After the Show...

Horton Hears a Who:

Belief, the other white meat… (Is this really about a movie?)

Premise; Just because YOU don't hear god talking to you, doesn't mean he doesn't exist! Just watch this movie and you too will finally understand what the believers have been trying to tell you, heathen. This movie bears witness to the horrific dangers of skepticism and the glorious power of faith! It is also a testament somehow, to the frightful perils of blind trust and the ever redeeming values of the active mind.

This movie has two main morals…

1. Just because you can’t prove the reality of something, via any means known to any human who has ever lived, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t swear your entire life to it, judge the rest of existence by it, and teach your kids to believe in it too, you bet’cha… (And)
2. Never blindly pledge allegiance to anything, or follow any crowd, or anyone, (even your own mother!) without KNOWING why.

(SPOILER ALERT!!!)

Just a few questions that severely impair the movie narrative (as seen by the children who watched it with me).

First of all, (in my opinion) the movie was about religion, pure and simple. The great voice was only heard by one being, and the whisper was only heard by the great one. So if you are into god, this is a perfect way to mold the mind of your child to believe in things one can (seemingly) never verify. But, why could this never be verified? Why wouldn’t someone, somewhere be able to verify it? Why couldn’t the other elephants verify that, “yes, there are voices coming from that little speck.” This is the reasoning of a child! If one can do a thing, someone like that one should also be able to do it. Which brings up an excellent point…

Why is it some people believe that showing naked bodies to children will harm them, but yet they are silent when a movie shows violence? In the same aspect, why do the people who rally against violent material, not rally against stupid, brainless, inane, illogical, irrational material marketed as correct behavior to those same children? Let’s reason on this:

What has the possibility of doing mankind more harm;

1. a child seeing the penis, teats, vagina or buttocks of fellow humans;
2. a child seeing the general willful harm, shooting, stabbing or exploding of fellow humans;
3. a child seeing the abject forfeiture of reason and willful neglect of logic as leading to salvation.

Which of these, if they were inculcated into the mind of all children (as if some of these are not), would be the guaranteed end of human civilization? I just find it very interesting that people don’t see the development of reasoning skills as the ultimate mediator when it comes to sex (because of which we all exist) and violence (because of which we all exist), but instead, when confronted by things of inane nature say things like, “Well, it’s only a movie…” If one can say that about the movies that dumb down an audience, why isn't it said about the ones that glorify sex?

Was the fact that a main character had next to no reasoning ability or that they neglected to teach their offspring respect was suppose to be negated by the “hilarity” that ensued as the character’s role was played out? As we watched the movie, “Why is he doing that” was often heard. But then again, my kids are not the average brain-dead spawn of retard semen. Upon seeing the climax, we were all left pretty dumb founded that the story had been allowed to progress to that point, but there were lessons to learn from the tale (no there weren't, I'm just attempting to add some sort of "G.I.JOE" ending; some of that, "and knowings half the battle" shit).

1. Do some research; If not in the roots or basis of a belief, then into the mindset of the people who believe it.
2. Attempt to verify the “facts” , or “truths” used for promoting the belief by searching them out for yourself.

It is very possible that you might (could just possibly) save the whole entire world from killing itself in a holy war (maybe perhaps you bet’cha).

Back to the movie...

All in all, even with the religious subtext, it really is a humorous movie with themes that even young retarded children should find simple to recognize. Watch it with your kids, and see if they are as smart as mine (here's a hint, they're not)!

Screen shots of Horton the elephant © 2005 Twentieth Century Fox. All Rights Reserved. I have no relationship with Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (as if you thought I did). Images used under United States Code Title 17, Chapter 1, Subsection 107 "Fair use".

Let's Talk Realty

Lets talk Realty

The word literally means, "real possession". Possess as in, "to hold, occupy, reside in" (without regard to ownership).

So, let me ask; the common space we occupy, where we all as living beings reside, is it real or not, is it really reality? This question may sound strange to some, but the truth of the matter is, there are those among us who believe in different literal realities. We are not talking about different planes of existence, which are at the foundation of many sciences (science, being a specific method which is used just as any tool, for the purpose of objective study any given subject). Anyone who has even partially studied such fields as cellular theory, atomic theory, or astrophysics, knows there exists different rules regarding matter. These could be loosely defined as different realities of existence because matter when being viewed from different scales of size distance or even speed, act and react according to specific and in many cases unique physics; but these are still only different rules found within nature. Nature, as we exist in it (as part of it and it as part of us), is reality; it is the realty of which we and all we can perceive exists. From this internal prospective, there is only reality, and non. The entirety of perceptible existence is what characterizes reality. All that is not perceptible in this reality, is outside of knowable existence.

I live in reality, and you?

