The Art of Loving (Pt III)

"Having a relationship with [her] is like waking up to discover there is a unicorn in your garden... It's a completely unique circumstance and something of a shock. You've never encountered anything quite like it. Suddenly, standing there in the middle of your life, is something that proves the presence of magic in the universe. You've always believed that the magic was real, but now you can actually see it - and almost touch it. Almost, but not quite. Because first you have to get closer, and yet how do you approach such a skittish, exotic creature? Do you even dare? And are you worthy? There is no frame of reference for such an encounter, no one can tell you how to go about it.

Then there is the issue of that very sharp horn. As lovely and gentle as the unicorn appears to be, you have a strong sense that it could also inflict serious injury, even mortal wounds, intentionally or not. Magic cuts both ways. So while it is beautiful and enchanting, and you know that you have been somehow blessed by its presence in your garden, it's more than a little dangerous - and also highly disconcerting for the average mortal..." - The Book of Love, by Kathleen McGowan

(Couldn't resist that one. ;)

"The practice of the art of loving requires the practice of faith.

What is faith?... Is faith by necessity in contrast to, or divorced from, reason and rational thinking?... [R]ational faith is a conviction which is rooted in one's own experience of thought and feeling. Rational faith is not primarily belief in something, but the quality of certainty and firmness which our convictions have. Faith is a character trait pervading the whole personality, rather than a specific belief...

In the sphere of human relations, faith is an indispensable quality of any significant friendship or love. 'Having faith' in another person means to be certain of the reliability and unchangeability of his fundamental attributes, of the core of his personality, of his love. By this I do not mean that a person may not change his opinions, but that his basic motivations remain the same; that, for instance, his respect for life and human dignity is part of himself, not subject to change.

In the same sense we have faith in ourselves. We are aware of the existence of a self, of a core in our personality which is unchangeable and which persists throughout our life in spite of varying circumstances, and regardless of certain changes in opinions and feelings... Unless we have faith in the persistence of our self, our feeling of identity is threatened and we become dependent on other people whose approval then becomes the basis for our feeling of identity. Only a person who has faith in himself is able to be faithful to others, because only he can be sure that he will be the same at a future time as he is today and, therefore, that he will feel and act as he now expects to... What matters in relation to love is the faith in one's own love; in its ability to produce love in others, and in its reliability...

To have faith requires courage, the ability to take a risk, the readiness even to accept pain and disappointment. Whoever insists on safety and security as primary conditions of life cannot have faith; whoever shuts himself off in a system of defense, where distance and possession are his means of security, makes himself a prisoner. To be loved, and to love, need courage, the courage to judge certain values as of ultimate concern - and to take the jump and stake everything on these values...

To love means to commit oneself without guarantee, to give oneself completely in the hope that our love will produce love in the loved person. Love is an act of faith, and whoever is of little faith is also of little love. Can one say more about the practice of faith? Someone else might; if I were a poet or a preacher, I might try. But since I am not either of these, I cannot even try to say more about the practice of faith, but am sure that anyone who is really concerned can learn to have faith as a child learns to walk." - The Art of Loving, by Erich Fromm

Einstein's Exasperation

"Whenever a poet or preacher, chief or wizard spouts gibberish, the human race spends centuries deciphering the message."

"Be ye lamps unto yourselves."

(This one's for DFB. Because he asked.)

It annoys me when people talk about Einstein's vision of God. It annoyed me when Dawkins did it. It annoyed me when Epstein did it. And it was really annoying me that there was a book out there called Einstein's God. (As it turns out, there are two books out there with that title, but I'm referring to the recently-published book by Krista Tippett.)

As if Einstein had some special insight into God and spiritual truths. As if we should place more importance on his vision of God than any other. Let me restate my position on God, just to be clear...

• I'm an apatheist. For me, the question of God is not important. I think that debating Its existence is distracting us from other, very real problems. (Religion, however, as an institution and a societal force, is worth discussing critically.)
• I believe that no man should place himself between another man and God. I also believe that no man should place another man between men and God. That's why this idea that Einstein's vision of God should be worth understanding or emulating bothers me.

Aside from the Einstein issue, I'm enjoying Tippett's book, which is subtitled Conversations About Science and the Human Spirit. It's essentially a collection of interviews that she has conducted over the years, interspersed with her commentary. (A collection of interviews, by a journalist, with a title that annoys me... This sounds familiar... ;) I like hearing what people think about the overlap between science and spirituality. I like the fact that I don't know who some of these people are. But I am intensely annoyed whenever the conversation is directed towards what Einstein (or Darwin) believed.

Perhaps it's because the issue of authority is so problematic within our current religious structures. Perhaps it's because people appeal to the authority of Einstein or Hawking to justify their own views on issues of god and science. (I'm thinking of a recent episode of Nightline. Once Einstein was invoked/quoted by Deepak Chopra, Harris (or Shermer, I forget who) fired back by invoking Hawking.) Almost everyone falls to the temptation of fighting appeals to authority by using appeals to authority.

I suggest that the 'enlightened' atheist would support and foster independent, critical thinking on the part of the individual regarding any idea, religious or otherwise. The unenlightened atheist is simply interested in transferring the allegiance of the individual to structure in which he holds power. This unenlightened atheist is the one who projects the idea that his beliefs are right. He is in line with (or seeks to emulate) the Great Ones within his power structure. He knows the truth, and is happy to tell it to you. Forgive me for believing that Einstein was 'enlightened' enough to reject the idea that his views should become the new dogma.

The next time you hear someone quote Einstein on religion, think of this...

A quote out-of-context is blind. A reference to authority is lame.