Carl Jung, Culture and Apologetics – M. Brunet

Carl Jung, born 1875 and died in 1961, may have more to do with the cultural direction we see today then one might realize. His influence and thinking has touched “not only psychiatry but also philosophy, anthropology, archaeology, literature, and religious studies” according to Wikipedia and is even seen today in “twelve-step programs, video games, novels, movies and educational materials used” according to Dr. Peter Jones. An early disciple of Freud, he parted ways and began a version of psychological wholeness that would find a basis in the spiritual realm. Unlike Freud, who believed religion was mythical and went so far as seeing it as a sickness in need of a cure, Jung saw “classical religion” (ancient pagan and mythological religion), as the vehicle to explain and solve human behavior and this healing would come through psychology and the wisdom found in cultures. This view led Jung to claim to claim that “we are on the threshold of a new spiritual epoch” and that he was developing “the worlds final, unitary religion”. The true nature of his quest can be scene in the this quote…

“I imagine a far finer and more comprehensive task for (psychoanalysis)…I think we must give it more time to influence people from many centers, to revivify among intellectuals a feeling for symbol and myth, ever so gently to transform Christ back into the soothsaying god of the vine, which He was, and in this way absorb those ecstatic instinctual forces of Christianity for the one purpose of making the cult and the sacred myth what they once were—a drunken feast of joy where man regained his ethos and holiness of an animal. That was the beauty and purpose of classical religion” (Richard Noll, Aryan Christ ,54)

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BOOK REVIEW: The Imagination of God: Art, Creativity and Truth in the Bible by Brian Godawa

imaginationgodbook-cover

Brian Godawa is a prolific writer in the Christian supernatural fiction genre. His series Chronicles of the Nephilim, Chronicles of the Apocalypse, and his latest series Chronicles of the Watchers are superb examples of what Godawa attempts to convey in his The Imagination of God: Art, Creativity and Truth in the Bible.

The opening chapter makes a simply assertion but one that is commonly misunderstood and sometimes denied; namely that reason, logic and imagination are not mutually exclusive gifts. Modern people tend to gravitate toward one of two extremes and dismiss the other. Godawa argues that this should not be the case. One example of the polarizing effect of focusing on reason and logic over and against imagination is that modern people lose the ability to both use and benefit from image, metaphor, and parable/allegory in understanding the Bible and in evangelism.

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What Does Digital Physics Have To Do With Hanjin Shipping? – Steven Menking

No, fellow amateurs, I have not delved into a John Nash style madness a la ‘A Beautiful Mind’. However, I may in fact out myself as a quintessential nerd by admitting that when the movie came out and I was 13 I wept at the loss of intellectual genius portrayed in the film. I’d like to blame hormone imbalances due to puberty, but instead I’ll just own up to it. After all, I’m going to be writing about digital physics here, so we’re getting into some unorthodox, nerdy material in any case.

What is digital physics?

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The Final Swan – Steven Menking

For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.

Mark 4:17

I haven’t been as active as usual for the past two weeks. This is mostly because I needed to be refreshed. Following global events and analysis in real time is cognitively, emotionally, and spiritually taxing. While I toned down my efforts, some absolutely incredible events have taken place. The status quo has proven itself profoundly robust to new information that should be earth-shattering. Perhaps this stands as a testimony of the general obliviousness of a populace subject to 24/7 propaganda. Maybe, just maybe, it’s something else. Can you feel the tension? Can you sense the desperation? Can you see the truth?

The NSA has been hacked and it’s cyberwarfare weapons are up for auction

George Soros was hacked and his geopolitical influence exposed

Contradicting Obama, the State Department admitted that it paid $400M in ransom to Iran

Russia is now bombing ISIS from Iran

Turkey announced a deeper partnership with Russia via the Turkish Stream oil pipeline

1,000 year flood in Louisiana due to a stationary storm system

Hillary Clinton’s questionable health came into the spotlight

Julian Assange’s lawyer apparently killed himself via a train

The DoD Inspector General found that the Pentagon can’t account for $6.5 TRILLION

And on and on it goes. In my opinion we’re seeing the cracks in the facade become the tremors that precede the earthquake. It seems like people will brush off one thing after another of any degree of seriousness unless they wake up to find the stock market imploded or World War III begun. However, if you can see the trends you’ll notice that the unprecedented is now a weekly – or even daily – occurrence.

The United States has lost the Middle East

With Turkey swinging to Russia after the failed coup, the new Turkish Stream pipeline deal in place, the Russians beginning aerial bombardments from Iran, the Yemenis failing to roll over to the Saudis, the US signing a nuclear accord only to have Iran demand and receive ransom for political prisoners while chanting ‘Death to America’, and now the Chinese getting more seriously involved in the affairs of the region, it is past time that everyone acknowledges that the neoconservative plan implemented during George W. Bush’s tenure and escalated under Obama’s is now a ruinous heap. Mission failed. PNAC is over. The 21st Century will not be another American century. The Pax Americana is finished. The Middle East is under new management.

This is an historic development made more dramatic by its amazing rapidity and limited visibility. Ask your friends about Incirlik and see what they say. Shouldn’t it be front page news that the US is no longer the arbiter of power in such a strategically important sphere? It is everywhere but the US. It’s time that we here in Amaruca recognize that no matter what we say and what tantrums we throw (former Deputy Director of the CIA demonstrates our insane geopolitical logic) that the idea of our sole hegemony is an outdated relic.

The truth is bubbling to the surface

Lies are fragile. The web of deception that has been built up over decades and centuries has persisted because of the ability to compartmentalize and control information. Total informational control is no longer possible.

The truth is potent. Sometimes all it takes is one truth to obliterate an armada of lies. When we see the State Department have to walk back a now-blatant falsehood from Mr. Obama about paying Iran $400M ransom in cash in less than a week – while it is still in the same news cycle no less – we know that there is an acceleration of the truth.

Hacks, leaks, and other data dumps are exposing plainly that plenty of hypothesis dismissed as conspiratorial are actually fact. In order to avoid tumbling down the rabbit hole of tens of thousands of emails and documents and communications, I’ll leave it at this: we’re seeing an escalation of volcanic activity in the truth department. When the real eruption will occur is anybody’s guess.

Despite all this, we’re still…

In more normal times, any one of the topics discussed would command the strict attention of the entire nation and a comprehensive, actionable solution would be demanded. We are not in normal times. The “new normal” is a garbage twist on words and a vain attempt to explain away why the structure of society is deteriorating.

In this summer we’ve been fed a steady diet of other shoes, black swans, and last straws. Yet the facade persists. I can’t shake the feeling that there is something else in store. Maybe it’s the Final Swan: a black swan, feet adorned with the other shoes and wings made of straw. An inelegant picture perhaps, but it does have the inevitability of Icarus in its imagery.

If any amateurs out there put together some concept art for the Final Swan – patent pending – email it to amateursociety@gmail.com. For the record, I’d prefer an actual swan to Natalie Portman, but far be it from me to impose any formal creative limitations. After all, I’m an amateur too.

This artricle was posted originally on The Amateur Society here.