Regarding the question of whether humans "deserve" to live:
My apologies for such a long post- I tried to make it as brief as possible. Here we go...
The Torah teaches that every human being is created by God Himself : each receives a custom made "vehicle" or physical body to house a unique soul .
Both are needed to perform a specific role in God's master plan.
Prior to conception, each soul is shown what his life (or next reincarnation ) will entail...
The soul is shown his parents, siblings, his gender, race , country of birth, spouse , neighbors , all of the ways it will be "tested" and the obstacles God will put in his path .
Every soul knows in advance why it is being sent here, what its mission is and which imperfections the soul needs to correct.
(Hang onto your seats- here is the mind blowing part: )
When the briefing is done, the last thing God does before hitting "send", is ask the soul IF IT AGREES TO THE CHALLENGE!
If the answer is "yes", the soul comes down and enters the designated "car" or fetus. Right before birth, an angel taps the fetus on the lips ( the frenulum) causing the soul to "forget" everything it was told before entering the body.
The act of forgetting is what we know as "free will".
Without free will, there are no challenges to overcome, no hard choices to make, and no accountability.
Without free will , concepts like right and wrong, good and evil, REWARD AND PUNISHMENT are irrelevant. As meaningless as "participation prizes".
God does not hand out gold stars for "showing up". We AGREED to show up!
Once we're here, it's up to us to work very hard to fulfill our potential as human beings.
That"potential" means to emulate God's positive qualities in our interactions with the physical world and especially towards our fellow man .
That being said, there is no such thing as being "undeserving" of life.
"Death" means the soul has completed it's mission, or a particular soul abandoned the mission and broke the contract with God.
In the second scenario, the rented "car" returns to it's owner, and the soul returns to spiritual kindergarten . Better luck next time.
Life is a precious gift and opportunity to gain spiritual perfection in this life and eternal life in the Next World.
Contrary to popular opinion, we Jews believe that Heaven is an equal opportunity employer.
Although my question was rhetorical and meant to motivate, everyone has to answer it, whether they want it or not.
Your description seems to be compatible with most Christian denominations, too; the exceptions are the ones that believe in predestination. Which part of Judaism are you coming from?
It's too basic a question to sum up. It's the first floor above the basement question: Why are even here?
That said, 'will to live' works for me. Also, why people wish to survive is different from the question of why they don't commit suicide, which is the functional end of your question, where its rubber meets the road.
As for why should or shouldn't humans survive: from a natural history perspective, the answer would be: because they can (and shouldn't survive if they can't). From a teleological perspective: secular humanism says it's because we CAN create utopia from all this dystopia (faith). Religion says blah blah blah which all boils down to something about love.
Underneath it all, we love living, which is a major part of why suicide is so hard to do.
You see, in the last several years, I've been having this eerie feeling that it's a bunch of fish in a fishtank in a restaurant discussing who is going to be eaten first.
Love is a good question, but what always beats me is when people say "you have to do God's will." I don't think too many of them have any idea that God only wants one thing: people to be happy.
Apart from our human merits and the deserving stuff (for wich I have never cared) the project called "humanity" may be of more interest to its originator than we care to acknowledge.
Humans should survive because our extinction - at the hands of the psychopaths - affirms the power of evil to destroy all that is good and sacred.
The test we're facing as a species can easily make us cynical, bitter, depressed, anxious, angry. Allowing ourselves to be consumed by these emotions is an absolute GIFT to the psychopaths. The best way to reject evil is to affirm all that is good - compassion, empathy, love, joy, humour, friendship, community, mutual respect.
Whatever happens in the coming months, years, decades, however we decide to respond, we must at all costs avoid the trap of becoming what we are fighting against. Fighting for our beloved, holding on to our humanity even as we take down the forces of oppression. These are the choices we must make no matter how hopeless things may become. Nothing makes a psychopath more enraged than seeing human beings being free, loving, connected and joyful. THIS is how we survive. There may only be a few of us left in the end. The world may be a hellscape. But if love is present people can endure anything. This has been demonstrated countless times throughout history.
So, no. I refuse to believe that humans, as a species, are not worthy of surviving. The CULTURE is what should not survive. It's the CULTURE that must perish and a new life-affirming cultural model must rise and replace it.
