cool academic lecture on angels live right now (12/12/2023, 7 EST). i am really enjoying it, currently talking about nephilim and the "sons of God" in the book of Genesis.
i think it gets into the realities of corporations. i had thought of the anthropomorphic nature of corporations and how that affects human consumption and i was nice to read another person's thoughts on it.
though i don't quite understand the ai-angel connection. is it that they were both created to serve and are not human?
@superheroine@religion@religiousstudies
The AI:angel connection. I'm seeing it materially as complex information systems (albeit different substrates). I would say that in both cases, as you say, there is also a 'created to serve' dimension, and also 'subverted for ill' -fallen angels /aingels .
Probably not made sufficiently explicit in that post (I'm taking note for future) is the idea that sometimes 'angel' seems to refer to corporised entities made of humans (see chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation, for example).
Charlie Stross's 'slow ai' remark was really helpful to me in affirming that it wasn't 'just me' seeing it.
I've been thinking that maybe the next post should be to unpack the Revelation 2 & 3 thing a bit...
When you repeat their name for it, you've agreed with them that it's backed by a world movement, far more people than the sectarian group behind it. @religion
you are welcome to join a service with the Beyond the Walls congregation today.
just getting started. the topic is the Enduring Prinicple of Worth of All Persons. that's one of my favorites. A wonderful way to embody Christ is to advocate and proselytize the principle that ALL people are of worth, and the need to lift up and listen to the marginalized who are often devalued
but i don't feel trapped by faith anymore, i feel "free". like not in a "no restrictions" sense. i have given up things. like i cuss much less (more cultural) and i abstain from alcohol and excessive caffeine.
and I am happier and mentally healthier and so very grateful. i understand this is a personal experience.
so it's also a joyous laugh! i value that time of agnostic atheism a lot too. it wasn't a dark time of sin, it was a time of growth.
i really have! it's not always easy, organized religions will always have some institutional problems. as long as we work to improve conditions and embrace the worth of all, we can minimize harms and instead bless our communities.
my community does that. not perfectly but consistently! and they have helped me grow spiritually and personally.
i enjoy being with those doing their best to honor God and honor the covenants we made with God and each other. brings light to my life
A long train ride to Nara and hiking many kilometers around Asuka Village, the cradle of Japanese civilization. The Asuka period ca. 592-710 marked the introduction of Buddhism, Mainland-inspired reforms, and a change of the country name from Wa (倭) to Nippon (日本).
I went to three early 7th Century sites. Okadera was one of the earliest temples, later Kūkai's Shingon, with a large statue of him as a pilgrim.
Ishibutai Kofun means stone stage, the largest megalith in Japan, probably the tumulus of Soga no Umako, a promoter of Buddhism and a reformer with Prince Shōtoku. Dolmen - rock slabs over graves - were common around the ancient world, but the ones at Ishibutai must weigh tons.
Tachibanadera commemorates the birthplace of Prince Shōtoku. It is rich in historical artifacts and beautiful with a field of cosmos blooming now. There is a formation in the temple 二面石 meaning two-faced rock. I'm tempted to use it like an emoji 👺 .
I've been surrounded by people of #Japanese and Asian heritage since my 20s in #Hawaii, so it's an odd feeling to see mostly foreign tourists in #Kyoto on a weekday. They seem to be fanning out to places I go for walks but are less spectacular than the famous temples you pay to enter. In the future I think much of #Japan could be like Hawaii, with tourism and immigrants like myself attracted to the relatively well-preserved culture and nature.
On a typical spur-of-the-moment walk, I spent no money except on a short train ride and walked through the tourist street past Gion, through Yasaka Shrine and Maruyama Park to the temple Chion-In. It's a headquarters of a major Pure Land sect with numerous parishioners, some tending to their ancestors, unlike either the open air museum type of temples or Zen centers.
I slipped into Kyōto and back home just before an explosive thunderstorm. Limited to four photos and captions, here is a bit of the flavor of Chion-In.
in a bit, i am about to turn everything off and just pray and be with God uninterrupted.
my spirit is troubled and i am sure many of yours are too.
work message may come in by COB (20 ish minutes) so around then.
feel free to join me wherever you are.
let us seek the peace of God to come over our minds, and hearts. to clear our vision of the world, and see the sacredness and worth in all of God's creation.
it's personal scripture, but there are revelations and messages for the Saints therein. for ex.,
one of the sections is titled and speaks to the "Unity of the Saints"
since i am writing the record, in a word processor rather than gold plates like #Mormon and Moroni, i have titled it "The Book of Wednesday"
as more is written and revealed i will likely share some of it.
"Fundamentally, Latter Day Saints embrace truths as they are revealed from any number of places. Our faith tradition encourages us to adapt, thrive, and grow. To be curious about the productivity of the tree, and picking up new techniques to help it grow.
We learn from the grove of trees around us. Trees different from our individual churches, but still part of the interdependent/interconnected grove that is the Body of Christ."
i was inspired by the parable of the Fig Tree (the one with the gardener) in Luke, the allegory of the Olive tree in the Book of Jacob, Alma 16 (i think LDS Alma 34. the part with the tree metaphor), more direct communication with the Divine, lived experience, and a letter where Prophet-President Joseph Smith Jr defined #Mormonism in a way I find Inspired.
Here in Japan 30 years ago, I was promoted to full professor, for publications, so my work has been all for the joy of discovery and sharing.
I've been drawn back into Online Education, a field I've been active in since 1995. I teach Bilingualism and Intercultural Communication classes. I lecture for the government, introducing Japan. Living near Kyoto, I research prehistoric to Heian Period religions in Japan. Moreover, I also publish about the academic life that I live by.
Having readers worldwide is most precious, and there is so much to share. I'll therefore have to take one field at a time and select widely read and cited publications.
it does not escape me that i take on the sins of #Christianity and Christians, to be railed on by angry white male atheists.
i am willing to take on those sins and repent and atone for them.
but a little perspective please.
it's their ancestors who created this modern #christian landscape, not mine. rejecting the faith doesn't remove the mindset, culture, or learned ideals. there is a ex-christian brand of #atheism that is still authoritarian, eurocentric, and paternalistic.
@superheroine@religion we are all sinners, and that we should all repent of our sins. However, we should also be forgiving of others, and we should not judge them for their past mistakes.
The crowds are back in Kyoto, but I showed an American and Japanese journalist couple a scenic route with few visitors, from the temple and pond of Daikakuji through the Arashiyama area. Dan @dangillmor and Noriko-san were refreshed when we could enjoy mountain forest scenery a short walk from train stations.
The first photo shows the spacious temple Daikakuji (大覚寺) from across Osawa Pond, Kyoto's oldest man-made pond, harking back around 1,200 years to Emperor Saga in the early Heian Period. The experience of visitors is deepened when the history and lore is explained.
This is not one of the spectacular seasons, but there is some subtle beauty in early fall with leaves starting to change, and bush clover like in the second photo.
Third is the bamboo cathedral of Arashiyama.
Last is a photo by Dan of the gorgeous gorge. One of my favorite places, yet few tourists find it. I often also walk along the other side of the river through the mountain forest.