At Heart, the Matter Applies

Hey ATS, I haven't been on in a while. I would just like to share my report I had to do in my English class; we had to pick a topic to write a persuasive paper on, this is the outline of it. A little in depth, things like (Teasdale 4) would be an article's author's name. For the better part it is really my own thoughts. I just want to see people's thoughts on it.

There have been many times in human history where the men and women have rid themselves of the bellicose ways of our animal nature and thus undermine our understanding of the capabilities of man’s good and evil. Much like the mythical Golden Age of the also mythical Atlantis; and the quasi-peace of the Pax Romana of the Romans. The benefit of human intelligence is understanding, albeit it isn’t always shown, it’s mighty and can alter and shift the world. One crucial idea to the road of equanimity is religion/spirituality. And that’s the subject, our grasping of religion, understanding and translating ideas for the benefit of mankind, to a universal peace, as close as we can get to it.

Spirituality/Religion teaches us meaning, beyond good and evil.

Mysticism is the essence of understanding. (Teasdale 6)
Everything stems from mysticism, just questioning, wondering, and mystery. (Teasdale 6)
Allowing the submission to questioning, we can start to understand our questions and, then, answers. (Teasdale 6)

Cross-religious sharing helps our own comprehension of ourselves and others.

1. A man may be considered not truly educated only knowing one language, the same can be said for religion. (Teasdale 5)
2. The common ground of familiar, yet exotic, traditions as: God, boundless awareness, and Tao; once seen as one, helps bring insight. (Teasdale 6)
3. A World’s Parliament of Religions in 1893 convened in Chicago,interspersing a myriad of religions around the world and showed that the ethics of religion can bring, yes, understanding. (Teasdale 4)

A definitive revolution, a spiritual awakening.

1. The fragmentation and isolation is needed to be overcome for our own shift in consciousness. (Teasdale 6)
2. A need for spirituality that is in coalescence with valuable mythical and religious traditions is needed. (Teasdale 6)


Science and religion are integrating ideas and life’s meaning.

A. As religion, science began itself as wonder.

1. The length of mankind’s 2.5 million, taken as a 24-hour day, then the era of the telescope has lasted a mere 15 seconds. (Begley 2)
a. Throughout the other 23 hours, 59 minutes, and 45 seconds, our unaided eyes could not see through more than nature would allow.
2. Visible stars and planets, there lay an infinity and eternity would could not comprehend, as unbounded as humankind’s imagination. (Begley 2)

B. Science and it’s way alongside spirituality.

1. It was seen until the middle of the 19th century, science, not at variance with religion, rather as an avenue to a deeper appreciation of the Creative Forces, from which we can discern nature/God. (Begley 3)
2. They both have the same underlying paths down their roads such as : Who are we? What are we? What’s the purpose? What’s the end? Where do we come from? Where are we going? (Begley 7)

C. Science and religion’s diverging roads to the same plateau.

1. “A science producing ideas that in a certain sense allow it to transcend its own limits... transcendence is the only real alternative to extinction, especially the extinction of the human soul.” That seems equally to be the expression of religious views. (Begley 7)
2. They may always retain separate identities, much like the separation of the spiritual sects themselves, but its common goal is understanding and comprehension. (Begley 8)


Religion has been misused in violence and politics.

A. The maintaining of the separation of church and state.

1. The government should not favor any one religion, it could, in beginning or eventually, lead to zealous rulers; like the much covered terrorist fanatics, but on a larger scale. (Doerr 1)
2. Religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God... the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions. In truth, that was Thomas Jefferson, cited on the page. It is a part of the beginning American government, it’s an idea I strongly felt he and the others got right. (Doerr 2)

B. Religious intolerance affecting the world.
1. The hatred of Jews seems a perfect poster child for religious intolerance at its worst, subjected heavily with racism. (Brooks 3)
2. A pride of such bigotry is bad, in any case. Like the man’s example of class of Jewish history and being asked if he was a Jew, responding yes, “Well, then, where are your horns and tail?” (Brooks 4)

Through the progression of earthly time, man has subjugated himself to the world and beyond for a glimpse of what we may have once, but do not now understand. These are the philosophies and religions and personal spirituality of us today.