At some point in our evolution as a species, male supremacy created hierarchy which, in turn, created slavery, oppressed both women and men, treated children and women as chattel. https://reneejg.net/2018/12/creation-of-patriarchy/ Until/unless we return to a balanced, egalitarian culture, I see massive human suffering.
Becoming emotionally involved is a trap in either directions. That includes not caring about what enrages "psychopaths." (BTW, I think, they simply consider themselves superior and the rest of humanity as animals at best. They ARE capable of caring for each other...) Psychopathy, on the other hand, it a catch word for those, who otherwise couldn't manage:
I was already bawling two years ago in the car, listening to Mozart, because I realized the monsters want to kill everything that is good or beautiful; there is no room for Mozart in their world. Moreover, they possess all the means to carry out their plans; the last 30 months show that they don't even bother to lie about them.
Surviving is NOT the objective; staying human is. The compliant might actually "survive," but what's the point in surviving as a slave, toiling and waiting for the redeeming moment of death?
ALL cultures perish, but this time, there might be nothing left to take over. Humans mess up the same way all the time, no matter how many chances they are given.
As I said, I am not interested in setting up sexes against one another (or even themselves, once you consider transgenderism that goes directly against feminism, too).
Males and females are good for different roles. When the horde next door wants to take everyone to slavery, the brutal force of males seems to be the only defense. You might not know, but male muscles are twice as strong as female's, if the volume remains constant. However, a culture in which people believe in "chest-feeding" and that "males can menstruate" or "give birth," is hopelessly gone beyond the point of no return.
You also seem to forget about strong female monarchs and rulers. Their realms operated on the same principles as males', suggesting that it is the archetypal nature of humanity that is at work.
There is nowhere to return to. Things have always been the same.
There is no such thing as equality, except when it's enforced before the law. Jack, who couldn't pay his bills and is now homeless will never be equal to Joe, who has been running a successful small business from 30 years, although they both went to the same high school! :)
Humans - like rocks, and animals - are an expression of the divine. Our being here is evidence that our experience is wanted here. Otherwise we would not exist in this place, in this form.
A planet without humans is like a game that's not played to its full potential. A game wants to be played. But playing a game to its full potential requires players who respect the game.
Changing humanity into something non-human is an attempt to break the game. Surveillance and control over every living creature is an attempt to break the game. These are powers that exist somewhere. They are held for granted by impartial organizers of the game. But the organizers are entities outside incarnation. These are not powers that belong to incarnated players in the game.
The game needs to get rid of (ban) players that are trying to break the game. Along with them, we also need to give penalties to people who are gullible enough to empower the rule-breakers.
When the game is threatened, the game masters act. They will protect the game. This goes to the extent of banning large numbers of specific and categorized players. We experience this as deaths.
But the world needs humans. Humans give meaning to Earth, like players give meaning to a game. :)
Thanks this is also my sentiment at least partially, we the humans with we the thumbs did all this rot, and only we the humans can address. Something about MLK, injustice somewhere being a threat to justice everywhere. We the people. Would love to think I am above it, but can't afford.
Because many of us are working hard towards creating a better world, more aligned with God’s intent for us. Many of us do not ascribe to the evil that has taken over the planet.
No, most of us are not even in the position to serve Evil. My problem is that once people are offered the option for the "opportunity to accomlish a lot of good," many would and will fall far it...
We are living in evil times and our only defense is...
Once the final question is asked of you, what will you answer?
"Whom are you serving?"
Even if the earthly servants submit, you never must...
WOW Ray what a thought provoking article and question.. GOD loves the sinner, but does not love the sin.. You have to fight back to defend yourself, it is lawful to do so, no preemptive fighting like some who are rich are doing now.. We do not know how many times this world movie has been repeated, we also do not know how many times each of us has been here... Creation is not a problem for GOD.. He will save humanity for the sake of unknown good people or destroy it for the lack thereof.. Just like in Genesis with Sodom when Abraham asked GOD to spare Sodom, and they could not find less then 5 people, so only Abraham and his daughters I think were saved.. GOD has much more mercy and love for his creation then we do.. We do not know what love and mercy and grace is compared to GOD.. Most times in history people are destroyed because they refuse to follow GOD law that GOD has given us for our sake. .. So we decide to follow the qualities of SATAN and it will always lead us to destruction, always.. Just like it is now... We follow man, most times rich people unbeknown to us because they control everything, and most rich people get a huge EGO and they follow the suggestions of SATAN, who wants to destroy mankind, which we all know why..
