Theology & Philosophy – Page 3

A Dire Situation

Well, really not that dire, at least in the conventional use of the term. What it is, is a good piece of corporate PR that serves up an interesting dish of ethics.

What I’m referring to is the announcement from Colossal Biosciences that they have ‘de-extincted’ the Dire Wolf. Yes, the caps are there for a reason, mostly to point out that I am referring to the species. For background on this, I will refer you to Leslie Eastman’s very good piece at Legal Insurrection.

Those of you who have read me for a while know I like and respect wolves, and did a small bit of volunteer work at Wolf Park (a wolf research and educational facility). In fact, got to spend some time with the founder, among others. Very much grateful for the time there, and the chance to actually work with/get to know some of the wolves.

I’m going to echo Leslie a bit here, and will simply state that this is overblown. It may be a step towards bringing the species back from extinction, but it is an early step that to my mind is no where near close. Got to agree with Leslie, if you want to bring them back you have to do the following:

1) The entire genetic sequence is from actual dire wolves;
2) The breed on their own; and,
3) They can thrive in the wild.

What they have done on certain levels is create a new wolf-dog hybrid. Admittedly, depending on how they did it, one could argue a wolf-direwolf hybrid, but the effect is the same. They have also created several ethics debates, of which I will approach only a couple of points.

First, it will be interesting to see what becomes of all the pups as they mature. Given all, I don’t expect the normal wolf mortality (roughly 90 percent of wolf pups don’t make it to one year of age if I’m remembering correctly) to be a factor; but, this is uncharted territory and there may be some issues that come up.

So, let’s be optimistic and say normal puppyhood. Seeing how they mature and how they behave as they mature will be interesting. The behavior traits will be most interesting. One of the reasons I used the wolf-dog hybrid analogy above is because it is always a crapshoot as to what behaviors you get in true wolf-dog hybrids.

Side note: quite a few wolf-dog hybrids are not. They are standard dog-dog interbreeds using dogs that look like most people thing wolves look. Lots of what I consider fraud there. When it truly is a wolf-dog hybrid, things get interesting.

One of the big problems, according to someone I used to know who testified as an expert witness in trials regarding wolf-dog hybrids, is that you really don’t know what range of behaviors you are going to get. Sometimes you get friendly and even obedient; and, sometimes you get that really not-so-nice-and-friendly behavior. Most tend to go middle, but that is a lot of ground and frankly a good bit of it is not something you want running around free in the neighborhood.

Which is where I have some issues with Colossus. They talk in the PR piece about re-introducing Dire Wolves into the world to help re-balance nature. Frankly, we are a lot better off (IMO) doing what we are doing with grey wolf populations right now. If you didn’t know, the re-introduction into Yellowstone has had some amazing benefits: deforestation blamed on acid rain turned out to be no such thing, but overgrazing by wildlife, net result forests are healthier (and that’s not the only example); wildlife herds are stronger and healthier; there have been improvements to waterways and the water systems; and, there is more.

Even with this, there are problems when you re-introduce into other, public, ranges. Yes, wolves will hunt the easiest prey, which can mean cattle and other domestic animals. There are other issues, and a lot of prejudice on both major sides of the re-introduction debate.

Thing is, grey wolves are a species of this time, with behaviors/ethology that has been studied and of which there is a reasonable (not complete) understanding. Re-introducing a species that sees (saw) humans as prey is not something I would consider a good idea unless you did so at government centers and agencies.

By the way, healthy wolves don’t see us as prey. I caveat that as sick wolves (including those with brain tumors and such) will attack humans but rarely do they decide to hunt adult humans. Children, especially infants/toddlers, well, easy prey and the latter make movements reminiscent of wounded prey, so…

Generally, unless sick or starving, wolves like to stay about a mile from us. The proper term is flight distance, as in they want to be able to turn and run away from us if we get too close. Now, they are curious creatures (and sometimes too intelligent when it comes to gate latches) and will get closer to check us out — provided they can stay under cover and get away quickly at need. It’s one reason they will creep up on camps and houses at night, when we are not moving about.