What if I told you, "There exists a being that lives outside of reality,” what would you say? Would you ask me how I knew, or would you just accept this belief as your own and continue about your day? What if I was your life partner, and I told you, "The being from the other side of existence, has seen fit to bless us with a meal, we should thank it." Would you ask me how I knew, or would you then raise your head and look to the ceiling with me, and proceed to offer thanks to it? What if I was your life partner and we had children, and I told you, "The being which lives outside of existence commands me to kill our child," what would you do?

So, I'm a Realist, a person who believes in what is real. This may sound strange to some, "Surely everyone believes in what is real?" I wish that were the case, but sadly it is not. Some actually believe in that which is not real, even putting a higher value and trust in that for which there exist no evidence (evidence, being that for which direct indication or indirect inference exists). Some have attempted to form their lives around that for which there exists no evidence. Reality for these people is divided into physical and spiritual (not spirit as it was first meant, "the breath one takes in and exhales", but as in some other realm which they believe to be outside of this reality). Their claim is that everything we see came from outside this reality; from the spirit world. Before the methodology had been devised for a scientific effort to provide logical reasoning, based on factual happenings of perceptible natural events, humans had their questions answered by the mystical, magical, "god did it" and why not? Without any better answers even the most reasonable person would find comfort in "knowing" the how and why behind their perceived existence. However, as humanity has developed we have become prone to asking questions of our beliefs and actually seeking reasonable answers. Now, the same answers of old have begun to ring very hollow.

When scientist attempt to find this "spiritual" realm, they are used to the excuse (excuse= reason for failure), "There's a separation between the physical realm and the spiritual realm". No matter the experiment, science has been unable to affirm the existence of any realm, which resides outside of existence. Just try to think up an experiment by which a material substance could detect that which is immaterial. Every particle that exhibits wave function, and every energy state of matter, and every frequency of particle movement, and every substance, material, form, or fashion of thing, is in reality. How can ANYTHING that exists in reality, be effected by that which does not?

Imagine the force that exists between the constituents of all manner of atomic and subatomic structure. This force holds the structures together in a fashion similar to how gravity holds a planet together (more so like how the force of gravity holds solar systems and galaxies in their states, but hopefully you get the idea). If we existed under the same rules of existence as the atom though, the extreme strength of the force exhibited on us would change our apparent reality. If, by some magic, we were still alive and not crushed into singularities by that force, we would be completely blind, as light would no longer react in the same manner it does at our current level of perception.

Lets reverse this thought, from the view of a particle. Atomic nuclei would completely fly apart if the force which holds them together were as weak as the force of gravity, no atomic nucleus could exist under such a weak bond. So lets look at an effect commonly stated to be a sign of the "spirit", feelings. Using the same criteria of all other sciences, we look at what causes the feelings to be perceived and we see chemicals every time. The mind reacts to chemical stimuli and builds its own chemicals in response. The brain reacts to all stimuli by making chemicals. These chemicals regulate both glands and organs, giving us feelings of elation, depression, fear, or love. We know this to be true from studying the mind of those who do not feel certain emotions or feel them less. We find there is a lack of certain chemicals. A chemical is the combination of fundamental atomic chains, like hydrogen, lithium, oxygen, and the like. These chained structures are made of sub atomic structures (notice how everything is still founded solidly within reality). These sub atomic structures are held together by what is called the weak force. Look at the direct line that we can draw between what we as individual humans subjectively experience, and the object reality of the atomic realm. When people say, "I'm feeling the holy spirit", science can answer where the feeling comes from, the specific mechanics behind how it is formed, and it can even reproduce the feeling in pill form; holy spirit in a gel-cap. There is a definite separation between the perceived strong force of atomic attraction exhibited at the sub atomic level and perceived force of gravity exhibited in and between solar bodies, yet science can easily describe, explain, and make accurate predictions using their findings.

What does this have to do with real life?

The debate between Faithers and Realists should come to a head where children are concerned. In the Christian version of reality, a being exists which has been said to tell its followers to kill their neighbor, kill their brother, sister, father, mother, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, husband, wife and to even kill their sons and daughters- Genesis 22, Exodus 32: 26- 29. This being even takes satisfaction in killing its sons and daughters itself- 1 Chronicles 21:1-14, Ezekiel 5:8-10. In the mind of the Faither, these are not unreasonable actions for a loving "heavenly father".

How is it okay to teach a child that they should worship a being that would command their parents to kill them, all the while stating the being loves them and cares for them. How is this a healthy thing for children to grow up believing? What sane parent would tell their child, "love sometimes means you have to be placed upon a bed of kindling, bound tightly so your body will not fight me and god's love as your throat is slit open so your steaming blood will not defile your burning fat as it gives god a restful odor, dearest."

Reference:

http://www.etymonline.com

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/forces/funfor.html#c2

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/scientific-realism/

http://www.stressgroup.com/12IrrationalBeliefs.html