Socrates made a lot of powerful enemies in Athens but also touched the lives of many people because of his intellectual humility.
Socrates was critical about the sophist of his time. Socrates clearly denounced their dishonesty in the pursuit of knowledge. Many of the sophist were extorting money from people in exchange for "knowledge"
Sophistry is defined as - (noun) a deliberately invalid argument displaying ingenuity in reasoning in the hope of deceiving someone.
I was in grade school when I was introduced to political philosophies ie. Plato's Republic.
Many years later I realized that Socrates was Plato's mentor. I did not know Socrates and his story until later after I left my college teaching career to pursue development work with the poorest among the poor. It was 1983. Like Socrates, I was in searched of a deeper meaning to all the theories I learned from college and graduate school. I was looking for the PRAXIS to all the theories I memorized...and still I wonder, with all those great theories, why so much poverty and sufferings ?
I have a gifted memory but I was pedantic and intellectually arrogant then. My exposure to development work from USAID, CARE and Plan International taught me valuable lessons, particularly the predicaments of materially deprived people in many parts of the world, and my personal and direct work with the poorest among the poor changed me forever. But, I have this nagging question, how many among the billions of people (7+ billion) are willing to be selfless like Socrates ?
Many others followed Socrates. Dreamers like him that made the world a better place to dwell.
Besides Socrates I have other favorites :
Blaise Paschal (Theory of Probability) Blaise was famous not only because he thought and initiated the first calculator and co-authored the theory of probability in Statistics.
Blaise Paschal's famous wager about God.
"If you believe in God, you lose nothing, therefore I choose to believe in God."
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
4.5 + billion WHY ? and the POWER of COMPOUNDING.
7 billion+ people. 7 billion+ reasons + 7 billion personalities and One God ????
Sometimes I wonder, why I do what I do, subtly convincing people, God is real. Embarrassing (as flesh dictated) to insist on something that cannot be seen or concretized except the fact you have that PEACE many people has not achieved despite they have zillions in theirs banks.
When Jonah was running away from his "destiny" (his calling) he stumbled on the biggest quagmire of his life - the world (symbolized by the big fish ?)
Sometimes I wonder, why I do what I do, subtly convincing people, God is real. Embarrassing (as flesh dictated) to insist on something that cannot be seen or concretized except the fact you have that PEACE many people has not achieved despite they have zillions in theirs banks.
When Jonah was running away from his "destiny" (his calling) he stumbled on the biggest quagmire of his life - the world (symbolized by the big fish ?)
Many of us are like Jonah (including me), we tried running away from
our pre-ordained destiny (calling). You often wonder why ?
When you have achieved the pinnacle of success, looking down from your ivory tower, you asked this nagging question, now what ?
Do you think the 4.5+ billion poor and hungry asked the same question you and I are asking ?
To them where is food instead of where is the church ? Where is the toilet instead why the world is so small and yet it feels so overwhelmingly huge ? Many of the suffering people often asked, where is God when I needed him or her ?
312 million+ people in the United States, and 312+ reasons and questions , what are you doing today to help the needy, the orphan, the widow and the poorest among the poor children and adults with mental and physical disabilities, many of whom are outside the United States of America.
For almost half of my life I have been asking this question, WHY ?
When you have achieved the pinnacle of success, looking down from your ivory tower, you asked this nagging question, now what ?
Do you think the 4.5+ billion poor and hungry asked the same question you and I are asking ?
To them where is food instead of where is the church ? Where is the toilet instead why the world is so small and yet it feels so overwhelmingly huge ? Many of the suffering people often asked, where is God when I needed him or her ?
312 million+ people in the United States, and 312+ reasons and questions , what are you doing today to help the needy, the orphan, the widow and the poorest among the poor children and adults with mental and physical disabilities, many of whom are outside the United States of America.
For almost half of my life I have been asking this question, WHY ?
News Feed
Power
of compounding. IF 2 billion people gives HOPE and LOVE to others = 4
billion x 100 Guess how many will touch and change the landscape of
sufferings, the drought of human understanding, the blizzards of
confusion, and the darkness of hopelessness...
WHY GOD ?
If God knocks at the door of your heart, and when God summons you to do good to others, do not run or hide.
God is a God of all people...regardless they are Jews or Gentiles, Muslims or not, Christians or not.
In the absence of LOVE evil and wickedness will take over.
Not knowing is not an excuse. God gave us 2 ears to listen, 2 eyes to see...
Monday, June 30, 2014
Rights.