Question is: is that a trait that will be present in these pups or any future true Dire Wolf revival?

Now, a few other quick questions: Is it right and ethical to release a revived Dire Wolf into the wild? Is it right and ethical to bring back a species knowing it’s former range no longer exists and they will be in either a constrained area or in effectively zoos and similar facilities? Is it right and proper to try to force them to fit into a new niche?

These are just a few of the ethical (and moral) questions that abound right now. In most respects, my take right now lies somewhere between Sam Neill’s and Jeff Goldblum’s characters in Jurassic Park. I will also admit that knowing George RR Martin is in any way involved concerns me as he is a very reliable 180 indicator. If he is for something, thinks it’s great, etc., you need to head away from it at speed.

What is being done, and most especially WILL be done needs a lot of thought and consideration. I’ve got serious concerns even with this from a behavioral standpoint, much less others.

Thing is, we should have time to explore the ethical and moral issues as while this may be an early precursor step to restoring the Dire Wolf or any species, it is just that: an early precursor step. I hope time will be taken to explore the questions and develop a sound ethical and moral framework for such things. Given all, doubt it will but we can hope.

Meantime, we have some unique hybrids to study and hopefully learn from. And, I have to agree with Leslie, the howls are cute.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you

Plotting Services

Since at least one person was interested in learning more about my “homework,” here’s a bit of what I am doing most Friday’s these days.

Have you ever wondered how your priest/preacher/etc. comes up with the scriptures and topics to be covered each Sunday (or other day of service)? Unless you are in a one church Church, it is not random. I’ve been learning a lot more about this after asking question about how did we know what verses to read between the beatitudes in a service?

For some denominations (primarily Protestant), the Church headquarters sends out a guide that details what is to be done over the year. There may or may not be some flexibility, and it may or may not be super detailed. That depends on the denomination.

For more traditional Churches, however, it is a bit more complex. There is a liturgical year (most Christian denominations follow such), with distinct periods, and things are done in accordance with it. Now, also keep in mind that traditional Churches have special services, and that services will often vary depending on what day of the week they occur. Clear as mud? Okay.

Let’s look at it this way. There are some very special days in Christianity. Some fall on the same date each year, like Christmas. Christmas can be any day of the week, and over time it will be, though it always is December 25. Other days are called moveable feasts, and while they always occur on a Sunday, they can be any date within a certain range. Pascha (Easter) is one such. On the latter, some Churches say it will always be the X Sunday of a month or such. Others actually do calculations (which include the lunar cycle) to determine what Sunday is chosen. All that is far beyond me, but it is something to consider.

So, you have your major feasts, minor feasts, and some other things to think about. You have to look at what day of the week things fall, and a few other considerations when determining the level of service and what is done. How do you plot out the service, and know what scriptures are to be read, verses read, etc?

Well, it is both simple and complicated. Larger Churches and such have dedicated staff who work on this. Smaller Churches, not so much. So, I’m learning how to do it, at least from the perspective of a Chanter or Reader.

The simple part is that each year, a book is published that looks at the calendar for the upcoming year and details what type of service happens each day (or at least most days), and within that you can find what readings are to take place. Mostly. Yes, it will tell you the readings for the reader. It will also tell you where to find other readings, such as what is read between the beatitudes. Yes, it tells you which book you go to for the readings.

Right now, I’ve bought about a dozen books to do this work. Some books have several volumes, some are one volume, and I’m thankful I don’t have to buy some of the reference books as one “book” is twelve volumes and costs between $1,000 and $2,400. There are several reasons I work on this at the Church on Fridays, one being access to such volumes if and as needed.

It’s not just the verses and such you find out this way. Keep in mind that there are different types and levels of service. The same liturgy can have different forms and content based on the level of service. Let’s face it, Christmas is going to be a bigger service than a Tuesday afternoon small feast day. What level of service is one of those things marked in that book that is published each year detailing that year.

Also, keep in mind that in traditional Churches, you also have Vespers and Matins that go with each Sunday service, and there are often special Vespers and other services during the week.

