet, we can only understand and appreciate the “entirety” of these entirely positive gifts if our understanding of redemption and salvation is also entirely positive.

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A Brief Overview of Why God Needs You

4/29/2021

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The other day I wrote a post in which I claimed that God needs us as much as we need God. This set off alarm bells in the minds of some Christians who read the post. Some believed that what I was suggesting amounted to heresy. Some felt it was intuitively wrong. Some insisted the very idea is frightening and destined to scare Christians away. Others maintained that the mere notion of God needing us does not fit within any conceivable Christian framework.

Though I can sympathize with the unease many Christians experience when they encounter the possibility that God may need us, I cannot for the life me understand why so many Christians adamantly maintain that God does not, cannot, and will never have any real "need" of us.

My post from the other day received a fair share of comments (as noted above), but one in particular - submitted by fellow blogger William James Tychonievich - stood out for me:

Each of us can contribute something to Creation that no one else can -- and, yes, "no one else" means not even God.

William's comment not only encapsulates the essence of what I was trying to communicate in my post from the other day, but also addresses some painfully overlooked and under-emphasized positive imperatives within Christianity.

First, William's statement touches upon our inherent freedom and agency. Whether Christians are fully aware of it or not, we possess the ability to choose and we possess the ability to act upon our choices through agency.

Consider the possibility that God has very little or, perhaps more correctly, no control over our choices. Once again, this is bound to set off alarm bells in Christian heads. Yet at the same time, most Christians are perfectly at home with the idea that people can ultimately reject God and refuse Christ's gift of everlasting life through salvation.

If we possess the freedom and agency to reject God and refuse salvation, would it be too much of a stretch to consider that we also possess the possibility to use our freedom and agency for positive purposes, and that the limits of these positive purposes may extend way beyond "worshiping" God and accepting Christ's gift? Moreover, that God may "need" us to begin using our freedom and agency in such a way because we may bring something to Creation that he may not be able to offer on His own?

Second, William's assertion that we are able "to contribute something to Creation that no one else can" emphasizes our uniqueness; in particular, the unique quality of our own spiritual natures. We all carry the image of God within us and harbor a divine spark within our depths, but the manner in which we carry the Image of God and harbor the divine spark is unique, unparalleled, and unrepeatable.

On the other hand, William's observation also addresses our capability to actively participate in Creation as co-creators. Since we carry the Image of God within our divine selves, we have the potential to contribute something to Creation, not just physically, but spiritually as well. If we align our divine selves with God and Creation, we have the potential to add to Creation - and what we can potentially add will be something not even God would be able to add alone because our potential contributions will emanate from the combination of our freedom, agency, and uniqueness.

Lastly, consider the possibility that God actually wants and needs us to positively contribute to Creation - that our purpose and meaning in life are not limited to gaining redemption and salvation, but that life might be for something as well. This for is the contribution we can make when we align ourselves with God and begin working with Him creatively through the joint agency and cooperation of the divine and human.

This union of divine and human operation is exemplified by Christ.

Through Christ, God has proven that the co-operation of the divine and human is not only possible, but desirable.

God can bring the divine part is spades, but he "needs" us to supply the human part of the operation.

And he "needs" us to supply this human part from a position of freedom, agency, and love.

In light of all of the above, I don't understand why the mere thought of God needing us unsettles Christians so.

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Modern People Positively Crave the Diktat of None Are Safe Until All Are Safe

4/28/2021

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If this recent WEF article is to be believed, people the world over positively crave the global totalitarian diktat of "none are safe until all are safe":

There is strong global support for vaccine passports, a new Ipsos survey for the World Economic Forum shows.
More than three-quarters of people worldwide think they should be mandatory for travel.
And two-thirds of people say you should need one to enter stadiums and concert venues.
More than half say the same should apply to shops, restaurants or offices.
And a similar percentage expect vaccine passports to be widespread by the year’s end.

Of course, nearly all the people surveyed agreed that peck passports should only be implemented temporarily . . .

The lockout key continues to turn. Speaking of turning, how long before the System begins to actively begin turn pecked humanity against unpecked humanity?

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God Needs Man Just as Much as Man Needs God

4/27/2021

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Christians spend a great deal of time broadcasting man's need for God. Without God, they argue, man is lost. To support this argument, Christians point their fingers at the external world and say, "You see? You see? You see?"

Of course, there is nothing inherently wrong with any of that. Christians are right - man does need God. Without God, man is lost; and God-less man has made an awfully terrible mess of the world.

At the same time, Christians rarely consider the possibility that God needs man just as much as man needs God. That without man, God might be a bit lost. That without man, God may not be motivated to do more than point at the external world and say, "You see? You see? You see?"

Without God, man is impoverished - but doesn't the same hold true in reverse? That without man, God is impoverished, too?

Man needs God. That is beyond argument.

Yet, God also needs man.

This immediately raises some crucial questions:

Why does God need man?
What does God need man to Be?
How can man meet or fulfill God's need?

Need here does not mean duty or obligation. At the core of this mutual, divine-human need is the freely offered supply of something in order to bring forth the manifestation of a desired state.

This something to be supplied is creativity.

Above all else, God needs man to be creative.

God is the Creator and He needs co-creators.

When Christians expand their standard formula of man's need of God by adding the simple equation of God's need of man, the divine-human revelation will begin to unfold and the creative transfiguration of the cosmos will begin.

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The Peck Saves Lives!

4/26/2021

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This recently released ad called The Peck Saves Lives is but a small part of the relentless "get pecked" campaign the Hungarian government has unleashed upon the public here over the past week.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is what propaganda looks like. Enjoy!

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First Cuckoo Call

4/26/2021

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Readers who have been with this blog for a while know I have an special affinity for Cuculus canorus, known more commonly as - appropriately enough - the common cuckoo.

Over the past two weeks or so I have been straining my ears to catch a call, but to no avail. Well, two days ago - April 24 to be exact - I finally heard the first cuckoo call of the year. The old nursery rhyme line "in May the cuckoo sings all day" should be just around the corner.

The incessant cuckoo calling over the next six weeks or so will provide the perfect soundtrack to accompany the insanity gripping this part of the world.

I can hardly wait!

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