Not sure how to love a sinner, because sinners do not want me to love them. I guess, God can do a better job. :)
Look, I grew up in a poor neighborhood and at the age of 60, I asked my childhood friend, who helped me to the place where I live, "Why is it that after the age of 19, nobody ever challenged me?"
He said, "They saw it in your eyes."
Indeed, I'd rather be dead than a slave, but once that is understood, the prospective "slaveowners" can take it from there, and I don't have to hurt anyone.
Fight, flight, or freeze? I am only good for protecting the vulnerably people around me, whom I try to love, although I'm not sure I ever succeed.
Last time it happened, when I bought my house here in rural KY that a robust and young male tried to take advantage of me and tried to extort money from me for doing next to nothing on my house. To make a long story short, it didn't work out for him... Thank God, I didn't have to hurt him, although in order to make sure, I warned him that he might wake up in the next world without knowing what hit him. I told him, I don't fight, but there are 283 points on the human body that can be attacked with a finger or two, with a dragon hit, a palm, or a fist, and people who are hit there, usually don't fare well later on... He walked away... I still sent a few messages after him, just in case, but he never showed up to challenge me...
Sorry, it was Abraham and Sodom, plus Jonah and Niniveh, my bad.
People tend to be self-destructive with or without what they think God is...
Creation, based on free will, seems to be leaving it up to the people.
Our ONLY chance is to leave it up to God... He is a lot more merciful than we can ever imagine...
Every single "rich" person I've ever met considered himself better than the rest of us. In many traditions (e.g. orthodox Jewish or Calvinist), God's love manifests itself by the material goods you have accumulated.
Humans still have a lot to learn about God's Love...
The Torah does not say anywhere that God favors the wealthy. Money is very important, but it is only a tool , not a deity to be worshipped.
How many times have you met people who proudly call themselves "self made millionaires" ?
If you're poor it's your own fault . You must be stupid, lazy , etc. In other words, everything is up to the individual. Hah - I wish!
The ideal to strive for is moderation in all material things, especially when it comes to money .
Sometimes God will test a person by letting him win the lottery or inherit a fortune out of nowhere. If sudden wealth does not make him arrogant or stingy, he passed the test . However, wealth tends to have the opposite effect. Money alone rarely changes a person for the better.
Actually, it depends on one's interpretation, but according to Job's story, illness and misfortune used to be considered divine punishment for one's wrongdoings. That seems to represent a certain stage in Judaism, which was surpassed by the story, but misfortune is still interpreted by many in the same way.
In my experience, there is a sweet spot of material well-being that is far from opulence, but it's not financial servitude, either.
There are humans now who are working to repair the planet, for reference read Permaculture A Designers' Manual. Its all about shifting from consumer to a producer. In short, its the restoration of successional biology until its comes back into climax forests.
I don't believe humanity is capable, but that is a reason to live. I've been blogging about these ideas.
Regarding the question of whether humans "deserve" to live:
My apologies for such a long post- I tried to make it as brief as possible. Here we go...
The Torah teaches that every human being is created by God Himself : each receives a custom made "vehicle" or physical body to house a unique soul .
Both are needed to perform a specific role in God's master plan.
Prior to conception, each soul is shown what his life (or next reincarnation ) will entail...
The soul is shown his parents, siblings, his gender, race , country of birth, spouse , neighbors , all of the ways it will be "tested" and the obstacles God will put in his path .
Every soul knows in advance why it is being sent here, what its mission is and which imperfections the soul needs to correct.
(Hang onto your seats- here is the mind blowing part: )
When the briefing is done, the last thing God does before hitting "send", is ask the soul IF IT AGREES TO THE CHALLENGE!
