Philosophy

I profess to be a philosopher and lover of music. Since that is how I wish to be remembered, I therefore introduce my philosophy at this web site.

Before doing so, I want to point out that in several places in this web site I refer to a movie, a television program, a book or other work by another person as an analogy to help further explain a point. In order for the reader to get a better understanding of me and my philosophy he would do well to read the book, watch the movie or television program or get to know and understand in some form that which I refer to.

It is not imperative to do so but one would have a better understanding of what I’m saying if he also understands that which I am referring to. For example one does not have to read the whole book 2001: A Space Odyssey. One only needs to understand how the monolith taught the australopithecines. One would then possibly have a better understanding of Job,33:14-18. This is just one example of how God communicates with His children in an unofficial capacity.

Also, I hope by the time these web pages are being read, the reader has already read Alpha Omega. Indeed, it ought to be read first, as what I state in these web pages is an elaboration upon what I state in my manuscript. What I have written here was written after I finished writing it. The information I present here is what I learned about God and His world after I completed Alpha Omega.

Finally, I sometimes refer to joe nobody (I got him from my mother’s brother). A joe nobody is an average everyday citizen. He is not important, famous or rich. Nor does joe nobody ever do anything that would draw attention to himself. He is just an average everyday person; he is no one in particular. Thus, he is joe nobody. In a very real and humble sense, each and every one of us is a joe nobody.

First of all, we are all children of God, created by Him in His image and likeness. We must learn to live and act like children of God or we will never live in peace and we will never establish justice. We will have no future. We must learn to live in peace and harmony with each other and with nature, for if we do not, then we will only destroy ourselves.

We cannot learn to live in peace by teaching an incorrect version of what is right and just. That is to say, we cannot establish peace on earth by following a perverted philosophy. A perverted philosophy is one that based on false premises and deception. In short, we cannot live in peace if we have a philosophy based on dishonesty.

In order to obtain justice and peace, we must be honest with ourselves as well as with each other and we must put the law first in everything we do. We must use reason and logic in order to find truth and justice. Our honesty and truth must be tempered with wisdom and our laws and justice must be tempered with mercy.

This is because truth without wisdom is arrogance and wisdom without truth is the cunning of a deceitful wolf-in-sheep’s clothing. While justice without mercy is vengeance and mercy without justice is letting the criminal get away with his or her crime. But honesty and truth tempered with wisdom and the law and justice tempered with mercy is God’s truth and God’s justice, Osee,6:6.

It is not an easy path to follow. Choosing the right philosophy to follow can only be done through intelligent, logical discussion with those who hold a different point of view and admitting one’s shortcomings in those areas where one’s philosophy has deficits.

This latter is the hard part. It takes humility to admit that an aspect of one’s own belief system is inferior to the belief system held by one’s neighbor. But if we are to achieve truth and justice in our world that is the course we must follow.

We must be totally honest with each other and with ourselves. If someone were to come to the table to talk peace with his or her neighbor and not be totally honest with his or her neighbor then they will never achieve peace. They will never find the truth and justice for which they seek.

One should know too that in the discussions with those who hold a different opinion, if anyone were to come to the peace talks with a hidden agenda, if anyone were to have an ulterior motive in stating his or her philosophy, one that lay beneath or behind his or her spoken philosophy, then such discussions would not find truth or justice. Such discussions will only end up bringing more confusion, distrust and chaos than we presently have in this world.

Everyone needs to be totally honest in everything they think, do and say. Only by following such a course can truth and justice be found. Only if we follow such a course of action can our children ever hope to live in peace. Hence, honesty is not just the best policy to live by. Honesty is the only policy for one to live by.

Being honest and just with one’s neighbor is what the ancient prophet Baruch meant when he said that we would walk in peace forever if we just followed the law of God (Bar.3:12-13). If we are honest and just with our neighbor in all our interactions him then we will live in peace forever.

In order to help us find truth and establish justice God has given us science and the scientific method to use as a tool. If we use this tool logically and act in a rational manner then God will not let us down. We will find His truth and His justice. We will live in peace forever.

It is my belief that if each of us begins to follow the Golden Rule then we will find God’s truth and justice. Many have told me that I am wrong, that we will not live in peace by always doing unto others as we wish they would do unto us. Many of these same individuals tell me that there is no universal law by which we can govern ourselves.

But I ask myself: Do I want anyone being untruthful with me? Then neither should I be untruthful with anyone else. Do I want anyone stealing from me? Then neither should I take something that does not belong to me. Do I want someone cheating me or deceiving me? Then neither should I cheat or deceive anyone else.

I do not want anyone to treat me in a racist, prejudice, bigoted, intolerant, slanderous or chauvinistic way then neither do I treat anyone in such a manner. I do not want anyone to spread untruthful malicious gossip about me, so I do not do such things. In fact, I do not want anyone to knowingly hurt me in anyway, so I do my best not to knowingly hurt anyone in anyway.

I follow this course of action even when it is to my own detriment. This is doing to others as I want them to do to me. This is loving one another and laying down one’s life for one’s neighbor, Jn.15:12-13. This is obeying God’s law!

Some people mistakenly believe that the Golden Rule cannot be the one law to obey in order to establish peace on earth because we all make mistakes. According to these individuals, since we all make mistakes that cause harm to others, we should therefore ignore the Golden Rule as a source from which all our other laws should be drawn.

But such a belief is interpreting God’s law incorrectly. While it is true that we all make mistakes and these mistakes cause harm to others, should we judge someone who honestly makes a mistake in the same manner that we judge someone who deliberately does the same thing?