My Fridays are spent doing the following. First, I get the basic information down on the upcoming Sunday service. What level of service is it, is it a feast and for whom, what Tone is used for it, etc. Then, I make a note of the Reader readings, the Gospel, and other major items.

My next task is to then plot out who does what and when for the Vespers, Matins, and then the Liturgy. This means noting all changing verses and wordings; if we do a special response instead of the regular for any reason, etc. It ends up several pages in a notebook, which is my reference and backup during the services. Right now, doing just this takes several hours. I’m told that will get better and that at some point I will be able to add in special services and such.

Here are some of the books I work with on this. Let me note that I am not Russian Orthodox; but, many Eastern Orthodox Churches follow the same order of service so we use their books. I’ve also been annotating my copy of the Horologion to match the Church copy. The latter is quite old and having a copy that matches all the notes, singing notes, and other items in it seems like a good idea to me. That’s taken a couple of days. For a better idea of the liturgical year and books involved, here’s the first in a series of lessons in liturgics that gets into that:

My simple question lead to much more than I ever expected. That said, this is a great way to understand the services and learn the different types and forms of liturgy. This is good for me as a person, and for any work I do at the Church. Who knows where it may lead. Meantime, if our Music Director is out sick again, I can make sure we know what verses to chant or sing if needed.

Hope you enjoyed this tour of my “homework” I’ve been doing. I won’t say it’s “fun” yet, but it is interesting and I’m glad to be able to learn about it. More soon.

Merry Christmas!

For those of more traditional Christianity, Merry Christmas! For my friends of an older faith, may your Festival of Lights be bright and filled with joy. I thought I would share these words sent to us by our Metropolitan.

“Heaven and earth are made one today, for Christ is born. Today God is come upon the earth, and man is gone up into the Heavens. Today He Who by nature is invisible, for man’s sake is seen in the flesh. For this cause let us also give glory and cry out to Him: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, which Thy coming hath bestowed upon us; O our Savior, glory be to Thee.'”

As I noted a while back, the nice thing about having effectively two Christmas days is that one can be given over to family and other things, while the second allows a focus on the religious. Either way, both are a time to reflect on God’s love and the miracle of his life.

May your day be Blessed.

The Wolfie List

As I proceed in deeper faith, and possibly toward lay ministry, I’m going to have to start my own version of the Skippy List. If you don’t know what that is, look it up but be sure to have nothing in your mouth as you do so. Monitor/keyboard warning.

Item 1: I may no longer say’Lord, please use a clue-by-four on them.’ Or even the nicer ‘Lord, please grace them with a clue-by-four. I must say ‘Lord, please illumine them’ even if it lacks the emotional satisfaction of the first two. Sigh.

Free Speech

After watching a part of the Tucker Carlson interview of the “historian” I probably need to start with taking asprin for the headache of banging my head on the desk, and I want to make a point I’ve made here and elsewhere more than once over the years.

I believe in free speech. Period. That includes speech I don’t like. Tucker’s guest has every right to show his ignorance and worse to the world. Heck, done well having on guests with contrary opinions (to you or to the accepted take) is a great thing. Done wrong, it leaves you looking like an idiot or worse (Candace Tucker)

Now then, that said, keep in mind the First protects you from the government, not your fellow citizens. You have the perfect right to say what you want, you just have no right to demand others pay for or host what you say. Hence, if you come here and spew vileness you will be booted, as thankfully only a couple of people have found out. Say what you want on your own platform, but don’t come here to poop on the carpet and then claim I have to treat it as art.

Further, your right to your own opinion doesn’t protect it (or you) from criticism. In fact, if you subscribe to the marketplace of ideas there is really a requirement to poke, check, and see if the tires come off. If they do, then ridicule, derision, and more can, could, and should be aimed at the opinion.

Good ideas should be praised and refined if needed. Bad ideas deserve to be taken apart, dressed funny, laughed at, and then be tossed in the dust bin of history. It’s a way to learn, and truly smart people learn from the process and grow in positive ways. Those not-so-smart tend to double-down and earn mockery of themselves as well as their ideas. One can only hope they do eventually catch on, change, and grow as a person.