If the answer is "yes", the soul comes down and enters the designated "car" or fetus. Right before birth, an angel taps the fetus on the lips ( the frenulum) causing the soul to "forget" everything it was told before entering the body.
The act of forgetting is what we know as "free will".
Without free will, there are no challenges to overcome, no hard choices to make, and no accountability.
Without free will , concepts like right and wrong, good and evil, REWARD AND PUNISHMENT are irrelevant. As meaningless as "participation prizes".
God does not hand out gold stars for "showing up". We AGREED to show up!
Once we're here, it's up to us to work very hard to fulfill our potential as human beings.
That"potential" means to emulate God's positive qualities in our interactions with the physical world and especially towards our fellow man .
That being said, there is no such thing as being "undeserving" of life.
"Death" means the soul has completed it's mission, or a particular soul abandoned the mission and broke the contract with God.
In the second scenario, the rented "car" returns to it's owner, and the soul returns to spiritual kindergarten . Better luck next time.
Life is a precious gift and opportunity to gain spiritual perfection in this life and eternal life in the Next World.
Contrary to popular opinion, we Jews believe that Heaven is an equal opportunity employer.
Although my question was rhetorical and meant to motivate, everyone has to answer it, whether they want it or not.
Your description seems to be compatible with most Christian denominations, too; the exceptions are the ones that believe in predestination. Which part of Judaism are you coming from?
Free Will, however, is hardly ever in use:
https://rayhorvaththesource.substack.com/p/i-have-solved-the-question-of-free
It's too basic a question to sum up. It's the first floor above the basement question: Why are even here?
That said, 'will to live' works for me. Also, why people wish to survive is different from the question of why they don't commit suicide, which is the functional end of your question, where its rubber meets the road.
https://youtu.be/3KHM-BZPI7o
As for why should or shouldn't humans survive: from a natural history perspective, the answer would be: because they can (and shouldn't survive if they can't). From a teleological perspective: secular humanism says it's because we CAN create utopia from all this dystopia (faith). Religion says blah blah blah which all boils down to something about love.
Underneath it all, we love living, which is a major part of why suicide is so hard to do.
https://youtu.be/XAhwDx8DasU
"Wine is fine, but whiskey's quicker
Suicide is slow with liqueur."
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/ozzyosbourne/suicidesolution.html
Assisted suicide has been available for decades, although the volunteers had to move for the finale.
Suicide is also always there for the necrophiliacs, which might amount to quite a bit of the population:
https://rayhorvaththesource.substack.com/p/the-sacrifice-of-the-human-animal
You see, in the last several years, I've been having this eerie feeling that it's a bunch of fish in a fishtank in a restaurant discussing who is going to be eaten first.
Still, I don't believe it's all futile:
https://rayhorvaththesource.substack.com/p/the-most-important-thing-anyone-can
Love is a good question, but what always beats me is when people say "you have to do God's will." I don't think too many of them have any idea that God only wants one thing: people to be happy.
Apart from our human merits and the deserving stuff (for wich I have never cared) the project called "humanity" may be of more interest to its originator than we care to acknowledge.
This might be a thick slice of the problem.
The most optimistic explanation to what humans are doing in this world is that they are given a chance to form the clay they are made of. :)
Humans should survive because our extinction - at the hands of the psychopaths - affirms the power of evil to destroy all that is good and sacred.
The test we're facing as a species can easily make us cynical, bitter, depressed, anxious, angry. Allowing ourselves to be consumed by these emotions is an absolute GIFT to the psychopaths. The best way to reject evil is to affirm all that is good - compassion, empathy, love, joy, humour, friendship, community, mutual respect.
Whatever happens in the coming months, years, decades, however we decide to respond, we must at all costs avoid the trap of becoming what we are fighting against. Fighting for our beloved, holding on to our humanity even as we take down the forces of oppression. These are the choices we must make no matter how hopeless things may become. Nothing makes a psychopath more enraged than seeing human beings being free, loving, connected and joyful. THIS is how we survive. There may only be a few of us left in the end. The world may be a hellscape. But if love is present people can endure anything. This has been demonstrated countless times throughout history.