For example, should someone who makes an honest mistake while operating a motorized piece of equipment be judged in the same manner as someone who operates that same piece of machinery while intoxicated? Should someone who mistakenly believes that he found something that was lost be subject to the same ruling as someone who knowingly steals something? Should anyone who makes an honest mistake be subject to the same consequences as those who willfully and maliciously do wrong? Of course not!

We tend to forgive those who make an honest mistake and we try ignore their behavior as much as possible. But we do not prosecute them to the fullest of the law! We do what we can to correct them, to help them do better and to make sure that they do not repeat their mistake and then go on with our lives. This is obeying the Golden Rule. This is God’s law. This is thinking logically and acting rationally.

There are some individuals who claim that they do not care if someone takes something from them that is of little or no value to them. They do not care if someone tells lies about them or to them. They do not care if someone discriminates against them and other similar beliefs.

These individuals then claim that the Golden Rule cannot be the basis for our social laws, because the Golden Rule does not work in such a situation. If they are telling the truth about what they care about then there is a slim chance – a very slim chance – that the Golden Rule cannot be the foundation for all our social laws.

But such individuals are either not telling the truth about what they care about, they are fools, they are mentally impaired or they maintain a philosophy of extremism. In any one of these situations, their beliefs cannot be followed or taken seriously. Who can honestly believe liars and fools? Who can honestly believe that extremists maintain a philosophy that everyone must obey?

This is to say nothing of the fact that those individuals who hold an extremist philosophy and are using it to interpret the law are misinterpreting the Golden Rule.

For example, there are those who believe that to be spanked on the ass and to participate in bondage and discipline role play scenes while participating in sexual intercourse and other sex acts is extremist sex. Yet, there are others of a different opinion who believe that there is nothing wrong with BDSM sex and frequently mix spanking, bondage, discipline and sex.

(I am not trying to judge those who mix spanking, bondage, discipline and sex. Nor am I saying that those who mix spanking, bondage, discipline and sex are extremists. I am just trying to prove a point.)

The point I am trying to make is this: Should there be laws demanding that everyone be spanked while participating in sex just because some individuals like to do it? Should there be laws demanding that everyone mix bondage and discipline with sex? Of course not! Conversely, should there be laws preventing consenting adults from doing sexually what they will in the privacy of their own homes? Of course not!

There are some individuals who believe that it is immoral for men and women to show an excess amount of flesh in public. Should there be laws demanding that everyone be restricted from exposing any flesh in public? Of course not! Conversely, there are those who believe that it is alright to go completely naked in public. Should there be laws forcing everyone to go completely naked in public? Of course not! Well, neither should anyone be forced to follow any extremist philosophy.

However, those who wish to follow extremist beliefs should be allowed to do so as long as what they are doing is not interfering with the rights of their neighbor. This is treating others the way you want them to treat you. This is following the Golden Rule.

Many individuals believe that following the Golden Rule means that they will have to treat everyone they meet like a king or queen, since they themselves want to be treated as such. Others believe that since some individuals like to be treated in a masochistic way, then the law – according to them – says that we should treat everyone with sadism and masochism.

But both of these are a misinterpretation of God’s law. Both of these interpretations are in the extreme. Nor is such an interpretation thinking logically and acting in a rational manner.

Following God’s law means to love that person with whom I am interacting. To do this, I only need to treat that person with the same dignity, honesty and justice with which I myself want to be treated.

It does not mean I have to agree with his conservative, liberal or moderate political philosophy, go to his church, invite him to my house and/or party with him, socialize with him or anything else of this nature. It does not even mean I have to be friends with him, buy him birthday presents, go to his children’s graduation or anything of this nature.

Obedience to God’s law means that I have to be honest and respectful with my neighbor in all my interactions with him. Loving one’s neighbor means being truthful and just with all those with whom I interact and acting in a logical and rational manner while doing so, tempering one’s truth with wisdom and tempering one’s justice with mercy. Any other interpretation of the Golden Rule is a misinterpretation of the law.

I once had a philosophy professor who wrote on the board: You can do anything you want – just do not hurt anyone. He then said: “There is not one of you in this room, or in the world for that matter, who disagrees with this statement. Everyone, liberal, moderate and conservative, agrees with this statement. What we disagree upon is what it means to hurt someone. Liberals, moderates and conservatives all have different opinions on what it means to hurt someone.”

He is correct and finding the road that allows us to do anything we want without hurting anyone can only be found if the liberals, moderates and conservatives all sit down and discuss the issues openly and intelligently and without any hidden motives.

We will never establish peace on Earth by lying to each other and resorting to violence as a means of settling our disputes with each other. Peace can only be found through hard work and honesty in our interactions with each other. It cannot be found at the point of a gun!

As I stated in Alpha Omega, obedience to the Golden Rule means being completely honest and just with one’s neighbor in all things and at all times. One must temper their honesty with wisdom and their justice with mercy, for such is following a logical thought and acting in a rational manner.

It matters not what one’s occupation or study happens to be, as long as one places honesty and truth tempered with wisdom, and the law and justice tempered with mercy, above one’s own personal desires, and as long as one follows logical thought with rational actions, then one is doing the will of God.

One cannot emphasize it too much. Obedience to the law only requires one to place honesty and truth tempered with wisdom, and the law and justice tempered with mercy above one’s own personal desires and to be logical in thought with rational actions.

One does not have to recite the rosary or any particular prayer. One does not have to do any particular penance or fasting. One does not even have to support any church or charity. (Such actions are for those who seek perfection.) One only needs to obey this law of love. By following such a course of action one will be helping to establish peace on earth.

If a person is not accomplishing their deeds according to this philosophy, then he is not doing the will of God. It is the will of Jesus Christ that mankind establish peace on earth by obeying His law, which is not heavy and is just a restating of the Golden Rule that He gave at the sermon on the mountain and again in a different version at the Last Supper.

My Philosophy