Final thoughts. If you say ‘I believe in free speech, but (except, etc.)…’ then no you really don’t. Your free speech does not extend to the property of others. Vandalize, burn, etc. your things. If you do it to the property of others, including “public” property, then it’s a crime and you should be prosecuted (and I really don’t have a lot of problems if your fellow citizens express their thoughts upon your person if you do such or curtail their rights).

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving once we have medical issues cleared up, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. There is also the Amazon Wish List in the Bard’s Jar. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Amazing News

As those of you who are regular readers know, I’ve had an interesting year on the cardiac front. There was a mystery diagnosis or two; there were interesting symptoms and odd data; lots and lots of questions; and, more than a few concerns. Throw in things not matching between previous tests and what was done in surgery or treatment…

So, I got an outside review of all things cardio, and in the process a new and fantastic cardiologist. As a result, I spent yesterday at a heart facility getting nuked, stress tested, echoed, and otherwise having all sorts of fun. Really needed to get good data, either for answers or for better questions as to be honest, the way things were trending I should have been headed towards cripple or dead.

What we found instead, amazed and delighted both my doctor and myself, and the term miraculous does apply. All that had been seen before, was gone. The mystery diagnoses were disproved in spades. In short, my heart shows as completely healed.

No apparent major or even minor blockage; no ventricular or other failure, no nothing wrong. Healed. It may not be the heart of a 20-year-old, but it is healed, whole, and going strong.

Again, miraculous is not an understatement. Lots of prayers of thanks going up, and I thank all of you who have prayed for me, especially on this.

The remaining edema is likely caused by a medication, so we are switching it out to see if that takes care of things. I will also write a bit about getting there and back, which was interesting but worked. In fact my cunning plan to get there on time worked almost too well. But that is all secondary. I’m still processing the news and the extent of the healing. I can’t describe the feeling of looking up at the EKG and thinking ‘that’s not right, that’s almost textbook normal.’

Thank you all. At least from a cardiac perspective, there is more to come!

A Request

Looks like I may have to spend today and part of tomorrow running around doing errands. Looks like the Grace period for my car is at an end, so one of the things I need to do is line up transportation to the cardiologist/medical consult next week. I remain very, very thankful that it ran so well and got me through all the events leading up to my Baptism and even on through Bright Week. In fact, it got me home yesterday, though it got interesting towards the end.

All that said, I hope to get up some decent posts this week. If I might ask a favor though, here’s part of what I posted at GiveSendGo:

Things are tight for us all these days, but today I want to ask for some specific prayers. I have an appointment coming up next week with a new cardiologist who is going to be reviewing my case and helping to rule in-or-out some of the “mystery” diagnoses that popped up in the records of one health group. The mystery is who made them and on what basis, which I have not been able to find out so far. If I go spend a day camped out at the central medical records office for that provider I might be able to find out, but when neither I nor my doctors can pull up that info on our own…

The fact is, I need a fresh pair of eyes to look over as much as possible. I especially need to have one particular diagnosis ruled as real or wrong so I can know if I will be able to move to the Southwest or not. What I can do, and when, rides on my health and my insurance coverage. The insurance I have right now will not transfer to any of the SW states. Getting new insurance takes time and things like pre-existing conditions comes into play. So, I need data. More importantly, I need good care.

Thus the specific prayers. If you could say a prayer that this doctor have the skill and experience needed; that he have the wisdom and compassion to provide the care needed; that he be as thorough as needed and that my insurance allow him to do all that is needed; and, that we get the data that is needed to assess my condition(s) and develop the proper treatment plan for same.

For all that I want the worst “mystery” diagnosis disproven, I’m trying to simply pray to “let that which is right be.” Whatever we find out, I will be glad for it as one way or another I will be able to start moving forward on a truly new life.

Thank you for your patience, your encouragement, your inputs on so many topics, and your prayers. It’s going to be an interesting couple of weeks, but I will be the better for them.