So, no. I refuse to believe that humans, as a species, are not worthy of surviving. The CULTURE is what should not survive. It's the CULTURE that must perish and a new life-affirming cultural model must rise and replace it.
Interesting theory puts forward the idea that patriarchy was the beginning of the end for our species in the book 'Alphabet vs the Goddess' by Leonard Shlain: https://www.scribd.com/audiobook/367877385/The-Alphabet-Versus-the-Goddess-The-Conflict-Between-Word-and-Image
At some point in our evolution as a species, male supremacy created hierarchy which, in turn, created slavery, oppressed both women and men, treated children and women as chattel. https://reneejg.net/2018/12/creation-of-patriarchy/ Until/unless we return to a balanced, egalitarian culture, I see massive human suffering.
Becoming emotionally involved is a trap in either directions. That includes not caring about what enrages "psychopaths." (BTW, I think, they simply consider themselves superior and the rest of humanity as animals at best. They ARE capable of caring for each other...) Psychopathy, on the other hand, it a catch word for those, who otherwise couldn't manage:
https://rayhorvaththesource.substack.com/p/looking-for-psychopaths
I was already bawling two years ago in the car, listening to Mozart, because I realized the monsters want to kill everything that is good or beautiful; there is no room for Mozart in their world. Moreover, they possess all the means to carry out their plans; the last 30 months show that they don't even bother to lie about them.
Surviving is NOT the objective; staying human is. The compliant might actually "survive," but what's the point in surviving as a slave, toiling and waiting for the redeeming moment of death?
ALL cultures perish, but this time, there might be nothing left to take over. Humans mess up the same way all the time, no matter how many chances they are given.
As I said, I am not interested in setting up sexes against one another (or even themselves, once you consider transgenderism that goes directly against feminism, too).
Males and females are good for different roles. When the horde next door wants to take everyone to slavery, the brutal force of males seems to be the only defense. You might not know, but male muscles are twice as strong as female's, if the volume remains constant. However, a culture in which people believe in "chest-feeding" and that "males can menstruate" or "give birth," is hopelessly gone beyond the point of no return.
You also seem to forget about strong female monarchs and rulers. Their realms operated on the same principles as males', suggesting that it is the archetypal nature of humanity that is at work.
There is nowhere to return to. Things have always been the same.
There is no such thing as equality, except when it's enforced before the law. Jack, who couldn't pay his bills and is now homeless will never be equal to Joe, who has been running a successful small business from 30 years, although they both went to the same high school! :)
And, please, again, there is no "we."
Humans - like rocks, and animals - are an expression of the divine. Our being here is evidence that our experience is wanted here. Otherwise we would not exist in this place, in this form.
A planet without humans is like a game that's not played to its full potential. A game wants to be played. But playing a game to its full potential requires players who respect the game.
Changing humanity into something non-human is an attempt to break the game. Surveillance and control over every living creature is an attempt to break the game. These are powers that exist somewhere. They are held for granted by impartial organizers of the game. But the organizers are entities outside incarnation. These are not powers that belong to incarnated players in the game.
The game needs to get rid of (ban) players that are trying to break the game. Along with them, we also need to give penalties to people who are gullible enough to empower the rule-breakers.
When the game is threatened, the game masters act. They will protect the game. This goes to the extent of banning large numbers of specific and categorized players. We experience this as deaths.
But the world needs humans. Humans give meaning to Earth, like players give meaning to a game. :)
Thanks this is also my sentiment at least partially, we the humans with we the thumbs did all this rot, and only we the humans can address. Something about MLK, injustice somewhere being a threat to justice everywhere. We the people. Would love to think I am above it, but can't afford.
With my last breath, I will serve Good... But it is the Source who is telling me what good is, not I...
Great article.
Because many of us are working hard towards creating a better world, more aligned with God’s intent for us. Many of us do not ascribe to the evil that has taken over the planet.
No, most of us are not even in the position to serve Evil. My problem is that once people are offered the option for the "opportunity to accomlish a lot of good," many would and will fall far it...
We are living in evil times and our only defense is...
Once the final question is asked of you, what will you answer?
"Whom are you serving?"
Even if the earthly servants submit, you never must...