No one has the right to exploit others. Everyone has the right to develop his or her talents without exploiting others. Your rights ends where the rights of others begins. It is your right to defend yourself when others oppresses you. It is your right to make choices in your life, but remember it should not violate the rights of people, including unborn children. Exceptions happens but be diligent and conscientious with your decision because it has a serious moral implications for the rest of your life. It your right to get angry but not to hate others. It is your right to expand your knowledge not at the expense of others. It is your right to be in this world. It is your right to imagine and actualize your dream but remember to be just and fair to others. It is your right to be successful but be humble. It is your right to be compassionate but do it for the right reason based on respect and justice. It is your right to refuse unless you are called to serve your God and others. It is your right to be happy but remember your happiness must not cause injury to others. It is your right to own things but do not steal or covet the property of others. It is your right to be protected from exploitation. It is the right of government to do the right things for her people. Remember a just and fair government is from the Divine. You have the right to change unjust government peacefully, no exceptions. You have the right to peace but not violence. It is God's right to extract and deliver punishment to wickedness and evil. Above and beyond this rights - remember your rights are not absolute. You have the right to understand this.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Everyone directly or indirectly suffered 'misfortune', 'bad things',
'bad luck', 'failure', and many other negativities. Some blame others
or blame God. Some ask why me ? Some ask why God ?
Nobody knows why.
My personal experiences with failures or bad things came mostly from my own weakness and limitations. Some I do not know WHY ?
Nobody knows why.
My personal experiences with failures or bad things came mostly from my own weakness and limitations. Some I do not know WHY ?
Peace is divine gift. Through prayers we receive Divine PEACE.
Peace is the acceptance of things beyond our control.
Do you have Divine PEACE in your heart and mind ?
How do you achieve Divine Peace ?
1. Prayer
2. Love everyone.
3. Forgive and Forget
4. Help others in need
5. Do the right thing for others. Do to others what you like others do to you.
6. Releasing anger by forgiving and forgetting
7. Believe that YOU can because of God's mercy and LOVE.
Peace is the acceptance of things beyond our control.
Do you have Divine PEACE in your heart and mind ?
How do you achieve Divine Peace ?
1. Prayer
2. Love everyone.
3. Forgive and Forget
4. Help others in need
5. Do the right thing for others. Do to others what you like others do to you.
6. Releasing anger by forgiving and forgetting
7. Believe that YOU can because of God's mercy and LOVE.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Love as commanded...
We are called to serve God. Many refused not because they were not
chosen. Gentile or Jew, Muslim or not we came from the same God of
Abraham and Moses. Seek God, Love all His People. How can you KILL if
you LOVE ?
Being rich and powerful not a privilege or right to exploit God's people.
Being poor and impoverished not an excuse to kill and revolt against God's people.
The Law of God handed to Moses - The Human Laws emanating from God must be obeyed. How do you know a Divine controlled and inspired law ? It promotes LOVE, it preserves PEACE, it encourages HOPE, it created Harmony, Just and Fair, and not self-conceit.
You cannot deceive God...He is the ALPHA and the Omega.
Being rich and powerful not a privilege or right to exploit God's people.
Being poor and impoverished not an excuse to kill and revolt against God's people.
The Law of God handed to Moses - The Human Laws emanating from God must be obeyed. How do you know a Divine controlled and inspired law ? It promotes LOVE, it preserves PEACE, it encourages HOPE, it created Harmony, Just and Fair, and not self-conceit.
You cannot deceive God...He is the ALPHA and the Omega.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Empty and Vain.
I was looking at the modern concrete and steel buildings recently and I felt a strange kind of emotion. The feeling of emptiness. The cold steel and concrete reminds me of the "coldness" of some people living in those structures. How can they live in a golden rat holes ?
- I felt like in a golden caged, imprison by my own selfishness and ambitions. Empty and vain.
- I felt like in a golden caged, imprison by my own selfishness and ambitions. Empty and vain.
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Monuments of the heart...
Statues and concrete structures sculpted by artisans immortalized countless heroes of generations...
But, how many really come...
Reflecting the meaning of such symbols and epithet ?
How do you like to be remembered or not remembered ?
Billboards, signage, news article, statues and other sculptures...
I chose to be remembered...
in the hearts of people I met and helped... Being appreciated in the hearts of people...
can translate to their next generations.
Statues and other metal structures fades...
become rusted, decaying as the time goes by...
Being remembered in the hearts of people ... sketched in their lives.
The mind fades, but the heart remains.
How do you like to be remembered ?
But, how many really come...
Reflecting the meaning of such symbols and epithet ?
How do you like to be remembered or not remembered ?
Billboards, signage, news article, statues and other sculptures...
I chose to be remembered...
in the hearts of people I met and helped... Being appreciated in the hearts of people...
can translate to their next generations.
Statues and other metal structures fades...
become rusted, decaying as the time goes by...
Being remembered in the hearts of people ... sketched in their lives.
The mind fades, but the heart remains.
How do you like to be remembered ?
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