Oh, before I forget: I haven’t been able to do as much with the guitar as I would like, given all that has been going on. Good news is when I can work at it, I’m not torturing the cats or the landlord (too badly). Hoping to start setting up regular lessons soon. Did find out that my ability to read sheet music took a hit, so literally doing both singing and the guitar by ear. During Bright Week I found myself a chanter, candle lighter, dishwasher, and more. It was during those services that I started to remember a small amount on sheet music and that I needed to go by ear.

More to come!

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving once we have medical issues cleared up, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Changes

Or, what I’ve been up to these last few weeks… As some of you know, I began attending a new Church last year. I had been searching for a new Church home, but had not found one in the local or even semi-local Catholic churches. Three different routes pointed me to a Church downtown, so I went down to a men’s club coffee to test the waters.

Turns out the online schedule was wrong, but the wonderful couple in the bookstore that is part of the Church made me welcome. They got the Deacon to come talk to me, set me up with multiple booklets about the Church, and pretty much got me to promise to come back to the Sunday service.

While a bit unsure, I did so. After talking briefly to the Deacon, I took a seat on a back pew (what would be the visitor’s pews in a lot of churches) and was joined fairly quickly by a seasoned lady who introduced herself, talked to me a bit, and the next thing I knew I had a liturgy book and other materials in hand, and she explained what would happen, why, how, and when. She also made sure I knew what to do (and not do) in the process.

After the service, they have a “coffee” that I call a lunch. My new guide introduced me around, and to say I was made welcome is an understatement. Her son-in-law (who took the wonderful photos of me being Baptized) took me under his wing a bit, and I “helped” him out during the Christmas Market they do. I put that in quotes as I didn’t do all that much, and was not allowed to overdo it (since I was still recovering from my latest surgery). I think I’ve only missed a couple of Sunday’s since, and those were either due to weather or health. Along the way, “Matrushka” (“mother”) as I had been asked to call her, presented me with a number of prayer and reading books.

The short version is that I found a new Church home. Last Saturday, the day before Pascha (Easter), she became my Godmother as she and her husband, the “retired” priest of the parish (now my Godfather), sponsored me and stood with me for my Baptism into the Eastern Orthodox Church. That night, I took part in my first Pascha midnight service.

You might have gathered that the last few weeks, especially Holy Week, have been a bit busy. There have been a lot of services and a lot of prayers (and even an exorcism), and I don’t think two years of catchumen training could have prepared me for it. I will say that it was an honor to be a part of the reading of Acts that preceded the midnight service.

This week will be a bit busy as well. There is nothing scheduled for today, and I have been (firmly) instructed to rest and take it easy. Tomorrow starts another round of special services for Bright Week (the week after Pascha) and while not required I am going to do as many of them as I can.

There is more to come. Please be patient as I take care of the important things so I can do more on temporal things here.

Prayer Request Follow-Up

A couple of weeks ago, I posted this prayer request for M at my Church. At the time, she was not expected to last very long. However, she did recover consciousness, though she may not have been totally aware of where or when she was, and was transferred to a hospice. She has now passed, and I would ask for prayers for her soul and that of her husband who passed around the time she had her stroke.

For me, I will remember her smile and her willingness to do. She would sometimes join our choir, worked at the bookstore, and would pitch in as needed on things. That big smile was such a part of her. She will be missed.

Preparedness Pays II: Slight Change In Plans

Today’s topic was scheduled for later in the series, but when you get someone saying this, and then Sarah says this, and a list like this pops up, it makes a point/makes one wonder.

Preparedness is about much more than basic sustenance and comforts. It is about taking care of the things that truly matter: family, Family, life, and spirit. In the worst case, it is about rebuilding so as to take care of those things and for a better future. It is about helping ensure that the best of our generation and previous generations survives, and that does indeed include philosophy and the far more important Faith.

I think it was at the start of Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle (stupid lightning), one of the characters is overseeing the final stages of securing a cache of good and important books against what was to come. Plan to revisit this a bit, as how it was being done is a good way to do things. Can’t really remember, but it seems that this character was not the only person/group doing such a thing.