WOW Ray what a thought provoking article and question.. GOD loves the sinner, but does not love the sin.. You have to fight back to defend yourself, it is lawful to do so, no preemptive fighting like some who are rich are doing now.. We do not know how many times this world movie has been repeated, we also do not know how many times each of us has been here... Creation is not a problem for GOD.. He will save humanity for the sake of unknown good people or destroy it for the lack thereof.. Just like in Genesis with Sodom when Abraham asked GOD to spare Sodom, and they could not find less then 5 people, so only Abraham and his daughters I think were saved.. GOD has much more mercy and love for his creation then we do.. We do not know what love and mercy and grace is compared to GOD.. Most times in history people are destroyed because they refuse to follow GOD law that GOD has given us for our sake. .. So we decide to follow the qualities of SATAN and it will always lead us to destruction, always.. Just like it is now... We follow man, most times rich people unbeknown to us because they control everything, and most rich people get a huge EGO and they follow the suggestions of SATAN, who wants to destroy mankind, which we all know why..
Not sure how to love a sinner, because sinners do not want me to love them. I guess, God can do a better job. :)
Look, I grew up in a poor neighborhood and at the age of 60, I asked my childhood friend, who helped me to the place where I live, "Why is it that after the age of 19, nobody ever challenged me?"
He said, "They saw it in your eyes."
Indeed, I'd rather be dead than a slave, but once that is understood, the prospective "slaveowners" can take it from there, and I don't have to hurt anyone.
Fight, flight, or freeze? I am only good for protecting the vulnerably people around me, whom I try to love, although I'm not sure I ever succeed.
Last time it happened, when I bought my house here in rural KY that a robust and young male tried to take advantage of me and tried to extort money from me for doing next to nothing on my house. To make a long story short, it didn't work out for him... Thank God, I didn't have to hurt him, although in order to make sure, I warned him that he might wake up in the next world without knowing what hit him. I told him, I don't fight, but there are 283 points on the human body that can be attacked with a finger or two, with a dragon hit, a palm, or a fist, and people who are hit there, usually don't fare well later on... He walked away... I still sent a few messages after him, just in case, but he never showed up to challenge me...
Sorry, it was Abraham and Sodom, plus Jonah and Niniveh, my bad.
People tend to be self-destructive with or without what they think God is...
Creation, based on free will, seems to be leaving it up to the people.
Our ONLY chance is to leave it up to God... He is a lot more merciful than we can ever imagine...
Every single "rich" person I've ever met considered himself better than the rest of us. In many traditions (e.g. orthodox Jewish or Calvinist), God's love manifests itself by the material goods you have accumulated.
Humans still have a lot to learn about God's Love...
The Torah does not say anywhere that God favors the wealthy. Money is very important, but it is only a tool , not a deity to be worshipped.
How many times have you met people who proudly call themselves "self made millionaires" ?
If you're poor it's your own fault . You must be stupid, lazy , etc. In other words, everything is up to the individual. Hah - I wish!
The ideal to strive for is moderation in all material things, especially when it comes to money .
Sometimes God will test a person by letting him win the lottery or inherit a fortune out of nowhere. If sudden wealth does not make him arrogant or stingy, he passed the test . However, wealth tends to have the opposite effect. Money alone rarely changes a person for the better.
Actually, it depends on one's interpretation, but according to Job's story, illness and misfortune used to be considered divine punishment for one's wrongdoings. That seems to represent a certain stage in Judaism, which was surpassed by the story, but misfortune is still interpreted by many in the same way.
In my experience, there is a sweet spot of material well-being that is far from opulence, but it's not financial servitude, either.
There are humans now who are working to repair the planet, for reference read Permaculture A Designers' Manual. Its all about shifting from consumer to a producer. In short, its the restoration of successional biology until its comes back into climax forests.
I don't believe humanity is capable, but that is a reason to live. I've been blogging about these ideas.
I was thrilled to read an email from Organic Consumers Association addressing this topic and calling out the agenda!
https://www.organicconsumers.org/bytes/amplifying-positive-vibrations?utm_medium=email&utm_source=engagingnetworks&utm_campaign=OB+762+Sunday&utm_content=OB+762+Sunday