Weekend: VPAC Dinner, Unitarians, The Church, Gloranthan Mythology

[tcpip]

Friday night caseopaya and I went to the VPAC end-of-year dinner at the Rainforest Room at the Melbourne zoo. Had good conversations with the new HPC centre manager and the CEO and their respective partners on a wide-range of topics. Eventually made it home in the wee hours, "a little bit" ineberiated on the cheap red wine that was on offer. Found myself awake and at the Melbourne Convention Centre by 9am for the Parliament of the World's Religions, where I was looking after the International Council of Unitarian Universalists (ICUU) stall. I agree strongly with a local Greens MP (and a Christian) who was argued that it is "vile" religious bigotry that this conference has received $2m in funding from the State government, but next year's Atheist Conference will receive nothing. I intend to go the latter as well, of course, being that most rare of creatures, a religious atheist.

Stayed there until just after 3pm then made my way to Willsmere (the old Kew Asylum) where we are looking for a potential apartment to purchase. Made it home, had a bite to eat, and then went out to see The Church play at the corner hotel; a fairly good show, a strong performance and wide-ranging selection of material, although lacking in their very early material which I prefer. The cover of Smashing Pumpkins' "Disarm" was particularly amusing. Again made it home in the wee hours, but at least this time thoroughly sober.

Following morning had to journey to the Melbourne Unitarian Church where I gave an address on 2012: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Nonsense. Afterwards chaired the Philosophy Forum discussion on The Virtual World. Following that ran a session of RuneQuest where the PCs successfully escaped an attempt of Trolls to crush a Trollkin rebellion; there is now a trollkin and dark elf community in the middle of Sun Duchy who worship the Black Sun, a very cute tangent to the standard Gloranthan mythology.

Comments

[ivansun.livejournal.com]

I was talking to a Unitarian Minister that I mentioned that a friend of mine - ie you - has delivered lectures for the Unitarian congregation here. But the only location I recalled then was the Collins street one, which made us conclude that maybe I got it wrong you are involved in a Uniting Church. Need to talk to you more, lol

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Well... The Uniting Church on Collins Street is an ideological bed-fellow in many ways to the Melbourne Unitarians. Indeed, it has been commented that they have managed to get the people who would otherwise be at our Church if it were not for Francis McNabb.

[lardarsegreg.livejournal.com]

A religious atheist? How does that work?

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Well many varieties of Buddhism would constitute religious atheism, for example.

But more generally it can be used to differentiate between the 'indifferent' atheism of many of irreligious (some of whom may even claim a nominal religion) and those who, despite their atheism, take religious themes seriously.

[lardarsegreg.livejournal.com]

So you believe in something, just not a "higher power"? Interesting.

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

I am certainly sympathetic to naturalistic pantheism, which I suppose is a non-trivial atheism.

[fluffyblanket.livejournal.com]

"religious atheist" sounds like a Zen koan .

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Well, Zen's Buddhist...

[tzunder.livejournal.com]

Go on, explain religous atheist.

I used to be an agnostic atheist, but realised that was a tautology..

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

See my reply above to lardarsegreg

[evil-genius.livejournal.com]

seriously?

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Well... even the SubGenius types are having 'serious fun'

re: 2012

[decrypt-era.livejournal.com]

The main problem facing the student of Mayan culture
is that the Jesuits (with the help of others)
systematically destroyed Mayan literature.
The remaining inscriptions on monuments
make for a rather skewed and limited history.

Reading your speech,
I felt you don't give people enough credit
for choosing the time of their own insanity.
The 2012 superstition didn't cause the current fatalism,
the superstition's simply rendered marketable because
it comes along at a time when a fair percentage of our species
feel like things are about to go bugfuck.
And in that feeling, they may just be onto something.
Their method of justifying that feeling may be irrational and clueless,
but let's separate the baby from the bathwater.

There is always a certain self destructive urge in people,
a hidden desire to smash all the things we've worked so hard to build up.
I name it the Godzilla Impulse.
It's related to the childhood feeling which drives us
to deliberately topple that teetering tower of blocks
which we've just so painstakingly assembled.
Charlatans do prey on this trait,
but usually only a small percentage of people
are strongly feeling its effects at any one time.

In the last thirteen years, I've had some experience with
people strongly expressing their deathwish.
In general, they find themselves in a situation they detest,
they can't go on living as they are,
but can see no likely path out of it.
While not actively suicidal,
they do begin to behave in a way that invites disaster,
subconsciously hoping that some random tumult
will break them from their ruts.
If this mental state occurs on a culture-wide scale,
then riot or revolution becomes immanent.
Unfortunately, the fatalistic passivity leaves people prone
to being harnessed to more dominant aims.

The human race is feeling deathwish now, big time.
And it's not without reason -
we can't go on living as we do for very much longer.
Yes, the problem which people are currently focusing on
isn't the most pressing issue we face,
it's just that climate seems more real to most people,
than discussions of money or energy.

Is it useful to deride people's belief that 'something bad' is about to happen,
when that does, in fact, seem likely?
I believe the appropriate response is to address the helpless passivity.
The more people learn about the mess we've gotten ourselves into,
and the more they think about possible paths out of it,
the less helpless and the more active they can become.
Of course, they'll also become more angry and frightened,
but this'll happen in any case, as reality comes crashing through.
At least an earlier realisation might make us less of an amenable herd,
to be driven straight over the cliff.

The planet is getting that pre-world-war powderkeg smell,
and although most people don't perceive this rationally,
they do sense it, because it's there.
Instead of arguing over whether disaster will strike, and on what date,
we could be putting our efforts, here on the ground level, into
transforming the sense of futility and confusion into purposeful action.

Re: 2012

[tcpip.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, ol' Thanatos rearing his ugly head again.

I believe the appropriate response is to address the helpless passivity.

You're right. You're so right.

Re: 2012

[decrypt-era.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, ol' Thanatos rearing his ugly head again.

He/it comes to us all, nothing new.
When he/it gets busy, though,
processes many in short order,
it kinda brings the species together,
the ol danse macabre effect.
A chance for cooperation, at least.

You're right. You're so right.

Trouble is, without body language,
I can't tell whether this is sincere
or you're just trying to shut me up
(I've had a lot more time to type lately,
so my replies have grown long).

[aske.livejournal.com]

I'd love to attend next year's Atheist Conference although it comes down to how much income I'll have to play around with once I'm back in Australia... and by then I'm worried the Sunday sessions (that's the day with Singer and Dawkins, yes?) will be sold out? I'm actually hoping their talks will be recorded and eventually broadcast.

My friend Nick Langdon has been taking jabs at the Parliament conference in The Age recently, heh. I expect the issue will certainly fire up again early next year, and I'm looking forward to it. ;)