Lesson 16 ~ Defining Spirituality ~ Nietzsche ~ Essay
By: Rev. Trent Murman, OSM, OSF
The author of this lesson definitely had some great ideas and concepts, for my essay I chose to include and comment on a few:
Nietzsche was definitely a very interesting man who believed morality exists as it does because we humans have a dark side that should we not heed the lessons of morality, we will certainly suffer. The argument is that as intelligent beings, we became aware of our mortality. As a result of this we developed stories and beliefs designed to delude ourselves into believing that death is not the end; that instead we go on living even though our bodies die. The existentialists believe this to be a lie perpetrated against ourselves so that we can deny the reality of death. Death is necessary, death is required and death is sad.
For the existentialist, the body is first because existence is first. The universe came into being, then planets formed, life developed, intelligence followed. From this, the existentialists say, came the idea of a soul. So what about body builders are they or could they be classified as existentialists? Talk about food for thought.
It was the development of this new scientific world that prompted Nietzsche to say his famous, "God is Dead!" He was speaking of the fact that our religions were two thousand years old and these religions no longer addressed the concerns of the modern man. So is it possible that religion needs to advance with the advancement of man? I feel we can still maintain the archived history of religion for it is the building blocks of all mankind. But, we may need the advancement of religion as well.
Science keeps evil diseases at bay and injuries are quickly treated and healed so that infection and death are no longer a concern. Quite a concept here, I feel that even if science can prolong the demise of biological forms, would this be considered "messing with mother nature" in the most shocking ways? I feel Mother Nature is a part of God and His projected plans for every miniscule part of the universe. Existentialism is the idea that everything we are and everything that exists comes first and foremost from existence.
Our challenge is to help those people come to a point of acceptance. For only through acceptance of life as it is, can we ever find meaning and peace. One can barely comprehend the brutality inflicted upon mankind in the name of God. He believed that religion worshiped the weak while it vilified the strong. Religion was counter-evolutionary and it denied us the right to assert ourselves as dominant beings on the planet.
Suddenly acceptance comes upon us and we drop our swords. We are beaten and bloody, and too tired to fight any more. We fall to our knees, cry, and open our hearts to life as it is on its own terms. We stop trying to make life what we want it to be. It comes to us that trying to make life into something it is not is silly, much like trying to make a river flow uphill. It is then that we are finally opened to real beauty, absolute beauty. We are no longer filled with anger over that stubborn, and we suddenly see the beauty of the river as it is.
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