That is a good thing, and I think we need to do it on whatever scale we can. If you think that your books (or anything else) are safe, you are not paying attention. Christianity and Judaism are under attack from multiple quarters. The progressives hate anything that detracts from their control and the supremacy of their deity, the government. When various Muslim groups talk about ‘first the Saturday then the Sunday people’ know they are not joking. I could go on, but if you look, you will find. If you will see and think is the only real question.

In my younger days, I often got into trouble for ‘reading ahead’ on assignments. Today, I’m encouraging you to read ahead in thinking about the need to preserve knowledge, civics, and most of all, Faith. I want you to read this and this, courtesy of my friend Snarksalot, so you can be thinking a bit before we get to the topic of food. Think and read ahead, as I am increasingly worried we are all behind the curve.

Today is one of the few times I will ever tell you to hide what you have done and deny all you have done. I say that because I can see how any number of things can unfold such that large-scale efforts to restrict and censor information, to seize and destroy knowledge, could take place. Not just in limited areas, but large-scale efforts even. I hope we don’t go there, but if you are looking and staying informed on the censorship-industrial complex and more, you should be concerned.

There are three major areas of knowledge to be preserved by everyone.

First, there are the books and more that tell you how to do things like canning, preserving, sewing, knitting, and more. They are the books on survival, on how things used to be done before the advent of modern refrigeration and food preparation/preservation. These are things like the Foxfire books and similar. It’s things like the Ball canning or other food preservation books. It’s the emergency medicine books and guides. It’s the old Boy Scouts Field Guide and similar. Got a favorite or a list to share? Sing out in the comments.

Second, there are the books that shaped our lives and the Great Experiment that was/is the American Republic. It’s books on civics, on discourse, and those that show what can be done by a free people. It’s Paine, it’s L. Neil Smith, and so much more. It is also the books that have shaped us as individuals. In my case, I very much want to preserve the key works of C.S. Lewis, Tolkien, Kipling, Heinlein, and more. Again, if you have a list or suggestions, sing out in the comments.

Third, there are the books of Faith. For me, that would be the Bible as well as some other key works. Heck, I would print out and include a copy of the Didache in that since I don’t have a bound copy (only electronic). BTW, if anyone has any of the other translations they would care to share, I would appreciate it. For you, it may be different. In fact, I would recommend including multiple copies of the Bible, including give-aways if you can get them.

If you belong to a group that can do something on a larger scale, do it. Secure it. Hide it.

Some quick thoughts. First, if you can, go hardcover and/or archival editions of as many books as possible. If needed, they are going to be very much needed and used. Paperbacks and cheap are not going to be up to that type of use. That said, do whatever you can.

Second, particularly on books of Faith, but for as many others as you can, do multiple caches and hide them well. Treat them as the first rule of Preparedness Club, taken up several orders of magnitude and put on steroids. Forget about them, and tell no one about them, until it is time to either keep the knowledge alive or bring it back out.

We will be revisiting this topic, but I just have an odd feeling I need to get this out now. That you need to be thinking and acting now. We are a resilient and inventive species, especially when it comes to hiding and doing things our “betters” don’t want us to do. There is a long history of humans hiding things from rulers, from scrolls of old to history they wish to deny or destroy. Of hiding Faith and knowledge from those in the majority who do not share and want to destroy such. Make our ancestors proud.

Yes, I will be going into a bit on how to prepare and store books and such. This is a huge topic, and there is much to explore. I also hope you have much to share, especially suggestions on the works that are essential in every category.

For now, the word is out and the seed planted. What comes next, on several levels, is quite literally up to you.

Getting hit by lightning is not fun! If you would like to help me in my recovery efforts, which include moving once we have medical issues cleared up, feel free to hit the fundraiser at A New Life on GiveSendGo, use the options in the Tip Jar in the upper right, or drop me a line to discuss other methods. It is thanks to your gifts and prayers that I am still going. Thank you.

Preparedness Pays II:

Intro

Slight Change In Plans